Life Ain't So Bad

As I sit here at the computer on this fine Sunday morning, I am deep in contemplative thought.  The sun is shining brightly through the window, something I just became aware of when I pulled the string to raise the blinds.  The weather man couldn't decide what today was going to be like ahead of time, waffling between sun and cloud like a toothless old woman trying to chose which of her cats she prefers.  It looks nice right now, and if the weather holds for another 8 hours, Jasmine, Sheila, Asher and I will probably spend time this afternoon beautifying our yard.

Our home is quite modest, and I am not one for going overboard with yard upkeep, but I do feel a certain level of pride when it comes to the appearance of our place.  In the front yard we have a small garden plot, with a lilac bush in one portion of it.  We will pull the weeds, rake the leaves out and plant a few new flowers in hopes that they survive the season.  Sheila loves lilacs, they were her dearly departed mother's favourite flower, so in honour of her mom, Jasmine and I planted a second lilac bush in the front yard, near the road.  We made a tiny circular garden space around it, and once again this year, we will add a few annuals to this little space.  The flowers were safe from the Asher man last year, but he is another year older, and somewhat more destructive.  He is smart little 2 year old, so I am hoping that an explanation from Dad will stop him from pulling heads off of flowers, or squashing the plants flat.  We will have to see.  We also have a small plot of gardening space in the backyard.  Unfortunately, its located near the high wooden fence, and is partially blocked by a tall evergreen tree so we had limited success with the vegetables last year.  With a bit more forethought, and a bit more attention from Jasmine and I, maybe we can see some better results.  Ever year I get a little excited about gardening, though I wouldn't call myself an avid gardener.  It's kind of fun to see if you have what it takes to grow a successful garden.  As it is, we are about 0 for 5, but we will give it a go again this year.

The title of today's post is in reference to this past Tuesday's Provincial Election.  The line above is one of a few different coping mechanisms I have been falling back on after the election resulted in a less than desirable outcome for myself.  It truly is a bizzare feeling to support a party that was ahead  in the opinion polls for 2 full years prior to the election, not once in that entire time were they behind, then have them fall soundly come election day.  I was nervous coming into election day for a few reasons, and most of all, it's the power of the older crowd.  Old people get out and do things when they matter to them.  And when it comes right down to it, if you have the support of senior citizens, you can count on that support in the same way you can count on death and taxes.  I am disappointed in the outcome of the election, I am disappointed in the younger crowd who simply didn't turn out at the polls, and most of all I am disappointed with the state of the political world as a whole.  I have lived in Prince George for more than 10 years now where the municipal government, the provincial government and most certainly the federal government all lean heavily to the right of centre.  I didn't cast a ballot for any of the people currently serving as my representative, save for 1 or 2 city councillors.  What I see as a significant silver lining though, is that despite the fact that I don't care for the political ideals of these people who represent me, I am lucky enough to live in one of the best countries in the world.  A country where even the politicians who represent the "right" are reasonably progressive.  I am not going to get carried away, the federal Conservatives are far from proactive, but due to the culture of Canada, they are forced to move away from their most extreme ideals towards a more acceptable right of centre stance.  Canada's version of right is actually left in many places in the world.  We are so very lucky here in Canada to have the freedoms that we do have, so for me, despite the disappointment I felt earlier this week, I am just happy to have been born in a place and time where I am free to do or say almost anything.  Will the Liberal Party do and say things that I don't agree with?  Sure.  Will they put economics ahead of people?  Sure.  But, I believe that while misguided, their intention is to do good.  To improve the province that we live in.  Time will tell, and if their track record is indicative, I will likely by let down, but even a let down in British Columbia is better than most places in the world.

Earlier this week, I finalized my plans for the summer in regards to sports and fitness.  I had signed up for summer hockey a few weeks ago, then last week I committed to playing recreational soccer.  I didn't play soccer last summer because it conflicted with Jasmine's soccer schedule.  I also had written off playing in the open league due to frequence of weekend games that conflict with my work schedule.  Saturday, as I haphazardly coached the opening game of Jasmine's soccer season, a friend of mine approached.  His daughter is on our team, and I have been a soccer teammate of his in the past.  I had asked him to help me out and coach the team for the next game while I was busy.  Instead of asking about his coaching gig, he isntead inquired about my interest in playing with his soccer team.  My reflex reaction was negative, as I knew the obstacle of scheduling would make things difficult.  Also, I knew he was playing in the "30+" division, and I am stubbornly holding onto my twenties card, at least until my birthday in October.  I asked my friend about the age thing, and he thought it was okay, as I will be 30 this year.  We decided to wait and see, pending the schedule.  It was released the next day, and it a happy twist of fate, many of the games fall on Wednesday and Sunday evenings, and I can play most of them.  I was officially drafted last Wednesday and the first game is in 3 days.  I have abandoned a few buddies who are set to play in the recreational league, but the chance to play a higher level of soccer is one I want to take.  I didn't play soccer at all last year, and spent the season before in the recreational league.  Prior to that I played 2 seasons on a very weak division 2 team.  Needless to say, it is likely that my new team will be the best team I have been a part of in a long time.  My friend is the reigning "Top Defender" in the league, and he is the only member of my new team that knows my game.  On his word, the team signed me up.  It adds a little pressure, and I am admitedly a little nervous going to the first game.  My love of fitness and exercise is continuing to grow and one of the fun things that comes with it is my ability to challenge myself.  I look at this as one of those opportunities to put myself out there and go for it.

I spent some time the other day figuring out which days I could book off that would allow me to have a few extra free days with Sheila and the kids.  The residual effect of this is that it frees me up to play a few more soccer games that fall on weekends, and it also opened me up to add another running race to my plans.  As we stand, I am going to run 5 races this season, starting in 2 weeks when I run the YMCA Road Race.  Adding soccer to my summer plans, to go along with the running races and the hockey games will lead to a few interesting tests of my stamina and fitness.  One such situation falls of the weekend of June 14th and 15th.  I have booked the days off, and will play soccer on the Friday night at 630.  The next morning at 10, I plan to participate in the "Beat the Bugs" 10 km trail run.  I really like to challenge myself, but this will likely be my biggest test yet.  I'll let you know if I survive, a discontinued blog and you can draw your own conclusions.

My rekindled love of sports has shown up in Asher in spades.  His favorite things are his "truckies", his potato heads, and his growing collection of sports gear.  He has his set of plastic mini "gicks" and his mini hockey nets.  He has a handful of hockey balls, hockey pucks, 3 or 4 "buuballs", a couple "gocker" balls, a "baaball" glove and bat to go with the balls themselves, and it goes on from there.  On Thursday morning after we had roused ourselves from bed we went outside to go for a walk.  Asher found his glove and ball, and we got distracted.  Asher handed me the bat, and before long we were all set.  Asher was the pitcher, and yes, he can throw.  Standing about 15 feet away from me, he was able to throw a hittable pitch time and time again.  I crouched down to his size so that he didn't have to throw it high, but nonetheless I was blown away by his accuracy.  When I hit the ball, I would run across the yard to the fence, and he was able to figure out the idea of tagging me out.  He would laugh hysterically as he chased after me, and when he caught me he even threw in the "you're out!" for effect.  I snapped a couple of pics of the little guy and his gear, then when I attempted a video, hilarity insued.  I wanted to show off to Sheila just how good he can toss the ball and I start to record.  I provide commentary, then realize that Asher won't have me crouching down as a hitter to provide a target.  I say "throw a pitch", while standing safely off to the side with the record button down.  He winds up to throw straight ahead of him, but I had obviously caused some confusion.  The throw came straight at me with perfect accuracy.  I jumped out of the way while hollering, shocked that it was so perfectly thrown.  I will have to rethink my videography plan before attempting it again.

We went for our walk, but not without the glove and ball that he wore the whole time.  Our destination was the park at Jasmine's school where we stopped to play basketball.  Asher wore his glove, and he tossed the ball at me while I shot hoops.  I would retrieve the ball and throw it back, kind of like a game of fetch.  Asher befriended a boy who was sitting on the park bench watching us.  He was about 7, and Asher went right over and sat beside him.  Smiling, waving and coaxing him into playing catch with him. Asher got his wish, but after a few throws his teacher hollered at him from across the way to sit back down.  As it turns out my little man got him in trouble, but I love the way that he will be friendly with just about any kid that comes along.  Asher is a lot more guarded with other adults, just the way we want him to be.  Asher was disappointed that his new buddy couldn't play, but he joined me with the basketball instead.  He dribbles the ball by slapping it as hard as he can, then when he is bored he passes it back to me.  He doesn't get upset with the fact that he can't shoot yet, even with my help.  We left the park and finished our walk.  Later in the morning Asher joined me in lifting weights, its pretty funny how much he enjoys being like daddy.  His 2 lb rubber dumbells get lifted up over his head repeatedly while he beams proudly.  That night, as if we hadn't had enough sports, Sheila, Asher and I bought a soccer ball at the store.  While we waited for Wawa while she attended a play with her Guide group, Asher and I played soccer.  He decided that 2 signs that were close together provided a good enough goal, and he jumped between the pipes.  It's really funny, but as a goalie he actively roots for people to score on him.  The ball almost dribble across the line on him, but he decided it was close enough.  He let out a big cheer for me, then ran to give me a big hug.  Then on his prompting we switched places.  He managed to get a few past me, he is already hitting a size 5 soccer ball with his instep, something I can't get some of the 9 and 10 year olds to do.  When his time comes, he will be ready.  If you are one who keeps track of such things, Asher played soccer, baseball, basketball, hockey, swam and lifted weights this week.  And they say we are getting inactive as a society, obesity rates are soaring and all is doom and gloom.  Something tells me there is hope for us yet.

While Asher won't stop playing sports, Jasmine is a little different when it comes to physical activity.  She is athletic that's for sure, but she doesn't obsess over sports the way her little brother does.  Jasmine enjoys playing soccer and basketball with her teams and gets a lot out of her interactions with her teammates and coaches.  She wants me to be her coach, and it provides some great father/daughter time that we both have fun with.  While she has been gifted with an athletic body, and she is capable of great things, her desire to practice and work to get better isn't there.  She just likes playing, and that is quite alright with me.  Jasmine and I found a couple sports that she likes and it seems like she will stick with them long term.  She's not worried about being the best, and it's nice because she doesn't get discouraged either.  Besides her 2 teams sports, Jasmine has been an avid swimmer for her entire life.  She goes at least once a week, and would stay all day if she could.  This spring she has been riding her bike to school every day, and this has led her to going for more leisure rides as well.  Her dedication to her bike has me on the lookout for a bigger one, something I promised as long as the current one got regular use.  Hopefully the growth spurt is done for a while, and this next bike will fit for a while.  It will be an adults bike so lets hope it works for a few years.  Speaking of getting to big, she has also outgrown her soccer cleats, that she has never worn.  That's right, Sheila found a bargain at the end of last season and stored the shoes away for the spring.  Jasmine put them on last week for her first game, and found them to be too small.  Like, 2 sizes too small.  I took her to the mall to search for new ones, then we discovered with the sizing doohickey that she is actually completely out of kids sizes.  This shouldn't be a surprise, she has been borrowing her mom's size 8 shoes for a while now.  She needs a 7.5 in womens shoes, and dad had to go home to reformulate a plan.  The adult shoes are much pricier then the kids ones, but hopefully they fit for a while once bought.  Jasmine likes her sports, and I want to keep her comfortable while she plays.  In the past week Jasmine played soccer and basketball, rode her bike every day, and swam on Wednesday.  I am proud of both of my kids when it comes to the active lifestyles they have.

On the arts and culture front, my reading has stalled.  I have been in the middle of "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers for what feels like months now.  I've been busy balancing family, exercise, extra work, poker and yard work and reading has been restricted to work time.  I feel like I have been enjoying the book, but if I am going to be honest with myself, not picking up the novel is a sure sign that my interest isn't quite there.  Hopefully I can make some progress on it this week, and I can move on to something else soon.  The movie front has also been quiet.  The last few weeks at work we have been unable to attend the theatre for various reasons.  The last movie I watched if I remember correctly was "42".  It was well done, with sports and drama mixing nicely.  I think the last movie that Sheila and I watched at home was "The Adams Family".  It was mediocre, and as is typical put me to sleep.  Maybe we will find time this week to cuddle up and watch one, but with soccer season underway the schedule is filling up.

I have found a few great albums that I have been playing regularly in recent weeks.  Apache Indian has a style of music that is unique to him.  He is a British artist of Indian ancestry who created the genre "bhangramuffin".  Most, including myself aren't familiar with the "raggamuffin" genre either which is a sub-genre of dancehall or reggae music.  It relies more heavily on electronic instrumentation than reggae or dancehall does, and incorporates sampling quite often.  Apache Indian puts a unique twist on it, in that he provides reggae style delivery with his indian accent.  His sound is quite authentic as he practiced his craft, and recorded his albums with a number of different reggae artists in Jamaica.  I can't help but move when I listen to it, and it never fails to lift my mood.  The other new find is a dancehall group called Culcha Candela.  They are a dancehall group formed in Berlin in 2001.  The founding members go by the super cool names of Johnny Strange, Lafrotino and Itchyban.  What I most enjoy about these guys is their multiculturalism, which leads them to incorporate english, german, spanish and jamaican patois into their tracks.  The guys have German, Polish, Colmbian, Ugandan and Korean roots (there are now 7 members), and they move away from dancehall into reggae, salsa and rock genres as well.  I have been playing their one album very heavily, and will likely give the rest of the work a try soon.  Allow me to provide more info on both Apache and Culcha Candela, and a couple tunes as well.

Apache Indian Wiki




Culcha Candela Wiki






Last Sunday was a very nice day.  After work Sheila, Jasmine, Asher and I drove to Quesnel to celebrate Mother's Day.  We stopped at the municipal cemetary to visit Sheila's mom.  We brought tulips, and cleaned off her headstone.  Asher didn't really understand, but he was well behaved while we stayed.  After a few minutes, Asher and I wandered away and let Sheila and Jasmine have some quiet time to reflect.  Jasmine has some recollection of her Nana, but she was only 3 when she passed away.  Sheila had a chance to shed a few tears as memories flooded over her.  It was very nice that we had the chance to visit on such a special day.  We then went for dinner at my parents house, and had a nice visit with my Mom and my second Mom, Anna.  She is my mom's best friend, and just a wonderful kind hearted woman just like my mom.  My mom always loves to see the kids, and it was great to see her so happy on her special day. 

I really am quite lucky in life.  I have a girlfriend and kids that love me, and I also have a very supportive extended family as well.  My mom and dad as well as my sister Paulette have been seeing us regularly, and I think everyone has enjoyed the increased contact.  Rather than making excuses as to why we can't get together, we have all made an effort to see each other frequently.  We only live an hour apart, and it seems that excuse of distance has been cast aside in recent months and over the past year.  My mom has made a few solo jaunts to stay with us, something that I know is outside of her comfort zone, but once she arrives it seems that she quite happy for having made the trip.  Asher and Jasmine never fail to bring a smile to her face.  My younger sister Erin lives in Montreal, but we have also made a better effort to have regular contact.  She makes me very proud when I discuss all of the things she has accomplished in her short life to this point.  Erin and my brother in law Adam recently sent Sheila and I a lovely note to celebrate both Mother's and Father's Day and it was a nice reminder of how lucky we are to have such family.  My brother Ian lives in town here, and he and his girlfriend are expecting a baby in a few months.  We are all getting very excited to meet him or her, and I know Ian and Larissa will be great parents.  I am happy to be alive, and I hope all of my readers feel the same way.  Have a great week!

I teased you all earlier about this video, then decided I had to include it as well.  Watch Asher "Roger Clemens" Prosk nearly take out his Dad!  Enjoy!

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.

Monday Morning!

It's a quiet morning at work, as they typically are.  Unless there is something pressing, my first hour and a half at work consists of me staying awake, waiting for an appropriate time to get the guys up and out of bed and ready to face the day.  I plan to make sausage and eggs this morning and I can already taste the sausages.  Despite my feeling pretty shitty this morning, I can't help but smile.  I just turned on my favorite album in the world right now, a killer bluegrass group called "The Steeldrivers" and am hard at work tinkering with my 3 fantasy baseball teams.  I feel like writing or typing or whatever, and this is the place I choose to do so.  Read away if it pleases you.

Yesterday was a blast.  I play hockey for fun and most importantly, the exercise.  Moving up to the "C" division this year has meant that every time I strap on the pads and play, I get to play hard.  No sandbagging it against weak opponents, there aren't any.  Even the teams that rarely won played hard and had strong players that you had to work your ass off to contain.  We are into the playoffs now, and as it worked out, our 3rd game yesterday was a must win game.  To ensure that we made it, we had to rack up as many goals as we could.  See, the team we were playing had been beat up badly by the other two teams, and to make it in, we needed to outdo their totals.  The game was in the late afternoon, which meant Sheila, Jasmine and Asher were set to come watch.  Uncle Ian came over before the game to give Jasmine her Birthday gift, then I rode with him and Larissa to the game.  The rink we played at is quite cozy, with the family and friends sitting right behind the players benches.  Asher loves this because he can wave and say hi repeatedly throughout the game.  We had a great turnout, probably 50 supporters altogther, lots of kids, spouses, buddies, grandparents and we rode that momentum well.  Ian and I are back playing together, with Rod joining us on our line.  While we aren't flashy, my brother plays a great defensive game, and I feel compelled to keep up with him.  We mucked a puck loose in the corner, I shovelled it to Ian who in turn found Rod in front.  He scored to open the scoring 1-0, and the floodgates opened.  10-2 was the score and the game was out of reach but that didn't stop Ian.  He dove in front of a shot from the other team, the puck bouncing off his shin pads and out of the zone.  This ellicited a huge roar from our bench and the crowd.  Ian is one of the only guys in rec hockey willing to slide in front of a blistering slapshot, and he gets a lot of love from his teammates for it.  After the game ended, we had to wait and see how the other game went before we knew if we were in the next round or not.

A bunch of us gathered for a beer in the parking lot, then came back in the rink to watch the game.  If one team won, we were in for sure.  If the other team won by a certain number of goals, we would also move on.  As we watch and cheer on the one team, he game ends up unfolding the wrong way.  The other team wins.  Adding to the drama, we are all guessing at what the scores were from the other games, no one can check because as it turns out, cell service is very spotty in the rink, we are on the outskirts of town and the rink is a dead spot.  The dressing rooms had service, outside of the rink had service, but no one bothered to go outside and check the website.  We just guessed, and then filed out of the rink disappointed.  When we got outside and looked, we realized that the score might have been favourable.  There was a math equation involving the goals scored for and against and after tinkering around on my phone I was able to tell the remaining couple of guys that yes, we had indeed made it in.  This means we get to play at least one more game, likely against the best team in the league Blades of Steel.  It's great to play for fun, but its even better when the games mean something.  We've beaten these guys before and played them close a few other times.  Who knows?  Maybe we have enough to get it done.

As hockey season winds down, I am getting excited for what the summer months will bring as far as recreation and fun.  I've signed on for my 7th season coaching Jasmine's soccer team.  It's hard to believe that she has been playing that long.  She celebrated her 10th birthday this past weekend and Friday night we capped the night by playing a game of soccer in the basement.  Jasmine played very well with the mini soccer ball, I was showing her how to use to her body to shield the ball and she was catching on.  We were tied, one goal needed and the winner was taking down the half eaten easter bunny as a trophy.  I had a chance to score and instead of pouting as she is want to do, she violently threw herself into her own net to try to prevent the goal.  Unfortunately, Jasmine's back crashed into the heap of Asher's toys that were piled up behind the net and she ended up injured.  After comforting her and helping her get an ice pack for her back, I was gushing about how hard she had worked, and what it meant for the season ahead.  Jasmine is built for sports.  She did quite well with soccer last year despite not always working her hardest.  If I can help her realize how good she can be, we might see a really great player develop.  I won't overdo it, I will use encouragement and enjoyment as a key, not pushing her to the point that she resents me. 

I had a few significant breakthroughs last year with other girls.  One of the defenders loved to hear praise and she seemed to get better with every compliment.  I continued to pile on the positive reinforcement, and by the end of the season I was convinced she was the best defender in the division.  I had been saying it to her for most of the season, and it's funny how a naturally shy girl takes that praise.  Before the season started she was completely oblivious to her talents, but when I began to point it out to her, it resulted in her working even harder.  I also had a girl on the team last year who worked harder then any other kid in sports that I have witnessed.  She had a game where we ended up tying the other team 3-3.  We were up against a great team, and most our players were struggling just to touch the ball.  This girl was the only one who had could dribble with any confidence.  Ultimately, we only had 3 shots on goal all game, and she put all 3 in the back of the net.  I still think about the third goal she scored, a lob over the goalies head from near midfield.  I lost my mind cheering on the sidelines, it just wasn't something I was expecting to see a 10 year old girl do.  It looked like a happy accident it was so good, but she reassured me afterwards it was planned.  I really do have a blast helping the kids get better at soccer, and last year was satisfying because I could see how much fun each and every one of the girls was having with it.  I'm looking forward to doing it again.

The other thing on my mind is the YMCA Road Race set for Sunday June 2nd.  The charge for the race fees has gone through on my credit card, I'm officially registered to run the 10 km distance that day.  I guess that means there is no turning back, right?  I spent time yesterday researching different types of running shoes.  I narrowed my choices down to a handful of different makes and models, keeping it reasonably affordable, and I will likely go pick up a pair tommorow when I have time.  I typed "preparing to run 10 km" into my google search bar, and after reading a few different pages I found one that seemed like it would work.  I settled on the advanced beginner approach.  I know I can run that distance, but I want to properly work my way up to it, so that I can run to achieve a decent time, not just run to say I did it.  As it turns out, nearly every program I looked at called for an 8 week build up to race day.  I checked the calendar and coincidently, I will be starting the work this week as I am 8 weeks from race day as of yesterday.  Preparing properly is serious business.  With just two rest days each week, the plan calls for moderate paced run on Tuesday, cross training exercise on Wednesday, a faster but shorter race pace run on Thursday, then a longer run on Saturday.  A slower paced recovery style run ends the week on Sunday.  I spent time last night on walkjogrun.net last night, a great site that you can use to map out different running routes.  It lets you know the distance, elevation changes and whatnot.  The plan I chose calls for a variety of different lengths of runs, so I was busy mapping out various routes.  My normal run is a 3km route, and when I was feeling ambitious last summer I would do a 4.5 km loop.  Neither of those runs are long enough for even the first week of my preparation.  I didn't sign up for this because it was going to be a proverbial walk in the park.  I'm getting excited about the challenge, and I look forward to bragging incessantly upon completion.  Get ready to hear about the race repeatedly over the next few months, :).

I have another busy week planned, and with the added excitement of a couple more hockey games I am really looking forward to it.  Lots of running, hockey, weight lifting, fantasy baseballing, swimming, maybe another bowling trip, perhaps a hike with the kids if the weather cooperates should keep us busy as a family.  I'm really enjoying my reading as I have plowed through most of "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee.  If I can stay still long enough, I also want to watch "Django Unchained" with Sheila.  I caught it in theatre and was amazed.  I absolutely loved it.  Christoph Waltz puts on a performance for the ages.  I watched the first 20 minutes again last night, and it just has me itching to watch the whole thing again.  Maybe tonight?

Until next time, here is to a great day!

Jasmine is 10!

It's been a busy week at the Prosk/Theriault house.  Jasmine had been counting down to Friday all week because April 5th was the day she was to celebrate a full decade of being alive.  When I came home from work that night, Sheila and Jasmine were hard at work preparing the house for the sleepover party that was set for Saturday night.  The party theme was Hawaiian and the house had been transformed.  There were hula hoops ready for party games, there was a couple of pineapples set to be used as decorative appetizer holders (see photo below), and the cake was being put together.  Above, Jasmine and I decided to get goofy while we posed with the hula girl cake that Sheila created.

Unfortunately, or perhaps Jasmine was thinking otherwise, I was at work last night for the first half of the sleepover, and I am back at work this morning.  Jasmine and 4 friends have been having a blast from all accounts.  Jasmine's little brother Asher has also been partying, but he bowed out at 8 last night, long before any of the girls even thought about sleeping.  Jasmine's auntie Paulette also spent the day hanging out yesterday, though her enthusiasm for the loud music and excited screaming may not have been there.

Jasmine had a pretty good idea that she was going to get a concert ticket for her birthday, and she waited until her friends were with her to open the card from Sheila and I.  She found her ticket to the Mariannas Trench concert for next week, and Sheila told me she literally ran out of the house screaming to make sure all of the neighbours knew about her score.  I had given Sheila a ticket to the same concert for her birthday, and had kept teasing Jasmine about it leading up to her birthday.  She has never been to a concert (she doesn't count the Doodlebops anymore) so I am sure her and Sheila will have a blast next Sunday.  Jasmine also got a new bike helmet from her mom and dad, and her Grandma got her a couple of much needed new outfits.  Her friends loaded her up with toys that will get lots of use.

Sheila celebrated Jasmine's birthday by posting a few old photos of her as a baby and toddler.  I have been part of Jasmine's life for nearly 8 years now, but I missed out on her baby stage.  It's pretty hard to believe she was a baby only 8 years ago, when she is now over 5 feet tall.  Dear old Dad was tearing up when I saw these last night.

The last photo was likely taken right around the time I met Sheila and Jasmine.  That goofy grin has always brought me happiness, and she still uses it today. 

We kept busy this week, Wednesday being particularly action packed.  Asher had Strong Start in the morning, his mom joining him there for a bit as she worked later then usual.  Asher and I picked up Jasmine at 130 and went to the Swimming Pool as we usually do.  Fun was had, then we threw our bathing suits in the truck and walked a few blocks to the bowling alley.  As Asher walked into the building, he loudly exclaimed "Wow!!" which brought laughs from the only 2 people in the place, the staff.  We got set up, Asher wearing the smallest shoes they had, and the wooden ramp brought over to our lane.  I bowled for a couple of years when I was 12, and I still enjoy it.  Playing the Canadian version with the small balls and the 5 pins, Jasmine and I had a lot of fun watching Asher play for the first time.  He would pick up the ball, then Jas or I would pick him up so he could place it on the ramp.  He excitedly crashed the ball down, then stood leaning on the ramp as he watched the ball head towards it's destination.  Waiting until the pins had fallen he would then announce: "I did it!" clapping as he shouted.  Interestingly, Asher scored exactly 100 on his first trip to the bowling alley.

Jasmine is not usually competitive, but she seems to get very wrapped up in her score and how well she is doing when she bowls.  When she plays soccer or basketball she rarely worries about winning or losing, often needing to be redirected so she at least has some focus on the game.  At the bowling alley, maybe it's because your score is prominently displayed for all to see that gets her worked up.  It's too bad because I quite enjoy the game, and I'm sure Asher would love to go back.  We'll try again soon, and perhaps Jasmine will continue to improve her game, and her mood while she plays.

All in all, a great week and I enjoyed spending lots of time with Jasmine, Asher and Sheila.  I'm beaming with pride this morning as I took this little look at the lady my little girl is becoming.  I hope you enjoyed taking this look with me.

Climbing That Mountain

A man stands atop a snow-capped mountain.  Oddly enough as his chest rythmically rises and falls with each breath he takes he appears calm.  His eyes are closed adding to the perception on calmness.  When one looks closer a level of wonder begins as it is not common to see someone in this attire on the peak of a mountain.  Dressed more for a casual walk then for mountain climb he is sporting worn running shoes, with a long sleeve athletic shirt and a pair of sport shorts.  The peak of the mountain is actually a fairly flat plateau that is barely large enough for both of the man's feet to take up a place on and it does appear to be covered in a layer of ice and snow.  The visual scene causes one to wonder: just how did this man come to be at the peak of this seemingly treacherous mountain?

Society is by definition "a body of individuals living as members of a community".  As one goes through life it is often difficult to take as much pleasure from the positive things you encounter as it is to take on negativity from the bad things that happen.  In the most simple of terms, worry often comes easier the happy in the emotional spectrum.  How did the man seemingly so ill-equipped find himself on the icy peak of a mountain?  One must focus on what made that man who and what he is.  The mountain symbolizes all of the support he recieved from the members of society who make up the community he is a part of.  I have struggled recently with this concept in that my focus has been placed on the negative things in my life, leaving me little time to celebrate the successes that I and my family have achieved.  If you don't take the time to digest the support you are recieving, then you are not truly gaining what you should gain from the support offered, recieved and benefitted from. 

I have spent too much time recently worrying about money, period.  Do we have enough?  Does anyone ever truly have "enough"?  Why focus on that?  Sheila and I are lucky that we both have jobs that we have had for a number of years.  Through my employer we have solid health and dental benefits.  For that matter, all 4 of the members of our family are healthy people.  Unfortunately, many of my co-workers deal with financial stress as well and I often find that we spend down time at work commiserating with each other.  This is often done in a negative way that doesn't breed optimism but in fact does the opposite.  I don't want or desire to be a foot loose and fancy free type of person because as a responsible adult I know this attitude can be quite toxic.  What I do want is to enjoy and appreciate the things that I have already, rather then focus on acquiring and getting more things.  Stuff can always be done without.  I have read some incredible literature about people doing without and surviving.  Read "Into The Wild" by Jon Krakauer or "The Glass Castle" by Jeanette Walls if you want some insight on this topic.  I am make a concerted effort to enjoy and appreciate what I do have in my life, and to celebrate the successes that I have. 

Things I Should Appreciate:

- I am lucky that a wonderful and caring woman has chosen to spend the last 7 and a half years of her life as my partner.  Sheila is an amazing partner who works tirelessly.  She cares deeply about Jasmine, Asher, myself, her Dad, her sister's and their families, my Mom, Dad, sisters and brother and spends so very little time thinking about herself.  She deserves a lot of the credit for how great our children are. 

-Jasmine Rose Theriault really is an amazing 9 year old girl.  She is an artist, an athlete, an avid reader, a movie connoisseur, an attentive student, a patient and caring big sister, and a really good friend to her peers.  I often find myself being to hard on her and asking her to do too much, forgetting that she is still a little girl.  Dwell on the positives and let her be a kid will be something I strive to do going forward.

-Asher Felix Prosk is pretty cool.  Our time spent together is so much fun and I will credit myself with being able to enjoy our one on one time much more in recent months.  Rather then getting upset when he is fussing or whining I look to change the environment so he becomes happier.  His growing love of hockey has given us opportunity to have lots of fun together.

-Sheila and I have owned our own home for more then 2 years.  The freedom that this provides is something that I often take for granted.  Lots of people never get the opportunity to own their own home and I realize this.  The space that we have has provided each of the kids with their own room, and we have a great rec room area downstairs.  A nice viewing area to watch movies and sports, and a great workout area are something we didn't have the opportunity to have in our basement suites or ground level suites.  Even owning our own yard is a really positive thing.  I was discussing my gardening endeavours the other day with a co-worker when it dawned on me that even this was something lots of people miss out on.

-We have 2 working vehicles that while expensive to maintain and operate are the lifeline to many of the activities that our family enjoys.  Our family loves to swim, Jasmine plays basketball and attends Girl Guides, I go to hockey, we visit friends and family and of course Sheila and I go to work.  Even running errands becomes time consuming and difficult if you are unable to afford a vehicle to carry out the tasks.

-Our extended families are very supportive.  My mom and dad, my sister Paulette, my brother Ian and my sister Erin have been great to our family.  Sheila's family, her dad Bryan, her sister Shelly, her sister Sherry-Ann and their husbands Patrick and James all live close by and we are lucky that they do.  When we were down visiting in Quesnel at Christmas it was really cool to be surrounded by all of my neices and nephews as well as my own children.  I have 3 neices: Taylor who's 8, Cienna who is 5 and Keelee who is 3.  I also have 3 nephews: Bailie who is 4, Ethan who is 3 and Seth who is 2.  With Jasmine and Asher the 8 kids almost have every age covered: 9,8,5,4,3,3,2,2.  They are all lots of fun and I can't wait to see them again at spring break.  I hope I got the ages right, it's tough to keep track. 


Successes in My Life:

- I possess a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of Northern British Columbia

-I have been a soccer coach with PGYSA for 5 years.  I really enjoy the time spent with Jasmine and the other girls and love to be a part of their successes. 

-I have been a basketball coach with PGMBA for 2 years.  While I am not as knowledgeable as I am with soccer, I enjoy motivating the girls and most of all it's another way for Jasmine and I to spend some quality time together.

-As I near the dreaded age of 30 I am in the best shape of my life.  One of the best decisions I ever made was to get a weight bench for the basement ( my brother Ian and I went in on it together).  My renewed passion for exercise also led me back to playing hockey, and the increased stamina I have has made me a better Dad.  Having the energy for skating with the kids, swimming, Strong Start, 3 weight sessions, a hockey game and more in a 4 days span is something I couldn't have done a few years ago. 

-I have been actively writing again for over a year in this very space.  I must thank my sister Erin for encouraging me to take it up again, and I definitely appreciate the positive feedback I have recieved.

-For the last 3 or so years I have been an avid reader.  It's one of those things that you don't realize what you are missing until it is back in your life.  Reading gives my leisure time meaning and I really like that.



I can go on and on here, and that is frankly the point I am trying to make.  I spend much too much of my time thinking and worrying about the negatively things in my life and not enough time thinking about and appreciating the things that I have mentioned above.  Think not of what you don't have but of what you do have and suddenly those things will have more meaning.  All of this negative energy focussing on material things has led me to want to try something a little different.  I want to go an entire week without purchasing anything.  I will have to buy gas for my Explorer, but outside of that, I will attempt to steer clear of consumerism for an entire week.  I don't feel that it will be that difficult as many of the things I have planned already don't have a cost.  My hockey has already been paid for and we have 2 games this week.  Asher and I go to Strong Start on Wednesday's and that is free.  I plan to take the kids sledding either Monday or Tuesday, also a free activity.  I may have to make an exception for swimming, but we go during the discounted time and this costs less than 5 dollars.  I will let you know how it goes, but I want to do this as a way of showing myself and the kids that you can have fun without a cost associated.  I want to get out an enjoy the outdoors a little more and this week would be a great chance to do it.  I will let you know how it goes.  Thanks for the read, I hope this has proven as cathartic for you as it has for me.

I'm a page turning, movie viewing fool.

The first few weeks of 2013 have proven busy and exciting.  Asher had a wild birthday party where too much sugar collided with too many kids and created a whirlwind of action for a few hours that took days to recover from.

Jasmine and I have been to the College Heights rink twice already, the first time meeting up with he friend to skate, and the second time to play hockey with her 2 year old brother Asher.  He had fun for a short time, tip toeing all over the ice in his bob skates and even sliding the puck into the net with his over sized stick.  He got a new mini stick set for his birthday (Thanks Lisa!) and has been obsessed with "hoggie" ever since.  The trip to the outdoor rink only served to make him more crazy.  I'm happy though, it could be our ticket to getting him to love the outdoors again.

Jasmine, Asher and I went to the library this week before our pool visit.  Jasmine grabbed a picture book, a short novel from "her favorite horse series", then a novel about the Holocaust.  Shocked, I asked what the book was about.  She couldn't really tell me but then she told me that Miss Marples had been reading it in class.  While surprised, I was also impressed.  It seemed to be a book similar to Anne Frank`s Diary, and I look forward to asking her about it if she does indeed read it.

Hockey season is back in full force.  As I have chronicled in this space, it never really left for me with junior hockey to watch and my own team to play for.  I have gotten out of synch with my own team as my work schedule has caused me to miss a number of games recently.  When I do have a chance to go though, I have been doing quite well.  5 goals in my last 6 games thank you very much.  I will miss another game tomorrow, but it looks like I might be back at it most of the season after that.  The NHL is back tomorrow, with 5 games on national television.  I will do my best to not let work get in the way.  The Oilers get started Sunday in Vancouver and I am giddy with anticipation.  My hockey pool team will keep me busy sweating as I have 15 players from 15 different teams.  My PVR will be working overtime. 

I just finished reading my second book of 2013, an edited version of a George Orwell work called ``Fighting In Spain``  Full of wit and humour Orwell provides a curious account of his time participating in the Spanish Civil War.  He embraced the uniquely slow pace of combat in what was a major precursor to the Second World War and left me curious to check out the unedited version ``Homage To Catalonia``.  Having read his most well known works ``1984`` and ``Animal Farm`` I aim to read more of Orwell`s work in the future, it`s always really entertaining often in different ways.  The first book I read this year was the recently released ``Invisible Country: A Mystery`` by Annamaria Alfieri.  While I was not overwhelmed by the quality of this novel, I did enjoy the historical aspect of it.  Knowing nothing of the conflict that Paraguay went through in the mid-19th century, I enjoyed the opportunity to gain a basic understanding.  As the country suffers greatly it`s disillusioned dictator desperately attempts to hold onto power.  The mystery of the novel unravels slowly as the country crumbles.  In the end the novel comes to a fitting conclusion of the happy ending variety.

Those that know me will not be shocked to hear that I have been pretty busy watching movies to start 2013.  Sheila and I watched "End of Watch" last night, and it was great again.  Having seen it in the theatre helped me really appreciate the handheld camera style with which it was shot.  Hard hitting violence throughout the movie really leaves an impact on the viewer.  A few scenes are quite horrific, the kids taped up on the closet got Sheila gasping, as did the cage full of humans, but it was this gruesome bluntness that made this movie so good.  Two of my favorite actresses are part of the cast, (hello Anna and America!) so I wasn't going to miss a chance to see it again.  Last week at the theatre we went to "Silver Linings Playbook" at work.  Inventive, original and extremely well acted this movie was easily the best romantic comedy I had seen.  Usually the term romantic comedy is enough to ensure that the movie with lack anything funny, but this one was the opposite.  Normally Bradley Cooper's acting is like stale bread, but his role as an uncured patient who had escaped the mental hospital with help from his mom was so dynamic I was forgetting what actor I was watching.  He holds his own with Robert DeNiro who plays his father and engages him in some outrageous scenes, including a fight they have in the middle of the night, a 70 year old DeNiro in pajamas trading blows with Cooper's character.  See both of these movies, you won't regret either.

That's my time for today.  I need to get my workout in while Asher sleeps, then get the basement in order for some serious NHL viewing this week.  That reminds me, I need to call to confirm my free Centre Ice subscription for this year.