Thursday morning is generally reserved for plenty of lounging and relaxing at our house. Today is no different. Sheila is at work and Jasmine is at school. The men? We are about as relaxed as can be. Those who know really well won't find this revelation shocking, but some might. I hate clothes. Not certain kinds, or certain styles, just all of them. I put them on to leave the house, but this is only out of a desire to conform with social convention. My reasonably new hobby of lifting weights has only made fully clothed at home time even more rare. Honestly, who wants to lift weights with sweaty clothing draped all over their body? So, I sit at my computer between sets in my skivvies. No, I don't recommend others use my computer chair. Asher has picked up the habit to some extent. He seems to be okay wearing clothes around the house for some activities. Others, not so much. Carpet hockey simply cannot be properly enjoyed with clothes on. When he has settled on playing, he will quickly strip his shirt and pants then holler: "Naked boy!" His tiny little dinosaur or pirate briefs are much cuter than when a 30 year old man sports the look. Today, in an attempt to obtain the pinnacle of relaxation, Asher is going with the shirt only get up. No pants, no socks, no underwear either. There is something bizarre about looking over and seeing a toy helicopter "fly" through the air, steered by a little guy while his little bird dangles in the wind. We also played baseball, had a game of hockey, then raced our hot wheels cars, all while we were free and easy. I told you, Thursday is for relaxing.
While Thursday is almost always for relaxing, we are even more tired today then normal. You see, "us mens" had a busy day yesterday. Getting out of the house by 9, we went to Strong Start to play a little basketball in the gym. After basketball, we spent time painting, playing store, building a train track, having a snack, singing songs, listening to a story and getting a stamp. All of which are important to a good time at Strong Start. We came home and ate and napped, as one is wont to due after all that excitement. Asher woke in time for us to go and pick up Jasmine from school. Off to the swimming pool where I chased Asher around for over an hour, while Jasmine did her thing. We had just enough time to come home and have dinner before Jasmine went off to her friends house (she was meeting up with Sheila at the pool to swim again). Asher and I made our way to the CN Centre to catch the Prince George Cougars against the Portland Winterhawks. We walked around the rink before the game, during the intermissions and after the game. Asher started asking to go home during the second period, even though he was into the game somewhat. He was playing hockey against himself during the game, drawing plenty of smiles from other fans. If you haven't seen a hockey player fight himself you don't know what you are missing. I laughed pretty hard when not long after standing and swaying while listening to the 2 national anthems, Asher decided to sing O Canada again himself while the game was on. It was a small quiet crowd so all those near us could hear what he was up to. Some of the little things he notices during the game are very cute, and they let me know just how much Asher is going to love the game. He is mildly irritated when the Portland goalie didn't sway back and forth during the anthem. He pointed out the distinct lack of pucks caught in the safety net, as he had scored a puck once when it was jostled out of the net at a game. In his most profound moment, while sitting on my lap he let me know that "none of these guys has dads". Referring to the players. They were unlucky enough not to have a dad with them while they played. "But he has his dad", pointing about 50 feet away. Asking him to clarify, he pointed again. Asher had noticed a man about my age with an older gentleman of about 60. If I was to guess, he was probably right. There was some resemblance. I thought this observation to be much too astute for a 3 year old. Not to worry, I assured Asher that the hockey guys most likely had dads, they just weren't on the ice with them. He was content with that thought.
I've had my mind somewhat cluttered lately while I try to find a balance between time with my children, and earning enough money to provide for my children, and also trying to find leisure time for myself. My leisure time is complicated by the fact that poker falls into both the trying to earn money category and the leisure time category. Asher and I have lots of time on my days off to fart around and be guys. In any given week we play hockey in the carpet, hockey in the driveway, we watch hockey on television, we attend live hockey games, we consume hockey in any available form. We wrestle regularly, and we also like to watch wrestling (go Daniel Bryan!). In a scene out of those extreme parent shows, I was counting reps for Asher as he performed shoulder presses yesterday. This was all his idea, but I have to admit, his form was pretty good. Unfortunately, as Jasmine gets older, she seems to be getting less interested in spending time with Dad. I'm not sure it can be helped, as this is likely pretty common with girls. She still likes to go places with us, swimming with Asher and I yesterday and attending a movie Tuesday with Sheila. Her hobbies are important to her to some extent, but time with her friends is definitely priority number one. I just want her to be happy, so I will have to kind of play it by ear. I want her to be able to confide in me, so I need to maintain a friendly relationship with my big little girl. At Strong Start yesterday, I had another adult mention how well Asher was eating his snack. I thought, um, well, it's an english muffin with honey, who the hell wouldn't eat that? As the discussion continued, I mentioned that the only thing Asher turns his nose at, is if something is "too picy". (sic) As a consequence, onions are the only thing we won't go for. This drew astonishment from the two ladies at the table, one who's daughter refused a muffin with jam on it (she doesn't like jam, what?!?) This led me to mentioning that my 10 year old daughter likes everything. I could not think of a thing that Jasmine won't eat. She tasted a bit of Brussel Sprout at Christmas. She recently told her Grandma " I don't really like zucchini, but hey, if it's mixed in with other things." Mom and I both found this both funny and profound. Last night, as I prepared omelets for dinner, I mentioned to Jasmine that I was going to add bean sprouts and bok choy to make an asian style. Jasmine actually got excited. No child has ever had their heart race when hearing about bean sprouts. "Dad! It's been a long time since we had Bok Choy!" "Mmmm, I forgot had good bean sprouts are!" Said while shoving bite after bite into her mouth. Jasmine also shares my affinity for Indian cuisine, going so far as to claim the same favourite restaurant as me "Dana Mandhi". Perhaps food can be the hobby that keeps us close as she enters her difficult teenage years.
I mentioned finding a balance between earning money, spending time with my children, and relaxing. It seems my children have taken over, and I don't regret that for an instant. I have a few hobbies that really enjoy. During the winter months, hockey in all its forms provides hours and hours of entertainment. This week alone, I went to the Spruce Kings game Friday with one of the guys from work, I played hockey Sunday with Sheila and the kids watching, and last night Asher and I went to the Cougars game. Tonight, a friend is coming by to watch the first game of the Olympic hockey tournament. I am entered in no less than 5 hockey pools. Sheila and I like to watch sitcoms together, and lately we have found some time to enjoy a few movies together. We have watched the Butler, Dallas Buyers Club and Fruitvale Station in recent weeks, and we thoroughly enjoyed all of them. I like to read, though most of my reading time is when it is quiet at work. I have almost gotten through "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" which has been one of the most challenging reads I have ever tackled. James Joyce is just not going to be a favourite of mine.
One of my more time consuming hobbies doubles as a money maker for me. Poker for me is part hobby, part job, and part obsession. Lately, it has become more job and less hobby. This has consequently led to it becoming less fun. I want to enjoy it, but it has become boring over time. I have played a lot in the 8 years since I learned the game. It was an absolute obsession for many of those years. I didn't play hockey in the winter, or soccer in the summer, or have a toddler to entertain, or weights to lift, or runs to take. All of my free time was spent playing poker. I made more free time by not committing to anything. Last year, 2013 was quite a drop off as far as result are concerned. I've identified a number of reasons above. I often would chose a 5 km run over a poker session. I'd lift weights instead. I'd play with Asher out in the yard. Sheila and I would watch a movie instead. Ultimately, I spent about half as much time at the tables in 2013. I think my casino time only totaled about 180 hours all together. Online, I got away from playing my best games, settling for whatever I had time to squeeze into my schedule. I don't win playing online cash games, and I am a breakeven player in sit and gos. I am a modest winner in the tournaments, but I rarely had the time to sit down and play. The schedule for tournaments is pretty undesirable after 9 pm, which is when I would be able to sit down. This had all become quite frustrating as I knew that I needed to make a little money to supplement my income. Even with all the negative feelings surrounding my money making hobby, I still managed a winning year at the live tables, averaging around 8 dollars an hour. That said, while I am confident in my abilities, its hard to have high expectations when the other players are spending considerably more time than you are practicing their craft. Even bad players will benefit from time spent. I'm too dedicated to my family and my own health to devote the amount of time to poker that I used to. At the same time, there is nothing stopping me from making the most of the time I have. I have an extensive library of poker books that I can re-read. I can access the myriad of advice available online for study. Ultimately, I would like to play 10-12 hours a week. There is more money to be made at the casino then on the computer, but I also must risk considerably more to win said money. The days of the week that I am available are not the best ones, and on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays most opponents will be of the heavily seasoned variety. Online, again, Friday and Saturday night play would be best, but I work. Perhaps I could play 2 sessions during the week, periodically replacing an online tournament session with a trip to the casino. My confidence found a boost last week when I scored two decent results. On Monday I made the final table of a 11 dollar 6 max tournament, finishing 4th of 272. On Wednesday, I bested myself, scoring 3rd out of 278 in the same tournament. I played a few more sessions since, so I currently sit at about 400 dollars more than I had a couple weeks ago. I have now final tabled this tournament 5 times in the last year, which has me focusing on tournaments again. Lucky? Yes, to some extent. I made a number of really good plays that surprised myself. I had lost my swagger, and these results will hopefully bring some of it back. I don't expect to get rich. Just to survive.
That's enough for me today, Asher and I have some eating and napping to do. What? I told you we were relaxing.
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Thursday, 13 February 2014
Sunday, 2 February 2014
It's Been a While (Super Bowl, hockey, movies and fitbit)
As I type we are less than 9 hours from the start of the holiest of American Holidays. I guess you could call the whole day a holiday, or perhaps even the week should be set aside. The National Football League really is in a class all its own when it comes to marketing. Most of us are aware at least to some extent the kind of money involved in the Super Bowl and all of its accompanying pageantry. A short 30 second commercial spot during the game today will likely cost 3 or 4 million dollars. Players who the casual observer have never heard of will be "made famous" for a variety of reasons today, both good and bad. Any other television show mentioned during the big game will get a huge boost. This is actually how Survivor was originally marketed. It didn't hurt in the ratings game when millions of snack covered sweat pant warriors were unable to emerge from their food comas to turn the channel, hence the Survivor viewing numbers. What I find most impressive about the job that the NFL does, is how they manage to get millions and millions of people to care about a game that they have no rooting interest in.
I have a weird relationship with the sport of American Football. As a child and teenager, I never watched. My dad wasn't interested, my small handful of friends were hardly interested, and I was more than occupied with my own hockey and volleyball interests in the fall and winter months. When I had free time, I spent it watching hockey, or playing various forms of carpet hockey once my brother was old enough to provide adequate fodder. I watched some NFL action during University, particularly on Sundays when I was feeling lousy from whatever stupid things I did the night before, and my interest intensified if I had assignments deadlines looming. I think my interests picked up when I discovered the rush of sports betting. I had some fun for a few seasons, but this year my only ties to the NFL were in the form of a couple of fantasy teams that I shared with a friend. The fantasy season wraps up in the regular season, so my interest in the playoffs has been very limited. I watched the Seattle game last week, taking a number of short naps while the game was on. Will I be watching later today? Probably. I feel like I am suppose to. I'm battling an illness, so I won't be surprised if I end up napping my way through parts of the longest sporting event of the year.
At our house, we had a trying week as our little Asher went through his first illness of his life. He has had a cold once or twice, but last Monday heading into Tuesday we could tell something was wrong. Asher went to the walk in clinic with Sheila on Wednesday night and ended up with a prescription for antibiotics. He had been diagnosed with bronchitis. While we dealt with plenty of whining from our little guy, it soon became clear that Asher had no idea how to deal with being sick. For most of the week, he laid in bed watching "teetee", hardly eating. We knew he was really sick because his hockey gear lay idle. Three morning in a row he asked me if he could have a bath. Asher loves having baths, but he has never asked me to run a bath for him early in the day like that. They seemed to pick up his spirits quite a bit each time, but it was back to laying down and cuddling after each one. He was very upset about taking his medicine, unable to make the connection between the liquid and the idea of getting better. For that matter, he kept insisting that he wasn't sick. Yesterday, recovery seemingly well underway, Jasmine asked me if she and Asher could go and play outside. Keep in mind, she asked while I was in the shower. Clearly not thinking straight, I called out a fatherly warning to dress very warm due to the cold spell we are currently enjoying. After a few more gallons of steamy hot water hit me I hollered back to Jasmine. I had changed my mind after remembering that although Asher was feeling better, it wasn't a good idea to send him outside. This reversal of fortune was traumatizing to the little guy. He was hearing none of my reasoning and had to be bought off with a snack and an episode of Sponge Bob. A little later we were talking about all of the activities he was going to get back to next week, now that he is feeling better. He couldn't decide what he missed the most, but he is looking forward to going to daycare, Strong Start and the swimming pool next week.
Sheila and I have decided to combine Valentine's Day and her birthday into one date. Hey, as parents of two on a shoestring budget, we are lucky to have a night out at all. Sheila is still on could nine about our engagement and told me not to bother with gifts for the two special days coming up. I know better than that, so will be on the lookout for something she will like. Pretty much anything will be a let down after "the ring", so I'm pretty much sunk. It is cute that Sheila seems to have taken on some of my spend thrift ways. The date night planned falls between Valentine's and the birthday, on Tuesday the 18th. We can avoid the Valentine's crowds (i'm working Valentine's evening anyway), we can visit the theatre on cheap night, and best of all, we can use the gift card Sheila has for the Keg. Of course, if I am polite enough not to mention sports, poker or any other of my annoying guy hobbies, she won't probably won't care that the date is being paid for with pocket change. It's the time spent together that really matters, right?
The gift card that I mentioned above was one of quite a few that Sheila has been given by her manager at work recently. It seems that he gives these to her as a token for all of her hard work and dedication to her job. Sheila works at a transportation company, and a few weeks ago they took on a significant amount of new business due to the closure of another company in town. This has led to considerably less down time between tasks, and also has had Sheila working the last couple of Saturdays. The manager at the company is a very nice guy from what I can tell. Sheila enjoys working for him, and these tokens of appreciation are a solid gesture. She works her ass off because that's just how she is, and also because she wants to be considered for advancement and raises like most due. For most people, it's just talk. They want to advance without working for it. Sheila has gave her company the best effort she has for over 5 years. Actions speak louder than words as they always do, and I know Sheila takes pride in what she does. As the company grows and new opportunities arise, I have no doubt my lady will be there to "carpe diem" as they say.
I think that part of my blase attitude towards watching or caring about football is that I have spent the last number of months totally immersed once again in all things hockey. With my little man getting more and more into the sport himself, it has only given me more reason to get carried away. I have spent much time cursing my Oilers on the television, enjoyed 10 or so live Spruce Kings games, caught a few live Cariboo Cougars games (15-17 year olds), attended 2 WHL Cougars games (once with my friend at work, the other with Asher), participated in 5 different hockey pools, played nearly 20 games for my rec league team, also played pick up hockey a few times, gone skating with the kids a few times, played hours of basement hockey, and also i've watched dozens of NHL that didn't involve the Oilers. It seems finding new teams to enjoy is one way to keep from going off the deep end. Edmonton has driven me to begin calling the New York Islanders, the Dallas Stars, the Winnipeg Jets and the Tampa Bay Lightning my "other favourite teams". I also follow many players that find themselves scattered throughout the league due to their presence on one or more of my pool teams.
I most enjoy watching hockey when Asher watches with me. He will curl up with me on the couch or bed to take in the "Oilahs". Humourously, he has taken to saying that they "suck" recently, something he likely picked up from me during one of their many losses. Before a recent game he asked me "is the Oilahs losing Daddy?" I told him the game hadn't started, but he just responded with "they suck Daddy." Sure enough, I was able to confirm that they were indeed losing just a few minutes later. Asher has even started figuring out some of the other teams. He knows the Canucks, and his Mom and sister's mild affinity for them. He surprised me last week by calling out the "Blackhawks" name. He knows that Montreal is his Uncle Patrick's team, and that Toronto is Daddy's friend Jason's team. Definitely the most fun we have had recently, was our father and son trip to the Cougars game a couple of weeks ago. Asher brought along his gick and a puck, which kept him busy for the most part. We found a seat 3 rows up right behind the net, and we even switched ends each period so we could see the Cougars goals with little chance of missing them. Asher sat with me for most of the third period, and we had a lot of fun cheering for each goal. We already have plans to go back for one more game, in a couple of weeks they are playing mid-week again, and he is raring to go.
Lately, I have been able to view a number of really, really good movies. Sheila had been itching to watch "The Butler" and we finally had a chance to check it out. I was skeptical about my chances of staying awake for a 3 hour drama film while laying in bed tired. As it turns out, I had no problem keeping my eyes open. The film is moving and heartfelt. Its put together in a way that really showcased Forest Whittaker's acting talent. Oprah played a supporting role as the butler's wife, and she's no slouch in the acting department either. I am lucky enough to go to the movies at work fairly regularly, and in recent months I have seen "American Hustle", "Lone Survivor", and "12 Years A Slave" at our local theatre. Sheila and I also got a chance to watch recent release "Dallas Buyers Club" the other night. I tell you what. That is a hell of a collection of movies right there. Hustle, Buyers Club and 12 Years A Slave are all up for Best Picture at the Oscars. It's extremely difficult to rank these movies as far which was my favourite, but that is what I do, I make lists. So here it is.
5) Lone Survivor is probably the best movie Mark Wahlberg has ever done. The movie is almost entirely made up of a gunfight between al Queda fighters and 4 American soldiers. The action during the fight feels so real and genuine, it's easy enough to get lost in its authenticity. 3.5/5
4) American Hustle was great as expected. The cast is filled with superstars from Christian Bale to Bradley Cooper to Jennifer Lawrence. It started to drag on a bit towards the end, but that took away from the movie only a slight bit.
3) The Butler Definitely one of the best movies for couples to come out recently. A love bio pics, as it seems to add an element of importance to the story being told. Add in the previously mentioned performances from Whittaker and Oprah, and you have a really well done movie.
2) Dallas Buyers Club I have raved to anyone who would listen about how good Matthew McConaughey was in his last movie "Mud". I went so far as to list it at #2 in my favourite movies of 2013. He has outdone himself with this one. Everyone is talking about his losing 50 pounds for the role, something I find amazing considering the physique he already had. There was no fat to be dropped, losing 50 pounds of mostly muscle is pretty incredible. His character, Ron Woodruff, is so complex, but McConaughey seems to handle it with ease. Coupled with the supporting performance by Jared Leto playing a transgendered woman who becomes Ron Woodruff's business partner, I was hooked from beginning to end.
1) 12 Years A Slave Words simply can not do this movie justice. Everyone over the age of 16 should see this film. The unique way in which the director Steve McQueen shot the film, captures even small details and makes you realize that they are all part of the bigger picture. Incredible acting performances by everyone in the film. Engaging subject matter that left me unwilling to look away. Heart wrenching scenes, culminating with Lupita Nyong'o's character getting a violent beating that the slave owner forced her friend to administer. This is likely one of the best movies I have ever seen, and I am still shaken from his powerful force days later. Do whatever you can to get out and see it, it's a life changer.
Before I wrap this up, I can't neglect to mention a most awesome gift I was given by my sister Erin for Christmas. She was lucky enough to pull my name for our family secret santa this year. She was very generous, and one of the things she gave me was a fitbit flex. It's a little wristband with a tracking chip inside of it. You wear it, and it tracks your steps taken, distance traveled and calories burnt throughout the day. It also can track sleeping patterns though I haven't sued it for that. It does work as a silent alarm as well, though my habit of smashing the sleep button leads me to worry that the fitbit won't wake me up. Sheila is such a light sleeper that the silent vibrations at my wrist wake her up. I digress. Erin is well aware of my affinity for all things fitness, and while I had heard about the fitbit, I knew little about it. As it turns out, it has done wonders to motivate me to keep active. I find it very hard to have a lazy day when I have this readily available visual reminder about how much or how little I have done on any given day. Even when I am having a lazy day, usually falling on Sundays and Mondays due to sleep deprivation, I find that my fitbit gets me to at least do some physical activity. The lights on the wristband let you know how close to your daily goal you are. I have mine set to 10,000 steps taken, so for every light it's 2000 steps. I haven't had a day under 6000, even when I am "taking the day off" so to speak. I have knocked it out of the park a few times, culminating last week in a day when I hit 18,000 steps. If I remember correctly, that day consisted of 3 different walks, a jog, tons of work around the house, taking the dog out in the yard, a hockey game and more. When choosing something to do, I find that the fitbit has me leaning towards the most active option almost every time. Thanks Erin, it's definitely one of the coolest gifts I have received.
With that, I bid adieu to my small gaggle of loyal readers. To my mom, hang in there, I'm looking forward to visiting with you soon. To my most loyal reader Sheila, thanks for lighting a fire under my blog neglecting posterior. To Elizabeth, I hope your recovery is going well, please take it easy. To the rest of you, take care, I shall be back soon.
I have a weird relationship with the sport of American Football. As a child and teenager, I never watched. My dad wasn't interested, my small handful of friends were hardly interested, and I was more than occupied with my own hockey and volleyball interests in the fall and winter months. When I had free time, I spent it watching hockey, or playing various forms of carpet hockey once my brother was old enough to provide adequate fodder. I watched some NFL action during University, particularly on Sundays when I was feeling lousy from whatever stupid things I did the night before, and my interest intensified if I had assignments deadlines looming. I think my interests picked up when I discovered the rush of sports betting. I had some fun for a few seasons, but this year my only ties to the NFL were in the form of a couple of fantasy teams that I shared with a friend. The fantasy season wraps up in the regular season, so my interest in the playoffs has been very limited. I watched the Seattle game last week, taking a number of short naps while the game was on. Will I be watching later today? Probably. I feel like I am suppose to. I'm battling an illness, so I won't be surprised if I end up napping my way through parts of the longest sporting event of the year.
At our house, we had a trying week as our little Asher went through his first illness of his life. He has had a cold once or twice, but last Monday heading into Tuesday we could tell something was wrong. Asher went to the walk in clinic with Sheila on Wednesday night and ended up with a prescription for antibiotics. He had been diagnosed with bronchitis. While we dealt with plenty of whining from our little guy, it soon became clear that Asher had no idea how to deal with being sick. For most of the week, he laid in bed watching "teetee", hardly eating. We knew he was really sick because his hockey gear lay idle. Three morning in a row he asked me if he could have a bath. Asher loves having baths, but he has never asked me to run a bath for him early in the day like that. They seemed to pick up his spirits quite a bit each time, but it was back to laying down and cuddling after each one. He was very upset about taking his medicine, unable to make the connection between the liquid and the idea of getting better. For that matter, he kept insisting that he wasn't sick. Yesterday, recovery seemingly well underway, Jasmine asked me if she and Asher could go and play outside. Keep in mind, she asked while I was in the shower. Clearly not thinking straight, I called out a fatherly warning to dress very warm due to the cold spell we are currently enjoying. After a few more gallons of steamy hot water hit me I hollered back to Jasmine. I had changed my mind after remembering that although Asher was feeling better, it wasn't a good idea to send him outside. This reversal of fortune was traumatizing to the little guy. He was hearing none of my reasoning and had to be bought off with a snack and an episode of Sponge Bob. A little later we were talking about all of the activities he was going to get back to next week, now that he is feeling better. He couldn't decide what he missed the most, but he is looking forward to going to daycare, Strong Start and the swimming pool next week.
Sheila and I have decided to combine Valentine's Day and her birthday into one date. Hey, as parents of two on a shoestring budget, we are lucky to have a night out at all. Sheila is still on could nine about our engagement and told me not to bother with gifts for the two special days coming up. I know better than that, so will be on the lookout for something she will like. Pretty much anything will be a let down after "the ring", so I'm pretty much sunk. It is cute that Sheila seems to have taken on some of my spend thrift ways. The date night planned falls between Valentine's and the birthday, on Tuesday the 18th. We can avoid the Valentine's crowds (i'm working Valentine's evening anyway), we can visit the theatre on cheap night, and best of all, we can use the gift card Sheila has for the Keg. Of course, if I am polite enough not to mention sports, poker or any other of my annoying guy hobbies, she won't probably won't care that the date is being paid for with pocket change. It's the time spent together that really matters, right?
The gift card that I mentioned above was one of quite a few that Sheila has been given by her manager at work recently. It seems that he gives these to her as a token for all of her hard work and dedication to her job. Sheila works at a transportation company, and a few weeks ago they took on a significant amount of new business due to the closure of another company in town. This has led to considerably less down time between tasks, and also has had Sheila working the last couple of Saturdays. The manager at the company is a very nice guy from what I can tell. Sheila enjoys working for him, and these tokens of appreciation are a solid gesture. She works her ass off because that's just how she is, and also because she wants to be considered for advancement and raises like most due. For most people, it's just talk. They want to advance without working for it. Sheila has gave her company the best effort she has for over 5 years. Actions speak louder than words as they always do, and I know Sheila takes pride in what she does. As the company grows and new opportunities arise, I have no doubt my lady will be there to "carpe diem" as they say.
I think that part of my blase attitude towards watching or caring about football is that I have spent the last number of months totally immersed once again in all things hockey. With my little man getting more and more into the sport himself, it has only given me more reason to get carried away. I have spent much time cursing my Oilers on the television, enjoyed 10 or so live Spruce Kings games, caught a few live Cariboo Cougars games (15-17 year olds), attended 2 WHL Cougars games (once with my friend at work, the other with Asher), participated in 5 different hockey pools, played nearly 20 games for my rec league team, also played pick up hockey a few times, gone skating with the kids a few times, played hours of basement hockey, and also i've watched dozens of NHL that didn't involve the Oilers. It seems finding new teams to enjoy is one way to keep from going off the deep end. Edmonton has driven me to begin calling the New York Islanders, the Dallas Stars, the Winnipeg Jets and the Tampa Bay Lightning my "other favourite teams". I also follow many players that find themselves scattered throughout the league due to their presence on one or more of my pool teams.
I most enjoy watching hockey when Asher watches with me. He will curl up with me on the couch or bed to take in the "Oilahs". Humourously, he has taken to saying that they "suck" recently, something he likely picked up from me during one of their many losses. Before a recent game he asked me "is the Oilahs losing Daddy?" I told him the game hadn't started, but he just responded with "they suck Daddy." Sure enough, I was able to confirm that they were indeed losing just a few minutes later. Asher has even started figuring out some of the other teams. He knows the Canucks, and his Mom and sister's mild affinity for them. He surprised me last week by calling out the "Blackhawks" name. He knows that Montreal is his Uncle Patrick's team, and that Toronto is Daddy's friend Jason's team. Definitely the most fun we have had recently, was our father and son trip to the Cougars game a couple of weeks ago. Asher brought along his gick and a puck, which kept him busy for the most part. We found a seat 3 rows up right behind the net, and we even switched ends each period so we could see the Cougars goals with little chance of missing them. Asher sat with me for most of the third period, and we had a lot of fun cheering for each goal. We already have plans to go back for one more game, in a couple of weeks they are playing mid-week again, and he is raring to go.
Lately, I have been able to view a number of really, really good movies. Sheila had been itching to watch "The Butler" and we finally had a chance to check it out. I was skeptical about my chances of staying awake for a 3 hour drama film while laying in bed tired. As it turns out, I had no problem keeping my eyes open. The film is moving and heartfelt. Its put together in a way that really showcased Forest Whittaker's acting talent. Oprah played a supporting role as the butler's wife, and she's no slouch in the acting department either. I am lucky enough to go to the movies at work fairly regularly, and in recent months I have seen "American Hustle", "Lone Survivor", and "12 Years A Slave" at our local theatre. Sheila and I also got a chance to watch recent release "Dallas Buyers Club" the other night. I tell you what. That is a hell of a collection of movies right there. Hustle, Buyers Club and 12 Years A Slave are all up for Best Picture at the Oscars. It's extremely difficult to rank these movies as far which was my favourite, but that is what I do, I make lists. So here it is.
5) Lone Survivor is probably the best movie Mark Wahlberg has ever done. The movie is almost entirely made up of a gunfight between al Queda fighters and 4 American soldiers. The action during the fight feels so real and genuine, it's easy enough to get lost in its authenticity. 3.5/5
4) American Hustle was great as expected. The cast is filled with superstars from Christian Bale to Bradley Cooper to Jennifer Lawrence. It started to drag on a bit towards the end, but that took away from the movie only a slight bit.
3) The Butler Definitely one of the best movies for couples to come out recently. A love bio pics, as it seems to add an element of importance to the story being told. Add in the previously mentioned performances from Whittaker and Oprah, and you have a really well done movie.
2) Dallas Buyers Club I have raved to anyone who would listen about how good Matthew McConaughey was in his last movie "Mud". I went so far as to list it at #2 in my favourite movies of 2013. He has outdone himself with this one. Everyone is talking about his losing 50 pounds for the role, something I find amazing considering the physique he already had. There was no fat to be dropped, losing 50 pounds of mostly muscle is pretty incredible. His character, Ron Woodruff, is so complex, but McConaughey seems to handle it with ease. Coupled with the supporting performance by Jared Leto playing a transgendered woman who becomes Ron Woodruff's business partner, I was hooked from beginning to end.
1) 12 Years A Slave Words simply can not do this movie justice. Everyone over the age of 16 should see this film. The unique way in which the director Steve McQueen shot the film, captures even small details and makes you realize that they are all part of the bigger picture. Incredible acting performances by everyone in the film. Engaging subject matter that left me unwilling to look away. Heart wrenching scenes, culminating with Lupita Nyong'o's character getting a violent beating that the slave owner forced her friend to administer. This is likely one of the best movies I have ever seen, and I am still shaken from his powerful force days later. Do whatever you can to get out and see it, it's a life changer.
Before I wrap this up, I can't neglect to mention a most awesome gift I was given by my sister Erin for Christmas. She was lucky enough to pull my name for our family secret santa this year. She was very generous, and one of the things she gave me was a fitbit flex. It's a little wristband with a tracking chip inside of it. You wear it, and it tracks your steps taken, distance traveled and calories burnt throughout the day. It also can track sleeping patterns though I haven't sued it for that. It does work as a silent alarm as well, though my habit of smashing the sleep button leads me to worry that the fitbit won't wake me up. Sheila is such a light sleeper that the silent vibrations at my wrist wake her up. I digress. Erin is well aware of my affinity for all things fitness, and while I had heard about the fitbit, I knew little about it. As it turns out, it has done wonders to motivate me to keep active. I find it very hard to have a lazy day when I have this readily available visual reminder about how much or how little I have done on any given day. Even when I am having a lazy day, usually falling on Sundays and Mondays due to sleep deprivation, I find that my fitbit gets me to at least do some physical activity. The lights on the wristband let you know how close to your daily goal you are. I have mine set to 10,000 steps taken, so for every light it's 2000 steps. I haven't had a day under 6000, even when I am "taking the day off" so to speak. I have knocked it out of the park a few times, culminating last week in a day when I hit 18,000 steps. If I remember correctly, that day consisted of 3 different walks, a jog, tons of work around the house, taking the dog out in the yard, a hockey game and more. When choosing something to do, I find that the fitbit has me leaning towards the most active option almost every time. Thanks Erin, it's definitely one of the coolest gifts I have received.
With that, I bid adieu to my small gaggle of loyal readers. To my mom, hang in there, I'm looking forward to visiting with you soon. To my most loyal reader Sheila, thanks for lighting a fire under my blog neglecting posterior. To Elizabeth, I hope your recovery is going well, please take it easy. To the rest of you, take care, I shall be back soon.
Friday, 30 August 2013
Things That Make My Lips Curl
I am in the midst of a slump. I have written very little over the last handful of months, and people are beginning to notice. Unfortunately, my lack of motivation stems from boredom of sorts. This space had devolved into a weekly diary, and while that type of content can be fun, it can also become monotonous. I have still had the same free time every week to produce content, but I have chosen to do things such as obessess about my fantasy baseball teams, read a book, or even do extra chores at work. The last few weeks of activity have involved me thinking about writing quite frequently, and even half finishing a post on a couple of occasions. I have come up with a gimmick that may help me post more regularly while at the same time making me look at tad bi-polar. Each paragraph will start with one of two words, either up or down. Then I will either rant or rave about a topic, but will devote no more than a singular paragraph to each. Why up or down? See the title.
UP: Two weeks ago today our little family returned from our modest summer vacation. We spent 3 nights at Valentine Lake in the southern Cariboo. From all accounts everyone enjoyed our little getaway. We met up with Sheila's Aunt Sherry and Uncle Terry and it was great to get to spend some time with them. It was a rare chance to spend time together as our regular visits are short and rushed around the holidays. The lake was secluded, only a few other people were there. The lake was quiet, no outboard motors, no highway traffic near by. The weather cooperated, lots of wind, but only a few minutes of rain one afternoon. The fishing, thanks to Uncle Terry's knowledge, help and gear, was great! Jasmine caught her first fish, and her second, and third, and fourth. Many more were on the line only to get away as she fought valiantly. Sheila caught the biggest one, a 4 pound trout. Asher helped me reel one in, though surprisingly, he didn't find the fish flopping into the boat nearly as excited as I thought he would. When I asked him what his favorite parts of the camping trip were he told me: "Hiding under blankets!" A game we play regularly at home, we stuff ourselves under any blankets and pillows were can find and pretend that there are guys coming to get us. Asher makes it seem pretty authentic. If a crack opens up in the blankets he shouts: "Close upa windows, Daddy!" The other thing he mentioned was just "sleeping in the tent." We spent a night curled up, him soundly asleep as the wind whipped the tent wildly. I was convinced that only our bodyweight kept the tent from flying off into the woods. We had a lot of fun on the Thursday of the trip when all 6 of us piled into Uncle Terry's pickup truck and went exploring. He had been told about a lake nearby that had seen 12 pound trout pulled from it. After galavanting down a number of different dirt roads, we bogged our way to the shore of the lake. It didn't look like much, but it was enough to convince Terry that it would have to be tried on a subsequent trip. We continued our exploration, and Jasmine was happy when we found Whale Lake. A beautiful setting, hills, forests, and most of all, quiet. We got some very nice photos, and Jasmine and I took the plunge into the cool clean water. Jasmine dove off the end of the dock a number of times, hollering each time. On our way home the next day we stopped in for a dip and some breakfast at Lac La Hache, making it 3 different lakes that I had swam in over 2 days. We parted in Quesnel where Auntie and Uncle live with some goodbye hugs and plenty of appreciation for the wonderful hospitality.
UP: Jasmine makes me proud regularly, but her willingness to embrace my spendthrift ways had me beaming on a few occasions recently. We made a trip to our favourite thrift store recently, "St. Vincent de Paul's" and made out like bandits. The kid's clothing selection is usually pretty thin, but we found a few things. Jasmine "hates" jeans, but she was willing to try a pair on. We found a hoodie and a long-sleeve t-shirt that fit nicely. Dad agreed to buy a framed unicorn print that Jasmine got even more excited about when she found out it was from 1979. "That's sooooo old Dad!" I grabbed a stack of 6 novels, and Jasmine found a couple as well including Goosebumps that I read 20 years ago. 8 books, 1 picture, 1 pair of jeans, 1 hoodie, 1 long sleeve t-shirt. Out the door for 8 dollars and 50 cents! Turns out there was a sale on the clothes and they were even cheaper than they had been tagged. I always leave my change at St. Vincent's as they are a charity, and one that gives endlessly. They are always giving away clothes to those in need, and while I was there a man came in looking to buy steel toed boots for a job he was starting the next day. Readying to pay, he stared in disbelief when the lady said, "Now don't you worry about that" gesturing for him to put his money away. The next week we found ourselves at the mall. We found the Sears kids department, then I quickly noticed the clearance racks were an additional 40% off. Jasmine got 10 or 11 pieces of clothing for 65 bucks and not once did she mention all the other racks in the store. When she picked out her fox hoodie at a different store later, I pointed out that all the money we had saved at the other store meant that I could afford to pay full price for this one. No, this wasn't a brand name Fox Racing hoodie that would have cost 60 bucks. Jasmine has no interest in logos and brands. This was a fox hoodie, red and white with whiskers and paws screenprinted on. She ended up picking it over the zebra one because the ears were just sooooooooo cute. A typical female love of shopping mixed with the cheapness of a typical man? Wonderful, just wonderful.
DOWN: I have many faults as a parent, and the biggest one is patience. I feel like Jasmine is at a critical age where she is beginning to figure out that she has ways of "fighting back" against her parents. For the most part she is a great girl, but we have been dealing with some new things this summer. She can often be deceptive, and will even tell bold faced lies to Mom and Pop, willing to deal with the consequences later when her falsehoods are uncovered. I will admit, I don't know what the best approach is, as I tend to be overly strict. I want Jasmine to be a well mannered girl who adults aren't disgusted by. When I see teenage girls I shudder to think that my own daughter may act like that before long. The catch-22 part of it all is that being a hard ass will just drive her to rebel further. I should probably do some research about this subject, though I doubt that will help, it will likely make me even more puzzled.
UP: After years of driving some disgusting cars and trucks that have left me embarassed on many occasions I bit the bullet and strolled into the dealership. Within hours I walked out to my new car. A 2013 Hyundai Elantra. Shiny and black with plenty of features it looks awesome. It's a 4 door sedan, with plenty of room for Jasmine and Asher and Sheila to ride with me. Nice stereo, air conditioning, heated seats for the winter, no complaints whatsoever. It feels weird not to have people staring at my ride as I pull up somewhere. It has a reasonably small engine with great fuel economy so it will be ideal for roadtrips as a family. Nearing a month since I purchased, I am happy I finally removed what was an ongoing point of stress for me, and replaced it with another one.
DOWN: After years of driving junkers, I went ahead and bought new. I got a great deal on the financing as there was a sale going on and my credit rating is immaculate. The dealership had no problem offering me a long term payment plan. Sheila and the kids headed off to Quesnel in the car right away to spend the weekend visiting. I spent the weekend at work, and all the while I was second guessing my decision. I barely slept for a few days. Should I have taken longer to decide? I feel like I had been shopping for years. Every time I grabbed the wheel in a deathtrap Ford Explorer I was in a way, shopping. Could I have dithered over the decision for weeks? Yes, but I believe I would have had doubts afterwards regardless of how long I had shopped. Some positives came out of the whole stressing over the new vehicle payments.
UP: The new responsibility of paying for my car led me to take steps towards gaining more hours at work. I spoke to Asher's daycare lady about extra days, and she agreed. I asked my manager at work about my availability and told him I would be willing to add shifts. I took a look at my budget and cut a couple of corners though there wasn't much there to cut. Another thing the new car got me to do was take a long look at my poker game. A significant source of income had dried up, and I was struggling to explain it. I could find an answer though, couldn't I?
UP: Poker income is a difficult beast. There are not to many sources of income that come with no guarantee at all. Even scarier, poker could cost you money instead. I spent the first 7 months of this year playing less often, and winning less often. I played hockey during the winter months. I coached Jasmine's basketball and then soccer for the winter and spring months. I joined a soccer team of my own for the first time in a few years. I have been devoting more time to exercise and working out then I ever have before. My free time was pretty well booked up. The inactivity of poker drove me crazy. I don't like to sit and not move for long periods of time. If I am going to expect to make some money playing the game though, I need to treat it with more respect. I can't just stroll into the casino whenever I feel like and sit down and make money. The opponents are better than that. It dawned on me that poker had to get a little bit more of my attention. Not all of it, no. I need a balance in my life. But, I need to make a few bucks each month so I can have some spending money. My pay checks are pretty tied up making payments on obligations. I re-read some of Dan Harrington's first volume on cash games. I played some small stakes games on the computer, focusing on the play rather than just going through the motions. As a positive coincidence, August was the third month of the quarterly freeroll cycle at the poker room as well. If I managed to play a significant number of hours in August I may be able to qualify for both the monthly and the larger quarterly freeroll tournaments. Both provide great opportunities to make some extra cash without having to pony up any money. Just play lots, and you are in. I made more than $3000 in 2012 playing these free tournaments, but I have yet to play any of them this year. I haven't played enough, and usually I have coaching and work commitments on Saturdays that get in the way. I already had booked off the first 2 Saturdays of September for other reasons, so I would be able to play. Get to work I told myself. My renaissance has started well. I have put in lots of time over the past 3 weeks and I have seen some decent results. More importantly, I feel like I playing great. I will likely play less in September after exhausting myself this month. I'll update here with the outcome of the tournaments.
UP: Sports gambling has been pretty lucrative for me this past year. Last winter I won a NFL survivor pool for a couple hundred. Last spring I got second in a hockey pool for a profit of $400. I subsequently won the playoff hockey pool to make another $400. This summer, I have 3 baseball teams on the go, and as the season winds down, all three team have a chance to be profitable. I have been investing a decent amount of time, so hopefully my efforts pay off. In one pool the playoffs start next week, another the week after that. The third pool is points based so it just runs until seasons end. I am currently 4th of 13 in that one, with 3 teams getting paid. I have already committed any winnings from baseball to playing the hockey pool again, and I am jumping into a different football pool that will draft next week. Ah, fantasy sports the only thing better is real sports.
DOWN: Speaking of real sports, they have slowed down considerably for me lately. About a month ago I jumped for a header on the soccer pitch and come down on my ankle. With a nasty turn of the joint, I threw the rest of my season for a whirl. I limped off, but as our team has been decimated by injuries, I was right back out there 10 minutes later. Over the next couple of days I swelled up to a baseball sized ankle. I haven't had a significant sports injury since I tore my groin in grade 12. So, each game I taped up and went ahead and played. I went to hockey once, and my ankle didn't bother me. So, early last week I played soccer, beginning an 8 day span where I had 5 games of hockey and soccer scheduled. At some point in the second half my hamstring went. We had no extra players and we were hanging on to a 2-1 lead at the time. I continued to play. I made it worse. Just today I started to notice significant improvement. It has been 9 days. I missed my other 2 soccer games, and my last 2 summer hockey games. I hope I can play our soccer playoffs that start next week.
UP: I had an awesome outing with the kids earlier this week. In order we: visited the horses at the agriplex, we browsed at the hockey store, we visited all the animals at Total Pet, we went for a swim at 4 Seasons Pool, we got a treat from the german bakery and ate it in sun downtown, and we went for a walk an stopped at a handful of stores. Asher fell asleep on the drive home.
UP: Sheila and I watched the movie "Mud" last week. It stars Matthew McConnaughey, but the really great performances were from a couple of teenage boys, one of whom was making his acting debut. Great job by the director finding a couple of kids who worked so well. Do yourselves a favour and go see it.
UP: Sheila and I have gotten back on board with "Breaking Bad". Excellent start to the season through the first 3 episodes. Also, AMC has a new show called "Low Winter Sun" airing right after Cranston and company. It started with an authentic, intense scene, and I have enjoyed it immensely through the first 3 episodes. I'm also pleased that "Duck Dynasty" is back for another season. Sheila has her "Big Brother", you can call this one my guilty pleasure.
UP: Finally, I have found a few new music gems. I can't stop playing the album "Howlin'" from the Aussie electronica group Jagwar Ma. The other day, I may have found my favourite album of 2013 so far. A cross between bluegrass, folk, americana and soul, Aoife O'Donovan's "Fossils" is breathtaking. It should appeal to a wide variety of people, it's mellow but uplifting at the same time.
That's my time. Remind me to return mext week.
UP: Two weeks ago today our little family returned from our modest summer vacation. We spent 3 nights at Valentine Lake in the southern Cariboo. From all accounts everyone enjoyed our little getaway. We met up with Sheila's Aunt Sherry and Uncle Terry and it was great to get to spend some time with them. It was a rare chance to spend time together as our regular visits are short and rushed around the holidays. The lake was secluded, only a few other people were there. The lake was quiet, no outboard motors, no highway traffic near by. The weather cooperated, lots of wind, but only a few minutes of rain one afternoon. The fishing, thanks to Uncle Terry's knowledge, help and gear, was great! Jasmine caught her first fish, and her second, and third, and fourth. Many more were on the line only to get away as she fought valiantly. Sheila caught the biggest one, a 4 pound trout. Asher helped me reel one in, though surprisingly, he didn't find the fish flopping into the boat nearly as excited as I thought he would. When I asked him what his favorite parts of the camping trip were he told me: "Hiding under blankets!" A game we play regularly at home, we stuff ourselves under any blankets and pillows were can find and pretend that there are guys coming to get us. Asher makes it seem pretty authentic. If a crack opens up in the blankets he shouts: "Close upa windows, Daddy!" The other thing he mentioned was just "sleeping in the tent." We spent a night curled up, him soundly asleep as the wind whipped the tent wildly. I was convinced that only our bodyweight kept the tent from flying off into the woods. We had a lot of fun on the Thursday of the trip when all 6 of us piled into Uncle Terry's pickup truck and went exploring. He had been told about a lake nearby that had seen 12 pound trout pulled from it. After galavanting down a number of different dirt roads, we bogged our way to the shore of the lake. It didn't look like much, but it was enough to convince Terry that it would have to be tried on a subsequent trip. We continued our exploration, and Jasmine was happy when we found Whale Lake. A beautiful setting, hills, forests, and most of all, quiet. We got some very nice photos, and Jasmine and I took the plunge into the cool clean water. Jasmine dove off the end of the dock a number of times, hollering each time. On our way home the next day we stopped in for a dip and some breakfast at Lac La Hache, making it 3 different lakes that I had swam in over 2 days. We parted in Quesnel where Auntie and Uncle live with some goodbye hugs and plenty of appreciation for the wonderful hospitality.
UP: Jasmine makes me proud regularly, but her willingness to embrace my spendthrift ways had me beaming on a few occasions recently. We made a trip to our favourite thrift store recently, "St. Vincent de Paul's" and made out like bandits. The kid's clothing selection is usually pretty thin, but we found a few things. Jasmine "hates" jeans, but she was willing to try a pair on. We found a hoodie and a long-sleeve t-shirt that fit nicely. Dad agreed to buy a framed unicorn print that Jasmine got even more excited about when she found out it was from 1979. "That's sooooo old Dad!" I grabbed a stack of 6 novels, and Jasmine found a couple as well including Goosebumps that I read 20 years ago. 8 books, 1 picture, 1 pair of jeans, 1 hoodie, 1 long sleeve t-shirt. Out the door for 8 dollars and 50 cents! Turns out there was a sale on the clothes and they were even cheaper than they had been tagged. I always leave my change at St. Vincent's as they are a charity, and one that gives endlessly. They are always giving away clothes to those in need, and while I was there a man came in looking to buy steel toed boots for a job he was starting the next day. Readying to pay, he stared in disbelief when the lady said, "Now don't you worry about that" gesturing for him to put his money away. The next week we found ourselves at the mall. We found the Sears kids department, then I quickly noticed the clearance racks were an additional 40% off. Jasmine got 10 or 11 pieces of clothing for 65 bucks and not once did she mention all the other racks in the store. When she picked out her fox hoodie at a different store later, I pointed out that all the money we had saved at the other store meant that I could afford to pay full price for this one. No, this wasn't a brand name Fox Racing hoodie that would have cost 60 bucks. Jasmine has no interest in logos and brands. This was a fox hoodie, red and white with whiskers and paws screenprinted on. She ended up picking it over the zebra one because the ears were just sooooooooo cute. A typical female love of shopping mixed with the cheapness of a typical man? Wonderful, just wonderful.
DOWN: I have many faults as a parent, and the biggest one is patience. I feel like Jasmine is at a critical age where she is beginning to figure out that she has ways of "fighting back" against her parents. For the most part she is a great girl, but we have been dealing with some new things this summer. She can often be deceptive, and will even tell bold faced lies to Mom and Pop, willing to deal with the consequences later when her falsehoods are uncovered. I will admit, I don't know what the best approach is, as I tend to be overly strict. I want Jasmine to be a well mannered girl who adults aren't disgusted by. When I see teenage girls I shudder to think that my own daughter may act like that before long. The catch-22 part of it all is that being a hard ass will just drive her to rebel further. I should probably do some research about this subject, though I doubt that will help, it will likely make me even more puzzled.
UP: After years of driving some disgusting cars and trucks that have left me embarassed on many occasions I bit the bullet and strolled into the dealership. Within hours I walked out to my new car. A 2013 Hyundai Elantra. Shiny and black with plenty of features it looks awesome. It's a 4 door sedan, with plenty of room for Jasmine and Asher and Sheila to ride with me. Nice stereo, air conditioning, heated seats for the winter, no complaints whatsoever. It feels weird not to have people staring at my ride as I pull up somewhere. It has a reasonably small engine with great fuel economy so it will be ideal for roadtrips as a family. Nearing a month since I purchased, I am happy I finally removed what was an ongoing point of stress for me, and replaced it with another one.
DOWN: After years of driving junkers, I went ahead and bought new. I got a great deal on the financing as there was a sale going on and my credit rating is immaculate. The dealership had no problem offering me a long term payment plan. Sheila and the kids headed off to Quesnel in the car right away to spend the weekend visiting. I spent the weekend at work, and all the while I was second guessing my decision. I barely slept for a few days. Should I have taken longer to decide? I feel like I had been shopping for years. Every time I grabbed the wheel in a deathtrap Ford Explorer I was in a way, shopping. Could I have dithered over the decision for weeks? Yes, but I believe I would have had doubts afterwards regardless of how long I had shopped. Some positives came out of the whole stressing over the new vehicle payments.
UP: The new responsibility of paying for my car led me to take steps towards gaining more hours at work. I spoke to Asher's daycare lady about extra days, and she agreed. I asked my manager at work about my availability and told him I would be willing to add shifts. I took a look at my budget and cut a couple of corners though there wasn't much there to cut. Another thing the new car got me to do was take a long look at my poker game. A significant source of income had dried up, and I was struggling to explain it. I could find an answer though, couldn't I?
UP: Poker income is a difficult beast. There are not to many sources of income that come with no guarantee at all. Even scarier, poker could cost you money instead. I spent the first 7 months of this year playing less often, and winning less often. I played hockey during the winter months. I coached Jasmine's basketball and then soccer for the winter and spring months. I joined a soccer team of my own for the first time in a few years. I have been devoting more time to exercise and working out then I ever have before. My free time was pretty well booked up. The inactivity of poker drove me crazy. I don't like to sit and not move for long periods of time. If I am going to expect to make some money playing the game though, I need to treat it with more respect. I can't just stroll into the casino whenever I feel like and sit down and make money. The opponents are better than that. It dawned on me that poker had to get a little bit more of my attention. Not all of it, no. I need a balance in my life. But, I need to make a few bucks each month so I can have some spending money. My pay checks are pretty tied up making payments on obligations. I re-read some of Dan Harrington's first volume on cash games. I played some small stakes games on the computer, focusing on the play rather than just going through the motions. As a positive coincidence, August was the third month of the quarterly freeroll cycle at the poker room as well. If I managed to play a significant number of hours in August I may be able to qualify for both the monthly and the larger quarterly freeroll tournaments. Both provide great opportunities to make some extra cash without having to pony up any money. Just play lots, and you are in. I made more than $3000 in 2012 playing these free tournaments, but I have yet to play any of them this year. I haven't played enough, and usually I have coaching and work commitments on Saturdays that get in the way. I already had booked off the first 2 Saturdays of September for other reasons, so I would be able to play. Get to work I told myself. My renaissance has started well. I have put in lots of time over the past 3 weeks and I have seen some decent results. More importantly, I feel like I playing great. I will likely play less in September after exhausting myself this month. I'll update here with the outcome of the tournaments.
UP: Sports gambling has been pretty lucrative for me this past year. Last winter I won a NFL survivor pool for a couple hundred. Last spring I got second in a hockey pool for a profit of $400. I subsequently won the playoff hockey pool to make another $400. This summer, I have 3 baseball teams on the go, and as the season winds down, all three team have a chance to be profitable. I have been investing a decent amount of time, so hopefully my efforts pay off. In one pool the playoffs start next week, another the week after that. The third pool is points based so it just runs until seasons end. I am currently 4th of 13 in that one, with 3 teams getting paid. I have already committed any winnings from baseball to playing the hockey pool again, and I am jumping into a different football pool that will draft next week. Ah, fantasy sports the only thing better is real sports.
DOWN: Speaking of real sports, they have slowed down considerably for me lately. About a month ago I jumped for a header on the soccer pitch and come down on my ankle. With a nasty turn of the joint, I threw the rest of my season for a whirl. I limped off, but as our team has been decimated by injuries, I was right back out there 10 minutes later. Over the next couple of days I swelled up to a baseball sized ankle. I haven't had a significant sports injury since I tore my groin in grade 12. So, each game I taped up and went ahead and played. I went to hockey once, and my ankle didn't bother me. So, early last week I played soccer, beginning an 8 day span where I had 5 games of hockey and soccer scheduled. At some point in the second half my hamstring went. We had no extra players and we were hanging on to a 2-1 lead at the time. I continued to play. I made it worse. Just today I started to notice significant improvement. It has been 9 days. I missed my other 2 soccer games, and my last 2 summer hockey games. I hope I can play our soccer playoffs that start next week.
UP: I had an awesome outing with the kids earlier this week. In order we: visited the horses at the agriplex, we browsed at the hockey store, we visited all the animals at Total Pet, we went for a swim at 4 Seasons Pool, we got a treat from the german bakery and ate it in sun downtown, and we went for a walk an stopped at a handful of stores. Asher fell asleep on the drive home.
UP: Sheila and I watched the movie "Mud" last week. It stars Matthew McConnaughey, but the really great performances were from a couple of teenage boys, one of whom was making his acting debut. Great job by the director finding a couple of kids who worked so well. Do yourselves a favour and go see it.
UP: Sheila and I have gotten back on board with "Breaking Bad". Excellent start to the season through the first 3 episodes. Also, AMC has a new show called "Low Winter Sun" airing right after Cranston and company. It started with an authentic, intense scene, and I have enjoyed it immensely through the first 3 episodes. I'm also pleased that "Duck Dynasty" is back for another season. Sheila has her "Big Brother", you can call this one my guilty pleasure.
UP: Finally, I have found a few new music gems. I can't stop playing the album "Howlin'" from the Aussie electronica group Jagwar Ma. The other day, I may have found my favourite album of 2013 so far. A cross between bluegrass, folk, americana and soul, Aoife O'Donovan's "Fossils" is breathtaking. It should appeal to a wide variety of people, it's mellow but uplifting at the same time.
That's my time. Remind me to return mext week.
Wednesday, 10 July 2013
What Has Matt Been Up To?
Hello again! It's Monday morning and that means that I am nearing the end of my work week once again. This time around I have not 3 but 4 days off, and they are going to be busy. Soccer returns this week after a 20 day break. I also have plans to golf tomorrow for the first time in 2 years. Between Tuesday morning and Wednesday evening I hope to have played a round of golf, played hockey, played a soccer game, ran 5 km, biked with Jasmine, and gone swimming with the kids. Will I survive? Sheila and I are also thinking about spending Friday night camping with the kids. It would be nice to relax a little after the packed schedule of Tuesday and Wednesday.
This weekend was a good one. We woke Saturday morning and a had a nice breakfast. Jasmine has been addicted to pancakes lately, this was her fourth time eating them this week! Sheila spoiled us with bacon and eggs to go with the cakes. We jumped in the car to head downtown. Our timing was a little off, so we ended up spending 45 minutes on the street corner waiting for the parade to start. I believe this is the fourth year in a row that we have attended the Prince George Pride Parade, and it was the best one yet. Considerably more viewers than year's past, it was good to see. The added participation of the RCMP, Ambulance employees and Firefighters was a nice sight to see, though I have no idea why it took them so long to get involved (it's year 16 for the parade). The kids had a great time cheering and waving (Asher waves to everyone, including all dogs!) but best of all, they liked the goodies that were being handed out. We collected candies, bracelets, stickers, tattoos, bottles of water (great idea!) and Asher even got a little football. After the parade, we strolled over to the civic centre where they were holding the annual BMO Kidz Art Dayz. We have gone a few times in the past to this event, but this year it was bigger and busier then I ever remember it being. Jasmine and I ran into a couple of our soccer teammates amongst the hundreds of kids that were there. They had about 15 different art stations set up, even a few that Asher could do. They also had live music this time, a great addition! Listened to a really solid performer, a young guy singing and playing guitar, and as he pointed out before each song, he had written all of the stuff too! I was impressed. Jasmine enjoyed herself, but got a little upset when we had to pull her away. She had been waiting patiently in a line for one project, but the line just wasn't moving. We had to walk 4 blocks back to the car, and needed to make a few more stops before I went to work. She didn't get over it until she had a smokie (she was starving!) and was settled in watching her auntie's soccer game. I had time to say a quick hello to my mom and dad at the soccer field and watch my sister play for a few minutes before I was on my way to work.
After the excitement of Saturday morning, I may have been inclined to be lazy on Sunday. Often, due to the quick turn around of working Saturday night and Sunday morning I am lacking sleep and energy come the afternoon. I had big plans, and I really wanted to follow through on them. I stopped off at my friend's house to borrow his ladder, then went to a couple of home improvement places in search of fence boards. Unfortunately, the part of the fence I am looking to repair was built with 1 x 5 fence boards ( a true 5 inches) and the boards aren't sold at any of the major lumber yards. I went home, intent to get some of the work done. I pulled the section of the fence apart, realizing that if I replaced all the boards instead, it wouldn't matter that the boards going on are a slightly different size. I couldn't fill the holes where a handful of rotten boards were present, but I could replank the entire 8 foot section instead. I got the boards pulled off, made plans to purchase a few more 1 x 6 boards that I will need, climbed up on the roof and removed a metal satellite dish mount that was causing water to drip down on the fence and rot the boards, swept the roof off (many years of pine needles piled up), and made my shopping list. I need to chop a few inches off of the 6 feet length boards, then I will be all set to rebuild the fence. Who builds a fence with 68" length boards, when the standard 72" would work fine? Just wanted to make more work? I don't get it. Anyway, I hope to get that done today, as well as mounting a section of eavestrough so that the fence doesn't get dripped on any longer.
After seeing actual progress on my fence repair job, I could have just lazed around the rest of the day. Instead, I got geared up and went for a 5 kilometer run, clocking in at 25 minutes and 4 seconds. I ate a delicious dinner, Sheila barbecued beef and shrimp kabobs and I even had a strawberry marguerita with it. After dinner, I asked Sheila if she wanted to go smack a few tennis balls. She hummed and hawed, and in a bit of an asshole move, I told Asher what my plans were. This sealed it, his tennis obsession still going strong, we were obligated to go. Sheila and I got a great workout, despite Asher being cranky. It was nearing bed time, and the sun was hot. Asher overcome his injury (he scraped his knee) and actually hit a few balls. We headed home, red faced and tired.
Though I have been pretty busy with life, I have found some time to enjoy a few movies, read a fair bit, and try out some new music. Some were more exciting then others, but all in all I have enjoy most of the entertainment I have consumed lately. I thought I would provide some short reviews in hopes that others may be inspired to also give them a try.
BOOKS
"What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" by Peter Hedges (1991)
This novel has been sitting around my house for a couple years. I picked it up at a garage sale, having heard a little about it and liking the 25 cent price tag. I was aware that one of the main characters had special needs, and this interested me. I had heard the movie was superb, featuring a young Johnny Depp alongside a young Leo DiCaprio. Still, I hadn't got around to it. I decided I would find books to read without heading to the library (Ironically, I can't afford the library) and I found this one on the shelf. Thank you Prince George Library for your exorbitant fines! While I always feel a bit euphoric after completing a book, and I am most likely to look back positively, but a few days later and I am still raving about this novel. Peter Hedges' writing is easy to read, and it flows well. This was the first book in a while that I completed in less than a week. The cynicism of the main character "Gilbert" had me thinking about the book a lot when I wasn't reading it. The relationships between the family and the youngest son "Arnie" were complex and always engaging. The mysterious girl that engages in a game of romantic cat and mouse with Gilbert had me guessing wrong again and again. I really liked that we didn't get a sappy conclusion to this dynamic. By the end of the book, Gilbert was becoming eerily similar in my mind to another character I quite like, "Napoleon" from the movie Napoleon Dynamite. Gilbert's pessimism makes for a great read, and it had my rooting for him to win in the end. The conclusion to the book is a bit dark, but at the same time, it provided and emotional release for the family after they had been suffering for so long. Pick this book up, you won't be disappointed.
"The Chosen" by Chaim Potok (1967)
I grabbed this book at the thrift store the other day, and started it minutes after finishing the book above. The novel examines the traditional Jewish faith, and the pressures that young Jewish boys face to remain devout followers. While I am only 80 pages into a 300 page book, I have found it quite engaging so far. I am ignorant to the customs of the Jewish faith, so I am looking forward to learning more. The main characters are quite likeable, and I am quickly getting into the story. Stay tuned, should be finished the book by next week.
MOVIES
"The Heat" directed by Paul Feig (2013)
I figured this movie would be solid when my buddy and I decided to go to it on opening night. Paul Feig was the genius comedic director behind "Bridesmaids", as well as credits for television including The Office, 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, Arrested Development, Nurse Jackie and Freaks and Geeks. For the record, I really like all of those programs, Parks and Recreation currently finding a spot in my top 3 sitcoms. My favorite current sitcom is Mike and Molly, starring one Melissa McCarthy, who also happens to star in "The Heat". I had a vague idea of the movie premise, McCarthy and Sandra Bullock are both in law enforcement and they team together in an odd couple pairing. McCarthy plays the loose cannon police officer, and boy is she loose. Crude, crass, vulgar, and awesome! The movie had me laughing almost non-stop, even Sandy B (shout out to Raj from Big Bang) brought some decent comedic chops. I will not ruin the plot for you, instead, I will let you know that this is a must see for fans of comedy movies. It's my favourite of 2013 so far!
"Monster's University" directed by Dan Scanlon (2013)
While my sister Erin was in town, most of my family made it out to a late night showing of Monster's University. I thought that the 1015 PM start time would mean that it would be quiet, despite it being cheap night. Well, I didn't know that 2 of the other movies would sell out, leaving dozens of adult couples no choice but to see this movie seemingly targeted towards kids. So, we arrived as the show started, and luckily my brother had saved us a row of seats, or we would have been out of luck. The seats were in the 3rd row, much too close for my taste. I also have a habit of falling asleep when I sit really close. Being that I was tired to begin with, you can imagine what happened. The parts I did see were great. Lots of funny stuff, many jokes that were geared towards the older crowd, while also making Jasmine laugh plenty of times. I will have to see it again when it comes out on home release.
"Goon" directed by Michael Dowse (2012)
So, I know that very few people have seen this film. With a total box office take of less than $7,000,000 this movie got very little love at theatres. I was lucky enough to see it in theatres, it was a bit of a surprise as limited release movies rarely make their way to Prince George. It was written by Seth Rogen's buddy Evan Goldberg in collaboration with Jay Baruchel. Baruchel, who is highly underrated as an actor also plays a supporting role in the film as Doug "the thug" Glatt's best friend. I was taken aback when I watched this film for the first time by Sean William Scott's acting talent. He is known for trashy roles playing the stereotypical party guy, but in "Goon" he character dimensions that I didn't realize he was capable of pulling off. The movie is about hockey, specifically hockey fighting. It is set in the maritimes, so there are many humourous stereotypically characters that are authentic to the region. I watched the movie again the other night with Sheila, and I am happy to report that she quite enjoyed it as well. Lots of funny parts, lots of hockey related violence, and even a little love story thrown in. A great date night movie. Support Canadian movies, go out and find this film!
"Idiocracy" directed by Mike Judge (2006)
A movie from the creator of King of the Hill as well as Beavis and Butthead. A box office take of less than $500,000 as it was barely even released to theatres. Relatively well known stars in Luke Wilson, Dax Sheppard, Maya Rudolph, and Justin Long. It's quirky to say the least. The premise is that Wilson and Rudolph's characters get locked in capsules as part of a suspended animation experiment. They are to be unlocked a year later, but are forgotten about. They end up waking up 500 years later into a world that has become increasingly less intelligent. At times, it is cheesy, but at other times it is quite clever. I am a big Mike Judge fan, so perhaps my positive impression a tad clouded, but you could do worse when chosing a comedy to watch.
"The Wendell Baker Story" directed by Andrew and Luke Wilson (2005)
Can you tell that I have been going through the filmography list of the Wilson family? This movie starred both Owen and Luke, the former as a currupt head nurse at a retirement home, the latter a parolee sent to work in the same home. In a unique take on the romantic comedy genre, Luke's character makes friends with a few of the residents, and this leads to them helping him win back his girlfriend who is set to marry another man. Great, lesser known stuff from the Wilson clan. If you avoid their commercial work, they are actually pretty good at the acting thing. Also, check out "Bottle Rocket" (1996) written and directed by Wes Anderson in his debut movie. Starring Owen and Luke, it's possibly Owen's best work of his career. He plays a deranged criminal who goes from one bumbling scheme to another attempting to make money and get ahead.
"The Departed" directed by Martin Scorcese (2006)
I had seen bits and pieces of this film before, but the other night at work I got to see the whole thing. Leo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen, Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin and the lovely Vera Farmiga. Need I say more?
ALBUMS
I have been drawn mostly towards the electronica genre lately. I have been lucky enough to find a wide variety of great albums that I have listened to numerous times. Often, I find a recently released album that I really enjoy, then I go back through the artists other albums and find even more great stuff. A handful of the albums I have been enjoying lately:
Jagwar Ma - "Howlin" (2013)
CoCo Rosie - "Tales of a Grass Widow" (2013)
Boards of Canada - "Tomorrow's Harvest" (2013)
Majical Clouds - "Impersonator" (2013)
RP Boo - "Legacy" (2013)
Daft Punk - "Random Access Memories`(2013)
Culcha Candela - "Das Beste" (2010)
This weekend was a good one. We woke Saturday morning and a had a nice breakfast. Jasmine has been addicted to pancakes lately, this was her fourth time eating them this week! Sheila spoiled us with bacon and eggs to go with the cakes. We jumped in the car to head downtown. Our timing was a little off, so we ended up spending 45 minutes on the street corner waiting for the parade to start. I believe this is the fourth year in a row that we have attended the Prince George Pride Parade, and it was the best one yet. Considerably more viewers than year's past, it was good to see. The added participation of the RCMP, Ambulance employees and Firefighters was a nice sight to see, though I have no idea why it took them so long to get involved (it's year 16 for the parade). The kids had a great time cheering and waving (Asher waves to everyone, including all dogs!) but best of all, they liked the goodies that were being handed out. We collected candies, bracelets, stickers, tattoos, bottles of water (great idea!) and Asher even got a little football. After the parade, we strolled over to the civic centre where they were holding the annual BMO Kidz Art Dayz. We have gone a few times in the past to this event, but this year it was bigger and busier then I ever remember it being. Jasmine and I ran into a couple of our soccer teammates amongst the hundreds of kids that were there. They had about 15 different art stations set up, even a few that Asher could do. They also had live music this time, a great addition! Listened to a really solid performer, a young guy singing and playing guitar, and as he pointed out before each song, he had written all of the stuff too! I was impressed. Jasmine enjoyed herself, but got a little upset when we had to pull her away. She had been waiting patiently in a line for one project, but the line just wasn't moving. We had to walk 4 blocks back to the car, and needed to make a few more stops before I went to work. She didn't get over it until she had a smokie (she was starving!) and was settled in watching her auntie's soccer game. I had time to say a quick hello to my mom and dad at the soccer field and watch my sister play for a few minutes before I was on my way to work.
After the excitement of Saturday morning, I may have been inclined to be lazy on Sunday. Often, due to the quick turn around of working Saturday night and Sunday morning I am lacking sleep and energy come the afternoon. I had big plans, and I really wanted to follow through on them. I stopped off at my friend's house to borrow his ladder, then went to a couple of home improvement places in search of fence boards. Unfortunately, the part of the fence I am looking to repair was built with 1 x 5 fence boards ( a true 5 inches) and the boards aren't sold at any of the major lumber yards. I went home, intent to get some of the work done. I pulled the section of the fence apart, realizing that if I replaced all the boards instead, it wouldn't matter that the boards going on are a slightly different size. I couldn't fill the holes where a handful of rotten boards were present, but I could replank the entire 8 foot section instead. I got the boards pulled off, made plans to purchase a few more 1 x 6 boards that I will need, climbed up on the roof and removed a metal satellite dish mount that was causing water to drip down on the fence and rot the boards, swept the roof off (many years of pine needles piled up), and made my shopping list. I need to chop a few inches off of the 6 feet length boards, then I will be all set to rebuild the fence. Who builds a fence with 68" length boards, when the standard 72" would work fine? Just wanted to make more work? I don't get it. Anyway, I hope to get that done today, as well as mounting a section of eavestrough so that the fence doesn't get dripped on any longer.
After seeing actual progress on my fence repair job, I could have just lazed around the rest of the day. Instead, I got geared up and went for a 5 kilometer run, clocking in at 25 minutes and 4 seconds. I ate a delicious dinner, Sheila barbecued beef and shrimp kabobs and I even had a strawberry marguerita with it. After dinner, I asked Sheila if she wanted to go smack a few tennis balls. She hummed and hawed, and in a bit of an asshole move, I told Asher what my plans were. This sealed it, his tennis obsession still going strong, we were obligated to go. Sheila and I got a great workout, despite Asher being cranky. It was nearing bed time, and the sun was hot. Asher overcome his injury (he scraped his knee) and actually hit a few balls. We headed home, red faced and tired.
Though I have been pretty busy with life, I have found some time to enjoy a few movies, read a fair bit, and try out some new music. Some were more exciting then others, but all in all I have enjoy most of the entertainment I have consumed lately. I thought I would provide some short reviews in hopes that others may be inspired to also give them a try.
BOOKS
"What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" by Peter Hedges (1991)
This novel has been sitting around my house for a couple years. I picked it up at a garage sale, having heard a little about it and liking the 25 cent price tag. I was aware that one of the main characters had special needs, and this interested me. I had heard the movie was superb, featuring a young Johnny Depp alongside a young Leo DiCaprio. Still, I hadn't got around to it. I decided I would find books to read without heading to the library (Ironically, I can't afford the library) and I found this one on the shelf. Thank you Prince George Library for your exorbitant fines! While I always feel a bit euphoric after completing a book, and I am most likely to look back positively, but a few days later and I am still raving about this novel. Peter Hedges' writing is easy to read, and it flows well. This was the first book in a while that I completed in less than a week. The cynicism of the main character "Gilbert" had me thinking about the book a lot when I wasn't reading it. The relationships between the family and the youngest son "Arnie" were complex and always engaging. The mysterious girl that engages in a game of romantic cat and mouse with Gilbert had me guessing wrong again and again. I really liked that we didn't get a sappy conclusion to this dynamic. By the end of the book, Gilbert was becoming eerily similar in my mind to another character I quite like, "Napoleon" from the movie Napoleon Dynamite. Gilbert's pessimism makes for a great read, and it had my rooting for him to win in the end. The conclusion to the book is a bit dark, but at the same time, it provided and emotional release for the family after they had been suffering for so long. Pick this book up, you won't be disappointed.
"The Chosen" by Chaim Potok (1967)
I grabbed this book at the thrift store the other day, and started it minutes after finishing the book above. The novel examines the traditional Jewish faith, and the pressures that young Jewish boys face to remain devout followers. While I am only 80 pages into a 300 page book, I have found it quite engaging so far. I am ignorant to the customs of the Jewish faith, so I am looking forward to learning more. The main characters are quite likeable, and I am quickly getting into the story. Stay tuned, should be finished the book by next week.
MOVIES
"The Heat" directed by Paul Feig (2013)
I figured this movie would be solid when my buddy and I decided to go to it on opening night. Paul Feig was the genius comedic director behind "Bridesmaids", as well as credits for television including The Office, 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, Arrested Development, Nurse Jackie and Freaks and Geeks. For the record, I really like all of those programs, Parks and Recreation currently finding a spot in my top 3 sitcoms. My favorite current sitcom is Mike and Molly, starring one Melissa McCarthy, who also happens to star in "The Heat". I had a vague idea of the movie premise, McCarthy and Sandra Bullock are both in law enforcement and they team together in an odd couple pairing. McCarthy plays the loose cannon police officer, and boy is she loose. Crude, crass, vulgar, and awesome! The movie had me laughing almost non-stop, even Sandy B (shout out to Raj from Big Bang) brought some decent comedic chops. I will not ruin the plot for you, instead, I will let you know that this is a must see for fans of comedy movies. It's my favourite of 2013 so far!
"Monster's University" directed by Dan Scanlon (2013)
While my sister Erin was in town, most of my family made it out to a late night showing of Monster's University. I thought that the 1015 PM start time would mean that it would be quiet, despite it being cheap night. Well, I didn't know that 2 of the other movies would sell out, leaving dozens of adult couples no choice but to see this movie seemingly targeted towards kids. So, we arrived as the show started, and luckily my brother had saved us a row of seats, or we would have been out of luck. The seats were in the 3rd row, much too close for my taste. I also have a habit of falling asleep when I sit really close. Being that I was tired to begin with, you can imagine what happened. The parts I did see were great. Lots of funny stuff, many jokes that were geared towards the older crowd, while also making Jasmine laugh plenty of times. I will have to see it again when it comes out on home release.
"Goon" directed by Michael Dowse (2012)
So, I know that very few people have seen this film. With a total box office take of less than $7,000,000 this movie got very little love at theatres. I was lucky enough to see it in theatres, it was a bit of a surprise as limited release movies rarely make their way to Prince George. It was written by Seth Rogen's buddy Evan Goldberg in collaboration with Jay Baruchel. Baruchel, who is highly underrated as an actor also plays a supporting role in the film as Doug "the thug" Glatt's best friend. I was taken aback when I watched this film for the first time by Sean William Scott's acting talent. He is known for trashy roles playing the stereotypical party guy, but in "Goon" he character dimensions that I didn't realize he was capable of pulling off. The movie is about hockey, specifically hockey fighting. It is set in the maritimes, so there are many humourous stereotypically characters that are authentic to the region. I watched the movie again the other night with Sheila, and I am happy to report that she quite enjoyed it as well. Lots of funny parts, lots of hockey related violence, and even a little love story thrown in. A great date night movie. Support Canadian movies, go out and find this film!
"Idiocracy" directed by Mike Judge (2006)
A movie from the creator of King of the Hill as well as Beavis and Butthead. A box office take of less than $500,000 as it was barely even released to theatres. Relatively well known stars in Luke Wilson, Dax Sheppard, Maya Rudolph, and Justin Long. It's quirky to say the least. The premise is that Wilson and Rudolph's characters get locked in capsules as part of a suspended animation experiment. They are to be unlocked a year later, but are forgotten about. They end up waking up 500 years later into a world that has become increasingly less intelligent. At times, it is cheesy, but at other times it is quite clever. I am a big Mike Judge fan, so perhaps my positive impression a tad clouded, but you could do worse when chosing a comedy to watch.
"The Wendell Baker Story" directed by Andrew and Luke Wilson (2005)
Can you tell that I have been going through the filmography list of the Wilson family? This movie starred both Owen and Luke, the former as a currupt head nurse at a retirement home, the latter a parolee sent to work in the same home. In a unique take on the romantic comedy genre, Luke's character makes friends with a few of the residents, and this leads to them helping him win back his girlfriend who is set to marry another man. Great, lesser known stuff from the Wilson clan. If you avoid their commercial work, they are actually pretty good at the acting thing. Also, check out "Bottle Rocket" (1996) written and directed by Wes Anderson in his debut movie. Starring Owen and Luke, it's possibly Owen's best work of his career. He plays a deranged criminal who goes from one bumbling scheme to another attempting to make money and get ahead.
"The Departed" directed by Martin Scorcese (2006)
I had seen bits and pieces of this film before, but the other night at work I got to see the whole thing. Leo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen, Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin and the lovely Vera Farmiga. Need I say more?
ALBUMS
I have been drawn mostly towards the electronica genre lately. I have been lucky enough to find a wide variety of great albums that I have listened to numerous times. Often, I find a recently released album that I really enjoy, then I go back through the artists other albums and find even more great stuff. A handful of the albums I have been enjoying lately:
Jagwar Ma - "Howlin" (2013)
CoCo Rosie - "Tales of a Grass Widow" (2013)
Boards of Canada - "Tomorrow's Harvest" (2013)
Majical Clouds - "Impersonator" (2013)
RP Boo - "Legacy" (2013)
Daft Punk - "Random Access Memories`(2013)
Culcha Candela - "Das Beste" (2010)
Sunday, 19 May 2013
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!
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!
Monday, 29 April 2013
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.
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.
Sunday, 14 April 2013
My Week In Pictures
I'm in a really weird place this morning. On one hand, I am really beginning to feel like a real blogger. Having now posted more then 60 times since the start of 2012, and managing to post at least weekly since 2013 began I now regularly begin to think of ideas to write about as my free mornings approach. Sunday and Monday are usually my writing days because I have significant time to myself in the morning on those days. Today, while I am excited to share a few stories about what my family and I have been up to, I don't feel an overwhelming desire to actually type out the content. In fact, I am not sure there is much to type up, and that is why I've decided to do something a little different. I'm going to share some pictures and provide some commentary with each one. Let's see how this goes.
The other night, the guys pictured above played their last game of the season. That's my brother Ian on the left, and me on the right. We had a decent season really. We moved up to a tougher division, and while the scoring and puck possession time was down, it felt like we were solid contributors to our team. The team was able to have a solid season, winning as often as we lost. The season was capped off by beating one of the better teams (we finished 5th out of 8 for the regular season) and qualifying for the semi-finals against the best team. The game started poorly for us and never did get any better. We ended up losing 6-1. That's that.
As I have already covered to the point of annoyance in this space, I have gotten myself pretty wound up about running this spring. It's something I seem to do almost every year, but this year I am taking it to another level. I have never had myself in this kind of shape, and I want to take advantage of it. I'm signed up for a 10 KM (6.2 miles for my American readers) running race exactly 7 weeks from today. While I'm not flush with cash I decided the benefits of having a new pair of running shoes made a purchase necessary. After researching extensively, I settled on the Saucony Kinvara, and to save a few bucks I went with last years model. I bought them Tuesday and put them to use that night. I ran in a driving rain but all I could think about was the comfort my feet were enjoying. No knee pain, no shin splints, no pain at all. They seem to be designed in a way that gets me away from a heavy heel strike towards a more ball of the foot focus. More stride feels more springy and I really like it. It was week 1 of the 8 week program I am doing to get ready for the race. I ran a 3 mile run Tuesday, then a faster paced 2.5 mile run on Thursday and I am already feeling the love for my new shoes.
Nearly 50 years before she met George W. Bush and recieved the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her contribution to American Literature, the woman pictured above wrote an engaging, thought provoking novel. Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" is a great read that I finally got around to completing. It is funny how that works. I didn't realize how badly I wanted to read it until a friend by chance offered me a copy. As soon I finished the book I was reading at the time I jumped into Harper Lee's work. She put together an amazing book, focussed on what seems to be my favorite novel subject, black rights, segregation in the United States and what that entails. The main character and narrator of the novel Scout Finch is on the best characters I've come across in a novel. While I thoroughly enjoyed the book, I always feel the need to get to know the author of the work I am reading. Being that she was one of Truman Capote's best friends, and I have enjoyed everything he wrote I figured I might enjoy Harper Lee's work. Harper Lee had this classic published in 1961 at the age of 35. She is now 86 and in deteriorating health. In the 51 years since her novel was published, she wrote nothing but a handful of short papers. When asked why she never wrote again she said: "Two reasons: one, I wouldn't go through the pressure and publicity I went through with To Kill a Mockingbird for any amount of money. Second, I have said what I wanted to say and I will not say it again." What a great woman.
I don't watch a lot of golf these days. In my teens I was an avid golfer, and for $200 a season I got an entire summer's worth of fun out of my course membership. I always enjoyed playing more than watching, but there is a handful of tournaments that I still make a point of watching, namely the Major tournaments, specifically the Masters. I've been relatively busy this weekend, but I will be watching golf this morning while I work. While there are a number of guys in contention to win, my favourite story of the tournament is the golfer above. Yes, the boy in the yellow shirt who could pass for 10 or 11 is playing the Masters golf tournament. He is actually 14, which makes him the youngest person ever to compete at the Masters, the second youngest golfer ever to play a Major. Amazingly, he didn't just show up, but was competitive. He managed to overcome harassment from rules officials about his slow pace of play, even absorbing a one stroke penalty for it, to qualify for weekend play. Dozens of other golfers were sent home after the second round including numerous former champions of the event and other major tournaments. I was excited at 14 to golf a round of 85 on an easy local course. An intriguing story that will have me watching today.
Sheila and I settled in and enjoyed a couple of movies this week. I am always on the lookout for comedy movies as it seems we have seen a lot of them, and there is a limited number of good ones produced every year. My research has been focused on older movies, often ones that were before our time. The movie we watched Wednesday wasn't old, but it was one I had not heard of. "Black Dynamite" was the result of incredible creative vision from Michael Jai White. He wrote the movie after being inspired by blaxploitation films that rose to prominence in the 1970s. He plays the title character himself, and incorporates his martial arts background into the role. As a begin my rambling, gushing diatribe about this flick, I will put this out there, I flat out loved this movie. Creativity oozes from every scene, Black Dynamite comes off as a bad ass hip hop Robin Hood type with witty lines and funny slap stick scenarios thrown in. Black Dynamite's brother gets killed, and he spends the movie trying to avenge his death. At the same time, I works to rid his hood of a new drug that has taken hold of the youth. While he is so slick that he manages to both avenge his brother and take back his neighbourhood at the same time, I found myself laughing a number of times at the subtle understatedness of the whole premise. Watch this film, find it any way you can, and sit back and enjoy. You are welcome.
It took us a couple nights due to extreme fatigue Thursday on my part, but Sheila and I also enjoyed this classic Steve Martin film. The Jerk was blatant in its use of stereotypes, the storyline is that Steve Martin's character, after being raised by a black family in the deep south goes out into the world not realizing that he is in fact white. Hilarity insues as his ignorance and naivety get him into all sorts of scrapes. My favorite may have been his attempt to halt a group of criminals who come to his gas station to fill up. He attempts to apprehend them, but in the end he tears a church in half. While not as awesome as Black Dynamite, Sheila and I both still enjoyed this one.
I really left this one for last because I wanted to appear modest. Consider the above content, movies, running shoes, sports, and books as filler to get to this one. You see these two above? Asher Felix, now 27 months old, and Jasmine Rose just a week past her 10th birthday are darn cool. This photo was taken by their Auntie Larissa, and I quite like it. She watched them for a couple hours a few weeks ago, and Asher managed to get all sorts of treats and snacks out of her. As you can see, he doesn't have just one sucker, but a whole bag of them. Jasmine absolutely loves her little brother. She looks out for him, and spends a lot of time entertaining him. I appreciate how patient she is while giving her time to him. It's hard not to love the little guy. In general she is a great girl, who is quickly growing into a young woman as scary as that is for Dad.
This week, Jasmine did a number of things that made me proud to call her my daughter. On Tuesday, after coming home from school, we had decided to go for a walk. Asher in his stroller, and me ready to go, she came running out of the house with garbage bags in hand. We have taken a number of walks since the weather as started to warm, and during these walks we have discussed the litter problem in our neighbourhood. Jasmine had mentioned a few times that she would like to pick up garbage so that we could enjoy our walks without seeing so much trash. Also, she wanted to protect the animals around from getting sick or choking to death on the various things people had tossed on the ground. She started with gusto, and as my pride swelled I joined in. Before long, we were filling our bags, finding bottles and cans to help her get rich, and having a great time. I was already getting emotional about how cool it was that she had taken this initiative, but when Asher started joining in it was almost too much. He was riding along in his stroller, stopping constantly so I could grab trash. He started to help out by spotting litter and calling out to us so we wouldn't miss it. "Wawa!!!! Look at dis! Right dere!!" Pointing and smiling the whole time. We filled out bags twice, then tossed them in a dumpster at the daycare around the way from our house. Jasmine made plans to finish the rest of our walking loop next time. "We need bigger bags Dad!" I couldn't have been more proud.
Jasmine is nearing the end of grade 4 and lately has been faced with a grim reality of getting older. Homework. She has had occasional assignments to complete at home, but lately she has had to tackle school work more regularly at home. Her teacher retired shortly after Christmas and she has a newer teacher, who assigns more work to do at home. I like it. It's going to help build a work ethic for school that Jasmine doesn't currently have. She enjoys school, and she does reasonably well. It seems to come relatively easy to her, but she doesn't handle adversity very well. Anything tough leads to her giving up and getting frustrated. Well, she got a doozy of an assignment on Wednesday. She started on the 3 assigned pages of math work with her mom, but Sheila admittedly isn't very good at the subject. I took over, and soon realized that Jasmine was struggling in large part because she seemed to have no knowledge whatsoever of the material. I enquired about this, and we concluded that her teacher had gone over the material, but she had paid little attention. While battling frustration, both of us worked for nearly 3 hours. Staying up well past her bedtime, Jasmine struggled. I explained the same concept to her dozens of times. We would complete a question, move on to the next one that was in the exact same format as the previous one. I would have to explain it to her again, as if she had never seen anything like it before. She managed to complete 2 of the 3 assigned pages before nearly falling asleep with the books on her lap. Jasmine got a good nights sleep, and while she was willing to go to school without finishing the third page, I encouraged her to open the books back up at 730. She breezed through the last page in 15 minutes without help. I double checked the answers, and gave her a big hug. Proud Dad again!
While I drone on about my amazing girl, I must conclude with another big one. Jasmine has also registered for the YMCA race on June 2nd and she is busy getting ready. Her race is called "The Healthy Kids Marathon". The idea is that she will complete 41 km of exercise, either walking or running before June 2nd. On that day, all the kids registered will run 3 laps of the track at Masich Place to complete their marathon. At my urging, Jasmine has embraced the idea. In the first 2 weeks she has recorded 9 km of walking distance, not including a few shorter walks to and from school. On Thursday, after some coercing from me, we set out for our first jog. I mapped out a 2 km route for us, wanting to see what she was capable of. We started out, I gave her a few pointers on running style and pacing and things were going well. A number of times I was able to motivate her to keep going, as thoughts of quitting creeped up on her. She did stop for a brief few seconds once, but started up again. She was a little annoyed with me for getting her to finish and tiring her out so much. Within hours she was bragging to her mom about it, and was happy with what she had accomplished. We plan to jog together more often as we prepare for June 2nd. Asher found it hilarious to have Jasmine jogging beside him, he enjoys his runs with me, but it seemed to be even more fun to have his sister along. As proud as I am now, I can't wait to watch her run the race with all the other kids. Hopefully, the future runs are a little easier on her and we can chat and visit while we get our exercise.
I could continue on about how great Jasmine is but I am going to call it her. If she happens to read this her head will swell, but I don't want to risk permanent damage. Sheila and Jasmine are off to the Mariannas Trench concert tonight, and both of them are at home bouncing up and down with anticipation. A fitting way to end a great week for Jas, full of accomplishments that had her Dad beaming with pride. I hope everyone has a great week!
The other night, the guys pictured above played their last game of the season. That's my brother Ian on the left, and me on the right. We had a decent season really. We moved up to a tougher division, and while the scoring and puck possession time was down, it felt like we were solid contributors to our team. The team was able to have a solid season, winning as often as we lost. The season was capped off by beating one of the better teams (we finished 5th out of 8 for the regular season) and qualifying for the semi-finals against the best team. The game started poorly for us and never did get any better. We ended up losing 6-1. That's that.
Nearly 50 years before she met George W. Bush and recieved the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her contribution to American Literature, the woman pictured above wrote an engaging, thought provoking novel. Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" is a great read that I finally got around to completing. It is funny how that works. I didn't realize how badly I wanted to read it until a friend by chance offered me a copy. As soon I finished the book I was reading at the time I jumped into Harper Lee's work. She put together an amazing book, focussed on what seems to be my favorite novel subject, black rights, segregation in the United States and what that entails. The main character and narrator of the novel Scout Finch is on the best characters I've come across in a novel. While I thoroughly enjoyed the book, I always feel the need to get to know the author of the work I am reading. Being that she was one of Truman Capote's best friends, and I have enjoyed everything he wrote I figured I might enjoy Harper Lee's work. Harper Lee had this classic published in 1961 at the age of 35. She is now 86 and in deteriorating health. In the 51 years since her novel was published, she wrote nothing but a handful of short papers. When asked why she never wrote again she said: "Two reasons: one, I wouldn't go through the pressure and publicity I went through with To Kill a Mockingbird for any amount of money. Second, I have said what I wanted to say and I will not say it again." What a great woman.
I don't watch a lot of golf these days. In my teens I was an avid golfer, and for $200 a season I got an entire summer's worth of fun out of my course membership. I always enjoyed playing more than watching, but there is a handful of tournaments that I still make a point of watching, namely the Major tournaments, specifically the Masters. I've been relatively busy this weekend, but I will be watching golf this morning while I work. While there are a number of guys in contention to win, my favourite story of the tournament is the golfer above. Yes, the boy in the yellow shirt who could pass for 10 or 11 is playing the Masters golf tournament. He is actually 14, which makes him the youngest person ever to compete at the Masters, the second youngest golfer ever to play a Major. Amazingly, he didn't just show up, but was competitive. He managed to overcome harassment from rules officials about his slow pace of play, even absorbing a one stroke penalty for it, to qualify for weekend play. Dozens of other golfers were sent home after the second round including numerous former champions of the event and other major tournaments. I was excited at 14 to golf a round of 85 on an easy local course. An intriguing story that will have me watching today.
Sheila and I settled in and enjoyed a couple of movies this week. I am always on the lookout for comedy movies as it seems we have seen a lot of them, and there is a limited number of good ones produced every year. My research has been focused on older movies, often ones that were before our time. The movie we watched Wednesday wasn't old, but it was one I had not heard of. "Black Dynamite" was the result of incredible creative vision from Michael Jai White. He wrote the movie after being inspired by blaxploitation films that rose to prominence in the 1970s. He plays the title character himself, and incorporates his martial arts background into the role. As a begin my rambling, gushing diatribe about this flick, I will put this out there, I flat out loved this movie. Creativity oozes from every scene, Black Dynamite comes off as a bad ass hip hop Robin Hood type with witty lines and funny slap stick scenarios thrown in. Black Dynamite's brother gets killed, and he spends the movie trying to avenge his death. At the same time, I works to rid his hood of a new drug that has taken hold of the youth. While he is so slick that he manages to both avenge his brother and take back his neighbourhood at the same time, I found myself laughing a number of times at the subtle understatedness of the whole premise. Watch this film, find it any way you can, and sit back and enjoy. You are welcome.
It took us a couple nights due to extreme fatigue Thursday on my part, but Sheila and I also enjoyed this classic Steve Martin film. The Jerk was blatant in its use of stereotypes, the storyline is that Steve Martin's character, after being raised by a black family in the deep south goes out into the world not realizing that he is in fact white. Hilarity insues as his ignorance and naivety get him into all sorts of scrapes. My favorite may have been his attempt to halt a group of criminals who come to his gas station to fill up. He attempts to apprehend them, but in the end he tears a church in half. While not as awesome as Black Dynamite, Sheila and I both still enjoyed this one.
I really left this one for last because I wanted to appear modest. Consider the above content, movies, running shoes, sports, and books as filler to get to this one. You see these two above? Asher Felix, now 27 months old, and Jasmine Rose just a week past her 10th birthday are darn cool. This photo was taken by their Auntie Larissa, and I quite like it. She watched them for a couple hours a few weeks ago, and Asher managed to get all sorts of treats and snacks out of her. As you can see, he doesn't have just one sucker, but a whole bag of them. Jasmine absolutely loves her little brother. She looks out for him, and spends a lot of time entertaining him. I appreciate how patient she is while giving her time to him. It's hard not to love the little guy. In general she is a great girl, who is quickly growing into a young woman as scary as that is for Dad.
This week, Jasmine did a number of things that made me proud to call her my daughter. On Tuesday, after coming home from school, we had decided to go for a walk. Asher in his stroller, and me ready to go, she came running out of the house with garbage bags in hand. We have taken a number of walks since the weather as started to warm, and during these walks we have discussed the litter problem in our neighbourhood. Jasmine had mentioned a few times that she would like to pick up garbage so that we could enjoy our walks without seeing so much trash. Also, she wanted to protect the animals around from getting sick or choking to death on the various things people had tossed on the ground. She started with gusto, and as my pride swelled I joined in. Before long, we were filling our bags, finding bottles and cans to help her get rich, and having a great time. I was already getting emotional about how cool it was that she had taken this initiative, but when Asher started joining in it was almost too much. He was riding along in his stroller, stopping constantly so I could grab trash. He started to help out by spotting litter and calling out to us so we wouldn't miss it. "Wawa!!!! Look at dis! Right dere!!" Pointing and smiling the whole time. We filled out bags twice, then tossed them in a dumpster at the daycare around the way from our house. Jasmine made plans to finish the rest of our walking loop next time. "We need bigger bags Dad!" I couldn't have been more proud.
Jasmine is nearing the end of grade 4 and lately has been faced with a grim reality of getting older. Homework. She has had occasional assignments to complete at home, but lately she has had to tackle school work more regularly at home. Her teacher retired shortly after Christmas and she has a newer teacher, who assigns more work to do at home. I like it. It's going to help build a work ethic for school that Jasmine doesn't currently have. She enjoys school, and she does reasonably well. It seems to come relatively easy to her, but she doesn't handle adversity very well. Anything tough leads to her giving up and getting frustrated. Well, she got a doozy of an assignment on Wednesday. She started on the 3 assigned pages of math work with her mom, but Sheila admittedly isn't very good at the subject. I took over, and soon realized that Jasmine was struggling in large part because she seemed to have no knowledge whatsoever of the material. I enquired about this, and we concluded that her teacher had gone over the material, but she had paid little attention. While battling frustration, both of us worked for nearly 3 hours. Staying up well past her bedtime, Jasmine struggled. I explained the same concept to her dozens of times. We would complete a question, move on to the next one that was in the exact same format as the previous one. I would have to explain it to her again, as if she had never seen anything like it before. She managed to complete 2 of the 3 assigned pages before nearly falling asleep with the books on her lap. Jasmine got a good nights sleep, and while she was willing to go to school without finishing the third page, I encouraged her to open the books back up at 730. She breezed through the last page in 15 minutes without help. I double checked the answers, and gave her a big hug. Proud Dad again!
While I drone on about my amazing girl, I must conclude with another big one. Jasmine has also registered for the YMCA race on June 2nd and she is busy getting ready. Her race is called "The Healthy Kids Marathon". The idea is that she will complete 41 km of exercise, either walking or running before June 2nd. On that day, all the kids registered will run 3 laps of the track at Masich Place to complete their marathon. At my urging, Jasmine has embraced the idea. In the first 2 weeks she has recorded 9 km of walking distance, not including a few shorter walks to and from school. On Thursday, after some coercing from me, we set out for our first jog. I mapped out a 2 km route for us, wanting to see what she was capable of. We started out, I gave her a few pointers on running style and pacing and things were going well. A number of times I was able to motivate her to keep going, as thoughts of quitting creeped up on her. She did stop for a brief few seconds once, but started up again. She was a little annoyed with me for getting her to finish and tiring her out so much. Within hours she was bragging to her mom about it, and was happy with what she had accomplished. We plan to jog together more often as we prepare for June 2nd. Asher found it hilarious to have Jasmine jogging beside him, he enjoys his runs with me, but it seemed to be even more fun to have his sister along. As proud as I am now, I can't wait to watch her run the race with all the other kids. Hopefully, the future runs are a little easier on her and we can chat and visit while we get our exercise.
I could continue on about how great Jasmine is but I am going to call it her. If she happens to read this her head will swell, but I don't want to risk permanent damage. Sheila and Jasmine are off to the Mariannas Trench concert tonight, and both of them are at home bouncing up and down with anticipation. A fitting way to end a great week for Jas, full of accomplishments that had her Dad beaming with pride. I hope everyone has a great week!
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