The Boys and Their Parts

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. 

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)

BOOK REVIEW: "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" by Ken Kesey

In recent months, my reading pace has slowed considerably.  There were a few reasons for it that I can identify, namely my time was being stretched in more directions than it had been during the winter.  When spring arrived, I ramped up the intensity of my exercise regimen.  Plenty of my free time was spent running or riding my bike or lifting weights.  All things that can't be done while reading.  Most of my reading is done at work inbetween tasks.  That time was still there, but once the calendar turned over to April, something drastically changed. 

For the past two years I have co-owned a fantasy baseball team with one of my friends.  I enjoy it, baseball is the best fantasy sport there is.  So many numbers.  Trends, situational stats, injury impacts, it is a blast trying to figure out what all the different factors mean.  Our team is in year 3 now, and the league is scheduled to run perpetually.  This year another buddy offered a chance to join a second league.  Also a keeper league, meaning I am committed for the next handful of years, the new league might be even more competitive than the other league.  It is definitely more time consuming for a number of reasons.  With endless roster moves allowed, you can spend as much or as little time on your team as you want.  The rosters are set on a weekly basis, so you can just log on Sunday night, make a couple moves and be done with it.  Those owners doing that find themselves at the bottom of the 13 team league.  Right now, I am on the edge of contention, in 5th place.  I also joined a 1 year league with some other buddies, smaller entry fee, but with 12 teams involved, still worth a decent bit of money if I win.  I didn't intend this to be a detailed update on my fantasy baseball teams, as I have plans to make a post on the topic in the near future.  This is a book review, so let's get back to it.

For me to get into a book, and read it with a decent pace, there needs to be a flow to the story.  A reason for me to keep with it, to see what happens next.  If I pick the book up and read an uneventful few pages, my mind will begin to search for something else I could be doing.  Often, these books are still good reads, they just take forever to get through because I am reading them 2 or 3 pages at a time.  I read "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter" over the course of about 2 months because it had this problem.  The story did centre around an interesting character, but it too often went off on tangents with other characters that didn't capture me.  The novel was drawn out over 350 pages, with a short climatic ending.  Too much time spent preparing for the end, too little time spent on the end itself.  I was beginning to wonder if my interest in reading was fading.  Fear not.  Enter Randle McMurphy.

The main character of the novel "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" is different.  He might the most unique character in any book I have ever read.  If you took the character traits of Randle McMurphy and put them in a vaccuum, you would think villian, antagonist, bad guy through and through.  But, when he is juxtaposed against Nurse Ratched, the boss of the Psych ward that McMurphy gets sent to he becomes a martyr of sorts.  His frequently used and quite loud voice becomes a collective one, speaking for the patients on the ward who either don't speak themselves or didn't have the guts to do so.  Nurse Ratched, called "Big Nurse" by Chief Bromden and the other patients, seemed invincible.  Her cracks, so well concealed previously, are exposed with expert precision by McMurphy.  The arrival of the protagonist on the ward adds life to the other patients, but as the story reaches its conclusion, it's not clear whether or not the excitement that McMurphy has brought was for the best. 

Chief Bromden is the narrator of the story.  His situation is unique.  After experiencing considerable trauma in his younger days, much of which is chronicled in the novel through flashbacks, he is diagnosed with a handful of mental illnessess and sent to the psych ward indefinitely.  He pretends that he is deaf and mute, maintaining the charade for more than 10 years by the time McMurphy arrives.  After McMurphy's arrival, Bromden struggles with maintaining the ruse because he often hears shocking things coming from his mouth.  Bromden has to shape his behaviours based on things he can see, and try to sort out those things that he heard.  Eventually, he can stay quiet no longer, opening up to McMurphy and becoming his right hand man of sorts. 

The novel is paced by McMurphy's antics, and Nurse Ratched's reaction to said antics.  As far as I can gather, the theme of the novel is that while McMurphy is seemingly successful in breaking the head nurse down, he leaves a lot of collateral damage in his wake.  Even McMurphy begins to unravel, but Bromden seems to be the only other patient that notices.  He manages to convince the night watchman to allow a couple of women onto the ward, procuring alcohol as well.  Many of the men join in on the fun, having a blast with plans to clean up before the morning staff arrives.  The other men convince McMurphy that this is his best chances to escape the increasing harsh punishments that he has faced.  He doesn't get away, and the men all pass out without cleaning up.  When Nurse Ratched finds them all in the morning, one patient, Billy Bibbitt is still missing.  He is eventually found in the spare room on a mattress with the second woman.  His ever present stutter disappears as he stands up to the nurse for the first time.  She sends him into her office after telling him she would call his mother.  A few minutes later, they hear a horrifying scream from another nurse after she discovered Billy's body.  He had slit his own throat.  This leads McMurphy to attack Big Nurse in the climax to the novel.  She is off work for a week because of the injuries she incurs.  The ward crumbles.  Many of the guys get out, signing themselves out, getting themselves transfered, etc.  When Big Nurse returns, only 3 of the guys remain.  She is powerless as her voice doesn't work.  McMurphy is returned from the disturbed ward.  He has had a lobotomy and is now in a vegetative state.  The story concludes with Chief Bromden suffocating McMurphy mercifully, then escaping by using his super human strength that McMurphy helped him build up.

While I read, I knew that the end of the novel would be eventful.  I wasn't sure exactly which direction it would go in.  The writing of Ken Kesey is impactful and is quite a different take on the study of humanity.  The Big Nurse attempted to dehumanize the men under her care.  She tried to create a very mechanical atmosphere, and she seemed to have done it.  Once McMurphy arrived, she began to doubt herself.  The men gained confidence through McMurphy, and it turned out that you can't control people, even if they are sick and or mentally unstable.  I loved the wild ride that this book took me on.  It's status as a classic is widely debated, but critics be damned.  I know what I like, and this, I like.  Thanks Ken Kesey (R.I.P.) for bringing some excitement back to my reading

Inside My Mind

I have been struggling to get something written this week.  Normally, I look forward to my time spent pecking away.  For some reason, come Monday this week I wasn't feeling it.  I worked hard this weekend, the routine at work was broken by some unexpected situations.  I am going to give you an old fashioned rambling blog. Follow along as I search my brain.

-Jasmine's soccer team.  Wow!  I was pretty discouraged to start the year.  It seemed many of the girls weren't very interested in soccer, and I would have a trying time teaching new skills.  I have to some extent, but I have spent my time instead encouraging aggression and working on finding the ideal position for each to girl to play.  I have found 3 dedicated and strong defenders.  Steve's (my co-coach) daughter has regained her confidence and along with Jasmine has been providing goal after goal.  After starting the year with 5 losses and a tie, we are unbeaten in our last 3.  After a 1-1 tie last week, a 3-2 win on Saturday, and a 2-1 win last night I'm not sure what the ceiling is.  The girls are watching the game from the sidelines now, and when good things happen they are getting excited and screaming and yelling.  I'm glad they are having fun with it.

-Queensway Auto World, member team of the 30+ division in the North Cariboo Senior Soccer League, did not concede a goal this week in 180 minutes of soccer.  We used two different and very capable goalies in the games, but for the most part, they just watched.  We knocked off the newest team in the league 3-0. then played the top team on Friday.  A physical battle ensued, but we came out on top, in part thanks to a replacement goalie who allowed 3 very soft goals.  It was all we needed.  3-0 scoreline once again.  I didn't score, but I am getting a fair bit of time on the ball, and I can see the benefits of my conditioning.  I had some fun, trying a move or two I don't usually go with.  I pulled off the move where the ball heads through your legs, but you reach back at the last minute and heel pass it the other direction.  I can't recall ever trying it before, and it even worked.  At 3-1-1 we are now tied at the top of the table.

-My son is sports obsessed.  He has to come to all of Jasmine and my soccer games.  He takes part in the warm up with Jasmine's team.  He kicks the ball around the backyard any chance he gets.  A day doesn't go by without him playing hockey downstairs.  He has to join me lifting weights every chance he gets.  As I realize nearly every topic on my mind also has to do with sports, I guess it's not his fault.  He was born with it.

-As I type, Asher has climbed up on the couch, set up a pillow and cuddled up in the blanket.  This is about the same time he does this most days that we spend together.  It's pretty cute.  Making it even more so is that he is staring over at me batting his eyelashes as his eyeballs head into hiding.  If I look over and smile, he smiles back, even bigger.  What can I do but work hard to match his width?  Smile away little man!

-Jasmine is pretty awesome in her own right.  I don't get the super big smiles from her as often as I do Asher, but she still loves Dad.  When I arrived to buy some goodies at her SPCA bake sale on Sunday, she ran up and gave me a huge hug.  She was dressed very nicely with earrings and a nice dress, and her hair very fancy too.  Jasmine and her friend had come up with idea to sell goodies and donate the money to the SPCA.  Sheila slaved away making cookies, while the other girl and her mom made cupcakes.  When I arrived, they had recruited a bunch of helpers.  There was 7 or 8 of them altogether, having fun, helping out.  Jasmine saw half of her class, either helping or buying goodies.  Everything went, and after a few donations were added, the girls had $123 to give to the animals.  They went down and gave the money to the SPCA last night, and Jasmine is very excited.  She and her friend had their picture taken and may appear on the SPCA Facebook page! 

-8 guys got together and drafted 10 players each for a hockey playoff pool.  6 of the 10 guys I grabbed were gone after the first round.  I gave up on the pool, and barely caught a minute of round 2.  I didn't realize that when I drafted David Krejci, I would be getting the leading playoff scorer.  I watched as the Bruins dispatched the Penguins, and the Hawks knocked off the Kings.  This leaves a bizarre situation.  First place guy has 73 points but no players.  Other guy also has 73 points and only Dave Bolland left who has 1 point so far.  68 points and in 3rd place, he has 4 players, 3 Hawks and 1 Bruin.  I'm in 5th, 64 points, 4 guys, 3 Bruins and 1 Hawk.  Two poolies will be rooting for plenty of 1-0 scores.  One guy wants a long series with Chicago doing most of the scoring.  I will be cheering for a long series with Boston scoring more.  Only top 2 get paid, I will be certain to make money if I gain the magical 10 points to pass the tied guys.  Assuming Dave Bolland doesn't get a hat trick or two.

-I got a little carried away yesterday.  I did my chest and triceps workout in the morning and early afternoon, I was way to distracted playing around with Asher so it took me forever.  I went and coached Jasmine's game.  Came home and ate with Sheila and the kids.  A fantastic chicken and rice dish, that had us all eating second helpings.  After sitting and hanging out for a while I set out.  A 7 km bike ride, the first time on my bike in 3 weeks.  It felt good.  I timed in at 18:07.  I sat down for a bit.  Checked on my fantasy baseball teams.  I stretched out.  I completed the 5 km run in 24:51.  I finished off the night with a long leg workout, 8 exercises, 3 sets each.  I discovered a new favourite exercise.  1 leg squats.  Just your body weight.  I even grab onto the weight bench to assist.  I can do about 10-12 each side before the legs give out.  Feeling alright today, was expecting the hit by a truck feeling.

-I'm reading again!  I started "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" last week, and I have actually been spending some time with it.  I like the original style of storytelling, and I get into these types of storylines quite easily.  It has a very similar feeling to Aldous Huxley or George Orwell.  Full report to come once completed.

-Sheila is thinking about turning her baking passion into a more serious endeavor.   She is thinking about selling baked goods at the Farmer's Market, specializing in gluten free items.  Jasmine would likely join her in the project, and it sounds like a great idea to me.  Asher could wear a sandwich board and walk around promoting the booth.  Who could resist that little smiling face?

-We are being very casual about planning our holidays in August.  First we were planning to go spend some time on Vancouver Island.  Now the plan is stalled at "camping".  That where, how and the rest of it has yet to be determined.  I would like less driving time and more relaxing time.  Maybe somewhere near a city so that we can do some tourist type stuff too.  Of course, any other city requires considerable driving time.  We still have 2 months to figure this out, right?

-My fantasy baseball teams are doing pretty good so far.  My 1 team has been in 1st or 2nd all season in the 12 team league.  I keep finding studs on the free agent list, and 2 weeks ago I snagged Domonic Brown right before he produced 8 homers in 7 games.  Jason and I share 1 team, and we have been top 3 all year.  We currently sit comfortably in 2nd out of 10 teams.  Lastly, I am in 7th of 13 in my other one.  I have managed to put together a really solid pitching staff, and with a little work on my offense I could be contending.

-Until next time!

Life Ain't So Bad

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Apache Indian Wiki




Culcha Candela Wiki






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

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

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

This is a Blog Post

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

Sick Call: A Poker Tale

I am going to allow myself to believe that my readers, yes all of you, are wondering what has been going on with my poker hobby.  Hi Mom!  Hi Sheila! And a big shout out to all of Russian, German and Japanese readers!  As I have documented in this space poker isn't just a hobby for me, I do need to derive some income from the endeavor as well.  So far, 2013 has been a complete bust, and I have found my zest for playing to be at an all time low.  I haven't had this little desire to play since before I discovered the game some 7 years ago.  My desire to play has been hampered in some part by my poor results in January moving into February.  I have also had little time to play with hockey taking up considerable free time, Oilers games and my own games, as well as hours and upon hours of research for fantasy baseball.  We have been visiting with mom and dad a number of times over Spring Break and the Easter holiday, and that has been very nice and quite refreshing.  With poker as with many things, play less, win less because you aren't at your best.  I really do feel like I need to be playing regularly in order to be alert and aware about what's going on around me.  You need these small advantages in order to put yourself in the best position to win.  When it comes right down to it, coupled with this "rusty" feeling, my luck has stunk and it hasn't helped.  Sometimes, you just can't overcome the cards. 

The year has been a wash for the most part, as I am sitting at about 5 bucks an hour income over 60 hours.  That's actually a decent number of hours played, but more then half of those came in January.  I started out great, and was scorching hot two weeks into the year, but then  promptly fell off a cliff.  I think that makes my struggles feel magnified, as I tumbled from the great start to one of my longer losing streaks.  Three weeks ago I did play a solid session, making a few decent plays, running into a gross cooler but not letting it derail my session, in general I walked away quite happy with my play.  I returned the next night, and although I played well again, the results played out a little differently and I gave most of the previous night's profit.  I know that part of the reason behind my poker decline is a change in priorities.  I don't eat, sleep and breathe poker anymore like I have at times.  Hockey has been a distraction.  Having fun with the kids instead of finding time to play cards is a choice I will make every time.  Lot's of my free time after the kids are in bed is spent exercising, or reading, or watching a movie with Sheila.  I don't itch to play at every free moment.  I need to find a balance though, where I am still devoting enough time to play a good game and be profitable.  Cutting back on my fantasy baseball commitments will be tough with 3 different teams to manage, but some of that time could be spent studying my large poker literature collection.  The other problem is I have been busy reading important works in literary history, and haven't had the desire to read hand examples or advice on tells from senior citizens.  I am currently plunging into "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, a book I felt I should read as it so significant in American literature.  Harper Lee was also one of Truman Capote's best friends, who I may or may not have stated here is my favourite writer ever, and I figured she must have written a great book if it grabbed his attention.  A friend tossed me a copy the other week, and I jumped at the chance to give it a read. 

Just by the above paragraph where I was supposed to be discussing poker but got distracting discussing everything but poker you can see that my poker focus has been suffering.  The poor results have led to me questioning my game and consequently contemplating my place in the local scene.  Am I good enough to hang with the small group of regulars that play way more then I do.  When my mind is rarely on poker when I am away from the table I fall further behind.  The other thing that is weighing on my mind was just how great 2012 was for me and my poker.  I can't expect the same again, not without dedicating myself to it.  I'm not really shooting for more of the same, but am looking to work harder to reach my modest goals for the year.  500 bucks a month.  Not ridiculous, is it?  When playing 20-25 hours a month its actually a pretty lofty goal.  One I plan to get back to chasing tonight when I sit down and play for the first time since last Thursday.  With that, I am going to leave you with a hand I played last Thursday, one that is a highlight of my 2013 poker year.

Sitting in early position, at this point I have ~$180, down ~$140 on the night.  I had been picking up very few hands and playing careful.  The game hadn't been too aggressive and had devolved into a lot of limping.  I hadn't been raising much either as I had been hitting very few flops and was being played back at constantly.  I look down at A3 of hearts and tossed 2 white chips in.  Another limp behind me, then one of the regular players, a younger guy with  ~$250 in front of him made it $12 to go.  He is quite aggressive and was in late position.  A call from both blinds and the early position limper, and I decide to call as well.  Some of this is out of frustration, I'll be honest.  I was getting tired of tossing away my 2 bucks every hand, and ultimately compounded my mistake by throwing another 10 bucks in with it.  The flop comes down 853 with 2 clubs.  Checks to me, I visibly considered a bet then checked, something I use on occasion to dissuade a continuation bet.  If the original raiser had gone ahead and continued, I would have had a very tough time putting him on a hand.  He checked behind.  The turn was a 10 of clubs, putting a flush on board.  When the 3 checks came to me, I decided to act on my interest from the flop.  A hand that would often think about betting the flop was indeed the flush draw so playing on the fact that I may have made my flush, I bet $25 into the pot of $55.  I got a call from the original raiser and everyone else cleared out. 

The river is an offsuit 6.  Sure, this could have given him a straight if he had raised pre flop with 79.  He could have made a straight with a 42 as well, but that's playing with too much fear if I am going to give him those holdings.  I don't want to lead out, because he will either call with a better hand or even worse, raise me off with a weaker hand.  I go ahead and check.  He bets fairly quickly verbally announcing $40 as he slides the bet in.  I almost made the snap call, as my read was specific.  He had played this like a couple of Broadway cards with one club.  No continuation bet because he didn't like the number of opponents.  On the turn he just flat called, not the move of a man protecting a hand that was made but vulnerable.  A thought when screaming through my mind though, I have been struggling at the felt.  I was already down on the session, but I would be down if I folded or if I called and was wrong.  $40 is nothing to sneeze at though, I work nearly half a shift to make that at my job.  I slid in my call, and heard some of my favorite words in poker, "well, you must have me then."  The chatter at the table didn't die down until I said, "okay, I have a three."  As the guys and gals at the table checked the board to see a ten, an eight, a six and a five ahead of the lowly three they grew quiet.  A couple guys murmured "nice call" type of comments.  I got to enjoy a period of time with a few people still bewildered.  "How did you know?"  Flush on board, straight on board, four over cards.   "You must have had some kind of tell on him, only way you can call."  I recovered most of the $140 I was down at the time, and went on to book a small profit.  These are the moments I most enjoy, when the game goes well beyond the realm of the casual player and I can take advantage of things I have learned over the years. 

That's my time, time to get going with my day.  I'm playing cards later, but first my son and I are off for a run after a workout.  Later, we will pick up Jasmine and maybe go to the park that she has been bugging me about, though it is still half buried in the snow.  I hope everyone has a great day!

A Book Review: Sons and Lovers

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

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

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

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

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

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

I'm a page turning, movie viewing fool.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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