Never Forget

I came across this article in the province by Tony Gallagher - It's so true !!



IT'S JUST A GAME

This edition of the Vancouver Canucks is providing genuinely new ground even for long-time fans and observers of the franchise. This is perhaps the best defensive Canucks team in history while being one of the most frustrating to watch, all at the same time. It would be easy to conclude they were just a poor hockey team if they weren't so solid defensively and didn't consistently outplay opponents. Sadly, actually putting the puck into the goal is still a requirement for success, and all the chances in the world for this group so far don't seem to be getting the job done, at least well enough to be considered a playoff team. It's around this time of year though that fans of this team should make sure they get a grip. They need to understand the one essential aspect of everything Canuck and everything in this section of the paper. It's a game, and needs to be treated that way. Some people get so frustrated they let it seep into their real world and affect their attitude and deportment. Its all right to let it affect your mood in a positive way when things are going well. That can be uplifting and a real vitamin to help people through these long, dark West Coast winters. But when your team is on a downer, the light must flash - THIS IS A GAME, put it aside. If you think you have it bad, imagined the players. For these guys its their proffession. THere is nothing they would like more than to win and in the bargain succeed personally so as to get that next contract. The frustrations they feel are many more times magnified because of the genuine financial impact on their families, immediate and extended, and no matter how fat and overpaid you think these guys might be, not winning hits them much harder. Yet even these people continually acquire perspective. When they head to Canucks Place of Children's Hospital or in the case of some real brave BC Lions players over the past few years out to places liek Purdy Pavillion at UBC to visit with older people struggling with Parkinson's and Alzheimers, they realize just how lucky they are. Sure that next goal or next tackle is their living, but its' a game. IF they couldn't play most are young enough and fit enough and many smarty enough to do any number of other jobs contributing enormously to their communities. Going out to these places helps them realize it. About five years ago Lions players started to visit Purdy and my father in law who will be spending his first Christmas with our Lord this year, was one of the residents lucky enough to be on the receiving end. He couldn't remember who of course, no matter how much I pressed him, his short term memory was such that he once burned himself three times on the same cup of coffee before we finally got a grip as to how far gone his short term memory was. But he never forgot "a lion player" came to see him. Whoever that player was, his work was outstanding and just as surely, Purdy's work on him would have been just as effective. It would have reminded him he played a 'game' for aliving, that he could walk away from his profession and still be infinitely ahead of every patient-resident in that building and that there are bigger hits in life than on any football field. If the players can get it, surely we media and fans can also come to grips with it. If the Canucks are driving you nuts, make sure that frustration doesn't get through to reality. If your NFL team loses a playoff game, stop the mourning immediate for your family and for yourself. After all, IT'S JUST A GAME

Teach the Children

This is how it happened...I just finished the household chores for the night and was preparing to go to bed, when I heard a noise in the front of the house. I opened the door to the front room and to my surprise, Santa himself stepped out from behind the Christmas tree

He placed his finger over his mouth so I would not cry out. "What are you doing?" I started to ask. The words choked up in my throat, and I saw he had tears in his eyes. His usual jolly manner was gone. Gone was the eager, boisterous soul we all know.

He then answered me with a simple statement.
"TEACH THE CHILDREN!"

I was puzzled; what did he mean? He anticipated my question, and with one quick movement brought forth a miniature toy bag from behind the tree. As I stood bewildered, Santa said,
"Teach the children! Teach them the old meaning of Christmas. The meaning that now-a-days Christmas has forgotten."

Santa then reached in his bag and pulled out a FIR TREE and placed it before the mantle.
"Teach the children that the pure green color of the stately fir tree remains green all year round, depicting the everlasting hope of mankind, all the needles point heavenward, making it a symbol of man's thoughts turning toward heaven."

He again reached into his bag and pulled out a brilliant STAR.
"Teach the children that the star was the heavenly sign of promises long ago. God promised a Savior for the world, and the star was the sign of fulfillment of His promise."

He then reached into his bag and pulled out a CANDLE.
"Teach the children that the candle symbolizes that Christ is the light of the world, and when we see this great light we are reminded of He who displaces the darkness."

Once again he reached into his bag and removed a WREATH and placed it on the tree.
"Teach the children that the wreath symbolizes the real nature of love. Real love never ceases. Love is one continuous round of affection."

He then pulled from his bag an ornament of himself.
"Teach the children that I, St. Nick, ( Santa Claus ) symbolize the generosity and good will we feel during the month of December."


He then brought out a HOLLY LEAF.
"Teach the children that the holly plant represents immortality. It represents the crown of thorns worn by our Savior. The red holly represents the blood shed by Him."

Next he pulled from his bag a GIFT and said,
"Teach the children that God so loved the world that HE gave HIS only begotten SON..." "Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift.

"Teach the children that the wise men bowed before the Holy BABE and presented HIM with gold, frankincense and myrrh. We should always give gifts in the same spirit of the wise men."

Santa then reached in his bag and pulled out a CANDY CANE and hung it on the tree.
"Teach the children that the candy cane represents the shepherds' crook. The crook on the staff helps to bring back strayed sheep to the flock. The candy cane is the symbol that we are our brother's keeper."


He reached in again and pulled out an ANGEL.
"Teach the children that it was the angels that heralded in the glorious news of the Savior's birth. The angels sang 'Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace and good will toward men."

Suddenly I heard a soft twinkling sound, and from his bag he pulled out a BELL.
"Teach the children that as the lost sheep are found by the sound of the bell, it should ring mankind to the fold. The bell symbolizes guidance and return."

Santa looked back and was pleased. He looked back at me and I saw that the twinkle was back in his eyes. He said,
"Remember, teach the children the true meaning of Christmas and do not put me in the center, for I am but a humble servant of the One that is, and I bow down to worship HIM, our LORD, our GOD."

Its Christmas !!!!!

'Twas the night before Christmas
and all through the town
Not a sign of Baby Jesus
was anywhere to be found.

The people were all busy
with Christmas time chores
Like decorating, and baking,
and shopping in stores

No one sang

"Away in a manger,

no crib for a bed."

Instead, they sang of Santa

dressed-up in bright red.

Mama watched Martha Stewart,

Papa drank beer from a tap.

As hour upon hour

the presents they'd wrap

When what from the T.V.

did they suddenly hear?

'Cept an ad.. which told

of a big sale at Sears.

So away to the mall

they all flew like a flash...

Buying things on credit...

and others with cash!

And, as they made their way home

From their trip to the mall,

Did they think about Jesus?

Oh, no ... not at all.

Their lives were so busy

with their Christmas time things

No time to remember

Christ Jesus, the King.

There were presents to wrap

and cookies to bake.

How could they stop and remember

who died for their sake?

To pray to the Savior...

they had no time to stop.

Because they needed more time

to "Shop til they dropped!"

On Wal-mart! On K-mart!

On Target! On Penney's!

On Hallmark! On Zales!

A quick lunch at Denny's

From the big stores downtown

to the stores at the mall

They would dash away, dash away,

and visit them all!

And up on the roof,

there arose such a clatter

As grandpa hung icicle lights

up on his brand new step ladder.

He hung lights that would flash.

He hung lights that would twirl.

they never once prayed to Jesus...

Light of the World.

Christ's eyes ... how they twinkle!

Christ's Spirit ... how merry!

Christ's love ... how enormous!

All our burdens... He'll carry!

So instead of being busy,

overworked, and uptight

et's put Christ back in CHRISTmas

and enjoy some good nights!

Merry CHRISTmas!!!

Goalie Graveyard??????

Does this look familiar?

Yes you would be correct in your assumption. Vancouver Fans, are once again, blaming everything on the goaltender!!!! Apparently, the only thing wrong with this team is the goaltending. Cuz we can score no problem, yeah... whatever people ! What do you want Luongo to do?? start scoring goals as well?

Don't make me go back !!!!!

Two more days of my holidays left! I dont want to go back to work ! I could get used to this staying at home, and having fun! Working for a living is definitely not all its cracked out to be. I guess maybe if you enjoyed your job, it would be a little different, but when you hate it, it tends to get a little tiresome !!!!!!

Well, my holidays are almost over. I just have a few more days of freedom left. So, I plan to enjoy them while I can. Scrapbooking is the order of the day. Which means I must go to michaels and spend more money, on me ! :) Or I could wait to see if I'm gonna get any scrapbooking stuff for christmas - but thats so archaic. I prefer to christmas shop for myself, its more fun! :) ha ha

Oregon was great ! Wintry, and stormy, and windy, it was amazing ! I love the coast in a storm ! :)

Winter has arrived !

Wow, I can't remember the last time we had this much snow in November. It made life a little adventurous driving into Vancouver for work the other day. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the roads clear up and the weather warms up slightly by wednesday, so I dont have to worry about bad weather and icy roads when I head back to work. In the meantime, I plan on playing, and playing hard in the snow. Aside from driving in the snow, I love it ! Its so much fun. I had a lot of fun this afternoon playing outside in the snow with Ethan.

is it really worth it?

For $38.46 more every two weeks, is it worth the pain and agony? I'm thinking NO !!!!!!!!

what to do ?

Do I leave or do I go?

i think those are my options now. ROFL. I finally found out how much my raise is gonna be. Right about now, its not looking like its really worth my while to stick around much into the next year. We'll see how it goes. I think I"m giving myself a bit of time, two months. See what happens, if it doesn't get better - well I'm already working on my resume!

I'm so much happier when I'm not at work. Why is that i wonder? Maybe I don't like working, or maybe I just don't like working there. :)

haha

time will tell! !!!!!!!

42 more days

I'm leaving, on a jet plane. Don't know if I should come back again.

42 more days till my trip to California to see Janelle, and Ed, and Yogi, and Boo boo. I'm really looking forward to getting away. From work mostly. It will be good to get away from work for 12 days.

I can't wait. Until then I syphon money out of each cheque and buy US when I can.

Should be a fun trip. A trip for my birthday. Thats' a first. I've never gone away from my birthday before.

Its gonna be fun!

I feel like myself again

Finally, after Brian's trip to Hawaii, I feel like a person with a life again. He got back on Wednesday, and I'm finally off for three days. Today was the first day of the three. It was a good day. I got some laundry done, ran a few errands, spent time with Emily, and quality time with my nephew. Well, I dont know if it was quality time. I fell asleep while he was watching cars. haha I had a nap, but he didn't need one as he so kindly informed me. FUNNY KID, HE IS .

Now I have two days more before I head back to work. I'm planning on enjoying every minute of them.

Life is good !!!!

Always look on the bright side of life

SEE THE BRIGHT SIDE OF THINGS

Date: TODAY
From: THE BOSS
Subject: YOURSELF
Reference: LIFE

I am God. Today I will be handling all of your problems. Please remember that I do not need your help. If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, donot attempt to resolve it. Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. All situations will be resolved, but in My time, not yours.

Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it by worrying about it. Instead, focus on all the wonderful things that are present in your life now.

• If you find yourself stuck in traffic; Don't despair. There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege.

• Should you have a bad day at work; Think of the man who has been out of work for years.

• Should you despair over a relationship gone bad; Think of the person who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return.

• Should you grieve the passing of another weekend; Think of the woman in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week to feed her children.

• Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance; Think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.

• Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror; Think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine.

• Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking what is my purpose? Be thankful. There are those who didn't live long enough to get the opportunity.

• Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness,ignorance, smallness or insecurities; Remember, things could be worse. You could be one of them.

• Should you decide to send this to a friend; Thank you, you may have touched their life in ways you will never know!

sleep, awake, hard to say

wow, its been a while since I"ve stayed up this late. Probably not very wise on my part. I have to leave for work at quarter to 6 tommorrow morning. Yes, I get to sleep in a whole hour. Being as it is Thanksgiving, the restaurant hours are changed. I dont know how happy my General Manager will be about that, but it was my decision, and I made it, so if he gets mad, well, he can just yell at me. But I wouldn't really advise that, I may get a tad bit upset! :)

I miss staying up late. Working early in the morning, really cramps my style :) ha ha

anyway... later all you millions of people who read my blog !

ROFL...

Thanksgiving

Well, its that time of year again. Turkey time ! For most people anyway. I believe this year we are destined to eat turkey dinner from Whitespot. Seeing as how I have to work tommorrow, my mom is still in Arkansas and my dad is cooking ham tonite. It won't be much of a family Thanksgiving. And we'll be eating leftovers, can you believe that LEFTOVERS for Thanksgiving day. I guess I shouldn't complain. I should be thankful. :D

day shifts too early - still

Sometimes I think Dayshifts are way overrated. I have been working dayshifts on a regular basis, since I started working at my current job last September. I still am not adjusted to it. Getting up at 430/445 is still way too early for me. I would think that by now I would be in some sort of routine when I have to work day shifts, but it hasn't kicked in for me yet.

Leaving the house by 5 is pure torture some mornings.

Leaving work between two and three, i can get used to, but those early mornings are going to be the death of me. Seriously. I'm so tired in the morning no matter what time I go to bed, at times I am fighting sleepiness as i drive an hour to work.

When I am working a day shift I am more often than not, in bed and asleep by 10 pm. Sometimes earlier. Right now, its around 9pm, and I'm exhausted. I guess being up since 430 will do that to you???

Will I ever get used to the dayshift hours??

I've been working days for the last two and a half weeks, while Brian is in Hawaii, and I hate mornings !

I need to find a job where I can work 8-4, now those are realistic day time hours.... this five o clock stuff, is DUMB !!!!! ( for lack of a better word)

I will survive; I will survive; I will survive; I will survive; I will survive

time passes on

It's hard to believe Ethan will be three in a little over three months. Where did the past few years go?? Three years have gone by like the snap of your fingers - SLOW TIME DOWN!!!! Before we know it, Ethan will be in school. I dont know what we did without him in our lives. Probably much the same as we do now, minus ethan of course.

Soon, in late December early January, Ethan will have a little brother. We'll have another little baby to kiss, cuddle, and snuggle.

Slow Time Down !!!!

maybe one day I'll write interesting blogs - don't hold your breath. ha ha

I need to get away !

Oregon, Oregon, Oregon. I need to get away to Oregon. I need to walk the beach, sit on the rocks, listen to the waves crash. I just need to get away. Get away from the stress of work.

Oregon

Peaceful, calm, serene, Ocean, Endless Beach, Boardwalk, Seaside, Salt water Taffy, sand, beach volleyball, outlet malls, rocks, waves, devil's Churn, Yachats, Lincoln City, Tillamook Cheese Factory, Driving, coffee, Gas, Scrapbooking, Pictures, thought provoking, south jetty, Cloudy skies, Sunny skies, Body surfing, Swimming, wading, sleeping, Observing, walking the beach, Sand castles, shells, sand dollars, Sunrise, sunset, camping, KOA, Campfires, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Driving on the Beach, Lewis and Clark, Relaxing, restful, seagulls, vacations, Friends, family, MEMORIES

bad new travels in threes?

In my case I think bad news travels in sixes, sevens, or tens.

Seriously, I dont know how much more of this I can take. People quitting, people calling in sick, people taking a leave of absence to go to India just after starting work, people not showing up for their first training shifts after they get hired. Coffee machines leaking, Pipes bursting in the dish area, Pipes bursting out in front of the restaurant. Guest concerns too many of them in a short span of time. How much more of this can I take??? I don't think I can handle much more.

I dont get paid enough to deal with this!!! Do I look like a plumber? no, I didn't think so !!!

I'm so unbelievably frustrated right now.

My alarm goes off in the morning, and I just bury my head under my pillows - don't make me go back there. No don't make me go back there.

Working 6 days a week, doesn't agree with me !!!

Lately, I"d almost say, being a restaurant manager, doesn't agree with me !!!!!!!

It has to get better doesn't it???

the conclusion of my car wash incident

Jennifer:

I was able to have the video
provided by the service station view by an investigator who had the appropriate
equipment and after all this waiting, it really is not much assistance to us.

The pictures do not show that your vehicle was out of the tracks but
rather that it was moving forward 'normally' throughout the cycle. As we are
unable to prove a malfunction of the equipment, we have no alternative but to
handle this claim as a collision claim under your policy, which will result in
an increase of your premiums on renewal of the policy.

Sorry that this
took so long. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me.

Sheila Poustie
Claims Adjuster

your time to go?

I dont know how many of you have read the tragic news story coming out of Laval Quebec. Part of an overpass collapsed, pinning, crushing, and ultimately killing many of the unlucky victims below.

Why was this overpass, and stretch of highway allowed to remain open?? Hours before the overpass came down, the inspector was there, cuz a series of concrete pieces had tumbled down. He did a cursory examination, an auditory inspection, and whatever else it is taht they do, and he left. Feeling safe in his assumption that all would be well. Unfortunately for him, that did not happen.

It kinda makes you think though, doesn't it? Those poor people never in their wildest dreams did they expect the overpass to collapse on top of them. The new article said the cars that were caught underneath all the debris were crused ankle to knee high. Those people would have never had a chance. Its highly likely as well, that they never saw it coming.

You just never know what the future has in store for you do you? If its your time to go, its your time to go.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the victims.

"Dream as if you'll live forever; Live as if you'll die today "

too close to home

Wow, i never thought I"d see the day where there is a shooting in my neighbourhood. A shooting at a park, that I used to spend time at when I was in high school. A shooting three houses down from where my cousin used to live !!!!!!!!!!!!! Society really is going to the dogs !!!!!!!!!!!!

Crazy !

a shooting up in Brookswood, involving 16 year olds !!! The thought of 16 year olds with guns scares me ! - WHAT IS A 16 YEAR OLD DOING WITH A GUN? When does shooting someone solve any problems????

I may be a little naive, a little sheltered, but this is not supposed to happen in my neighbourhood. It happens in big cities like Colorado, and Vancouver. NOT IN LANGLEY !!!!!!!!

My thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the shooting victim. Lucky for them, the kid is going to be all right. These kids went to my high school. I never thought there would be a shooting at my high school. Granted I haven't gone there since I graduated over 10 years ago. BUt still.............

what is the world coming too !!!!???!!!!????

The Sinking Ship

We seem to be losing employees, like our restaurant is the Titanic. The question is? Am I a passenger, or a member of the orchestra?

Do I go down with the ship, or jump while I can?

Work has been horrible lately. Everyone is discontented. And its not me. There is nothing I can do to fix it. I can't stand it. Everyone is pretty annoyed at the General Manager. Nothing seems to be dealt with. Lately he has just been spouting platitudes - and doing nothing about it. In all fairness to him, its been a really bad summer. We've been short staffed for the majority of the summer. Lost two long term employees, mainly cuz they didn't like the way the General Manager spoke to them. From the way he looked at it though, they didn't like being expected to do their job. They did a great job, granted, they had some areas they needed to work on - i wouldn't have yelled at them though. But then, I dont yell at anyone, except if you're a dishwasher and continually proposing to me. We hired quite a few high school students, which helped in the summer, but now that school's back in they want to cut their shifts. Not that I blame them at all - So here we are, back at the beginning, looking for staff, hiring, training, and then more people decide to quit. They have had enough - I hate to say it, but most of their reasons for leaving have to do with either the General Manager, or the Kitchen Manager. Something needs to change here.


To jump or not to jump, that is the question.

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My Pet Peeve

• People who call in talk shows after a pre season game, ready to write the season off, because the Canucks lost
• People who already 'know' that the Canucks won't make the playoffs
• People not willing to wait until the regular season starts to pass their judgement on the hockey team
• People, already eager to trade away Naslund, or Willie Mitchell, some would even trade away the Sedins
• So called fans, who phone in, and already 'know' that the Canucks are going to have a lousy year - on the strength of one or two pre season games.

CUT THEM SOME SLACK !! IT'S GONNA TAKE TIME !

Time for them to gel as a team. They lost 12-14 regulars out of their lineup. Its pre season - LIGHTEN UP !!! If they are still losing like this in November and December, you may have an issue then. But for now, Give them a chance !!!!!!

another day, with not enough dollars

It's another day in the life of me. A day off work, a day away from stress, supposedly. Alas, it was not to be. I had so much running around to do today. I had to pick up Emily from school at 1130, drop my car off at the dealership at 130, spend quality time with Ethan. It was a busy day. A beautiful day, but too short. Its already 830, and Nearing my bed time. I know I know, My bed time, that early? Well, I leave the house tommorrow morning at 5 am, so that means I have to be up at the latest by 445, to get ready for work. Way to early, the things we will put ourselves through, to torture ourselves at work. I'm really not looking forward to work, but then, do I ever? The only thing i'm really interested in is if I can make LOTS of tips off of room service and travel so I can make some gas money so I can get to work for the next two weeks. You'd never know that I just got paid today. Cars are expensive, the upkeep and all that to keep them in tip top condition. Such is my life. Whenever I think I'll have a little extra money to pay of my airplane ticket before I go away on holidays, something always comes up. Maybe one day, Brian will put my raise through at work, and I"ll have a little extra money, but I'm not holding my breath! Seriously, that job ain't worth the pain!!!

It's another day in paradise. Or something like it anyway. A day off from work. I enjoyed it tremendously. Not looking forward to going back to work tommorrow, but alas, it has to be done. Work should be getting better soon. We have hired about 6 more people, so hopefully they have half a brain. I'm tired of running that restaurant myself. ha ha

Hockey has started up again. All is right in my world.

Before I start talking hockey, all you who read my blog, I will try to provide some variety with my blogs. Not all hockey. ha ha

Life is good. Its been rough lately, with the work has been and all. But I'm optimistic that it will get better!!!

later !

Kesler Re-signed

The Canucks finally came to an agreement with Kesler. If only they had given him the 925,000 or whatever he wanted earlier. They could have saved a million bucks. CRAZY !!!!!!!

oh well, they must have the money to burn!

The Team is starting to take shape !...

GO canucks GO !

see I can love ROFL

Your Love Style is Agape

You are a caring, kind, and selfless partner. Unsurprisingly, your love style is the most rare. You are willing to sacrfice your world for your sweetie. Except it doesn't really feel like sacrifice to you. For you, nothing feels better than giving to the one you love.

What's Your Love Style?

You Should Weigh 160

If you weigh less than this, you either have a fast metabolism or are about to gain weight. If you weigh more than this, you may be losing a few pounds soon!

How Much Do You Weigh?

Islanders sign DiPietro to long-term deal

UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) -Rick DiPietro re-signed with the New York Islanders on Tuesday, agreeing to a record 15-year deal that will pay the No. 1 goalie $67.5 million.
The Islanders scheduled an afternoon news conference to officially announce the contract that would keep DiPietro in the fold until 2022, when he would be 40.

This is CRAZY! a 15 year deal? Wow, someone really wants to retire as an Islander. Its not the amount thats so staggering, a modest 4.5 million per year, its the duration of the contract! WOW, i do believe this is the longest in NHL history. I don't remember much about Yashin's 10 year contract, being much younger than, and not really a hockey fan. But this deal, is INSANE !!! (in my humble opinion anyway.)

Linden Returns !

British Columbia (AP) -Trevor Linden re-signed with the Vancouver Canucks, agreeing to a one-year deal worth $600,000.

The 36-year-old center will also be able to earn another $200,000 should he reach certain incentive bonuses.

Linden had seven goals and nine assists in 82 games with the Canucks last season, his 17th in the NHL and 14th with the Canucks. He has 356 goals and 474 assists in 1,243 regular-season games. He has also played with Montreal, Washington and the New York Islanders.


I was happy to see this transaction done by the Canucks this afternoon. Linden to me, will always embody the Canucks. I think of the Canucks, I think of Linden. They are one and the same. I do so hope that this is the year that Linden and the Canucks go all the way.

pop is bad?

I was surfin the net this afternoon, and I found this article. This may sound so stupid. But this is probably why i feel so lethargic all the time. I drink too much pop !!! Must stop drinking POP !~

Alexandre Burrows

Alexandre Burrows :

The newest Off season resigning by Dave Nonis. I'd have to say that I"m pleased with this Resigning. Alexandre Burrows was on of the more entertaining players to watch last year, and thats saying something !

Prospects camp is underway right now, and soon training camp will start. Then soon after that, Hockey season will start up again !

GO CANUCKS GO

Still burning?

Poor guy, he's no longer a member of the Canucks, yet he's still getting insulted !

Someone sent me this in my email. As much as I was a supporter, and a huge fan of Cloutier while he was a Canuck, I had to laugh when I saw this :)

Hockey Time !

I can always tell when fall is nearing, and the summer is ending. Hockey Talk Begins. This summer seemed to be a longer summer than normal, probably because the Canucks didn't make the playoffs. But here's to a new start, a new year, new players, and a new coach.

“It’s a fresh start for everyone, new coaching staff and a lot
of new players,” said Markus Naslund, following his first on-ice training
session since arriving in the city. “It’s going to be a new look, that’s for
sure.”

Maybe its about time for some change though. Get some new faces on the team. I'm looking forward to the season thats for sure.

GO CANUCKS GO !

life is good

Here we are, August 2006. Its hard to believe the summer is nearly over. I try not to think about it ! I try not to think about how many beautiful sunny days i'm wasting by working for a living. I try not to think about it, but I"m not very successful !

The one positive - HOCKEY SEASON APPROACHES ! !

and my nephew. Is he not the cutest little boy you've ever seen? There's no question, I"m sure you agree with me, unless of course you have kids of your own. I'm sure you believe they are cuter than my nephew... but ... they aren't.

i haven't blogged in ages.... and I am out of practice, if I ever was 'in' practice.

life is good !

Good bye Jovo

WE are gonna miss you JOVOCOP.......... possibly.... maybe... we'll survive............. maybe........

i dont blame you, I think I'd probably move to phoenix as well, if they offered to pay me 32.5 million dollars for four or five years...........

Goodbye Todd

I was on my holidays in Oregon, when I logged in briefly on a computer in an internet cafe in Seaside Oregon to check my email. You can only imagine my astonishment, when I read about the blockbuster trade Dave Nonis pulled off. On one hand I was exhilerated, we got Roberto Luongo, but then I realized, that this would mean losing Todd. I've always been a huge Bertuzzi fan, and I do sincerely wish him the best in Florida, but... well we shall see who got the better end of the deal. If Bertuzzi can return to pre steve moore form, i think Florida got the better end of the deal. I think they might have anyway. they got Alex Auld, and Bryan Allen as well. I thought AUld acquitted himself really well this past season, and Bryan Allen, he is growing into quite the player, ... I liked him he was feisty ! oh well, thats the business side of hockey. I'll never get used to it ! :)

Good Luck in Florida ..... :)
Go Panthers Go ! :) .....

A Canadian team in the Stanley Cup Playoffs

Edmonton Oilers are the WESTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS !

Congrats to the Edmonton Oilers, in making it to the Stanley Cup Finals, in I dont know how many years ! Finally, there is gonna be a Canadian team in the Stanley Cup. Who they play remains to be seen. Buffalo, or Carolina. Both teams are pretty banged up. It should be an interesting Final.

Go Oilers Go !

They Came Through !

Winning Game Six, against the San Jose Sharks - the Oilers are headed for the Western Conference Finals. yay....... oilers !!!! Oilers Versus The Anaheim Mighty Ducks. Best of luck to the Oilers....... they are gonna need it !


In other news Team Canada has advanced to the Semi Finals..........

Even Gretzky?

It seems even Phoenix Head Coach Wayne Gretzky is on the Oilers bandwagon. The only Canadian team left in the playoffs, one of the most entertaining teams left in the playoffs. Who couldn't help but cheer for them? I believe they play tommorrow night, Game 6 against the Sharks. Lets hope they win it in convincing, entertaining Fashion. The winner of this series, will advance to the Western Conference Final against the Anaheim Mighty Ducks.

Go Oilers Go

Another Beautiful Day - Wasted

Another day off, is nearing an end, and what did I accomplish? Nothing... well, I got my room clean, and laundry put away. But thats about it. I had it all planned out, I was gonna spend all day outside. Well it didn't quite work out that way. I spent the whole day .... in a car. Or so it felt like. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed myself, I just wasn't planning on spending that long sitting in an air conditioned car. I wanted to spend it in the sunshine, outside, gardening, soaking up the UV rays.

BUt all in all, it was a good day. It was a day where i was not at work. So any day like that, is a good day !

Tommorrow i head back to work, for a day shift, and then I"m off wednesday, and then I go back into headoffice on thursday for a class, and then friday another day shift, and wierdly enough, saturday and sunday NIGHT shifts. Not looking forward to that. but somehow I will survive ! :)

1 more win

All's it will take for the Edmonton Oilers to advance to the Western Conference Finals, is ONE MORE WIN ! They beat the Sharks tonight by a score of 6-3. Its funny, after the sharks went ahead in the series 2 games to nothing, I was counting the oilers out already. I figured the Sharks had the series well in hand. But here we sit, barely a week later, and the Oilers are in the Drivers seat, and hopefully have the peddle to the metal..... Alls they need is one more win !

GO OILERS

dance to find your love match !

Thousands of single men and women joined a street dancing parade in a Philippine city Friday to honour a Catholic saint - a tradition believed ideal for making a love match, organizers said.

Now here is a novel concept to finding a Husband !!! :) According to the Mayor of the Phillipine city, that is the place to be, if you want a husband :) How much is the plane ticket? ha ha ha

The Long standing tradition consists of single men, pulling single ladies into the streets to dance. Doesn't seem to be the most effective way to find a husband, but it seems to work for them. Guaranteed results !!

Edmonton Oilers : Canada's Last Hope

Ottawa's season, comes to a bitter end today, as they lose in overtime to the Buffalo Sabres. Returning home early once again. A disappointing end to such a promising season. They join the likes of the Detroit Redwings, Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche, and Calgary Flames, who promised so much, but just couldn't deliver.

The Only Canadian team left in the playoffs now is the Edmonton Oilers. With their series tied up, at 2 wins a piece, The Oilers are Canada's last hope to bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada. They may have their hands full with the San Jose Sharks though.

Go Oilers GO

I never thought I'd see the day that I would be cheering for the oilers.

Way to go Auld

Well, it appears that Auld has picked up where he left off..... Not playing hockey for the Canucks, but acquitting himself well for Team Canada. Beating the US Hockey team 2-1. Way to go Auld ! Keep up the good work. Looking forward to seeing you again in a Canucks uniform in the fall !

In the Meantime, all the best to Team Canada. Its always nice to see a Canuck doing well for our Country !!

AULDIE, AULDIE, AULDIE, AULDIE AULDIE, AULDIE,

That would Explain it

That would explain Morrison's lacklustre disappointing season ! All the best to ya Morrison as you undergo surgery and all the best to you as you recover.

Maybe it was the lockout, but there seemed to be an awful lot of injuries this year to the Canucks. Maybe it was missing a whole season of hockey, or maybe it was just plain bad luck, but that was the story of the Canucks this season. Who was hurt now?

Maybe next season it will be better

He's So Cute !!!!

great oppurtunity? impossible situation !!!!

“We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.”

Hmm, if thats the case, my job is truly a great oppurtunity?

But, I don't really see the oppurtunity.......

All's I see is the IMPOSSIBLE SITUATIONS !!!!!

WOW ! I'm so incredibly happy to see the Detroit Redwings eliminated from the post Season. If it means jumping on the Oilers Bandwagon... I can make that sacrifice !
GO OILERS ! Keep it going ! Bring the Cup Back to Canada. In fact i'd be happy if any Canadian team brought the Stanley Cup back to Canada :) Go Oilers !

Make us Canadians PROUD !!!

My Nephew, growing cuter every day. Or I think so anyway, and really. it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks :) he's soo much fun! :)
makes my world a brighter place ! :)

The Beauty of Spring

The last couple days the weather has been beautiful. Spring has finally sprung. I've been able to get out in my garden, and pull some of the fifty million weeds that have grown over the winter. It never ceases to amaze me, how many weeds will grow. Some of them are quite pretty :) I left some of those ones :) It saves me work, and leaves our garden looking somewhat full. yes I know I"m lazy ! :) the joys of spring ! :)

The Beach in April

It was my day off today. And it couldn't have been nicer! The sky was blue, the sun was bright. It was a beautiful day. Any day I get a nice day like that when I don't have to go to work... I have to go out and do something ! I was just checking my email, and was briefly talking to Michelle, when she suggested picking up Ethan from day care and going to the beach. What a great idea. It was beautiful at the beach. Ethan and I, spent some time playing in the sand, and wading. Ethan decided to be adventurous, and completely sit down in the pool of water we were wading in. It was pretty hilarious! :)

After a while, when our parking had expired we headed home. Ethan fell asleep in the car..... and had a quick little nap. After which, we played outside.. riding his trike, weeding in the garden, wading in his pool, and playin gin the hot tub :)

It was a good day! :)

back to work tommorrow .......

I can't afford to work anymore

The price of gas, is outrageous. I know it has been for some time. So here I sit, One more shift to work, to drive into Vancouver before I get paid on Friday. And not enough gas in my car to get there, and back.
Its getting pretty expensive for me to work these days. It seems I"m always putting gas in my car.... for what? so I can go to work, and be mad at the stupid people that I work with. It seems hardly worth it. Not worth the amount of money i"m putting up for gas every week....

When will it ever be a reasonable price again? Or perhaps I have a better chance of winning a million. Which for those of you who know me, its not a good chance at all, since I dont buy lottery tickets................

:'(

i guess i"ll go out and collect pop bottles, and drink all the pop in our house, in hopese of scrounging up enough money to make it back from work tommorrow

yes I know.............

I"M PATHETIC ! :)

haha

The Fat Lady Sang

Well, the Canucks season, has come to an end. Missing the playoffs for the first time in 5 or 6 seasons. It would be embarrassing, if I could dig myself out of my depression to actually realize that i should be embarrassed

It is gonna be a long summer !!!

A long summer full of signings, and trades, and who knows what else.

Thanks for the memories......... I won't thank you for the nightmares... ( st louis losses)

what else can I say? I'm disappointed....... but I still love my team !!

and I sure hope Bertuzzi is back next year. I'm pretty sure that next season he will be more like his normal self. The last ten games or so, he's been the bertuzzi we know and love. Too little too late !

Go Canucks GO !!

IT aint over till the fat lady sings !

I haven't given up yet.... but they need to win tonite !!!!!!

GO CANUCKS GO

why must work seem like work ?

Well, here I am again, complaining about work. Its almost enough to make me think that maybe I should look elsewhere for another job where I will be happier? It has its moments when its all fine and good. Its just that those moments are few and far between. oh well, work is a part of life, a much bigger part than i would like. Oh to be independently wealthy.......

on a brighter note...... I"m going to the hockey game monday night :) Canucks versus Anaheim. Lets hope they win...... they need to win................... they can win............ can't they? :)

BELIEVE

Life Happens

I've been sort of neglecting this blogging thing lately, and I miss it, so I'm going to try and get back into the swing of things..... within the next couple days. Not that a ton of people read my blog, but I enjoy it, so what the heck, i'm gonna do it for me.... ( I know that was a run on sentence, i've been doing those since grade school i'm sure, i'm a lost cause )

Not to much is new with me thats worth reporting. Had a rough two weeks at work, running the restuarant while my general manager was on holidays. He came home, ... received some rather unpleasant news from my best friend....... still sort of reeling from that shock...... now my holidays await. Two days till I leave for Oregon, and 5 days till I fly out of seattle to go to bakersfield California, to visit Janelle and Ed.

Until then, I work one shift, and spend a day with Ethan..... what a sweetie he is :)

The Olympics in Turin, or Turino..... are ongoing. Keeping a close eye on Todd Bertuzzi and Team Canada. I cannot believe that Steve Moore filed a civil suit against Todd for 19.5 million dollars, right as the hockey part of the olympics started. 19.5 million dollars, i can't even fathom that amount of money.... to me, it just seems like an awful lot of money for a marginal third / fourth liner...... Don't get me wrong, I think Moore should get something... what Bertuzzi did went over and beyond the line............. but 19.5 million dollars? Give me a break..... Granted we do not know the Extent of Moore's injuries, but.... i dont know.. that seems a bit much to me.

Lets just hope that the filing of this civil suit, does not distract Bertuzzi from the task at hand, which is helping to win a gold medal for Canada in Olympic Mens Hockey.

Seems the Canadian Womans team, is well on their way to doing the same.

GO TEAM CANADA !!!

Speaking of Distractions..... whats with all this gambling scandal involving Rick Tocchet, and Janet Gretzky, Possibly involving hockeys golden child Wayne Gretzky. Wayne Gretzky's denies any knowledge of it, and I"m inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt. But I certainly hope it isn't a distraction for Wayne or the team over in TURIN, ITALY

Ronning Retires

Good Bye Ronning. You will be missed. Thanks for the many great memories over the years !
To me you will always be one of my favourite canuck players of all time

#7 in the program, but #1 in our hearts

It's My Friday

FINALLY......

My weekend has arrived. No work for me for two whole days !!!! I'm very excited about that, believe you me. No driving into Vancouver for work, till friday morning ! I'm not even gonna think about work till then either. I need to relax.... de - stress...... cuz after all, once I get back to work on friday morning, I"m working straight thru till the 14th of February. Granted it should be all days...... there is a possibility, that i"ll have one day off... but right now, it seems like I"ll never get thru it. My General Manager is going away on holidays... fun fun fun, leaving me in charge... ( personally, I think he's a bit senile, leaving me in charge ) ...... enough about work.

My two days off AWAIT !

Not to many plans for my days off, just taking it easy. Tommorrow, i'm meeting Natasha for lunch. Looking forward to that. Other than that, and my nephew coming over on thursday. I'm in for a relaxing time............ I HOPE !

less than two minutes

It was a meeting with the Av's again. I was dreading this game. I knew my team needed to win, wanted to win, but i had my doubts whether they could win. Naslund out, Park out, Cooke out, Cloutier out, Jovanovski out, Rypien out...... But somehow, we prevailed. Even allowing Colorado to score first, we scored a shorthanded goal, right back. Even somehow managing to get two more pucks past Aebischer before the third period was half over. Then I think we got complacent, or we just made two brutal errors. In a span of less than two minutes, Colorado scored to tie the game. Overtime looms. Overtime..... the game wasn't decided...it needed a Shootout to determine the winner......

An unlikely hero, but then again, maybe not so unlikely. With the Absence of our Captain, Marc Crawford chose Jarkko Ruutu to start off the shooters. He beat Aebischer. The only shooter on both teams to beat the goaltender. The Canucks win 4-3

While the two points are great....the defensive breakdown in the third period, is of some concern. Why can't they play a perfect hockey game. Am I asking too much? Are my expectations too high? Okay they probably are..... I just want them to win convincingly when they play teams in their own division. Which they haven't been doing on a regular basis yet this season.

But a win is a win !

Thank you Jarkko Ruutu, and Alex Auld who made some sensational saves over the course of the hockey game.