ketchup

So, I guess this is installment two, though it's so late ... so, I left off after getting back from Denman ... and since then things have been pretty routine (in the best way), with school, work, and hockey, and then the various skating, and movie watching time thrown in. The last month has been fantastic, really, looking back on it; we're all so blessed here, and I definitely appreciate that.
Of note was the Brian Doerksen show I went to, with Jon and Tim Neufeld as special guests. That was a pretty good time; I had never seen him before. Also awesome was the 'burning things' party at Flora and Anica's! Mwahaha!! Not so impressive was me trying to skate in figure skates ... I wasn't terrible, but it just felt so wrong!

Oh, one other fantastic event was the breakfast Alison and I put on here; it was a veritable feast of fruit, cottage cheese, perogies, pancakes, sausage and bacon! Mmmm mmm, gotta love heartburn. Some of us walked down to the beach afterward, something I havent done often enough considering how close we are. The Vikes basketball game was great to, and actually was the first time I had ever been to a Varsity sports event(because the men's ice hockey club here isn't technically varsity, but they're amazing). Watching the little children dance was a great complement to the basketball, which the Vikes won.
The two most recent happenings were the IVCF Christmas Banquet last Friday (where the picture below is from), which was a nice dinner and some ranging-from-nice-to-psychotic dancing, and the Christmas/secret santa party, which was a great time with a lot of laughing and some good dessert.



Cutest thing I've seen lately (not including certain people ;)): either the really young baby at church, or the Welsh Corgi with the undocked tail.

How much sleep would Meghan need if Meghan could get sleep?

I figure since I have a bit to catch up on I'd make a couple posts, so this one relates to the rest of my visit with Mom and Dad, as well as the reading break the following weekend (which is the time the title pertains to ...).
The rest of the visit was lovely. I took a bus up to Parksville Friday morning, meeting Mom and Dad there as we planned to go visit the Horne Lake Caves ... that was pretty cool, even though we just took the self-guided route, and hopefully I'll get back there sometime to take one of the more hardcore tours that actually involve some kind of spelunking. We had a lovely picnic lunch, shared with a few cats, sitting in a part of Horne Lake Park, enjoying a vista of cliffs and water and trees. The dairy portion of the lunch was what Mom and Dad call pumpkin cheese. It's delicious!! We got home from the outing a bit later than planned but I still managed to make it to a friend's for dinner (a bunch of us were invited over), and then to IVCF. After IVCF was a bonfire down at Arbutus Cove, and the rain actually held off the whole time we were there, which was a blessing. It was a great time! Mom and Dad left early Saturday morning, and I got up to bid them farewell as the started their journey to Quesnel for a visit with other Ontario people ...
The weekend following that, more specificaly Friday afternoon (after watching the Bourne Ultimatum at Cinecenta) 10 of us headed up to Denman Island (my 3rd trip up) for a nice little getaway. I don't think I have ever gotten less sleep over the course of 4 nights (totalled about 18 hours sleep), and yet I managed to thoroughly enjoy the wonderful meals, playing Ultimate for the first time, playing some "gumboot soccer", taking in a Gryphon Trio concert, and watching a bunch of movies, even though the power was out for the last 36 hours we were there. Anyone who wants to see some pictures is able, thanks to my gracious and talented friend Flora. Here ends installement one of my catch up posts.

Penny for the Guy?

Here in B.C. it's some sort of tradition to set off firecrackers on Hallowe'en ... ? I guess in that way it takes something from Guy Fawkes day, which is in a few days ... And apparently a lot of B.C.ers don't know it's just a B.C. thing ... There's a bylaw this year requiring a permit to set off fireworks in the region, but unless that's wacky guns, there are a ton of fireworks going off outside as I type, and they've been erupting with some frequency all evening.

My parents are out visiting, and they both seem happy to be having a bit of a break. We spent most of Monday downtown Victoria, starting with a delicious breakfast, then heading to Craigdarroch Castle where we spent a couple hours admiring woodwork and architecture, and the ability of women to wear corsets and still participate n some semblance of a life ... They left yesterday morning for Tofino, a big surfing/tourist place over on the West Coast of the island. I wish I could've gone with them, but I'm sure I'll get out there eventually ... They get back to Victoria tomorrow night, so we'll get to spend a bit more time together before they head to the mainland on Saturday to visit some friends.

And in other news: I'm excited about seeing Transformers again on Saturday.

More other news: The Knights finally put together a bit of a wining streak, after getting Mason back. The Leafs have yet to accomplish such a feat.

gobbly gobble

Hope you all (all 2 of you who read this) had a great Thanksgiving! Sounds like the family had a good get-together, and some 'lovely' (because that's subjective) weather to go along with it.
I decided to stay in Victoria, thinking it would be a quiet, relaxing time, in which I could be thankful for peace. However, I actually ended up being pretty busy...
IVCF Friday night saw me being part of the worship team (there were two of us, both playing guitar), and then hanging around for a long time after, chatting and teaching people to play euchre (is anyone in Ontario aware that it's not well known out here on the West Coast?). I was up early Saturday morning to head to friends' for breakfast, which was very lovely and muchly appreciated! I hung around for a while after eating, playing XBox and going for a walk in the woods. I got home just in time to see the start of the Leafs game, and also watched the Canucks game following it, both of which were fantastic, and in both cases the right team won 4-3 in overtime!! I won't say anymore about that, although I could.
Sunday I went to Arbutus Christian Fellowship, as Alison and I are considering switching from Trinity to the aforementioned church. This Sunday's experience was definitely an indicator that this could be a good decision, but I'm still praying about it, and it's not definite yet ... Sunday evening I was invited over to a friends to watch 300 with a group of people, and invitation which I had to accept. I mean really, if someone invited me to a disgusting jail cell in the depths of an abandoned, rat-infested warehouse to watch 300 I'm not sure I could turn it down. That could actually potentially add something to the experience. :) So yeah, that was fun.
Yesterday I did attend a scrumptious Thanksgiving dinner, with the requisite turkey and stuffing. Thanks to Brian (and yes, I told him, because it's not like he's ever going to read it here) for preparing that delicious stuffing, and for co-hosting. In other news ... well, there's not really any. Alison returned home safely after being in Vancouver all weekend. I'm at work today, and trying to think of creative ways to spend my time (what's left, after finishing this blog). Hazelnut coffee is good, but does hurt my stomach. My nephew has a name (Everest), and from all accounts is just darling.

This post has been brought to you by the characters '(', ')', and my dream where the brakes of the car I was driving didn't work.

there is a season ...

So we did finally get Internet at home, a couple weeks ago, but it’s been limited to Alison’s computer, so I guess if I need an excuse for not blogging lately, that could be it … or I could use the fact that I’ve been really busy …

Anyway, there’s actually news to share! As of last Friday I am now the aunt of two (outside the womb) children, rather than one. My nephew (as of yet, unnamed) was born on the 28^th at 4:44pm Eastern time; he’s just darling. This is one time I’m really glad for the technology of today, as otherwise I would feel much more disconnected from this event. Yet another thing to look forward to about going home in December.

This past weekend was really great, a nice way to spend the weekend that brought September to a close. A group of students from IVCF (Victoria div.), myself included, obviously, went up to Cowichan River Bible Camp for the weekend, heading out Friday afternoon, and getting back Sunday afternoon. It was a really nice time of fellowship, worship, and fun. I think highlights for me were spending time in prayer and conversation alone by the river, and playing 1 ½ hours of barefoot soccer in the rain. Oh, and I can’t leave out mention of the food, which was fantastic!! Thanks to Grace Fryer!! I also really enjoy that chapel; I would have no qualms about having church there every week. Something about small, rustic churches makes me feel at home.

The NHL regular season opens tonight!!! I’ve got a lot of teams I’m going to be pulling for this year: the Leafs and Canucks, as usual, top my list, but I also like the Penguins, and am hoping the Blackhawks can spend less time in the bottom of the league. I still can’t help liking Buffalo, and I think they’ll be okay, despite losing Drury and Briere – that means more ice time for Pominville , of whom I am a fan.

Autumn feels like it has set it here in Victoria, but the colours pale in comparison to Ontario. However, there is the crispness and the occasional wafting of the scent of woodsmoke through the air.

"Slow down, you're moving too fast

You've got to make the moment last" ... Actually, I don't feel like time is flying by, which is a nice change from July and August. I'm settling into the routine of work (both jobs) and hockey, and am now getting school (class and project) stuff into the mix. I'm still feeling a bit tired by the end of every day, but I think that'll change once I get a bit more used to the new pace of my life, such as it is. We still don't have Internet at our place, which is why I haven't posted lately (as usually I'm not in the mood to sit at the computers at school), but really it would seem I'm just doing it for my own benefit (is it actually beneficial for me?) so ... that doesn't matter.
Nothing too exciting to report ... I still have no nephew outside of a womb ...

like Saturday is gone

Well, last week was pretty good. I started training at Kumon, and am sure I'll enjoy working there, and I finished up my paper from the summer course I took. I had a bit of a cold through the week, which disrupted my sleeping and breathing (at least when exercising) but I'm finally pretty much over it. Umm ... yeah, this is all so exciting I can hardly bear to keep typing!
Anyway, I have a pretty open week ahead, with my only plans being for some hockey, soccer, working (painting and cleaning), and then packing and moving at the end of the week. Looks like we've got enough together to have an IVCF intramural outdoor team, so that's awesome! Oh, and I get to go out to Denman Island the second weekend in September, which will be wicked fun (well, not so much the getting there, as the being there, although I'm sure the going out there will have its moments)!!
In other news, the Sens jersey next year will be a lot uglier than in the past ... I never liked their black jerseys much, but I used to quite like their red ones ... I do prefer the new logo, however:

devastation and reform

Well, since I last blogged there's been a few developments:
- I have somewhere to live for the next school year (right by the water, with a lovely view, and blackberry bushes living the street)
- I have a part-time job with Kumon (look it up if you really want to know)
- I finished my summer course (well, pretty much, as tomorrow is a pot-luck, not class)
- So You Think You Can Dance (pretty much the only tv show I watch regularly) is over, with Sabra as the winner

Other than that, nothing much has been happening in my world; there's hasn't been time for much to happen, considering I had class every day! I've played a bunch more hockey (really enjoying the hockey camp I went to last weekend, especially being the only goalie, so getting one-on-one coaching!), some soccer, and spent a lot of the last couple weeks reading articles for class. I actually got some time to practice violin yesterday, and figured out the violin part for The Chairman's Waltz (a John William's piece, composed, I believe, for Memoirs of a Geisha). It's beautiful ... now I just have to get the piano part, and someone to play it. :)
Oh, and the Canucks camp is being held in Victoria this year (second week of September), so hopefully I'll be able to check some of that out!

Nostalgic for nostalgia

I was trying to think today what sort of overall impression I had from August, as for every other month of the year I have some sort of scents or activities or emotions that are immediately recalled when I think of that month. Not so for August. I like the name of the month, but other than that, and the revelation that when I was younger as soon as August rolled around I always realized the summer was half over, there's nothing. It's sort of strange. The only thing I could think of was either throwing wood in the basement, which usually happened in August, and going to Kingdom Bound, which is how I spent part of three August long weekends ('03-'05).
Anyway, memories of this August will seemingly be well infused with Leadership, Learning, and Social Justice, a summer class I'm enrolled in, that takes up at least 2 hours of each of my weekdays. It's pretty interesting, and we have some wonderful guest speakers with a wealth of experience, not to mention that of the classmates I have. A video we watched this week mentioned The Hunger Site, where you can click a button to feed a child for the day, and you can do it daily!! I guess they have a bunch of sponsors that agreed to donate for each person that clicks each day... There're also links to a few other causes that have the same situation (e.g. click to help child literacy). And at The Hunger Site they have a store where you can buy fair trade goods, anything ranging from jewellery to clothing to hammocks.

I'm not huge on jewellery (go figure), but I actually quite like some of their stuff ...

edible?

Living on my own has presented me with the opportunity to make food that will be just for me, meaning that while I am making my meals I don't need to worry about what anyone wants or doesn't want. Therefore, I have become somewhat creative. Dinner tonight: fried apple and cinnamon on whole wheat rotini pasta. (I also fried some carrot and zucchini, but they didn't really complement the rest of the meal, which was quite tasty.) The cinnamon smelled really nice while it was frying!

Boredom, bordeom, wherefore art thou not fun?

Well, I haven't been that bored, actually, as I've been spending much of my free time reading so good books, like The Golden Compass, and Blue Like Jazz. The annoying thing about the Golden Compass is that it's hard to find the second book in the series (used, at least), although I found the third. Exactly the same thing that's happened to me regarding the Obsidian Chronicles. Ah well, I'm sure eventually I'll come across them.
So, I've been here for almost two weeks. I've played some hockey (and soccer and volleyball, once each), and done quite a bit of biking, mostly along Lochside and the (Galloping) Goose. I have a job interview tomorrow, and start class on Friday, which I'm looking forward to. I'm also trying to develop some idea of what to do for my project (a component of my degree that I will be looking to complete by April). I'm thinking of doing something about education in Africa, but I'm planning on reading up on what current issues are before I try to formulate a plan ... because, that's generally better than coming up with something out of the blue ... generally, but not always. Maybe I'll try it both ways.
I miss thunderstorms.
Oh, and the new Harry Potter is now out, and to commemorate this auspicious occasion, I finally started re-reading the 5th one. I'm planning on borrowing the 7th from a girl upstairs after she's done with it. I'm in no hurry. This does not mean I'm like one of those kids that help phone people think are going to be calling in because their emotionally traumatized by the end of the series. I'm not. Not even close.

Happy to be here, sorry to be gone. It’s really too bad that to be somewhere else you have to leave the place you’re in, at least for me in this circumstance, that’s the case. I realize the universal application may be a bit lacking. At least, though I’m in the city, I’m in a basement, which has the benefit of being cool (though it does let a lot of light in). My first full day here, Tuesday, was spent finishing unpacking, getting some groceries, and wondering how it is that an ant infestation preceded my arrival (and the arrival of the aforementioned groceries).

It seems a lot of people (not just you, Anne), are rereading at least Harry Potter volumes 5 and 6 in preparation for the release of the Deathly Hallows. I haven’t reread the 5^th one, and don’t ever plan to. I just didn’t enjoy it that much, especially as the best part of the book (and the only part I would be tempted to reread) had the unforunate coincidence of containing the death of my favourite character. Bah! I liked the Transformers movie more than the 5^th book, and also quite likely more than the 5^th movie. Too bad my favourite character had to die in that one, as well.
So, plans for the near future include: trying to register for a summer course, looking for a job, getting a start on the project component of my program, and spending some time outside. Yeah, sounds good to me!!

Not sponge-minded

Open-minded:

- having or showing a mind receptive to new ideas or arguments

-receptive to new and different ideas or the opinions of others

-having or showing an inclination to respect views and beliefs that differ from one's own

Just thought I would clarify that, because when people say something about being open-minded when I don’t believe something, it’s as if they are insinuating that I’m close-minded. In fact I do take into consideration new ideas and opinions, and respect them for the most part; I just don’t accept and/or agree with everything. After deliberating over all I have heard, I have still chosen to believe in the God of the Bible, and in believing such (in God and His Word), I therefore believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven. Christianity is the only religion with a living Saviour. And wouldn’t it be narrow-minded to reject the possibility that there could be one right way to live? In today’s society we see people walking on eggshells to be politically correct, and tolerant of everyone, but does this mean that we cannot ever say there is a wrong and right? Is there then no one Truth? Well, we have laws, and I guess most people would say it is wrong to murder. So if someone believed in something that said that murder was okay, would we have to say they can believe that because otherwise we would risk infringing upon their rights. But I guess since all people would say you infringing upon others’ rights if you kill them this cannot be allowed. Well look at all of the things that general morality allows that less directly infringes upon others’ rights, such as smoking, and abortion. People sometimes laugh at Christianity’s “rules”, however, the only imperative in the New Testament when looking at the Greek translation is the order to “love”. All else falls under the category of something like request, things that should follow if we are loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and desire to follow His way for our lives, which also works out the best for us.

Sometimes I think people would take my faith more seriously and intellectually if I was not raised in going to church. However, being part of a Christian family has provided an inside view as to what God can do in the lives of people who are fully dedicated to living for Him, rather than partly or totally for themselves. I find it so frustrating, and so hard to understand that people would say they believe in that God, and leave it at that, and they don’t want to get to know Him, read His Word, talk to Him, and follow the path He has set for them. Because if the Bible is true then using Jesus as an example is the best possible life. Instead they live their own way, creating some personal conception of God, taking what they want from what little they know of Him and leaving the rest.

I guess mostly I just find it heart-breaking that people (especially those who would say they are Christian) go through life wasting so much effort, time, worry, into things that are pointless in the end. God says that if we seek first the kingdom of God, everything else will fall into place, which doesn’t mean you’ll have everything that this world would deem as good, material things that will make you ‘happy’, but that we will receive the blessings of God. People who are righteous, upright, and living for the glory of God are promised not an easy life, but a life filled with blessing, and from what I have seen God’s promises never fail. The world may not see this, and they may not understand, but the joy and peace I have are real, not fleeting as are the things of this world, and I look forward to what more there is to come in my life. When all is said and done, the best thing I can do is make sure my life is as good an example as possible ... Any questions?

Things have been going pretty well around here, and I'm still happy to be here, although my time is coming to an end... I've had a couple of visits with my best friend, both in Toronto, and here in Bruce County, and also went up to Manitoulin Island for a couple days to visit my cousin who teaches up there. It is such a beautiful place. Our soccer team is doing pretty well: We won our first two games (I missed the first one due to a very sore and swollen ankle), and tied the third. It's a lot of fun, for sure. Other than that there really isn't much news, and I should be getting to work on doing some painting (not pictures, but trim).

Pretty much the only thing that would've made me happy about Ottawa winning the cup is that it would've meant Fisher won it ... I called Ducks in 6; it was a pretty close prediction.

More

Well, I'm still enjoying my time here, moving quickly (subjectively ... I'm not implying any disruptions to the space-time continuum yet) though it has been. And I feel like I'm being somewhat productive, no matter what some people may deduce when they ask me what I've been up to.
I'm glad the Sens didn't sweep the Sabres, and I'll be even more glad if the Sabres can win the next three to take the series! :) I realize the stats of the past would indicate there's a slim chance, but it's not impossible, obviously.
Playing soccer this Sunday was tons of fun again, I didn't injure anything, and I realized that I cannot play striker on the right side. Nothing too exciting has happen over the past week and change, so my sole reason for making a newpost was really just to let anyone not in Ontario who reads this that I am still alive, do have access to the Internet, and am happy and well. I pray the same can be said for you. It definitely cannot be said for the now-deceased fowl of the Millar's.

feels like ...

summer. It's been so warm here the last few days. I'm enjoying it, and feel as settled as I'm going to feel. I've sort of fallen into a routine, but it's not boring. Outside of the everyday, I've been to Toronto twice, the first for a hockey tournament, the second for Fresh Festival, the second being decidedly more enjoyable, at least for me (yes, shocking, I'm sure). Props to Lesley for coming along even though she was under the weather. :)

I really don't feel like spending more time on the computer ... so I won't. Sunshine, lollipops, rainbows, and all that great stuff are just waiting.


Happy birthday, Mom!! And happy anniversary to Aunt Mary and Uncle Dwight!

Home, home on the range

Well, that sort of used to apply. I guess it does when I go to the Millar's. Anyway, back home am I, and it's been nice and relaxing so far. Friday, my last day of HelpDesk work completed, Mom and I successfully made it across the country (will a little help from a plane) and arrived on time in Toronto, meaning I made it to band practice on time! The weekend was a nice welcome back for me, and included some horseback riding on some out of shape (but not for long) horses.
It is great to be home, but at the same time, I feel a bit out of place. Not all the time and not with everyone, and definitely not with the environment (ie. nature), but I guess it's the sort of thing that's to be expected when you've been gone for a while, and even when you come back you, and everyone else, know that you're going to be leaving again. It's an interesting perspective, and one I never had for all those years that I was so entrenched in this community and involved with my family. Well, not so much the community, because I've never really felt like a member there/here. And really the family situation is just continuing on from where it was even before I left, because almost everyone seemed to be moving on except me, and that's part of the reason I figured it would be a good idea to get away. It's definitely helped me sort out some things and gain the perspective I believe I should have ... That's all a little abstract, sorry. But I am in psychology, so would you expect any less?

This week's been great, spending time with both my families and the animals :) I'm still sort of getting settled in, but it won't take much longer. Anyway, time to run.

YOUR ATTENTION, PLEASE!!

This post has been certified “hockey free”!

*sigh*

So, now that the last meeting to wrap up my special ed course has passed, I am totally and completely finished everything school related (except for checking marks) for this term!! Feels good, it does. I’ve had a really good past week-and-a-half. I managed to get all the final papers done and handed in, on time!! As much as I love procrastinating, there is eventually a time and a place where it needs to stop, sometime. How many times can you say ‘soon, but not yet’? (I love Juba)

I've had a lovely visit with Mom so far (she arrived last Friday), and it’s been a nice conclusion to this almost 4-month stint in Victoria. We’ve done some hiking/climbing (low key) at Sooke Potholes and Goldstream parks, shopped downtown, walked along Dallas Road (by the ocean), and watched a couple of films at the IMAX (Greece: Secrets of the Past, and Mystery of the Nile; both were quite interesting, and I enjoyed the ‘magic of IMAX’), among other things. The weather has been fair most of the time, which was beneficial in allowing us to send a lot of time outdoors. Speaking of which, soccer this Sunday was pretty fun, and I even managed to sustain some injuries (especially noteable being the arm across the nose and the toe that is now purple). Fun stuff! I’m looking forward to getting back at it this fall.

Today's my second last day of work at the helpdesk, and glad will I be to leave the desk behind. It's been a pretty decent time, though, both as a source of income and as my first corporate-type workplace that didn't include a family member. This place is nothing like "The Office" of tv, thankfully. It must be said that if it were, I would not be the Gareth.

I am excited about heading back home (we fly out Friday evening) and seeing everyone again, and doing some fun stuff, like seeing Starfield 3 times (once with Hillsong United), playing tennis and volleyball, horseback riding ... maybe helping Dad with some stuff around the house, and being involved in a few other things (purposely unmentioned). Ah, good times to be had indeed. I’m still not sure what I potentially could be doing when I get back to Victoria, besides class, but there's still time to figure that out. At least I have a place to stay.

School season's over, a different season starts

Well ... I had a long post here about having trouble getting excited about the NHL playoffs, and was quite poetic about the Leafs loss .. but then the Internet screwed up and deleted it. I made predictions for each series with explanations, and I don't feel like explaining again, but I will put who I think will win (it in each case being the team I want to win ... strange how that works out).

In the East: Buffalo in 5 or 6 (depending on who wins the OT game); Devils in 5 (who plays goal for Tampa again? Exactly.); Atlanta in 6 (because I don't like the Rangers, except Callahan and Prucha); Penguins in 6.

In the West: Calgary in 6 (boo Detroit!); Anaheim in 5 or 6, as long as Backstrom doesn't put on a clinic every game (because I don't like the Wild, and because the Ducks have Peeeeeeeeeerryyyyy); Canucks in 5, because Dallas has nothing, as long as Vancouver stays away from shootouts (because they are my 2nd favourite team! Go Luongo, a.k.a. El Stoppo, and no, I didn't come up with that nickname); and then the series when I'm not sure who to cheer for because I sort of like both teams, but I'm leaning towards cheering for the Sharks ... anyway, there's a good chance of this series going to 7, especially if the games stay low scoring. I realize Nashville had the edge in the head-to-head meetings this year, but 2 of those games were during the little slump SJ had, and as well all know from the Leafs-Sens history, who beats who in the regular season doesn't necessarily reflect on who wins in the playoffs. :D

I forgot to mention that last Thursday was the last day of class of the semester (I had my last class Wednesday), which is kind of sad and kind of nice. I was ready for it to be over, and although it's sad that a lot of people are getting ready to leave and head off to various places, I will see most of them next year. On top of that, I'm looking forward to heading home in a week-and-a-half!

This weekend was lovely; I have always enjoyed Easter. I went to a simple but potent service on Friday morning, and that evening went to Mustard Seed Street Church where they were showing the Passion of the Christ. I hadn't seen it since it was in theatres, and I definitely found it just as painful and intense this time. I was glad I watched it again. Saturday up until 4pm I worked on a paper and half-listened to the Canucks game. Then, from 4-6:45pm I almost collapsed about 4 times, and had my heart beating like I was running a series of short sprints (for those who have no idea what I'm talking about, that's when the Leafs-Habs game was on). It was crazy!! Didn't end up mattering, but in the words of Paul Maurice, at least they get to keep that game to look back on. *sigh* Sunday morning, I, like McCabe (;)), went to church, after which a group of us got together for a lovely potluck. That was a nice gathering, as was the soccer game out in the rain afterward. Only 6 of us showed up for that, but we had a great time!

Monday I just didn't know what to do with myself, as it was the first time in a while I had some spare time that wasn't begging to be eaten up by hockey or school or some other happening. It was kind of nice...


* 1st note: The Canucks will be able to stay away from the shootout, because it doesn't happen in the playoffs ... that was subtle humour

* 2nd note: the predictions of the Pens-Sens series, Atlanta series, and the gibe at the Stars were intentionally biased, and therefore not as analytically based as the other predictions.

No April showers yet

I could probably write for about half an hour and not get down everything I have going around in my head right now. Therefore, I won’t bother trying. Because nothing sucks worse than trying and not succeeding. Actually, that’s not true. Trying and losing a limb would be worse. Although likely that would coincide with not succeeding. The dreaded double-whammy!

Alright, on with it. Last weekend’s tournament in Campbell River was kind of crappy, because although none of us going really thought about how the team chemistry would be affected by having so many non-Spits playing before we got there, we definitely thought about it while we were there. The first game was a bit rough, the second better, and we did win the third game, definitely having gelled somewhat by that time. I wasn’t playing really well in goal. I’m finding it increasingly difficult to adjust back and forth between the pace of the women’s game and the pace of the afternoon shinny at the ISC. Maybe I shouldn’t have this problem and it just means I need more practice or more solid technique … Regardless, it’s still nice to be on the ice. The weekend ended well with a spontaneous outdoor soccer game, organized by myself and my roommate

On the food front: My roommate’s mom performed the profoundly thoughtful deed of sending enough chocolate and other assorted secular Easter-related treats for her to share with me and others … yes, my chocolate is all gone and it’s not even the weekend.

The London Knights made it through to the second round with no problem, sweeping the Attack. This was definitely due in part to the stellar play of Steve Mason (the Knights left-handed goalie, yay!), especially in game 2, where he stopped 61 of 62 shots!
Next up they face the Soo Greyhounds (read as “The Knights will make it to the third round ...” :))

















Steven Mason (and I think Solomon)


The Leafs are still in it, and as long as they win tonight, Saturday’s game against the Habs is going to be something else. I’m finding that a lot of people around here hate the Leafs, but not because of anything to do with the actual team or their players or their play, but because the team and the city are talked about as if they’re the “centre of the universe” and the Leafs are the only hockey team that will ever matter. This is not my fault, I don’t feel this way, and I would be fine with TSN covering other teams at the top of SportsCentre once in a while. I do love the Leafs but I am not biased when it comes to officiating (referring to what I think should and shouldn’t have been called), and I think sometimes the refs make more calls against the Leafs, to make up for the number of people who claim that they are favoured. Mostly I think that there are some bad calls both ways, with certain games maybe favouring one team over the other, and that’s just the way it is. One part of the game (possibly the only part, besides cheap shots) I could definitely do without is the stupid fans who harass the officials. I like the fighting as long as it’s consensual, and if you really don’t want to face the risk of getting hurt (as a lot of talk of eliminating fighting is based around guys being bigger and stronger, so throwing more damaging punches), then don’t fight.

I liked the post my friend Kate made on marking undergrad stuff, and finding that a lot of the papers suck. When you make it to 4th year university and can’t even write a proper sentence maybe you need to reevaluate just where you should be focusing your learning experience. I understand that some people can’t spell amazingly, which is fine, that wasn’t where most of the problems were. I know also that many people do not know all of the rules grammar, which too is fine. I wasn’t being that nitpicky, but I do expect the tense to remain constant throughout a sentence, and verb-subject agreement. And coherence is always a plus.

P.S. It didn’t rain last Thursday, so I got to play tennis outdoors in the sun! YAY!!! It had been a while. I need to get my racquet restrung.

Hope it doesn't rain on Thursday!

I’ve been having problems getting to sleep lately. I go to bed and lie there, sometimes almost falling asleep but then waking up. I've no nagging concerns or worries or stress, and I'm pretty sure it’s not caffeine intake … *shrug* I think it may be due to a decrease in physical activity, as soccer's over, and because I'm working more I haven't been playing as much hockey. I guess we'll see later this week, as today is my last day of working to cover for someone's holidays. Anyway, despite this I've been feeling pretty good, and the past week or so has been less hectic than the couple preceding it, which is nice.

This past Saturday I planned to go to watch the open practice the Canucks were putting on, but actually getting up at 4:30am when I was already tired, and hadn’t gotten to sleep (as noted: different from to bed) until after 1:30am proved too much. I woke up, considered it, then went back to sleep for 6 more hours. I read about it and saw pictures, and enjoyed the fact that I didn’t spend 6 hours of the day on the combination of ferry and bus (referring to time on one plus time on another, not to a machine that travels on land and water whilst carrying large amount of people, because if that were the case I would be lamenting the fact that I didn’t spend six hours on it).

"This will be not be over quickly. You will not enjoy this. I am not your queen!" Yeah, so I saw 300 a couple nights ago. It was pretty good, and definitely had some spectacular moments (as well as some parts I would fast-forward through) and memorable quotes. Reading about Spartan history, I could see how they had thrown an assortment of popular conceptions (non-fictional or otherwise) into the film, and also where they had included historically accurate aspects of the culture and battle.

Random assertion of today’s blog: The taste of Vanilla Ensure reminds me of the smell of the powder of the calf milk replacer we used to give our calves … I love it!!

Finally got some pics from the ski trip

So, click the word snow and maybe you'll be able to check the pics out if you want to. Or you can just watch the show below. :) I try to allow for flexibility (come with goaltending, I guess ... haha)

Thanks to Mark/Gid for getting these to me. Anyone who's in there but doesn't want their picture in the album just let me know ... and I'll think of deleting you ...

Happy Ides of March!

Well, pretend I posted this yesterday, as yesterday is when I wrote almost all of it (excepting the few obvious amendments) ...

And happy birthday to Tucker! They always seem to win around his birthday … or maybe I just haven’t been paying attention to when they don’t. Ah well, either way I was really glad they pulled through and won their last two games!! And thanks to the Habs and Sens (I can’t believe I’m saying that) for beating out opponents in the playoff race. (This also applies to the Sens winning last night, although I kind of hope the Isles get the other last spot (8th) ... with the Leafs taking 7th)

Last weekend was pretty good. Although I did have a lot of work to do, I still managed to play some hockey, go to church (and on time, despite the time change!), and spend a lot of time (a bit too much, perhaps) out in the pouring rain. Nothing too eventful happened. I’m still searching for a place to live this summer, but there are some viable options.

This week has been moving along pretty smoothly, despite a lot of running around that I’ve been doing, trying to be everywhere I’m supposed to be. When I look at my schedule it doesn’t seem like that much, but when I’m actually living it, it's a different story … Anyway, I’m working to cover for holidays, so this week and next week I’ll be on 4 days a week (Wednesdays being the day off), which is a lot of hours, but thankfully I don’t have too much schoolwork to worry about at the moment. Yeah, good timing. There’s that, and I’ve spent a bit of time doing some marking for an undergrad psych class; it was actually enjoyable, and time well spent.

Random thought of the week: Has anyone made a video of men going through the process of a sex change, with the soundtrack being Britney Spears’ “I’m not a girl, not yet a woman?” If not, then why?!? Actually, don’t answer that question

Everyone prepare

For an increase in car accidents!!! In case anyone doesn't know what this refers to, and wants to know, here's an article for your perusal.

It's been a fairly decent week, especially considering the levels of sleep deprivation I've had. However, I would never have thought that I could play a decent game in net on less than 2 hours of sleep. Yay for learning!

School work for the rest of the term looks like it'll be quite enjoyable, as I have a couple of proposals (for which I am interested in the topics), and an assessment file/intervention that makes up the majority of the remaining work. My proposals centre around the idea of music and learning, one looking at comprehension when learning text to a melody, and the other focussed on the possibility of individual instruction in music through technology, and what would be the best way to approach that.

I can't not mention the Leafs, so I'll say that from the highlights I saw of the game against the Sens (Holy Leaf killer Mike Fisher, Batman!!) the goals against came when the Leafs got really scrambly in their own end. Granted, 3 of them were on penalty kills, but there's no accounting for 2 players covering the same guy and one player covering no one! And if you're having to dive around all the time (I'm talking defencemen, not Raycroft), you probably went wrong somewhere along the way. It did actually look like a decent game on the whole (again going from the highlights), and the Leafs had some good chances (although the score obviously doesn't reflect this) ... guess they'll have to get some revenge on Saturday.

*Note: Gill was not on the ice for any of the Leafs goals against. However, he was in the box for one of them.

And just because the Pacific Life open is on, and because I love Safin, I thought I'd share this:

Oh, those Russians ... :) I'm surprised by how many more people out here seem to play and watch tennis ... I guess it makes some sense, considering you can play a lot more (outdoors), but I'm not sure if that's the whole reason. Then what is it?

Flying time

Wow, it's March already!!

Well, I don't really feel like writing, so this is going to be quick...

The rest of reading break was great; I had a relaxing Thursday, and then Friday left for a hockey tournament. We played 2 games on Friday and one Saturday morning, and won all three (by respective scores of 3-2,2-1, and 1-0; I was playing goal for the whole tournament)!! That put us in first, and we headed into the final Sunday morning feeling pretty good. However, for various reasons I won't go into we had some on-ice problems during the final game, and ended up getting second place. Ah well, it was a good time. :)

The past week has been pretty good, with lots of hockey, tennis, and of course Thursday night soccer. I've been feeling pretty good health-wise, which is a blessing, considering the number of people falling ill around Victoria. I have a lot of work to do this weekend, and over the next couple of weeks, so I'm praying for better focus and concentration and lack of procrastination (something some people may have noticed I have a bit of a problem with, at least when it comes to school).

I haven't seen much of the Leafs lately, although I have been listening and watching highlights, about all I can do. Was sorry to see Ryan Smyth traded, and sorrier still that Edmonton is having a hard time dealing with it. Was sort of happy for Bertuzzi to be traded, although it's affecting my dislike for Detroit, which is not pleasing. Glad to see Perreault back with the Leafs, and also glad Tucker's getting healthy, although it didn't help them get a win tonight. Ah well, they did beat the Devils, who had been on a bit of a tear.

Anyway, nothing else to talk about, really, except .. oh yeah! I finally got to try the Nintendo Wii (some guy had one up as a demo at school, trying to help cajole people into voting for him). I played some tennis thing, it was fun.

Still working on getting pictures from the ski trip ...

Mount Washington, I love you

Although some people that went on the trip would doubtlessly convinced that it does not love them! Well, the ski trip was fantastic. I got two great days of skiing in, definitely enjoying the sunny parts of the second day, as when the clouds cleared we were provided a beautiful view of the surrounding hills and even over to the ocean if you were far enough up the mountain, which often we were. There were a few close calls of people falling off cliffs and sliding past their escaped ski in the out of bounds area and having to climb back up a hill, but all in all we enjoyed ourselves immensely and any wounds should heal in not too long a time. I have only once ever laughed as hard skiing as I did on this trip ... long story, and probably a "guess you had to be there" sort of funny, so I won't bother telling it.
Aside from the skiing, there was much to be enjoyed, such as sledding, eating, languishing in the hot tub, playing cards, and watching the Canucks game. The fellowship was a real blessing to me, as I tend to end up spending a lot of time alone when classes are on; it was almost like spending a few days with a really big family (there were 29 of us) ... :)
So yeah, I'm spending this evening just reflecting on that wonderful time, and preparing to move ahead to the rest of the week and weekend, when I have a hockey tournament (I'm playing goal), and also actually need to get some school work done! Hooray for that.
Hopefully I get some pictures from the ski trip up soon. I know there were some great ones taken.
As far as the Leafs game goes, well, I didn't get to see it, but I did watch highlights, and it must be said that Gill was not responsible for any of those goals. Didn't really look like Raycroft could do much about it either, at least not on 2 of them. I think they really need a solid effort tomorrow against the Isles, to get them back on track. Tucker coming back in a week or two should also be a boost. Why is it that Thomas almost always seems to play really well against the Leafs? The Canucks game (that I watched in lieu of the Leafs game) was really good, and it was nice for them to play well in front of Sabourin, and for him to get a win (it had been quite a drought).

A little more on hockey

Just thought I would say that I have yet to see a Leafs game this season where Gill has not been at least mostly responsible for a goal.
I'm sure I've mentioned this before ... unfortunately, it still holds true. To be fair, I haven't been able to watch all of their games, but still ...
Other than that, from what I've seen lately, I've enjoyed watching them play and haven't been too frustrated. There's been a lot of talk about needing to change the icing rule to no-touch. I think this would have its good side and bad side. Good side would obviously be avoiding the injuries that occur. Bad side would be if guys were skating slowing back pretending they couldn't get to it before it crossed the line, or not really trying to stop it from heading down the ice when they know it's going to be icing against the other team. And I think having the race for the puck can be great, especially when the team that iced it gets there first. It can make for some interesting changes in momentum if you win the race and end up keeping it down in their zone for a while. I guess really I'm saying it would depend on how it's called.
Anyway, the Canucks won tonight, and the Spitfires won 5-3 tonight (I scored 2 goals, Julie got a hat trick, and Jen was great in net!), so all in all a good Sunday. :)
Yay for getting up at 5:30am tomorrow to leave for the ski trip. I guess I should be getting to sleep soon ...

Reading weeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!!!!!!

I'm not that excited about it ... really! ;)

Anyway, yes, the coming week is reading week for many a university student, and as the last couple of weeks have been pretty busy and oft time tiring for myself, I am happy to be getting a break. Friday really felt like the starting of the break, or maybe even Thursday night, as I have no classes Friday (although I did work that day, as usual). Soccer Thursday was lacking in people (because so many people had midterms Friday), so, being short of players, we had to forfeit ... Therefore, we took a player from their team and played anyway. It was a good game, and we ended up tying 6-6!

Friday night, after IVCF, we had a games night at the gym, which was entailed of some volleyball, and then ... soccer! Yay!! That was tons of fun, despite the fact that I got nailed in the face with the ball (thankfully it did not involve a nosebleed, which was surprising).
Yesterday was another good day, although Alison left for home for the week. Other than that it was great, as I watched an awesome Leafs/Oilers game, and a couple of movies (which were good, but not as good as the game) :)

Aside from sitting in front of the television yesterday, I spent a bit of time cleaning, and a fair portion of time reading. I bought Inkspell Saturday last (hurrah for gift certificates), and am very much enjoying it! I'm glad it's a thick book, but somehow I still don't think it'll last me until Inkdawn comes out! Ah well, patience is a virtue. The Inkheart movie's supposed to come out this year. I hope it isn't massacred, the way Eragon was. It's New Line Cinema doing Inkheart, though, and as they also did the LOTR movies, there is hope.

I just liked this picture, and as I don't have any new ones of me, I thought I'd throw this one in! :)

under winterland

4 snow days in a row?!? And likely more? It's a good thing Mom and Dad got back from Mexico (getting well needed rest) before all the snow hit, or they may have been trapped in Toronto. I guess it's not as bad there as it is up in Bruce and Grey County, though. Craaaaazy snowy weather back home, there is … I wish I were there. Ah well, I guess I’ll just continue to put up with the drizzly greyness and the fog. Being able to stay active despite any type of weather is beneficial, so I’m managing to stave off depression. :D Speaking of which, hockey lately has been going well, I’ve been getting called to play out for the Spitfires, and goal at noon-hour shinny on Tuesday was awesome! We’ve been getting 2 goalies out so it’s lots of fun, and I managed to finally put out a decent performance this week. Nothing compared to Raycroft, though! Wow, it’s amazing what a turnaround he’s had, and it’s boding very well for the Leafs. I guess the Preds will be a test, but they often seem to play much better against good teams than against the bottom-feeders, so I’m thinking … 4-2 win for the Leafs. Nice to see Ponikarovsky, and even Antropov (to some extent, although he’s still too slow) continue building on their great return (I have mentioned this before, right?). I think Ponikarovsky would look great with Wellwood and Stajan, whenever Welly gets back.

The Barenaked Ladies concert last week was a lot of fun, especially since I wore my Leafs jersey. A lot of people from the Spits were at one of the shows (they played two Victoria shows), and everyone had a really good time. I would’ve replaced a few of the songs with others, but finally hearing When I Fall live more than made up for any of the ones I don’t care that much for.

P.S. I wrote this yesterday, and just didn't post it until today ...

Happy Daisy Day!!

I never knew there was such a thing, and I don't really like daisies all that much, so I'll hold off exuding any real sense of celebration until "columbine day" or "lilac day" comes along (if they even exist).
So, this week has been alright, although busy. I am staying on top of school work, and feeling fairly organized, so I think I'll be able to manage keeping everything together without getting behind or worn out. I'll have to check on that again in a couple of weeks. Intramural soccer is fun; I'm playing outdoor 11-a-side, and am slowing getting back into it (meaning, not sucking so much), after not really playing organized soccer for about 9 years. We've played two games, and the second was significantly better than the first, so that's a good sign.
I might be getting so more work, doing some marking, and I'll know more about that come Monday afternoon. The other job is still going alright, and any uncertainties I have are well addressed by the people I work with, which is great.
So yeah, this is fairly mundane to read, I'm sure. I wish I had something exciting to say. Well, I'm hopefully going on a ski trip during the first part of reading week (which is exciting to me)!! Oh, and I'm going to see Barenaked Ladies on Thursday evening, which is relatively exciting, although not so much as it once was ...
I hope Mexico is treating Mom, Dad, Jasmine, and Anthony well. Two of them really needed that vacation. ;)

Hockey news: Didn't get to see the All-Star game, although I listened to part of it. Didn't get to see the Leafs game last night, although I did watch highlights. I liked what I saw, especially from Raycroft. Nice to see Sundin get on the scoring sheet. Luongo's been on fire lately, which is awesome, and definitely has helped get the 'Nucks back on track.

P.S. Baby boys are better than baby girls (with the exception of Maya)!! ;)

Jed

Just thought I would put up a couple of pictures of me and the puppy ... :)

He's such a sweetie ....

I had a pretty good weekend, enjoying IVCF Friday night for the first time in a while, playing a couple of hockey games (skater both times), and even getting some organizing and school work done!
Work is still going alright, and I guess they're going to keep me, since I haven't heard anything to the contrary. :)

All for one, or some for all?!?

I was just thinking about whether it's better to spread yourself over a few different things, and get generally skilled in a few areas (such as some different sports, writing, musical instruments), and how this would contribute differently to your development than being focussed in one or two areas (like getting really good at one instrument or one sport). I think it's better for kids to try out different things when they're younger, because even if they aren't focussed on something until their 11 or 12, they still have the opportunity to make something their main focus and become the best they can be. Thinking of this makes me think about the example of playing violin, because I believe that there is little or no difference between kids who start when they're 6 or 7 and kids who start at 10 or 11, by the time they reach about 13-14 years, all other things being equal. As far as other things go, like hockey, I think it's likely beneficial to start skating earlier, but I would gather that kids who focus mostly on hockey from a young age, and those who have it as a small part of their life along with other hobbies/interest/past times would not differ significantly in ability so much that a child could not start focussing on hockey around the age of 12 or so, and catch up to those who have been more involved...
I guess the more technically challenging something is, the less likely being involved at a very young age is likely to make a difference, as the younger children with probably not become very proficient, even with a few years practice.
Okay, this train of thought has run out of steam, as it's getting late-ish and I'm tired-ish. Anyone have it one way or the other and want to comment, go ahead ...
Good night, and God Bless.
or alternatively:
Sleep well, and wake happy.

Quick note-eroo

So, the snow really does follow me around. I have yet to consult God as to why, exactly. :) I'm not complaining though. Coolest thing I discovered upon my return was NOT the snow, but that the people residing in the other part of this house got a dog. He's a lovely German Shepherd Husky cross (although he looks considerably more Shepherd) named Jed, and is about 9 months old. I will be posting pictures sometime in the near future! :D

Work (the whole day-and-a-half I've been through) has been going okay, although I do feel lost quite a bit of the time. Ah well, I'm sure it's a steep learning curve ... The people I work with are great (which includes helpful), which is a blessing.

After going a shocking 4 days without playing hockey *gasp* I will be playing tomorrow (Friday) night, as a goalie, and Sunday night, as a skater. I look forward to it immensely!!!

Last but not least: I know I've done some Starfield promoting before, but this time it's not just Starfield (although I would probably think Obsession the best song on this cd) ... anyway, if you want to listen to some free music, check this out: http://www.hearitfirst.com/xworship2007/

a quarter of a century?!?

Well, I’m finally back in lovely Victoria, after 5 weeks back at home in Ontario. It was a very nice break, exactly what I needed!! I had the chance to spend time with family, visit the people I wanted to (although some of them not for as long as I would’ve liked), play a lot of hockey with various family members, go horseback riding, watch an OHL game … the only thing lacking at all was snow, but as it made my frequent driving easier I won’t complain too much about it. J The only real problem on the personal front was it meant no skiing. As far as the environment and the troubles that’ll be cause due to insects, split trees, etc., is another story.
Christmastime was busy, but still enjoyable, as it usually seems to be. I always especially enjoy the Christmas Eve service, and I think it’s the same for many other people. I finally received an mp3 player, which I definitely appreciate, and it will be in constant use. My birthday (on the 8^th) passed in a less notable manner than I ever remember (25 years … what have I been doing all this time???!!??) because it was a day spent mostly in travels, but I did get a few treats and cards, and that was lovely. And as I’m sure at least one person would agree, I don’t need cake. Dad allowed me to buy myself a new hockey stick for my birthday, so it was indirectly his gift to me, and after careful and lengthy deliberation I chose the Sherwood Rhythm 9 (85 flex).

I’ve used it twice since its purchase, and I love it! The only other stick in consideration was the Nike Bauer One90 (where I would've gone for the Naslund model), but the Sherwood edged it out. I got the Crosby model because I like the curve.
Anyway, gotta get to class.