Niagara Falls

This past week-end I had my 14 year old nephew and a friend come down from the Ottawa region for the week-end. On Saturday, we took a trip down to Niagara Falls

Nephew - Jeremiah and his friend Ryan looking over at the US part of Niagara Falls with their toques on. It was about 30C, but they don't care because they're cool (In their own minds).

The Canadian Falls (above and below).

They sure love skate boarding ... Now I'm off for some well deserved sleep!

Closet renovation

This is a picture of my closet then ... (above)

and my closet now .... (2 below)

... and below are pictures of its transformation ...

This couldn't have been accomplished in the one week without the help of my dear friend Jim, shown here.

Hockey Song

Canadian sports is up in arms because our public broadcaster lost the rights to use their "Hockey Night in Canada" theme song, which has been airing for over 40 years. To replace this song, which many refer to as Canada's second national anthem, CBC is having a contest to replace the tune http://anthemchallenge.cbc.ca/

However, before this CBC anthem was written, Canada really had a hockey song - written by Stompin Tom Conners, seen here on UTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZWxErEbQkY . And, then there's my favourite hockey song, which I couldn't find on UTube. It's called the Hockey Song and the lyrics are below.

So, why worry about a silly hockey theme when, as illustrated here, Canada actually has many hockey songs ...

Me Like Hockey, by the Arrogant Worms

Me work hard five days a week
Sweeping garbage from the street
Come home not want book to read
Not 'nuff pictures for me see
Sit right down in favourite chair
Wearing only underwear
Favourite night is Saturday night
'Cause me can watch hockey fights
Me like hockey! Me like hockey!

Me no like pro basketball
'Cause me short and they all tall
Baseball slow like Forrest Gump
'Cept when Robbie spits on ump
Wrestlemania not so great
Me like to see Hulk Hogan skate
TV soccer not that hot
You play bad then you get shot
Me like hockey! Me like hockey!

Swedish players must be geeks
'Cause they still got own real teeth
Not like Finnish players names
What's a Teemu anyway?
Russians worst in history
Got stupid names like Valerie
Me like Sergei Federov
Me like him more if head were off
Ha ha ha!
Me like hockey! Me like hockey!
Me like hockey! We like hockey!

Please mister linesman let the players fight
Please mister linesman let the players fight
Please mister linesman let the players fight
Please mister linesman let the players fight
Let them fight, let them fight, let them fight
Let them fight, let them fight, let them fight
Let them fight, let them fight!

Friends come over put game on
Argue then we lay bets down
Got bag of chips and case of Bud
Should last 'til end of first period
But yankees they win the world cup
Me think they cheat use glowy puck
Maybe if we want to win her
Maybe we should play in winter
Me like hockey! Me like hockey!
Me like hockey! Me like hockey!

Yeah!

Progress ...

This summer so far has certainly been different for me. Partly because I’m in my own home and am spending every extra penny I earn on it – and also because my evenings are now spent doing renovation work – the days are speeding by very quickly.

In my last blog I said I was going to start insulating the basement – but that’s now on hold. I’ve bought five basement windows that are being made currently and want to install them before the insulation goes in. In the meantime, I’ve been attacking my bedroom closets. The configuration of these closets was crazy. Both had small doors and were either four or five feet deep. With the guidance and help of my dear friend and curling teammate Jim, I’ve widened one to 6.5 feet (approx 2 metres) and shortened the depth of the other one to 2.5 deep (approx .760 metres). The demolition and moving the wall (in between the closets) was crazy. Currently I’m almost finished the drywall steps and so it will be ready for priming tomorrow. I’ve found a closet system created by Rubbermaid, which will allow me to maximize my closet space and give me the closet of my dreams. I’m really happy because I haven’t had the proper space to organize and put all my clothes away properly. The windows should be arriving in a week or two – so I’ll have a couple of weeks off before doing the room downstairs. In September I tackle the roof (which I’m hiring friends who’ve done this work before to do for me).

Wow, I never thought I’d get so excited over closets and basements!!! But, I consider myself blessed to have the friends around who have knowledge about renovation and electrical wiring to make my dream of having a perfect little house come true.

Before and after pictures of the closet to follow.

TGIS

... otherwise known as "Thank God it's summer"!

I can hardly believe that July is almost upon us. This means that both Canada and the U.S.A. will be celebrating their birthdays.

On July 1st, Canada will be 141 years old (nothing compared to the motherlands of Europe - but still old for a child). People will be lighting up barbecue grills, fireworks and campfires all over the nation while consuming some of the nation's most popular beverages - namely beer and hoards of food.

My office is closed on Monday, the day preceding the holiday, so I've decided to take the entire week off along with (today) this Friday. In about an hour I head up to Quebec to spend some days with my folks but will only be there for about five days as I am going to begin the installation of insulation in my basement on Thursday.

My goal this summer is to complete one basement room from top to bottom and have the entire basement insulated. In September I'm also having my roof done.

sigh .... all good stuff to do, but no serious travel for me this year.

See ya'll when I get back

Celebrating 100 years of Canada's most famous novel

On June 20, 1908, Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery of Prince Edward Island (PEI) Canada, received the first edition of her soon to be immensely popular novel Anne of Green Gables.

It started small: a few thousand copies of a first novel by an author from a small provincial island on the northeast corner of the North American continent, released by a Boston publisher whose first inclination was to send Montgomery a rejection letter.

In 100 years, Anne of Green Gables has grown into its own industry. The book has been published in 33 languages; Montgomery wrote seven sequels, and a prequel was recently published with the consent of her heirs. There have been two movies for the big screen, six for television, and three television series (the first an anime version produced in Japan). The Charlottetown, PEI Festival's stage version is the longest running musical in Canadian history and is making a claim to be the world record holder in that category.

Anne has made Prince Edward Island famous around the world and is at the centre of a tourism industry crucial to the province's economy.

Personally, Anne of Green Gables was one of my favourite books as a young adolescent and so it's for this reason that I celebrate this special 100th anniversary.

Frustrated with blog videos

Hi folks,

Hope all is well. I've been trying to upload my short (less than 100MB) movies onto blogger, but to no avail. My videos are in AVI format so they should upload ... grrr

I've been busy with work, a show I was in a couple of weeks ago and house renovations (which are coming along very slowly).

This week-end I'm going to be brave with my bad arm (still) and paint the hallway. I'm tired of staring at plain white .... so boring! I'm also having friends over tomorrow night and spending time with friends on Sunday night. Oh, I'm also singing a duet on Sunday too (oh how I love singing)

Lannio
xx