Autumn Leaves

Leaves that have fallen ....







and leaves still on the trees ....


now back to the concrete city home from the holidays.

On Vacation

Tomorrow is my last day of work before heading up to the family cottage ......
for some Laurentian Mountain autumn splendor......

It has been a very long time since I've really had a relaxing break. I hope that the first week will be one of reading and relaxing.

The second week will be a bit more active as my friend Jim will be joining me and we'll go on adventure side trips to places like Montreal ....

Chateau Montebello (the world's largest "log cabin") .......

..... and Mt. Tremblant....

Summer ... curling???

I spent this past week-end in the little Thousand Island village of Gananoque. This is the place where I have many very happy boating memories with my ex Barry. However, I wasn't there to visit friends or go boating - but to participate in a curling competition at the local arena.

Curling is considered a winter sport, which usually starts up in October. It's only the really crazy or really avid curlers who curl in the summer. I guess me and the rest of the team can fit into both categories.

Summer curling can be much different than winter curling because the outside temperature can dramatically change and/or alter the ice conditions. Ice conditions can also be different in an arena instead of a regular curling club. This was the case in Gananoque.

Our team is made up of very experienced curlers - some of us being winners of large championships too. But this didn't matter - it really was a disadvantage! That's because it took your entire strength just to get the rock to slide down to the other end of the ice sheet! (referred to the term "the ice was extremely heavy"). This took the entire precision out of the game. We struggled trying to cling on to the precision that we're known for - but it didn't matter. Instead, people who had only been curling for one year were beating us. As well, there were many patches of frost where you had no gliding ability and then without warning you hit a patch of ice that was as slippery as a fish. Two people actually fell, hitting their heads and having to go for stitches!

Curling is a sport that's hard on your quad leg muscles. And, if you haven't used these muscles in the curling manner for some time - you'll hurt the next day. Ha! next day .... it's been three days and I still am a "hurting unit". I don't feel so bad because my entire team is in the same condition - we've all been avoiding stairs as much as possible because - ouwww - it hurts to walk up and especially down them. The good news is that league play begins in a month and hopefully this pain will give us the upper hand then.

Despite this bizarre curling experience we had a tonne of fun. I'll be curling with these people in league play and competition this upcoming winter and I really look forward to it. If I can get thru a competition like the one we just experienced - I think I can get thru anything with them. Oh, and I won some bungee cords out of the entire thing as well.

This upcoming week-end should be fun too. I'm heading out to Port Dover with that "mild mannered blogging teacher" and a bunch of friends.

Adios for now!

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.