Floor Hockey Teaser
Big props to my Aunt Lil who ripped this footage to DVD for me. I can’t wait to put together a highlight reel!
Planes, Trains, and School
People have been asking a lot about how school is going and I have to admit I am enjoying it so far. It’s starting to get a little hairy as far as assignments go but I think I will adjust to the pace sooner or later. The social side is a bit easier. It’s nice to get out and talk to people again every day. Don’t get me wrong, I loved being at home with Lexi but sometimes it’s nice to be around other people too. People who don’t throw their toast at you and laugh as the dog licks it off your leg.
Another nice thing about school is I feel like my mind has been all of a sudden switched back to the on position. I am thinking again and it feels good. The other day I was out on my walk with Vegas and I realized that it was my Interpersonal intelligence that made me enjoy my walks with Vegas so much. I preferred going for walks by myself because it gives me time to collect my thoughts and talk to a good listener. Vegas is the best listener. Then, as we rounded the corner for home, Vegas stopped and started sniffing around like she had to poop.
“Go ahead and poop I told her, that’s a good spot”…
I watched her circle around a little, look at me, sniff the ground a bit.
“Giver, go poop”, I encouraged. Then it occurred to me! I was hovering! In class that day we discussed how proximity could have a negative effect on a child with special needs in a general education classroom. I turned my back to Vegas and whistled a tune and almost instantly she found her target and dropped a bomb. Anyone with a two year old knows how hard it is to poop with someone watching. It’s even harder when they demand to be on your lap during the process and are constantly grabbing at the toilet paper. Try it sometime.
Another thing I have been thinking about lately is how come I can’t fly to work. I was watching this guy wrestle with a parachute and a snowboard in a field the other day and I thought to myself “there has to be a better way”. Let’s just say for a minute that this guy caught some wind and it dragged him on his snowboard for say 500 or 600 meters. How does he get back? There is no snowmobile guy to come and get him like on TV. There needs to be some kind of propulsion system he can fire up to generate enough wind to blow him back. Like what powers those big fan boats in the swamp.
This morning I got hung up by a train on the way to school and I thought I bet I could fly to work. Some guy somewhere has a jet pack or something to remedy this. Then I wondered why train crossings don’t have some kind of GPS to tell you a train is coming. You can sit at a bus stop and sign will count down the minutes before the next bus arrives. Why can’t I look at the train schedule and see when the next train will be holding up traffic on the only way in or out of Lorette in the morning? There should be an app for that.
Not only was I held up by a train this morning but it snowed last night so everyone has to drive a little slower you know. Like OMG there is some snow on the ground so let’s all slow down. It’s not a concern enough to make people clean off their cars before they leave their driveways though. All these yahoos driving around doing 30KM in a 90KM and I wonder if it’s the snow on the road or the fact that they can’t see out of their windows that is the problem?
It’s amazing how people react to a little snow on the road. These are the same people who complain when I a flight is delayed. The airport could announce that their plane is delayed because of a massive electrical storm and the same guy would be like “pussy, can’t fly in a little rain…”. The airport could tell me we are not flying because “it’s cloudy with a chance of meatballs…” and I would be like “good call chief, wake me up when it’s smooth sailing.”
Anyway, Happy Birthday to Vernon yesterday. Vern’s birthday always means another year together for Shan and I. From that night on the dance floor at the Yacht Club when Shannon seduced me, to 9 years later. A dog, a 2 year old and a bun in the oven.
Poker also started this week and we are off to a good start. Here is a good pic of Joel honoring season Messier.
Outdoor Ice
Over the holidays I had the pleasure of skating with #16 Swain on the outdoor ice. Living in Cali doesn’t facilitate too many outdoor rink experiences so Drew made sure to get him out a couple times while he was here. For me it was just great to skate outside, old school for a change. Might have to talk to Nolan about setting up a little Nolan’s Hockey Winter Classic!
Buhler Centre
Is white. This is the new Continuing Education building for the U of W. It’s all brand new inside and the classrooms and offices have yet to be painted so they are ALL bare bones white. Strangely though all of the hallways are these bizarre, bright pastel colors. Luckily we are on the pink floor. You step out of our classroom and into someones pepto coated upset stomach.
There was an article in the Uniter posted recently.
The girl I sit with in class owns this place, or at least I tell everyone she does. Her last name is Buhler so everytime we have a new prof they joke about sucking up to her. She insists that she wants to be treated just like everyone else so I insist on just referring to her as Buhler.
In one exercise in Team Building we had to introduce the person next to us and talk a little bit about them. In the interview Buhler told me that she worked in a large office building for a couple of years and before that ran a daycare out of the home while raising her own kids. I saw right through that and told the class that Buhler’s dad owned this place and that she had never worked a day in her life. She loved that.
School has been great so far, looking forward to next week.
U of Winnipeg
Been thinking a lot lately about what to do about my situation. I was pretty bummed out about my course being canceled and then Shan’s Mom found the same course at U of Winnipeg just after Christmas. It seemed like a long shot seeing as it started today and the office was closed for the holidays. Shan thought it might be worth a try just to show up and see if there a spot still available – sometimes a little persistence pays off.
I showed up there this morning at 7am just to find out they open at 8:30am. Once the doors opened I talked to a couple of people who were pretty doubtful I would be able to apply in time but I kept on at it until I finally met the course coordinator. I told her what happened and she said she would double check the numbers and let me know if I could squeeze in. Next thing you know I am filling out all my paperwork and gearing up for my first day of orientation at 10pm. I am officially enrolled in the EADP at the University Of Winnipeg!
I also secured the funding I was looking for as well so we will be a little better off while I am in the course. I still need to come up with the $4000 for tuition somehow but it feels good that everything worked out how I intended it to. I was so bummed about the course news.
Should be an interesting class, it’s a pretty diverse group. I am 1 of 6 males in the class and the rest are a range of young girls and stay at home mom’s. Not sure who I relate to more! The whole idea of being back in a classroom is really freaky for me. I went out before the orientation and bought some loose leaf. Thought I would have to take some notes or something I guess. I think I just felt unprepared and somehow the paper buying didn’t help so I went to Staples and bought some nice pens.
Tomorrow I have Team Building all day so I better get some rest.
The Year 20Messier!
Today is 1/1/11 or eleven eleven. OK it’s not as exciting as 11/11/11 (November 11, 2011), I think I am going to have a Mark Messier themed party that day. Everyone has to dress up as their favorite Dynasty Oiler and we will sit around, have a few pops, and play some NHL11. How cool would that be?
Once again this year I don’t want to set too many unattainable goals so my resolutions are a little more reasonable this year. Last years “I am going to stop peeing in the shower” and “When there is no more food to dip I will not use my fingers” didn’t really get too far. This year:
- I will dust the treadmill more often.
- I will take more shots when I have them.
- I will spend more time eating, but eat less.
- I will be more patient, especially at the poker table.
- I will take better care of myself so that I can care better for others.
I will start with those and maybe add a couple things as the year goes on. It will be an interesting and exciting year to say the least. Baby number 2 will be here just in time for summer so it will be the start of something new for all of us. I am both excited and scared to death. I need to find a good job in 20MESSIER so that we can start living like we were dying again. I am sure all you country fans know what I mean by that.
Also in 20MESSIER I want to do a couple more weddings for meetsalad.com so if you know anyone getting married it makes a nice gift. I just posted our Christmas video on Lexi’s site and I will continue to update her blog and possibly start another for her brother or sister once we have a good ultrasound image!
I am also making regular posts (with video highlights) on our Nolan’s Hockey site so feel free to check that out as well.
Anyone else have any interesting resolutions this year?