(lygenztia *83) Is it just me, or are they friggin' out to lunch?

OK, I plan to interview my mom. I need to know a few basic things, as my memory has lapsed from key times in my teen years.

I need to put into perspective the behaviours of "my teenagers" vs. "my" teenage behaviour...as re-lived from my mom's perspective. Because, you see, to me.... my teenagers are unbelievably out to lunch. Both are smart, get great marks, are well behaved and active in the community. They rarely give my wife and I any "real" trouble. For that I am thankful and proud.

Where they lose me, is the lack of common sense.
At school? Smart....
At home? Duhhhh..

So, this is the battery of questions that I will have for my mother and depending on how I feel, I may just post the answers.

1) Did I fight with my sister over toothpaste?
2) Did I constantly put EMPTY pop-tart, cereal and assorted boxes back in the pantry?
3) Did I NEVER pick up a wet towel in my life?
4) Did I never clean my room, unless threatened with punishment, then carry on like a victim all day for the slave labour that I had been forced to do?
5) Did I ALWAYS leave garbage on the counter, when the garbage pail is less than an arms length away?
6) Did I ALWAYS "forget" to rinse my dishes and put them in the dishwasher?
7) Did I never hang up my coat?
8) Did I ever leave granola bar wrappers under the couch? Ewwwww!!!
9) Did I ever fight with my sister over absolutelty nothing?
10) Did I ever "forget" to let the dog(s) out for like 11 straight hours?
11) Did I ever get home from school, drop everything, make a snack, leave a small disaster in the kitchen, lay on the couch, watch TV (now video games) and then wonder why you were mad at me that the house was a disaster when you got home?
12) Did I put an EMPTY milk jug back in the fridge?
13) Did I leave an un-eaten lunch in my knap sack for 9-10 weeks?
14) Did I leave an un-eaten meal under my bed for 9-10 weeks? (we usually find these by smell...)
15) Did I ever ask you where my shoes were? Last time I checked...I don't wear my kids shoes.
16) Did I sleep until 5PM in the afternoon on weekends and then wander into the kitchen and say.."Oh my gawd, I am sooo tired" Huh? You just slept for 17 straight hours!!!!
17) Was I physically incapable of turning off a light switch, or TV?
18) Did I "study" while listening to an iPod, have eight different internet conversations going and watch TV all at the same time? OH, and talk on the phone and text message too. Forgot that.
19) Did I mention, did I fight with my sister over absolutely nothing?

So, while I am at it, does anybody have any other items they would like to add to the list of questions?

Mom is going to have some pretty interesting answers.

(lygenztia *82) GM...keep an open mind.

I am really starting to get angry at all of the media attention that is focused on GM and their woes.
How come Ford and Chrysler seem to be getting a free pass?
The media seem to be bashing GM mercilessly, while you hear next to nothing about the other "Big 3".
GM quality...blah, blah, blah...
GM debt...blah, blah, blah
GM sales...blah, blah, blah

Quit picking on them. You mean to tell me that the other manufacturers aren't in the same boat? Pffhtt.
Fiddlesticks.

ALL the cars are good, well built machines....no matter who the manufacturer. It's more or less a matter of preference.

My Dad made his life at GM. I was a summer student at GM. They not only made factories...they made communities. And that ain't so bad.

I don't currently drive a GM vehicle, but when the Camaro comes out..sign me up.

Reliving my teen years and doing my part. Good deal.

(lygenztia *81) Is busy good?

Ever notice that everybody that you run into nowadays is "busy"? C'mon..don't tell me you haven't.
Bump into someone at the grocery store and ask them..."How you doing?"
Answer? "busy"
Not good..or fine, or fantastic.

The response is always ..."busy".

Canadians have evolved. I can remember (and it's not that long ago) when we took pride in doing nothing. Lazy, hanging out..drinking..doing as little work as possible.

That has all changed. We run, we scurry, we hustle...we go from dropping the kids off to school, to work to getting home stuff done on the computer (at work), to getting stuff done on our lunch hour..to rushing home to get to the gym..then home to get supper ready..help the kids with homework, clean up supper..get them to hockey..get home do some laundry and some volunteer work..catch a half hour of TV..then bed.

Busy. Crazy busy. Always in perpetual motion....

But, is it good? We force ourselves to be so busy...we make all the hustle and bustle happen. But, would the sun still rise tomorrow morning if we weren't quite so busy?

Probably.

Productivity is good. Working hard is good. Making the wheels of the machine turn is very important.

But if the wheel isn't balanced...it comes off the axle.

Work hard. Play hard. But don't let busy over-take you. Everything will be there tomorrow....including the sunrise.

(lygenztia *80) "All I want for Christmas...."

OK, this is not an anti-wife rant. These are just tips. Tips to keep the peace, that's all. So for all the ladies out there...chill out.

I am just trying to be pro-active and prevent domestic strife. Since the invention of shopping, this activity has probably caused more domestic disurbances than alcohol.

Men usually will go shopping willingly and might even enjoy it..if you are made aware of a few of our idiosyncracies. So, if your husband agrees to accompany you Christmas shopping, there are some do's and dont's that you need to be aware of:

DO's............

1) DO stop about every hour for a beer. 'nuff said.
2) DO tell him approximately what time you are heading home.
3) DO ask him what he might like for Christmas. You won't get us what we really want anyway (a gift certificate for the liquor store), but at least pretend like you might want to get us something we want. It makes us feel all "Christmas-ee".
4) DO leave him a list of what you want for Christmas. Women will do strange things like drop a hint in August at some little obscure shop, without actually saying they want something. Just leave us a list..we'll get it. Rely on hints at your own peril. One year I bought my wife a glow in the dark remote control...pretty sure by her reaction when she opened it, that she meant something else. Very, very sure.
5) DO surprise him by buying him something. Grab him a hat, or a t-shirt, or some shiny thing when he's not looking. Men aren't that smart...we'll just go aroung grinning the rest of the day because we got something. (++NOTE++ Beer does not count as something++)
6) DO allow us to spend a little time in the sporting goods or tool section of the stores. To be honest, after sex these are the things that we think the most about.
7) DO go out for supper after you're done. It's a fantastic way to end the day and there is no rush to get home and look at everything...again. (see DO NOT #6)


DO NOT'S..................

1) DO NOT hold up 2 baby outfits and ask him what colour is cuter. Guys have no idea what cute is and God help us all if you are relying on our opinion of "cute". Unless it is a Hooters girl, or football cheerleader, men are completely unqualified to judge "cute".
2) DO NOT hold up 2 toys and ask a man which toy the 3 year old nephew that he has never met would like better. It rattles us bad...we just can't cope with the pressure of this decision.
3) DO NOT act meek in big line ups and busy stores. If you want it, get in there! If you want in line to check out, step up and get yourself set in a spot. Don't stand sheepishly 30 metres from the closest line, hoping some nice clerk will come and help you....ain't gonna happen.
4) DO NOT take your husband anywhere near the lingerie/underwear scetion unless you are getting something for yourself. He will be more than happy to help you pick that out.
5) DO NOT get jealous when the gorgeous 95 pound model in a fancy designer store pays attention to your husband. I have news for you...they are paid to do this. She is not interested in your husband, who is twice her age, wearing track pants...a spagetti stained t-shirt and a camouflage hat that says "Get 'r Done".
6) DO NOT force him to look at everything again when you get home and lay it out on the bed. We have already seen it....we were there.

Enjoy your shopping.

Merry Christmas!!!

(lygenztia *79) Difference between 2:30 and 6: 30? Night and day…

Ever notice that you don’t meet jerks at 6:30AM? I couldn’t sleep this morning, so I took one of the dogs out for an early morning jaunt. It was cold this morning, bitter cold. I wanted to turn back and go home, but the dog gave me a look like….”aw..c’mon..let’s go!!”

First people I meet, were a running club all smiling and laughing..despite the cold. Some stopped to say hi to the dog and went on their merry way. Next, a man coming out of a coffee shop stops to say hi and meet the dog. We have a nice conversation, wish each-other well and off he goes.

Just then, Ron Hooper pulls up to the coffee shop. Ron is a local merchant and Town Councilor, an absolute pillar of my community. He sees my predicament (150 pound Mastiffs aren’t welcome in coffee shops) and offers to buy me a coffee. I told him I would pay, as he was helping me, but he would have none of that.

Walking home, content and sipping my coffee I bypass two strangers. Both times, we mutually greeted each other with a cheery “good morning”.

Now if it’s 2:30 in the morning and a group is running towards me? Well, I’m running for cover. If it’s 2:30 and a man I don’t know stops to say hi? I got my hand on my wallet and an eye on his hands. A guy offers to buy me a coffee at 2:30AM? Ya right. Uhhh…no thanks.

It is amazing the difference that 4 hours can make.

(lygenztia *78) Merry Christmas Sandy Mctire...

Sandy Mctire is the fictional character on Canadian Tire money. I was recently in Canadian Tire (a fine store) and got to thinking about how to me, they represent Christmas.

Sounds strange I know, but to a kid that was from a small town (it was small back then) Canadian Tire was Christmas.

Canadian Tire was the major retail store in town and come Christmas, out come the toys and decorations. Back then, they did not carry toys outside of the Christmas season, so when they started to come in, it was a huge event for local kids. You knew that when Canadian Tire put out the toys, Santa Claus couldn't be too far behind. It was all so exciting. Imagine that...look at the catalogues and dream...then go down to the Canadian Tire with my little sister, look at all the toys and get excited.

I remember one year I badly wanted a Steve Austin "Six million dollar man" action figure (doll) and they had one in real life display! I told my sister how badly I wanted one and made sure that she could describe it to my parents and tell them how badly I wanted one. (Yes, I did get one...if you are curious)

Back then, Canadian Tire also took the time to display and sell Santa Claus Parade fund raiser buttons.

There was just something so magical about it. Maybe I am looking at it from the rose coloured glasses of old age, but it seems like Christmas wasn't quite so over-done back then. Maybe that's why the memories of it are so vivid and pleasant.

People broke out the same old decorations year after year and didn't just run out and get whatever was in fashion that year. It was so exciting..the decorations would come out, my older sister would make some fudge and we would decorate. It was hilarious. My younger sister and I would "decorate" and put things in the most unusual places. Once we went to bed, Mom would just change them around so they had some type of flow to them and didn't look ridiculous.

Then for the "shopping". Dad made a point of giving us his Canadian Tire money to go Christmas shopping with. He also supplemented it with some "real" cash of course, but it amazed me how much you could get with your Canadian Tire money "back then".

We would run home with our presents and wrap them, while playing Christmas carols using tape and paper bought from......Canadian Tire.

I still enjoy going to Canadian Tire to see the Christmas displays, walk around and spend some time with my memories. And great memories they are....

God, I yearn for simpler times...and a tiny, innocent hand that's full of scrunched up Canadian Tire money.

(lygenztia *77) Nothing to see here folks...'cept my truck.

Courier drivers can be jerks sometimes. They park their great big panel trucks wherever they like, block traffic and then they have the gall to wave at you, as you are trying to veer around the giant mess they have created.

I just love when they do that. They are blocking all vehicular movement on the street, parking lot..... whatever and then they look back at the people they are blocking (on the way to delivering the package) and wave. The "wave" is supposed to convey something like this...

"it's OK folks, i'm a courier. Nothing to see here, everything is under control. Just wait in your vehicles until I can finish delivering this package of multi-level marketing soap and society will be a better place."

I quite understand that it can be a difficult, physical job. I quite understand that you need to deliver goods to the customer. What I DO NOT understand is that some drivers feel they have an ordained right from a higher being to park anywhere they choose and block as many people as they choose.

Try wallking the extra 30 metres to park properly, the chaos you avoid may even get you to your next call quicker.

(lygenztia *76) Gestures are louder than words..

Have you ever noticed that you can tell everything about a person/people, simply by a gesture they make?

Case in point, sunday morning I stop at the good old convenience store...it's snowing, cold, drizzle..just a generally dismal morning.

As I walk up to the store entrance, some piece of crap truck pulls up right to the door, blocking 2 gas pumps. All the normal minded citizenry simply park in the designated area, which is what reasonable people do.....but, obviously, they are far too important for that.

Out jumps his spouse, cigarette butt in mouth (very sexy). She throws the butt down by the gas pumps (brilliant) and runs for the door to get in before me. So, once through the door..she basically slams it in my face. All the time, the truck is idling (at the pumps) probably beacuse the piece of junk won't start if Cleetus shuts it off. Cleetus doesn't care if he risks blowing everyone up. Cleetus figures all them "fancy-smancy rules" are all just a bunch of bull***t dreamed up by some smarty pants college graduate.

So great, you beat me to the door. Whatever....

I casually glance into the truck, it's full of garbage, the cigarette butts are over-flowing in the ashtray and the driver is, you guessed it...smoking.

So, they come roaring in, block 2 gas pumps, throw down a butt at the pumps and make a fast break for the door to get in before the other people heading into the store. That pretty much tells you everything you need to know about how they feel about other people.

Am I wrong?

Oh, and by the way.....give you two guesses what these Einstein types were buying....

(lygentzia *75) Ever get the “look”?

You know what I get a kick out of? Coming out of the gym and going straight to the store. I love the “look” that people give you when you walk into a store, sweat-stained, wearing shorts in 10 degree weather. They look at you as if you had just made sexual advances at their cat.

It is a funny “look”.

Sometimes after a workout you want to go straight to a store to grab a drink, grab something for supper…maybe pick up milk. (because there hasn’t been any in the house for two days) The hilarious part about getting the “look”? You wonder just how oblivious to this brave new world the person is.

You want to say to them something like this…”Hello, I’ve been at a gym, you know.... a G-Y-M? It’s this new fangled thing they have nowadays to help keep people active and in shape.”

The ironic part?
The people that give you the “look” are the ones that could most use a G-Y-M themselves.

(lygenztia *74) Penny for your thoughts...and Canada.

Well, my thoughts?

We should abolish the damn penny, that's what I think. What the heck good is this piece of currency in this day and age? Round everything up, or down to the closest nickel. How hard can that be?

The Canadian Mint would save on producing them and Canadians would be forced to take the buckets, jars and ceramic gnomes full of pennies back to the bank for real cash.

My idea is this:

Tell Canadians that they have until March 31st, 2009 to "turn in" their pennies at face value. Give us the option of donating all, or a portion of the turned in pennies to the Government. All turned in pennies can then be converted to dollars for re-investment by the Canadian government. That way, the money is "real" money and not just more money printed by the Government. (which messes with inflation)

Afterwards, the pennies would be sold by the Canadian Mint for scrap metal on domestic and international metal markets. All the revenue that is generated goes to a fund that is dedicated 50% to retaining real, sustainable CANADIAN jobs and 50% to improving services for Seniors.

I don't know how many pennies are out there, but in our house alone there is enough to weigh down a damn wheelbarrow. I am sure that it's the same in most Canadian households.

This alone would stimulate our economy and generate huge revenue for the Country in these tough economic times.

Tough times call for tough measures.

Who is with me on this?

(lygenztia *73) In Flanders Fields....

I wanted to write something to honour our veterans today and really struggled to come up with words. Nothing I say, think, or do, can even begin to compare to the sacrifices they made, the courage they showed and the selfless actions they took…for us.

Canada is at war, right now. Afghanistan. Has it ever occurred to me to leave my cushy job, sign up, fight for my Country and do my part? No. It hasn’t. And I don’t mind telling you, sometimes I am ashamed of myself for that.

I am proud to say that I know a few Veterans. I sit in Lodge with them and I have sat in the Legion with them. One thing that always strikes me, is the peaceful nature of their eyes and gentleness of their actions. Having seen horrors and suffered in ways that we can only imagine, they soldier on, at peace with themselves. For some, it must be very difficult.

These were men that loved us enough to leave loved ones and jobs to go to war. They left everything behind, because it was the right thing to do. Good Lord, where would be right now without them?

We owe our Veterans everything, but sometimes I can’t help but feel that Canadians do not do enough. At the very least, consider joining the Legion. Their numbers are down, they have relaxed the entrance requirements and I am sure they could use the financial support.

I’ll be at the service on Remembrance Day. It’s the least I can do.

Hope to see you there.



In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.

- John McCrae

(Lygenztia *72) No way....really? Are you sure?

The Tim Horton's that I go to (and love) is currently under construction. There are 6 foot fences almost all the way around it, there is a massive "hole" in the parking lot and there are tractors and machines everywhere. The dining room has wires hanging everywhere and the walls are right down to the studs. There is no "counter"...yet.

You can see the construction from the next Town.

There are MASSIVE signs that say "DINING ROOM CLOSED-DRIVE THROUGH ONLY".

So, as I am in the drive through line up this morning, at least 6 people pulled in the parking lot, got out of their cars and walked up to the mega fence/door. Worse yet, these rocket scientists were looking for ways through the fences.

The place looks like Fort Knox on the outside and like a hurricane hit the inside.

Like ya, for sure they're open pal. You just went to the wrong door. There's a "secret" door in the back, where the "real" counter is, because they are open inside..if you can get past the holes in the floor, exposed wiring and lack of walls.

Are some people really that oblivious to their surroundings? I guess they are......

(lygenztia *71) We're here for a good time..not a long time.

It won't be long until my daughter and son are off to University. My son's hockey and lacrosse days are almost over and he has been fortunate to be able to have played Rep for almost all of his hockey and lacrosse "career". My daughter is very fortunate to have a well paying, part time job. She works alot of hours every week and can balance this with school and friends. I admire her so much for that.

Rep hockey in Canada, is a lifestyle. It is not an activity. It becomes your social circle and for the most part, severly limits your ability to socialize with "outsiders".

Most people that do not have a child playing Rep Hockey do not understand it.

The part with the sports, etc. ending doesn't really bother me. It will be "weird", but I won't cry about it...if you know what I mean.

For me, it means new opportunities to develop myself and put more time into other interests. Which means, a much less hectic life. My wife and I volunteer in the community, so we have the outside interests to keep us active, vital and connected to the community.

The people that I feel sorry for, are the ones that have allowed their child's hockey to completely take over their life, in every way. Beleive you me, they exist. I see them around after their kids are done playing hockey and they are completely lost.

They do not have a clue what to do with themselves. They are lost, have no identity of their own and have a huge void in their lives that they just can't seem to fill.

It's important to live for your kids, they come first always. But it's also important to have your own "outside" interests and social circles.

(lygenztia *70) NO CALL list? Ya, right!

How in the hell is this new "no call list" supposed to work? I call the number to get us taken off telemarketer lists and we now get more calls now than before I signed up.

And get this, you can call and give them any number to have placed on the "no call list". Great security. So, I could call (don't worry I won't) and have my neighbour placed on the "no call list"? Brilliant and obviously well thought out. What if my neighbour wants these calls? I mean, there is nothing quite like sitting down to a family meal, only to have the phone ring and someone is selling automatic potato peelers that can also trim your fingernails.

Does anyone actually buy stuff from a telemarketer? ("Cold calling" in business talk....) I guess they must, or they wouldn't do it. It's just that it's such an odd concept.

Think about it......

"Hello Mr. Smith, we are selling vaccum cleaners for $3200.00 but only if you act now! All we need is your Visa # sir..."

Well hell ya! Let me just buy that product sight unseen AND give you my credit card number.

Stop calling me, for crying out loud....I don't want your crap.

(lygenztia *69) Hello...historic event here...hello?

I go into a cell phone store the morning after the U.S. Election to buy a new ear bud for my cell phone. I am not saying which cell phone outlet. I'll be damned if i'll advertise for the great Canadian rip off. Check out U.S. cell rates, they are approx half what we pay, in some cases even less.

Anyway, they are just opening the store and the 2 clerks and I start some casual conversation. Both are "young", which in my eyes..... means less than 30. One of them goes over and turns on a very large plasma TV, pre-tuned in to a news channel.

What happened next either scared me, shocked me, or made me sad. One of the clerks looked at the tv and said..."Oh look Obama won..." The other clerk said..."wow, no way. That's wild eh?"

WHAT? What alternate universe were they in that they did not realize that Obama had won until 10AM the next day?

I am not saying that everyone should live for U.S. politics, but this was an event that eclipses most that have occurred in current history. What the U.S. does is their business, but how could you not be aware of what happened until 10AM the next day?

Who wouldn't be interested in history in the making?

(lygenztia *68) Do we have any peanut butter?

Food…I don’t understand my kids. A common refrain that can be heard in our home is “there’s nothing to eat” (insert whiney drawl here) If you LOOK, you will find cooked meat, cheese, fruit, yogurt, Kraft Dinner, cereal, bagels, granola bars, soup, crackers…etc. etc. etc.

So, feeling guilty when I hear the familiar complaint “there’s nothing to eat”….. I go to the grocery store and spend what amounts to almost a mortgage payment on “snacks” and quick and (hopefully) healthy foods.

Then inevitably, a few weeks later I am throwing things out that have expired. As I do, my son is looking over my shoulder into the fridge. What does he say? “there’s nothing to eat”.

The lack of food is not the problem, being able to see the food is the problem.

Maybe they need to eat more grapefruit and carrots. They say they are good for your eyes.

(lygenztia *67) I need some air support here!!!

Over the thundering plains comes mine enemy. I grimace, I prepare and I brace myself for the upcoming battle. I have fought this battle many times and in the end, I am victorious, but the battle always comes with a price.

I fight with the most meager of weapons, sometimes my bare hands. My enemy is from forces that are so colossal, that I cannot even begin to comprehend their power. My battle plan, is the waiting game. I strike in small numbers with stealth…as to fully confront my enemy with all his might would be sure folly.

The battle I speak of…is with my leaves. I have two absolutely beautiful trees behind my house on “town” property. One is a majestic old Oak, the other a very stately, vital Maple. The trees leave enough leaves on my back yard to drive me to drink. (wait, maybe I should thank/hug them for that)

So, every Fall I do battle with these leaves. The more you rake, the more the fall….they just keep falling and falling…and falling. I think I have spent about 60 bucks on yard waste bags at the Home Depot. Jeez, the clerks there know me by name now.

My plan, this year, was to remove some fence boards fire up my leaf blower and send these trespassers from whence they came. However, I needed a “lookout” on the other side of the fence and my son absolutely balked at the idea. I didn’t want to hit anyone with leaves and I also didn’t know if the Town would want to fine me, for returning the leaves. (which are rightfully theirs anyway…..) So, I abandoned that plan.

Well, now comes the fun part. I have two very large dogs. Large dogs eat and they also correspondingly leave (pardon the pun) little (actually very big) presents. I used to put the leaves in the environmentally friendly brown bags by hand. Bare hands. Well, you know what is coming next.

A great big handful of leaves and a great big handful of…OH MY GOD! Yuch…Forever and anon, I will wear gloves when scooping leaves. I consider this as a casualty of battle and makes me a candidate for the Purple Heart.

I swear these damn leaves will make you paranoid. I rake, I bag, I stack bags, the yard is “clear” of the enemy. I stop for a well-deserved beer. Well, in the time it takes to grab one beer, the yard is again full of leaves. Jeez, I turn my back for one second and the little bastards attack again!

The only hope of victory is that eventually, I will have captured all of the enemy soldiers. Unfortunately, between my investment in leaf bags and hand sanitizer, the price of battle is high.

(lygenztia *66) Game on!

The decline of Canadian society can be directly attributed to a decreasing registration in minor hockey. The barometer of the collective community conscience can be directly traced to the number of kids in the area that play minor Hockey. In Toronto, it is reported that some hockey centres are seeing a decrease in registration by 10% per year. Some are dangerously close to folding. Some of the once mighty hockey areas, are gone. Case in point, Wexford Hockey in Scarborough. Gone....not enough interest anymore.

Tell you what, youth crime in Scarborough sure isn’t gone.

(Ironically, girls Hockey registration is growing exponentially. Maybe they know something we don’t, are smarter...or likely....both.)

Canada has become so diverse that we have no convergent interests anymore, which range from community, to sports, to education. We are all living in these insular cocoons, trying to preserve our vision of what the community is. The same can largely be said for our great country. The collective love of anything, is all but gone.

I am not saying that there is anything wrong with Cricket, Soccer, or Basketball. (a Canadian Dr. James Naismith invented the game of Basketball....the Americans HATE to be reminded of that.) What disturbs me is that we are starting to discard Hockey, in favour of other activities and viewing Hockey as “not as sophisticated”. Canadians have somehow, for some reason adopted this notion, that if it is from another country, it must be better.

I was speaking to a Soccer parent once about Hockey and their comment was “it’s too rough..” They scrunched their face up in disgust, as if the game was some type of social leper. It made me sad. Soccer is a great game, but is not devoid of “roughness”. Soccer has its hooligans...and you mean to tell me that parents have never gotten out of hand at a Soccer game? Ya, right....

It seems, at least to me, that everything that is collectively Canadian is endangered. People laugh at, or ridicule what we hold dear...some want to change the foundation of what we are, in favour of a new, fragmented self serving vision. Change is good, evolution is necessary...but do we have to abandon, or discard our history?

I think that it’s important to change with the new, but that it is even more important to recognize, preserve and respect history. Our history and identity (whether you like it or not) in recent times is largely identified with Hockey. Hockey transcends race, politics, gender and should be a part of our collective ideals.

Canada was largely united by Hockey and.... radio. Foster Hewitt once held the attention of almost all of Canada, as he broadcasted NHL games over the radio from the gondola at Maple Leaf Gardens. If you want a great read and some insight as to just how powerful the influence of Hockey was in uniting Canada, read his biography. A game...has done more to bring us together than any force in Canadian history.

So, stick up for Hockey. Play Hockey. Defend Hockey. Hockey is sophisticated, it’s fun and it’s who we are.

Hockey is Canada....and so it should be.


http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2008/11/30/7580846-sun.html

(lygenztia *65) Soft, like a chocolate chip...

So, I am taking down the Hallowe’en display early this morning. I set up some old wooden palates, skeletons and corpses to help the kiddies have some fun. Took me ‘bout 2 hours to set up and ‘bout an hour to tear down.

Anyway, I am out front, the neighborhood is quiet, sun is coming around and the air is crispy. I decide to bring Matti out front with me. Matti is our pet dog, a Neopolitan Mastiff. Matti is big and imposing looking…but gentle. She cares not for other dogs and for the most part ignores them, as she sees herself as a person, not a dog. Her only “fault” if you could call it that, is that you do not want to incur her wrath if you become aggressive with Kelly (Matti’s “mom”) or our kids. She can go from sleepy Matti to “you don’t want to mess with me” in warp speed, if she senses that they are threatened. Call me a neanderthal (many do) but I gotta tell you, I dig that.

Anyway, I am ripping down the display enjoying the morning and Matti is sleeping on the front lawn “helping me”. Mastiff’s are estate dogs and stick to their property, it’s just how they are.

Along comes a man, whom I do not know, walking his dog. His dog, is a very, very tiny terrier of some kind. It likely weighed less than 3 pounds. Fine, whatever, not my kind of dog…but to each their own.

So he stops at the streetlight pole in front of my house, while his dog takes a chocolate chip size poo, on MY lawn. So, as “fifi” does its business this dumb ass looks at me and says..”you know that dog really should be tied up…”. I actually thought he was joking and started to laugh, but his facial expression told me he was quite serious.

Smiling, I tell “fifi’s” daddy that Matti is harmless and that he needn’t worry, but my words are wasted as he bends over to pick “fifi” up…….looking quite concerned and disgusted. (of course, he waits for “fifi” to leave his little chocolate chip on my lawn.)

I gotta tell you, at this point I broke into open laughter. Matti is laying on the lawn, barely aware of “fifi” and his owner. “Fifi” and his daddy walked quickly away…locked arm in arm, clinging to each other for safety, comfort and security.

So, this dude has no issue with his dog leaving little brown marbles everywhere but feels that my dog should be tied up on my own property?

As he is walking away…I ask him, “hey, what about the “present” your dog left on my lawn?” His response? “That wasn’t my dog..”. Huh? What the hell? I couldn’t get angry, the picture of him scurrying away holding on to his dog, as they clung to eachother for dear life, reduced me to open laughter.

I could only hope that as they continued their walk that they did not encounter any killer chipmunks.