I finally get it (26 of 30)

So for quite a while now... all summer actually.... Sari has been gathering things and putting them in the garage.  First, when we were at my mom's farm she gathered up a big pile of old barn wood.... an old door that used to have 6 panels in it but now only has 4..... and an old iron grate that you would see in the floor of a two story house (you know the ones that were there to allow warm air to rise and heat the 2nd floor).

Then, on Saturday, she happened to find an auction sale and she came home with a great, big, old storm window sort of thing, and old "hope chest" and a leaded glass window.

So I am standing there the other night looking at all this stuff wondering, "What on earth is she thinking???  Like what good is all this stuff?" and then it hit me......

SHE IS BUILDING US A CIRCA 1910 PRAIRIE FARM HOUSE!!!!!!!!

Oh it is going to be sooooo fun!!!!!   Lighting the kerosene lamps..... sitting by the wood burning stove...... listening to the old Gramophone or the wind-up radio..... sleeping under a feather blanket that is so heavy that it almost completely compresses your chest so that you cannot breathe.....  wind blowing in around the window so hard that it moves the curtains.....  chipping the ice off the water bowl in the kitchen in the morning........  IT IS GOING TO BE GREAT!!!!!

That has to be it, right?????  I have no other idea as to what she could be up to.
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I was reading an interview today and the guys says,  "I mean, it is not like......."

The "I mean" count now stands at 1.   (Help me out - you will see/hear it if you look/listen.... report it to this blog when you do..... the goal is 13 by Saturday)
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T-shirt of the day.....

So true!

The most wonderful time of the week (25 of 30)

Ssssshhhhhh..... can you hear it????   It is the most wonderful time of the week..... if you are a preacher.

You see.... it is Sunday night and Sunday night (especially if "Sunday day" went well) is a good time.  You may not know this, but Sunday night for me is like most people's Friday night.  You see, right now the day went well.... I thought my classes went well with lot of discussion.... my sermon (which earlier in the week looked like it may go DOA this morning) actually turned out way better than I had thought it would..... and now - at this very moment - I am as FAR away from having to do it again as I can be.

Don't get me wrong, I love what I do, but it is hard to be creative and try to write 4 brand new lessons with nothing to guide you except for the text for that week.  Add in the fact that I have been here for 21 years and the fact that most people either have heard all my best stories (from my youth) or were there when the other stories happened (b/c they experienced them with me) and it makes it hard to be interesting or even creative week in and week out (That is why I believe in Divine intervention - I have seen it at work - like today - sometimes things just connect with people even when you thought they may flop).

Anyway, right now, it is a long way off once again.  Sure the preparation will start again tomorrow morning, but at least I have another seven days to get a run up on it.... and I don't have to start just yet!   :)
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T-shirt of the day.....

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It seems that the "It is what it is" count has stalled out at 11.  I thought for sure we would reach 20 by Halloween, but I did not hear once sports broadcaster, athlete or anyone else use the phrase all weekend long.  You know what that means right????? 

WE DID IT!!!!!  WE HAVE COMPLETELY ELIMINATED THE USE OF "IT IS WHAT IT IS".... ERADICATED IT..... JUST LIKE CHICKEN POX!!!!"  (What do you mean kids still get chicken pox???  Hmmmm - maybe we have not been that successful after all)  :(

Well onto the next battle.... in the next week count how many times you hear someone start a sentence with "I mean"  as in "I mean.... we ran a good race today. We just did not get the finish we wanted".   It REALLY bugs me because those are their first two words.  It is not like they have been trying to explain themselves.... failed and then said, "Well..... here is what I mean.....".  Instead they just start there..... "I mean, it has been a tough day......" etc.

I heard it twice today.  I think (if you listen and write in) we can count 13 used by Saturday..... and "GO!"  :)
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One last thing:  the answer to the "top 40" question posed a few posts ago = Adam Levine.  He is the lead singer for "Maroon 5" who were on the top of the charts with "Moves like Jagger" and he was also in the number 2 spot doing guest vocals on the "Gym Class Heroes" song "Stereo Hearts" - first guy to hold down both spots since Donnie Osmond like 40 years ago (now you have something interesting to say at coffee tomorrow - or when the song comes on the radio).

Have a great Monday!

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz and other stuff (24 of 30)

So we were up until almost 2:30 am at the "Church youth sleepover" at the church buildingt.  All the guys slept on the floor in the foyer.  Now "on the floor" is not an exaggeration or shorthand for "I got out my 5 inch thick air mattress and put it on the floor"... I mean we put our sleeping bags on the floor and that is where we slept (Sari is going to want me, at this point, to say "I told him to take an air mattress" - and that is true - I chose not to, so it is my own fault right?)

"Slept" is an exaggeration though.  Between people snoring, kids getting up at 3 am to watch teenagers yelling and wandering around the street ("Get away from that window!! If they know you are in here trying to sleep, we will never get rid of them") and then several boys whispering back and forth all night (oh and did I mention the hard floor?)..... it was a long/short night (if you know what I mean).   Actually, given all of that, I think I had a good sleep!  It could have been much worse anyway.

But the kids had fun and that is the main thing.  And every time I walk across that spot in the church building from now on I will remember how nice it is to sleep in a bed.  :)
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Here is a serious question:  What do you do when you are in a store and you see someone treating a kid badly?  Or "What should a person do?"   I saw this Grandma just beaking at a little girl all around the store.... beak.... beak.... beak.  Now the kid was being a brat, but so was the Grandma!  Seriously I just wanted to walk up to her and punch her in the head and then ask "How do you like someone picking on you????"  I followed them around the store for a while.... and I kept staring at her.  When she noticed me she seemed to change her actions a bit - but we all know it won't stop.  

I was really really tempted to go yell at her - or punch her (did I mention that).... but I was so mad I decided not to do anything (for fear of it escalating).... then I was mad for not doing anything.   Maybe I should have asked if she was having a bad day and needed some help??? Reported her to a store person (but what are they going to do????)  Honestly, I don't know what the protocol is here.... someone help me.

It made me feel very sad for little kids who have to grow up like that..... it isn't right!
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T-shirt of the day (this seems to fit the part above).....

Answer to the "American top 40"question (a few posts ago) tomorrow - so if you want to look smart you better figure out the answer tonight.

That is it for me..... I will call you for the next youth group "lock-in".... bring a rock to sleep on - it may be more comfortable that the options last night   :)

Wipeout!!! (23 of 30)

So I am real biker now.... after 6 years of riding I had my first wipeout (well - sort of anyway).

I was putting the motorcycles away today and I thought, "I should start the Honda (the old one) and run some fuel stabilizer through it", so that is what I did.  However, to make sure that I got all the old "unstabilized" gas out of the carbs I decided to take it for a rip or two up and down the back alley.

Now, my back alley is a little muddy.... which is a good thing - if you like "drifting" (or "fish-tailing") the back end of the bike.  So there I was, hitting the gas hard.... swinging the back end out.... it was fun.... until I turned into the green space behind the house.... the really wet grass with the even more slippery leaves on it.

I hit the gas, while turning I may add, and in no time I was sliding one way across the grass and the bike was skidding the other way. 

Now - there are several fortunate parts to this story.....

1.  I got my leg out before the bike fell on it

2.  The ground was super muddy so it really didn't hurt me or the bike (no visible damage to either of us)

3.  It was the old bike and not the new one

4.  And the really important one..... No one (especially the big Harley guy across the street) saw it happen! (He would have laughed and laughed at me.... and so would his biker wife).   The road behind out house is sort of busy, but fortunately (for my pride) no one was out there.   So I jumped up - grabbed the motorcycle... pulled all the mud and leaves off of it... and sat there for a minute trying to look cool (you know - like I meant to do it).   :)

So - all's well that ends well, right?  :)

Everyone says that anyone who rides will have at least one wipeout in their lifetime.... maybe I will be lucky and that will be mine.
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Even more scary than that though...... I am helping at a huge "youth group sleepover" tonight at the church building.  Wish me luck!!!!
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T-shirt of the day......  this one seemed appropriate considering the story of the day..... please ignore the sale price..... unless you want to send it to me just because (please add $16.73 for postage and handling.... watch your mail in 4 to 6 weeks..... nothing is coming - I don't own a t-shirt company.... but I think you should watch your mail anyway...... you have no idea what it is doing behind your back!)   :)

Have a good weekend!

Short post (22 or 30)

I had to think a lot today... so this is going to be short (I can only think so much in one day).  Actually, it is getting late and I still have to go move some stuff around in the garage (we finally got our flooring for the basement yesterday and so tonight I was painting baseboards so they can go on tomorrow).

Anyway - here are a couple of things for you to think about......

First.... the world has some really cool and interesting places..... here are sixteen of them

Second.... when I was building my garage, several people said, "No matter how big you build it, you will wish you had built a bigger one".   I am now finding that out..... one too many motorcycles (I did not sell my old one yet) is causing a bit of an issue.... as it the fact that the new one is much bigger than the old one..... maybe I should do like a bunch of old biker guys I know.... just store one in the living room for the winter (seriously I have seen this a couple of times.... and I know a guy - who was single at the time - obviously.... who rebuilt one in his living room one winter).  For some reason Sari won't go for it..... women!!  :(

Thirdly..... t-shirt of the day:

And this made me laugh......

And remember the music trivia question.... see yesterday's post.   Have a great Friday!

You are going to learn something whether you want to or not (21 of 30)

This is the educational portion of the blog....  just to prove that it is not a complete wasteland of silliness.
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First of all..... who is the highest paid world leader?????  If you said "Barack Obama" you would be way wrong.  Have a look (I may be in the wrong profession here)
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For many years Elvis has been at the top of Forbes' "dead people who still make lots of money" list, but not any more.  Can you guess who it is this year???????  
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Here is something interesting.......

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch stduy at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
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It is fun to see things through eyes of others sometimes.  My friend from Korea, Juwon, was telling me that his "English as an additional language" class from the community college went curling this past week. 

He said, "I go on the ice.  They say 'push rock to other end'.  I do.  Three times.  Then I told them "I am perfect' and then I went home".


Maybe it is not as exciting as we seem to think it is.
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Ok - to this point I have been giving you all the answers (see above) so here is something for you to research (first one to write in with the right answer gets the big prize!!!!)


Something happened this week that has not happened for 40 years.  This week, the number 1 and 2 spots on the American top 40 pop charts belonged to the same singer (the last guy to accomplish this - believe it or not - was Donnie Osmond).  Name the singer and why it happened.
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T-shirt(s) of the day.....

That is it.  Have a great Thursday!  :)

Good TV, Why you can't let us out of the house alone and t-shirt of the day (20 of 30)

So did you record the "Leader's Debate" on TV tonight???  I did!  I thought it was really interesting.  In fact, if I ran a TV station, I would have debates on 24/7..... I think that would be fun!  No it wouldn't.... yes it would..... I think you are a liar.... Are you calling me a liar, you liar.....well, I if I am elected (see what I did there?  I had a little debate with myself... and it was fun right?????   :)

Ok - maybe my TV station would go under in 2 days with that kind of programming but I actually do like watching Election debates.  I thought the Premier represented himself very well.

Speaking of campaigns, etc.... have you seen the NDP's commercial where Dwain starts by saying "I may not be the most popular guy in the province....." - I don't know why, but I think that is funny.  It is like saying, "Look - I know you don't like me - I know my mother doesn't like me... look most of the time I don't even like me, but, hey, vote for me anyway".  

Sometimes honesty may not be the best policy.
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So I am at the Bruins' game tonight with Sari's brother Joel and we my buddy Shane.  Now, ladies, I know that there is nothing more attractive than three middle-aged (ok - one middle-aged guy and then Joel and Shane) married guys who are losing their hair (ok - one guy who is losing his hair) who are out on the town without their wives.... but please try to make it less obvious.  We were sitting at the game and the "Ice team" came up to us and asked us if we wanted to do one of the intermission games on the ice. Out of all the people, they picked us.

When I told this story to Sari, she pointed out that they get paid to talk to people - but we all know better, right?  ;)
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T-shirts of the day......

First one that fits with the stupid story above.... and then one that I just thought was funny.

Oh - I am hearing rumors from people that they have heard people saying "It is what it is" a lot, but they have not logged on and recorded when and where for me.... so please do so.... I can't count it otherwise!  (It is like saying Sasquatch exists without some sort of grainy video of a guy in an ape costume to back it up.... that would be crazy!!!

Ok - that is enough silliness for one night.....  have a good Wednesday!  :)

Hmm - Yikes - Awww - Ick - Ha... and other words like that (19 of 30)

Hmmm..... I never thought that I would find myself walking my dog with my wife while my delightful children belted out "show tunes" all over the neighborhood.... but such was my life tonight.  Katie and Megan were singing Gaston's "ME" song from "Beauty and the Beast" - and they were doing it at the top of their lungs.  Not the quietest of walks.... but pretty funny none-the-less.   :)

In case you are blissfully unaware.... let me initiate you (I would send the kids over to sing for you - but they are in bed so this will have to do). 

PS.  Oddly - the girls say that they can see me singing this.... I am not sure that is a compliment. 

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Yikes.....People in Estevan drive much too quickly.  Seriously - some dude went flying by me today - he must have been doing 80 km/h in the middle of town.  Maybe those people should watch this 120 mph car crash video by the guys at the British show "Fifth Gear" (but don't watch it if you are a little freaked out by car crashes - even fake ones - b/c it is bad).  

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Awww..... Did you hear a story last week about a 100 year old man who set the record as the oldest person to complete a marathon????  Apparently, he isn't going to get his world record
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Ick!..... Having trouble Christmas shopping this year???? Don't know what to get that "hard to shop for" certain someone???   How about this?  One of John Lennon's teeth.... a steal at only $16 000!!!!
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Ha!.......PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. - A would-be car thief allegedly armed with an axe has learned a powerful lesson from a powerless car parked in a Prince George, B.C., driveway. Brent Jameson Morgan, 20, now knows that the Corvette he tried to steal on Sunday afternoon becomes nothing more than a four-wheeled holding cell when the battery dies and common sense goes out the window. RCMP Cpl. Craig Douglass said Monday that Morgan allegedly jumped into the idling Corvette just as the owner was putting away a charger used to revive the sports car's dead battery. The owner watched in disbelief as the suspect rolled up the power windows, locked the power doors and promptly stalled the vehicle. "Unfortunately for the (suspect), he was not good with a standard transmission and stalled the Corvette when he attempted to reverse out of the driveway," Douglass said. The shocked owner wasn't able to take any action because the man in his car was brandishing bear spray, Douglass said. With not enough juice in the battery to restart the car, the suspect was trapped inside the Corvette after failing to break the window with the victim's anti-theft steering wheel lock and an axe in his backpack. As police arrived, Morgan was attempting to exit the vehicle after allegedly smashing the driver side window with his screw driver — apparently for no good reason. "As it turns out, all the suspect would have had to do was manually slide the door lock to the side and the door would have opened," Douglass said. Morgan was arrested and his bicycle was removed from the scene. He's been charged with theft, mischief, possession of break-in instruments and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
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T-shirt of the day.......

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And lastly..... thanks to the Lawrence household our "It is what it is" tally now stands at 11.  We will definitely hit 20 by Halloween.... keep listening and let me know.
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Ok - have a great Tuesday!   :)

A little over the top!!??? (bonus post)

I am not a big Halloween fan... but this was interesting enough to post.  Not sure I would want to be their neighbours.... their power company maybe - but not their neighbours.   :)

Zzzzzzzz (18 of 30)

I am tired tonight.... it has been a long (but good) day.  The "Zzzzzzz" theme does not only apply to me though.... it also applies to my motorcycle.  I think it is done for the season and headed to its long winter nap. I have not take the plates off yet, but I ran the fuel stabilizer through it today and I think I will pull the plates tomorrow.  Forecast doesn't look that great so......
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I have often wondered if taking too many vitamins could be bad for you.... here is proof that maybe it is.
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And the t-shirt of the day.....  something to remember as you go about your week.

 Ok - I was serious about that "Zzzzzzz" part..... I am going to bed.

Ps.  I just about forgot this..... I watched 20 laps of the NASCAR race today.... David Regan after getting spun hard into the wall, "I really hate it for my team.  We had a good car.  It is what it is I guess".  So we are at 9 and counting.

A long day, something to make you squirm and a note to Melissa (17 of 30)

This is going to be a short post because it is 10:40 and we just walked in the door.  We spent the day at a wedding in Regina.... nice to be there, nice to see people but I still have a bunch to do tonight.  Besides, I went to the motorcycle shop today expecting to see deals on bikes and leather jackets..... and it was full of  snowmobiles........  SNOWMOBILES!!!!  I have been pouting ever since.... so you are just going to have to take what you get.  :)

And what you get tonight is a link.  Normally I check these things out before I post them (especially if they look really odd like this) but this is from the "Leader Post" so I am assuming it is legitimate (maybe someone can verify it for me, or I will do it later).  Anyway, you think that going to church is bad, check this out and be thankful that all you have to do is dress up and sit on a pew (if you do not like to be grossed out, don't look - seriously!)

And Melissa.... how on earth are you reading this blog????  Aren't you supposed to be 4 years old still??? :)  And how is "Wooie" righting a blog????  That does not seem right either.  Anyway, thanks for the link.... I will check it out tomorrow.

Ok - I will throw in a bonus "t-shirt of the day". This is sort of representative of how my brain feels at the moment......

  

More (but not necessarily better) stuff tomorrow.  Have a great Sunday!!!

PS.  The "It is what it is" count is at 8.... I heard NASCAR racer Jeff Burton say it today.  Seriously - 20 "sightings" by Halloween is totally possible.... to help out just comment on where and when you heard it and who said it and we will add it to the count.....ok?  OK!  :)

Two phrases I will never say, a dream lives and comments to commenters (16 of 30)

I am not a "Foodie".... in fact, I am possibly the furthest thing from one.  I think eating is mostly utilitarian and that is about it.  Oh sure, I have had some good meals... even memorable ones.... but overall eating is about "not starving to death" and that is about it.

So imagine my confusion today when Sari and I were watching this show about Italy and this restaurant owner (explaining how he has become successful) said, "I cook with LOVE" and "I learned to communicate using food".  Wa?

The only way I could communicate using food would be to throw it at you.  :)
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I was going to use this as a quiz, but instead I have decided to just give you the answer (it is too easy to look up):  The oldest ever NHL rookie was Connie Madigan who made his debut with the St. Louis Blues in January 1973 at the age of 38.  38!!!!

So you know what that means right????  I still have a shot!!! And if I make it I will set a new record too.

Better get my autograph sooner rather than later.
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My "It is what it is" total is now up to 7 times in three days.  Henry Burris said it 3 times on Thursday, Roberto Luongo said it once yesterday and I heard it 3 more times today.... twice on a show called "Top 10 NASCAR Bonehead Moves" (it was pretty good - you should look for it) and once more on the football game tonight.

I am telling you, it is an epidemic..... if you hear someone say it - write a note in the comments section.... I bet we can hit 20 times by Halloween.
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T-shirt of the day....... (you supply the music)

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And lastly this evening.... a couple of comments to the commenters.....


Well played "Mr. E"... turning my "Quiz game" into a "See if you are smart enough to figure out who I am" game.   Well I am not, ok??!!  :)  So I will need something more.... initials..... a location.... something before I can write the big cheque.


And Jennifer:  Nice observation about the irony about me ranting about the internet on the internet.  The fact is though that internet friends are the only real ones I have and if I can't go over to the neighbour's place and try to get to know them better (as I suggested people should be doing) because they said that they would call the police the next time..... and I am tired of talking to those guys.
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Ok - that is it.  Have a good Saturday.  Keep commenting.  :)

A sad day, quiz answer and other stuff

I just about cried when I heard this.....

NORTH BATTLEFORD BACON PLANT TO CLOSE IN 2013

Can you imagine????? What is wrong with people????? Less bacon is not a good thing!!!

If I had to vote for the two best foods, they would be Bacon and Potatoes.... and not necessarily in that order.

In fact, how can you tell that bacon is the best food out there?????  Because they use it to make other foods better.  Order a burger, "Do you want bacon on that?" (No one ever asks, "Would you like Broccoli on your burger?")  You can buy steaks wrapped in bacon!  You can even buy little "bits" of bacon to make salads and other awful things stomach-able.  

So - in honor of bacon's awesomeness - here are the "t-shirts of the day" (dee dooo daaa daaah dee do.... you are writing your own theme songs for "T-shirt of the day" from now on)

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An update:  I saw an interview with Vancouver Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo this morning.... guess what he said about his very slow start to the season..... "Well - it is what it is I guess" (I am telling you - boycott this phrase with your life.... see previous post if you are confused)

I will update the "It is what it is" count as the weeks go on.
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And lastly today...... someone (anonymous) wrote in with the correct answer..... Colbie Caillat was passed over by "American Idol" twice and now she is selling records like crazy.   Apparently, the female singer of the group "Lady Antebellum" was passed over too.  Which just goes to prove that it is not always about talent... sometimes it is all about timing and getting a break.

I have often said that about hockey players, etc.  It is not necessary the best player that makes it.  Sometimes it has to do with timing.  If you get drafted by a team that has a lot of goal scorers - and you are a goal scorer... you may not make it.  If you happen to be a checker, you may make it.  

I remember Brett Hull in his "Hall of Fame" speech a few years ago saying something like, "Who knows who the best hockey player in the world is???  There are probably a lot of working class guys playing rec hockey who could have played in the NHL and maybe made the Hall too - they just did not get the chance". 

So the next time you think you are a failure.... listen to some Colbie Caillat and smile.... life is not over just because someone says you can't do something.  Maybe they are wrong.
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Ps.  Dear anonymous.... thanks for answering my trivia question, but I am curious/need more detail:  Did you know the answer or did you look it up? (I stumbled across it on Wikipedia one day)   And who are you... I cannot award the prize unless you claim it. 

Ok - have a happy Friday everyone!!  :)

A Quiz, a statement and "T-shirt of the day" (14 of 30)

The quiz: 
Name the current top 40 pop music artist and former Grammy winner who was rejected by "American Idol" - twice!!!  (Not even getting to see the judges the first year and then having them pass in the second).
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The statement:
If there is a phrase that needs to be dragged outside and taught a lesson, it has to be... "It is what it is".   I was watching SportsCentre the other day and I have come to realize that this is now the go to phrase for every coach and every athlete in every situation...... especially when they have no idea what else to say.

"Coach - how did your team blow a 54 point lead with 23 seconds left to go in the 4th quarter?"

"Well, we tried hard, gave a 110%, left it all on the field,  no regrets , but I guess it is what it is".

Henry Burris, of the Calgary Stampeders, used this phrase about 7 times in a  2 minute interview the other day.   He was trying to explain why he played so poorly the last little while and why he has been benched and all he seemed to come up with was,  "Blah... blah.... blah.... it is what it is.... blah.... blah.... it is what it is.... blah".

Anyway - I am urging a boycott of this phrase.... but I doubt it will help..... but that is ok .....  it is what it is I guess
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T-shirt of the day (da dah dah dah dee dee da.... new theme music)

And a bonus t-shirt (dee dee daa da .... well you can sing the rest yourself)

Ok - that is it for today!  Thanks for your input to the "serious blog" Susanna.  Anyone else?

And - don't forget - take a guess at the top 40 pop singer that "Idol" totally missed.

Hello? (13 of 30)

Hmm - so my "serious blog" from last night netted an overwhelming response of nothingness.  From this I can only conclude that....

a.  You are still formulating your response
b.  No one is actually reading this thing and I am pathetically wasting my life ranting into a vast, bleak, lifeless cyberspace
c.  You don't turn to this blog for intellectual discussion and therefore completely disregarded my attempt at real, thought-provoking conversation.... but have no fear... today's blog will pull us out of the deep end and back to the safety of the (very) shallow end of the pool.


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Did you here this on the news:

US woman shocked by $201,000 cellphone bill

If not, click here to get the details (it will make you feel better about your own dilemmas if nothing else)
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And a new feature: (dah da da dah)...... "T-SHIRT OF THE DAY" (Read that slowly and dramatically with a really deep, manly, echo-y voice as if it is really interesting and exciting).   For the next several days, I am going to post a t-shirt that made me smile..... are you ready?????

(Da da da doo deee da da........that is the theme music for "T-shirt of the day")

Ok - that is it.... shallow.... non-thinking.... no effort on either of our parts..... :)

PS.  There is happiness in the land again as Sari and the girls came home today.  Even more happiness tomorrow when I take my motorcycle in to get the new tire installed - just in time to take the plates off of it.  Oh well, at least it will be ready to ride next summer.

PPS.  It is not too late to jump back into the deep end.... the "comments" section on my last post is ready and waiting for your deep, thought-provoking responses...... hello?

A Serious question(s) (12 of 30)

So after reading my "That was Creepy" post (see below),  my mother-in-law apparently told Sari that maybe she ought to be heading home... that maybe I was in need of some sort of mental help (I am paraphrasing here).

Be that as it may... Sari and the girls are still not home (so what does that tell you..... hmmmmm?).  But, in order to prove that I have not gone "completely off my nut" so to speak, I have a serious question for you.  One that I would really like some feedback on..... please give me your thoughts.  (PS.  If you go to church with us in Estevan, you are going to hear this again at some point - so either check out now or jump in and help shape the conversation).

Ok - here is my train of thought and what prompted it.....

1.  I saw a story on the noon news today about a new company in the States that is called "Rent a Grandma".  The idea:  instead of getting the 15 year old from down the street to look after your children, you "rent a Grandma"... an older lady who comes in and looks after the kids, maybe does a little baking, runs some errands etc.  Not a bad idea, right?  I mean, they have experience with kids.  They all have their criminal record checks done.  Best of all.... you know that they aren't going to be spending all night ignoring your kids while texting their boyfriends (or likely not anyway).

So here is the part that got me thinking:  People were RAVING over this idea.  I mean - it is a good idea - but they were going on and on about how nice it is to have this older person around, how they are benefiting from their experience, etc, etc. (Ok - hold that thought and let me bring in "Exhibit B")

2.  When Steve Jobs (the "Apple guy") died last week, there was this big outpouring of emotion.  I mean, people left flowers outside of Apple stores.  People were crying.  Several people on the news said stuff like "He changed my life".

Really????  I mean - he may have changed the way we listen to music, or the way some people use their computers or their phones, but "changed my life"?????   To the best of my knowledge, those people never met Steve Jobs.   Besides, even if he did "change the world", he was not doing it for humanitarian purposes.... he was not a "Mother Teresa" figure working with the poor in the streets of Calcutta (though I am certain that he was very generous with his money, helped people etc)..... he did what he did FOR PROFIT.  He was running a business!!!!  He was trying to create products that people wanted!!!!

Now - here is my question(s).... honestly help me out here.

What is going on here????  Are these stories a commentary on our society today????  (Let me explain)

Is "Rent a Grandma" a good idea because it is a "good idea" or are people so disconnected from their real families that they are longing for a "Grandma figure" (and Family in general)?  Could it be that people are so scattered all over the world - and so isolated from their loved ones - that any connection to someone who looks like a caring, motherly/Grandmotherly person is great (even if you have to pay for her to hang around)????

As for Steve Jobs:  In actual fact, Henry Ford did as much to "change the world" of the average person as Jobs did (maybe more).   Think about all the people who drove Model Ts and who still drive cars today.  Think about the assembly line (which he helped to perfect and popularize)..... now think about this:  Was there the same outpouring of emotion when he died????  No way!

So the real baseline question:   Are we just so "connected" to our world that the passing of Steve Jobs impacts because we have had access to people that we otherwise would not (so it is a "good thing")..... or....

Is our world so "disconnected" from real relationships and real people that we long for a real Grandma and we cry when as stranger dies as if he was a real friend of ours.


My bias (probably obviously if you know me or can read between the lines) is that I think that we are hopelessly isolated.  I think people know more about what Oprah thinks than they do about what their parents, their siblings and certainly their next door neighbour thinks.

I think we cry over Steve Jobs because we long for relationships, but do not have real ones.... so instead we get emotionally attached to movie stars, people in magazines and football teams (Just listen to how dismayed people are that the Riders are missing the playoffs.  I mean - nothing has happened to the guys in the coffee shop who are all down about it.... IT IS NOT HAPPENING TO YOU - WIN OR LOSE!!!) 

I think that we watch the news and think that somehow we are involved in something, so we react as if we are when really we are just sitting there.  Every night when I walk the dog - every house has the TV on and ... when I can peek through the window... I see two or three people just sitting there staring at it .... in house after house after house.... including my own (much more often than I like to admit).

So - are we better off for being "connected" or have our "fake connections" made us more isolated?

What say you?

(Ok - obviously I have had no one to talk to for several days.  We will go back to our regularly scheduled blog of silliness tomorrow).   :)

Research and a Video (11 of 30)

So I found this show "Dumbest stuff on Wheels"... it is sort of an "America's Funniest Home Videos" only with a lot more carnage.

Anyway I have watched one episode so far, but here are my observations up to this point:

1.  All the stupid things (like trying to jump over a moving car, or strapping a seat to the top of a car and then sitting in it while your buddy drives down a hill and into a lake) are all done by men.

2.  All the "caught on security cameras" incidents (like the driver who tried to leave the parking garage and ran into the steel post beside the gate, or the one where the car runs off the road and into a shop) are all done by women.

I will continue watching the show (I have 2 more on saved) and update you as I get more data.... but I think I see a trend here.   :)

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Hey - I know that this video has been around for a while (I am sure that I have posted it before) but it is still funny so I am posting it again.   Have a good week!

That was creepy!!! (10 of 30)

So I am out in the front yard raking up leaves - not because I want to, but because all of my "goodie-goodie" neighbours are out doing their yards and I felt like a jerk for having 14 feet of leaves on mine (By the way - have you noticed that the theme continues here... I work and Sari and the girls flit off to Dauphin.  Does anyone feel sorry for me yet??? No???? Interesting!)

Anyway  - back to leaves - I am out front and this guy is walking toward me.  Now, it is election time so I think he must be campaigning and since I don't recognize him I figure that he must be the "Green Party" candidate (no one knows the "Green Party" guys... not even the "Green Party" people themselves).

Turns out that he is not campaigning... he is selling security systems..... now here comes the weird part:

- He gives me his pitch and then says, "Other people whom you may know (he used "whom") have purchased our system..." and then he proceeds to list EVERY PERSON that I know in Estevan.  I mean EVERY LAST ONE!!!  It was like he was looking at my friends list on Facebook - if I had a Facebook page (spit!)

- Then he says, "Did you have a flood this spring?" (WE DID!!!  How did he know that???)  "We can put in a water monitor for you".

- Then (somehow) he slipped in the fact that he was from Israel.  I said, "I have been to Israel".  He said, "Where did you go?"  I told him and when he heard "Galilee", he says, "I am from Safed".  SAFED!!!!!  That - of course - is the home of "Kabbalah" the freaky, Jewish, mystical religion where weird things happen (Madonna is into Kabbalah - enough said, right?)  I even think that he smiled and winked when he said "Safed" too.

- Then I asked him, "How did you get from Israel to Estevan?  Like, how does that happen?"  His response..... "I don't know".   I DON'T KNOW!!!  How do you you end up here and not know how???? (I am guessing some rip in the "time/space continuum" or some "time travelling portal" or something.  Sort of like the way that the Ghosts of Christmas past/present/future in "A Christmas Carol" can move from place to place and through time with no effort)

- Then, when I told him that I was not really interested in his security system, he looked at the neighbour's house and said, "The people who live there are not the home owners, they are renters, right?"  (How did he know that????  Huh????)

- Now, those same neighbours just put a huge, inflatable black cat in their yard.... and dude did not go to their house!!! We all know that ..... whatever he would be called... (You know... there are times when I wish that I had read more science fiction stuff in the past and then I would have 46904369 names for "other worldly creatures who enter the human sphere" to use right here - but sadly I am not that much of a dork.... so I do not have a suitable name for them - so lets go with "Bruce")... we all know that "Bruces" (or would it be "Brice"?) do not like black cats, right?

- Then he just smiled and left (so obviously he was not really a salesman - they never take one "no" for an answer).  When I looked up like 3 minutes later.... he was gone.  No where else on the block.  Vanished!

- Oh and, to top it all off, after he left (like around 5 pm) it got very cold and dark outside!!!  (Now you doubters will point out that "It is the middle of October in Saskatchewan, you bonehead" - and you may have a point - still.....).   It was weird man.  He knew too much about me and my neighbours to be a "security salesman"..... I think it was some sort of "encounter" or something!!!

One another note:  When he was still here I thought about ramming a stake through his heart (you know, just in case) then I realized  (1) he was not a vampire so that likely would not have helped and (2) all my good stakes were in the garage and I was too tired to go get them.

Anyway - as you can imagine - it was a FREAKY experience.  I am just glad I survived.... but I have learned my lesson:  No more work for me! I am going to lay down and watch TSN the rest of the weekend.  :)

It is party time!!! (9 of 30)

Woooooo..... the girls are gone for three days (they went to Dauphin) so it is "Paaaarrrrtttyyyy tiiiiimmmmee" around here...... I am going to clean out the evestroughs, rake leaves, go to Peavey Mart, get my snowblower running, clean up my garage, recycle the oil from the oil changes I did yesterday, put some storage shelves together..... and probably cry myself to sleep because it is so quiet around here.  :(

Hurry home soon girlies. 

A Confession (8 of 30)

I am a word greek! I like knowing where words come from, why we use them the way we do, what they mean, etc. Therefore, one of my favorite places on the web is the video portion of the "Merriam-Webster" site.  It is called, "Ask the Editor".

I cannot upload the video (the picture above is just a screen shot), but I can provide a link, so click here to sample it.... or if you want to get REALLY CRAZY try this one...... do it.... I challenge you to watch these videos (or any of the others on the site) without smiling..... I can't.

WORD GEEKS UNTIE!!!!..... er....... UNITE!!!!