I never used to get Dilbert. I'd read the comic but I just never found it very funny. Then I started to work at Cover-All. Now, don't get me wrong, Cover-All wasn't a bad place and the people there weren't all like the people in the cartoon. But once I had worked in an office setting with many different departments (Marketing, Sales, Engineering, etc.) I suddenly found myself laughing so hard I would start to cry sometimes.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
I Love Dilbert
I never used to get Dilbert. I'd read the comic but I just never found it very funny. Then I started to work at Cover-All. Now, don't get me wrong, Cover-All wasn't a bad place and the people there weren't all like the people in the cartoon. But once I had worked in an office setting with many different departments (Marketing, Sales, Engineering, etc.) I suddenly found myself laughing so hard I would start to cry sometimes.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Alumni Soccer Tournament 2007
Another Alumni Soccer Tournament has come and gone. I was looking forward to playing in this tournament again. It's fun to play with people you only see once a year, you are all out of shape and you are playing against a bunch of kids who just came out of high school and have tons of energy. And, once again, I was planning on winning this year.
I was totally prepared this year. I had brought my old set of jerseys so our team would all look alike. I had put a number of pump up songs on my IPOD shuffle to listen to before the game while warming up. I didn't drink Coke between games and instead opted for Powerade, granola bars and fruit. Basically, with all that, I figured the other team should just hand us the victory because we were bound to win.
Not quite. We played Bethany in our first game and got trounced. They were flying off the walls and we were getting worked over. We managed to escape that game with a 4-0 loss. Then an hour later we had to play the younger Alumni team. This was a much slower paced game and although we played well we just couldn't score. We ended up losing that one 4-1.
So although we lost our 2 round robin games lucky for us everyone made the playoffs! After a hearty brunch of pancakes, sausages, toast, and cereal (thanks Glenda for the bowl!) I was ready to play again. This time our team came out flying. We changed up our formation a bit and it worked well We dominated the other Alumni team and won the playoff game 5-1. That put us into the final where we had to play Bethany again.
The final started off well and we scored first giving us the 1-0 lead, but Bethany bounced back and at half time it was 1-1. The second half was going ok, but 2 quick goals from Bethany and we were down 3-1. We came back to 3-2 but a little scrambly goal by them gave them anothehr 2 goal lead and it was 4-2 with about 6 minutes left. We then went on the offensive and pushed for a goal. It also started to get dirty. It had been an extremely physical game and not all the Bethany players understand how to play safe when you are playing around cement walls. I got checked into the stage one game by a guy twice my height and one of our players also got hit into a cement wall at the final by that same guy. We then started to fight back and some of the hits that were given by both teams were more geared for hockey then soccer. In our push for a goal we actually ended up giving up 2 more and lost with a final score of 6-2.
It was once again a lot of fun and I'm already looking forward to next year when we can once again try to win the glorious Bethany Cup!
I was totally prepared this year. I had brought my old set of jerseys so our team would all look alike. I had put a number of pump up songs on my IPOD shuffle to listen to before the game while warming up. I didn't drink Coke between games and instead opted for Powerade, granola bars and fruit. Basically, with all that, I figured the other team should just hand us the victory because we were bound to win.
Not quite. We played Bethany in our first game and got trounced. They were flying off the walls and we were getting worked over. We managed to escape that game with a 4-0 loss. Then an hour later we had to play the younger Alumni team. This was a much slower paced game and although we played well we just couldn't score. We ended up losing that one 4-1.
So although we lost our 2 round robin games lucky for us everyone made the playoffs! After a hearty brunch of pancakes, sausages, toast, and cereal (thanks Glenda for the bowl!) I was ready to play again. This time our team came out flying. We changed up our formation a bit and it worked well We dominated the other Alumni team and won the playoff game 5-1. That put us into the final where we had to play Bethany again.
The final started off well and we scored first giving us the 1-0 lead, but Bethany bounced back and at half time it was 1-1. The second half was going ok, but 2 quick goals from Bethany and we were down 3-1. We came back to 3-2 but a little scrambly goal by them gave them anothehr 2 goal lead and it was 4-2 with about 6 minutes left. We then went on the offensive and pushed for a goal. It also started to get dirty. It had been an extremely physical game and not all the Bethany players understand how to play safe when you are playing around cement walls. I got checked into the stage one game by a guy twice my height and one of our players also got hit into a cement wall at the final by that same guy. We then started to fight back and some of the hits that were given by both teams were more geared for hockey then soccer. In our push for a goal we actually ended up giving up 2 more and lost with a final score of 6-2.
It was once again a lot of fun and I'm already looking forward to next year when we can once again try to win the glorious Bethany Cup!
Monday, January 15, 2007
Snow Removal Incompetance
I've never really thought too deeply about snow shovelling. In my mind it's pretty simple. When it snows you go outside, shovel your walk and get the snow out of the way. I usually shovel my walk (or at least I did before I paid condo fees and someone else now does it) and put the snow off to the side so that it wasn't blocking the sidewalk or my car. If I was to hire a kid to shovel my walk, I usually assume that mens he will also clear the snow out of the way. If he were to shovel my walk and then pile it all up in one big pile at the end of my driveway I wouldn't pay him because the job wasn't done. He needs to actually move the snow out of the way. Apparently not all snow removal companies have that same philosophy.
After the big blizzard last week we had a lot of snow. The next day we had one bobcat s
how up and start shovelling a little bit of the road right in front of the garbage cans...that's it. No sidewalks, no roadways, just the area in front of the garbage cans. Whatever, I didn't really care and figured they'd be coming back later. The problem was how incompetant that bobcat driver was. Although he cleared the snow away from the garbage bins, he piled all the snow up right behind my neighbors car. So now my neighbors car was blocked in with a 10ft high snow drift behind her car.
So luckily she could now get out and go to work the next day. But it wasn't over. I was working in my office with my window facing the parking lot out front. As the day wore on I would glance outside and watch 3-4 bobcats driving around and shovelling out our entire townhouse complex. I never paid much attention to it and couldn't see directly below into my own parking stall. After work that day my wife came home and asked if I had looked outside at our neighbors parking spot. I told her I had seen it and she had been shovelled out last night. My wife said I should look at the latest update. I opened my door and looked outside. There, in my neighbors parking spot, was not a car...instead there was a 15ft high pile of snow! Those bobcats had dumped all their snow from the entire lot right into her parking spot!
What is wrong with these snow removal companies. Do they not have any brains at all? This is not the first time they have shovelled snow out of our townhouse unit. They know where the parking spots are and yet they still piled all the snow right in her spot. Now she has to park in the visitors parking spot (which has no plug in by the way and it's been around -25 degrees out all week).
And it's not just our townhouse unit. I drove to Staples on Saturday and what did I see. The snow removal company had piled all the snow from the entire parking lot (about 30 ft high) right in the parking spots closest to the store. Those are prime parking spots! They should be dumping that snow in the far back corner of the lot where nobody wants to park! And to top things off, some of the places where they piled the snow were handicap parking spots! Now there are no designated spots for handicap people to park.
All I know is that if I ever run a snow removal company I would be sure to shovel it and remove it properly, or at least put it somewhere where it is not affecting anyone. It's common sense you snow removal people!
If anyone does needs snow removal services, a high quality and efficient company is called FastCat Services. He will do an excellent job without making these mistakes.
After the big blizzard last week we had a lot of snow. The next day we had one bobcat s
how up and start shovelling a little bit of the road right in front of the garbage cans...that's it. No sidewalks, no roadways, just the area in front of the garbage cans. Whatever, I didn't really care and figured they'd be coming back later. The problem was how incompetant that bobcat driver was. Although he cleared the snow away from the garbage bins, he piled all the snow up right behind my neighbors car. So now my neighbors car was blocked in with a 10ft high snow drift behind her car.(Above) My car being covered in snow
from the "snow removal" people
Late that night I heard a loud machine outside and I peeked my head out. I saw a huge front end loader trying to maneouver around our parking lot and dig out my neighbors car (who by the way is a single lady and I'm guessing around 5-6 months pregnant). I talked to my neighbor later on and she told me she walked down the street and found this city front end loader and asked him to come and dig her out!
So luckily she could now get out and go to work the next day. But it wasn't over. I was working in my office with my window facing the parking lot out front. As the day wore on I would glance outside and watch 3-4 bobcats driving around and shovelling out our entire townhouse complex. I never paid much attention to it and couldn't see directly below into my own parking stall. After work that day my wife came home and asked if I had looked outside at our neighbors parking spot. I told her I had seen it and she had been shovelled out last night. My wife said I should look at the latest update. I opened my door and looked outside. There, in my neighbors parking spot, was not a car...instead there was a 15ft high pile of snow! Those bobcats had dumped all their snow from the entire lot right into her parking spot!What is wrong with these snow removal companies. Do they not have any brains at all? This is not the first time they have shovelled snow out of our townhouse unit. They know where the parking spots are and yet they still piled all the snow right in her spot. Now she has to park in the visitors parking spot (which has no plug in by the way and it's been around -25 degrees out all week).
And it's not just our townhouse unit. I drove to Staples on Saturday and what did I see. The snow removal company had piled all the snow from the entire parking lot (about 30 ft high) right in the parking spots closest to the store. Those are prime parking spots! They should be dumping that snow in the far back corner of the lot where nobody wants to park! And to top things off, some of the places where they piled the snow were handicap parking spots! Now there are no designated spots for handicap people to park.
All I know is that if I ever run a snow removal company I would be sure to shovel it and remove it properly, or at least put it somewhere where it is not affecting anyone. It's common sense you snow removal people!
If anyone does needs snow removal services, a high quality and efficient company is called FastCat Services. He will do an excellent job without making these mistakes.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Coca Cola Adventure
The day started off like any other normal day. My alarm went off, I lay in bed listening to the radio and then about an hour later I finally get out of bed and shower. The only difference was the howling wind outside. The news on the radio also said it was bad weather outside but I thought nothing of it. We live in Saskatchewan and nothing stops us! I was going to work no matter what!
After a quick breakfast I decided it was time to get to work. I opened my front door and looked out into what was the worst Saskatoon blizzard I have ever seen. The snow was about 1 ft high against the front door and my car had snow all around it. I shuddered, closed the door and was so thankful I worked from home!
The day progressed as normal and I occassionally glanced outside and watched as my entire front steps disappeared under a big snowbank. We no longer had a sidewalk as the snow was up to your waist. My wife phoned around 4:00pm to say she might not get home. I told her to just drive slow. She asked me if I had looked outside or knew what was happening in Saskatoon. I hung up the phone and quickly turned on the TV for a news break. There it was...the entire city of Saskatoon shut down. Schools were closed, businesses were shutting down early and everyone at once was trying to get home.
Now that was the city's first mistake. They shut down the schools, the buses weren't running and the schools decided that no one could walk home and that parents had to pick up their kids. So suddenly at 1:00pm EVERYONE at once leaves their work to go get their kids. Visibility is absolutely zero and the cars are gridlocked across the entire downtown. The police shut down almost every main road that people normally use and so the only way to get home was through the downtown. A regular 10 min commute was taking people 3-4 hours!
And I continued to sit in my home office and work. And then it happened. I wanted a Coke. I ran downstairs and looked in the pantry...no Coke. I looked in the fridge...no Coke. I looked at my antique Coke collection and picked up a bottle filled with the sweet nectar....NO!! I quickly put it down and ran back upstairs. I couldn't drink away my Coke collection. There was only one thing to do...venture out in the blizzard.
I put on my jacket, toque, gloves and headed outside with my shovel. I went out the back door and trudged my way through waist deep snow drifts to get to the front door. And I began to shovel, and shovel, and shovel. I was only wearing thin gloves and I suddenly could no longer feel my hands. The snow was blowing in my face and I barely made it back inside. If I was going to get a Coke it was going to be even more work than first anticipated. After thawing out my hands I ventured back outside with my shovel. I had to clear the parking spot so my wife could park when she got home and also clear a path to our front door.
I once again braved the outdoors and this time with thcker gloves. I was just finishing up the shovelling and had managed to clear a very small path to our doorway when my back gave out. I hobbled back inside thinking my Coke dream was over. But I refused to give up. I bundled up again with every piece of clothing I had and just as I stepped outside my wife came home. I thought my adventure might be stopped by some common sense, but no! Instead she decided to join me and our quest to Extra Foods began.
The wind was howling, the roads were slick and the Extra Foods seemed a long ways off. We walked in the middle of the road as the sidewalks were non-existant. As we trudged along I continually kept wiping out again and again as the roads were so icy. As my eyes began to water, my cheeks blown red by the wind and my nose as red as Rudolph's I suddenly saw the glorious lights through the blowing snow...no it wasn't heaven, it was Extra Foods. As we neared the front doors we were so happy to be there we ran to them just to get inside. As we approached the AUTOMATIC doors at full speed we realized too late that they weren't opening. We both crashed into the glass knocking ourselves to the ground. As I lay on my back and looked up I questioned my own sanity, but when I glanced through the glass window of the store there I saw it...a 2L of Coke just waiting to be bought. I staggered to my feet and we had to manually push open the doors like we were breaking into a sealed vault. Once inside I grabbed my Coke and made for the exit.
After a quick breakfast I decided it was time to get to work. I opened my front door and looked out into what was the worst Saskatoon blizzard I have ever seen. The snow was about 1 ft high against the front door and my car had snow all around it. I shuddered, closed the door and was so thankful I worked from home!
The day progressed as normal and I occassionally glanced outside and watched as my entire front steps disappeared under a big snowbank. We no longer had a sidewalk as the snow was up to your waist. My wife phoned around 4:00pm to say she might not get home. I told her to just drive slow. She asked me if I had looked outside or knew what was happening in Saskatoon. I hung up the phone and quickly turned on the TV for a news break. There it was...the entire city of Saskatoon shut down. Schools were closed, businesses were shutting down early and everyone at once was trying to get home. Now that was the city's first mistake. They shut down the schools, the buses weren't running and the schools decided that no one could walk home and that parents had to pick up their kids. So suddenly at 1:00pm EVERYONE at once leaves their work to go get their kids. Visibility is absolutely zero and the cars are gridlocked across the entire downtown. The police shut down almost every main road that people normally use and so the only way to get home was through the downtown. A regular 10 min commute was taking people 3-4 hours!
And I continued to sit in my home office and work. And then it happened. I wanted a Coke. I ran downstairs and looked in the pantry...no Coke. I looked in the fridge...no Coke. I looked at my antique Coke collection and picked up a bottle filled with the sweet nectar....NO!! I quickly put it down and ran back upstairs. I couldn't drink away my Coke collection. There was only one thing to do...venture out in the blizzard.
I put on my jacket, toque, gloves and headed outside with my shovel. I went out the back door and trudged my way through waist deep snow drifts to get to the front door. And I began to shovel, and shovel, and shovel. I was only wearing thin gloves and I suddenly could no longer feel my hands. The snow was blowing in my face and I barely made it back inside. If I was going to get a Coke it was going to be even more work than first anticipated. After thawing out my hands I ventured back outside with my shovel. I had to clear the parking spot so my wife could park when she got home and also clear a path to our front door.
I once again braved the outdoors and this time with thcker gloves. I was just finishing up the shovelling and had managed to clear a very small path to our doorway when my back gave out. I hobbled back inside thinking my Coke dream was over. But I refused to give up. I bundled up again with every piece of clothing I had and just as I stepped outside my wife came home. I thought my adventure might be stopped by some common sense, but no! Instead she decided to join me and our quest to Extra Foods began.
The wind was howling, the roads were slick and the Extra Foods seemed a long ways off. We walked in the middle of the road as the sidewalks were non-existant. As we trudged along I continually kept wiping out again and again as the roads were so icy. As my eyes began to water, my cheeks blown red by the wind and my nose as red as Rudolph's I suddenly saw the glorious lights through the blowing snow...no it wasn't heaven, it was Extra Foods. As we neared the front doors we were so happy to be there we ran to them just to get inside. As we approached the AUTOMATIC doors at full speed we realized too late that they weren't opening. We both crashed into the glass knocking ourselves to the ground. As I lay on my back and looked up I questioned my own sanity, but when I glanced through the glass window of the store there I saw it...a 2L of Coke just waiting to be bought. I staggered to my feet and we had to manually push open the doors like we were breaking into a sealed vault. Once inside I grabbed my Coke and made for the exit.
After once again prying open the doors to get out we headed home, but this time against the wind. Conversation was non-existant as we trudged on home, heads down and hoping that no car would hit us. As we rounded the corner exhaustion was setting in. My wife was up ahead when I hit some ice and slipped to the ground. She never saw me and as I lay there face down in the snow I realized my time had come. People had always told me that Coke would kill me and it was finally coming true. I was slowly drifting into unconsciousness when a thought suddenly struck me. If I die, I can't drink any more Coke. With renewed vigor I pulled my face out of the snow, staggered to my feet and forced one foot in front of the other as the journey continued. We rounded the final corner and our house could be seen. As the door was unlocked, I stepped inside and collapsed on the floor.
My wife, being the EMT, knew just what to do. She ran to the kitchen, filled a cup with ice and poured me a glass of Coke. She knelt down and touched the glass of Coke to my lips. The wonderful sweet nectar flowed down my throat and I sprang back to life. I held the wonderful cup holding the magic life giving potion and settled onto the couch for the remainder of the evening. As I slowly drifted off to a peaceful sleep, the last words going through my head were "It was worth it!"
Saturday, January 6, 2007
Napoleon Dynamite
So I'm a little behind the times, but last night I watched Napoleon Dynamite for the first time. I had heard so much about it. Nobody said anything bad about it, but everyone admitted it was a funny, pointless movie. I wasn't sure I totally believed them. How could a movie have absolutely no point, have no big actors, no real plot and yet still make a lot of money. What studio would let that movie be produced!?!
I sat down on Friday night and watched it. My wife had been called in to work so I was home alone. I put in Napoleon Dynamite to see for myself what this movie was about.
My answer: It was stupid. I sat there and watched the whole thing and finally it was over. Most movies about highschool have a plot to them where a nerdy girl turns beautiful, or a guy goes after a girl and gets her, etc. But this movie was basically reality. It showed Napoleon in a real life high school situation.
Was it funny? Well, it was funny in its own way that I had never seen before. It wasn't slapstick comedy which was good because I can't stand slapstick comedy movies. I like comedies that are funny, but not stupid funny. Some example of stupid funny movies are Scary Movie 4, Hot Shots Part Deux, etc. But this movie was funny because it was basically the real life story of a nerd in highschool and how he was treated. I just can't believe that someone would be quite that nerdy. I never saw anyone quite like that in my highschool, but then again our school didn't have mirrors!
Should you see this movie? That's irrelevant because I'm so far behind the times it's like giving a review on Back to the Future...you've all seen it already! But if you haven't, why not? Rent it, laugh if you can laugh at how stupid his life is, and use it as an excuse to eat a lot of popcorn and Coke!
Did you like the movie? Anybody willing to admit they dance like Napoleon?
Thursday, January 4, 2007
I Want to be a Better Soccer Coach
For the last many years I've been coaching soccer. Started right after Bethany in 1998 and haven't really stopped since. I've coached a lot of different teams at a lot of different age groups...and I LOVE it! Often I only feel like a mediocre coach and I've always wanted to get better and improve my coaching ability.
Then a couple years ago I decided I wanted to pursue the next level of coaching - my Provincial B License. I started to work with some other coaches and we did practice sessions with players. The problem was I never fully dedicated myself to making it a priority and never went to take the exam as I was never ready.
Well, that has all changed. I forgot to mention it in my list of New Year's Resolutions, but it really isn't a resolution...it's more of a goal. By the end of this year I want to have my Provincial B License for soccer.
Now it's great to have a goal, but this time I also have a plan to back it up. I, along with 3 other coaches, are in a mentorship program with the Eastside Soccer Technical Director. He is going to work with us from now until October and prepare us for the Provincial B License. And he's not making it easy! I am going to have to perform 40 training sessions (above and beyond the 2 training sessions I do each week with my current team) before October 1st. They will be with all sorts of age groups and all sorts of skill levels and genders. The Technical Director will be at each one and will basically treat each one as a test, just like they will at the Provincial B License exam. He is also making us write a written exam to prepare us too!
Now I could go the easy route and just attend the Provincial B License in October on my own with the knowledge I currently have. But these 40 training sessions will definately help prepare me so that it is second nature to me. That way I will lower the nervousness I'll feel on exam day and can be confident in my abilities.
Tonight we had our first meeting and now I need to plan out when I want to do all my sessions for the next 3 months. So stay tuned as I keep you updated on my progress!
Then a couple years ago I decided I wanted to pursue the next level of coaching - my Provincial B License. I started to work with some other coaches and we did practice sessions with players. The problem was I never fully dedicated myself to making it a priority and never went to take the exam as I was never ready.
Well, that has all changed. I forgot to mention it in my list of New Year's Resolutions, but it really isn't a resolution...it's more of a goal. By the end of this year I want to have my Provincial B License for soccer.
Now it's great to have a goal, but this time I also have a plan to back it up. I, along with 3 other coaches, are in a mentorship program with the Eastside Soccer Technical Director. He is going to work with us from now until October and prepare us for the Provincial B License. And he's not making it easy! I am going to have to perform 40 training sessions (above and beyond the 2 training sessions I do each week with my current team) before October 1st. They will be with all sorts of age groups and all sorts of skill levels and genders. The Technical Director will be at each one and will basically treat each one as a test, just like they will at the Provincial B License exam. He is also making us write a written exam to prepare us too!
Now I could go the easy route and just attend the Provincial B License in October on my own with the knowledge I currently have. But these 40 training sessions will definately help prepare me so that it is second nature to me. That way I will lower the nervousness I'll feel on exam day and can be confident in my abilities.
Tonight we had our first meeting and now I need to plan out when I want to do all my sessions for the next 3 months. So stay tuned as I keep you updated on my progress!
The OC is Finished
NEWS FLASH!
The OC has been cancelled by FOX and the last episode will air February 22. I'm going to log out and go cry now.
New Years Resolutions
I am not a fan of New Year's Resolutions. I feel it is a great way to set yourself up for disappointment when you don't fulfill them. So in the past if I did make any resolutions, I just had them in my head and never shared them. That way if they didn't get fulfilled no one was the wiser.
But this year I'm singing a different tune. I've decided to make some resolutions and actually stick to them. Here are some of them:
But this year I'm singing a different tune. I've decided to make some resolutions and actually stick to them. Here are some of them:
- Get back in shape - I'll do this by running and also lifting weights downstairs
- Have a weekly date night - I want to spend more time with my wife
- Blog more often - I've been having trouble with Google lately, but this will happen
- Work less - The month before Christmas I worked way too much. Not again.
- Write my book - This will be my book of stories
- Play more poker - Resolutions don't have to be negative!
- Attempt to do one of my many ideas I come up with
Well, there you have it. So far I'm doing pretty good on them. I have some big plans for 2007 and I'm looking forward to getting started.
Monday, January 1, 2007
A New Beginning
The new year brings new beginnings. It has been just over a year since I started this blog and I've decided that changes need to be made. I'm trying to accomplish too much with one avenue. Therefore, as of today I will no longer be writing Fact or Fiction stories on this site.
WAIT WAIT WAIT!!! Don't go yet! Hear me out!
As I've said, I'm trying to do too much with one avenue. The original focus of this blog was to write stories and post about my life. I really want to do more with the stories part of the blog and in order to bring it to the next level I feel it needs it's own website. So, the stories aren't disappearing forever...I'm just working on setting up a separate site for just my stories.
So stay tuned for the big announcement when I launch my story page! As for the rest of my life, this is the place to be and I'll continue to update this blog on a regular basis with all the fun filled happenings in my life!
WAIT WAIT WAIT!!! Don't go yet! Hear me out!
As I've said, I'm trying to do too much with one avenue. The original focus of this blog was to write stories and post about my life. I really want to do more with the stories part of the blog and in order to bring it to the next level I feel it needs it's own website. So, the stories aren't disappearing forever...I'm just working on setting up a separate site for just my stories.
So stay tuned for the big announcement when I launch my story page! As for the rest of my life, this is the place to be and I'll continue to update this blog on a regular basis with all the fun filled happenings in my life!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
