This was certainly one of those days where you have to ask yourself what you're doing in the arctic, thousands of miles from anyone that you know. And not because the windchill was -42.
It's not that anything terribly specific happened to make me question the sanity of it all, it was just one of those days. If we're up here for the adventure, and the adventure doesn't really seem to be that fun, is there really a point to continuing? I guess there comes a time when you have to say - if it's not fun anymore, there better be some money in it. We're only one week away from the close of our fiscal year, and we've been doing great since we got here. There is a possibility that we're due for a great bonus, but we'll have to see when it gets here, and I'm not about to count my chickens before they hatch. And that will only bring me to the next question - was it worth it. Who knows, maybe they'll move us to a new place by then that will be awesome, and this whole day will be mute.
Stay tuned.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Steelers Win - Small Redemption
With the Steelers pulling out a five point win, I get back to a 4-6 record following the Bears loss. I'm obviously not nearly as smart as I think that I am. With all of the experts saying that the Packers can't be stopped now that they have their brand new running game, I was busy telling folks that having success for three games against poor run defense teams doesn't mean that you suddenly have a running game. Well, their running game looked pretty good today. And, how was I supposed to know that the Bears would be down to their third string quarterback?
It's a good thing that the Steelers staked themselves out to a 24-0 lead, because they needed every bit of it to hang on to the lead from a late charging Jets team. Lucky for me, my private hockey picks were a lot smarter than my football picks, so that any of my minor wagers all seemed to pay off so that I could do a little better than breaking even.
I've got some hockey rule changes to go over tomorrow.
Stay tuned.
It's a good thing that the Steelers staked themselves out to a 24-0 lead, because they needed every bit of it to hang on to the lead from a late charging Jets team. Lucky for me, my private hockey picks were a lot smarter than my football picks, so that any of my minor wagers all seemed to pay off so that I could do a little better than breaking even.
I've got some hockey rule changes to go over tomorrow.
Stay tuned.
First Night Out
After being here for five months, we were finally invited for our first evening out. In Repulse Bay, the cop came to introduce himself on our second day there, and invited us to play cards on Saturday every week until we finally gave in about one month in.
It was a pretty interesting event. The couple (and I say couple, but they're actually brother and sister) were very French, and spoke to each other multiple times through the evening to try to figure out which words to use. She, of course mentioned very plainly that we obviously had no choice but to forgive them, since we after all were only speaking one language, and were of no benefit to the language confusion at all. He is here as a school teacher, and has brought his two sons. His wife is also a school teacher, but in a completely different community up the coast. His sister, that is here in his house, has been brought along for the sole purpose of home-schooling his two boys. Very strange set-up!
The meal started off with an artichoke salad, with a vinegar dressing, lots of onions, and piles of parsley. Good thing there was lots of bread and wine to wash it down! The main course was a Thai chicken and vegetable mixture over rice, which was much more palatable than the appetizer.
The wind is picking up, the forecast calls for wind-chills of -47, but it's barely -35 right now. Hopefully the forecast is wrong, but I guess we'll find out. I was obviously planning on watching the football games anyway, so bring it on old man winter.
One week from today (weather permitting), I should be winging my way to Winnipeg. I guess we'll see how that goes.
Stay tuned.
It was a pretty interesting event. The couple (and I say couple, but they're actually brother and sister) were very French, and spoke to each other multiple times through the evening to try to figure out which words to use. She, of course mentioned very plainly that we obviously had no choice but to forgive them, since we after all were only speaking one language, and were of no benefit to the language confusion at all. He is here as a school teacher, and has brought his two sons. His wife is also a school teacher, but in a completely different community up the coast. His sister, that is here in his house, has been brought along for the sole purpose of home-schooling his two boys. Very strange set-up!
The meal started off with an artichoke salad, with a vinegar dressing, lots of onions, and piles of parsley. Good thing there was lots of bread and wine to wash it down! The main course was a Thai chicken and vegetable mixture over rice, which was much more palatable than the appetizer.
The wind is picking up, the forecast calls for wind-chills of -47, but it's barely -35 right now. Hopefully the forecast is wrong, but I guess we'll find out. I was obviously planning on watching the football games anyway, so bring it on old man winter.
One week from today (weather permitting), I should be winging my way to Winnipeg. I guess we'll see how that goes.
Stay tuned.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Conference Finals Preview
New York Jets at Pittsburgh Steelers: This should be a fantastic game! The Jets have shut down Payton Manning and Tom Brady in back-to-back weeks. The Steelers only played one game, but it was a tough one. Troy didn't do much in that game, but I expect him to be a game-breaker in this one. I wouldn't be surprised to have several lead changes, at least three turnovers, and it might just be the special teams that make the difference. Really tough to call, but I'm going to take the Steelers by 2.
Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears: This should also be a fantastic game! The Packers did a lot more than I expected last week, and should prove to be much more than a pushover. The Bears looked pretty good as well, but let's face it, they were playing the Seahawks. The Bears should be rested and prepared, while the Packers might just be in over their heads. I'm expecting it to be a really tight contest, also several lead changes, but the Packers can't do it without some turnovers and lucky bounces. I call Bears by 4.
I'm only 3-5, it's probably going to get worse before it gets better, and only three games left.
It's still bitterly cold, Rico has reverted back to screaming when I make him stand outside, and our porch is filling up with snow. Ahhhh... winter in the arctic. Hopefully the wind dies, planes fly, freight comes in, and nobody asks me to make any deliveries.
Stay tuned.
Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears: This should also be a fantastic game! The Packers did a lot more than I expected last week, and should prove to be much more than a pushover. The Bears looked pretty good as well, but let's face it, they were playing the Seahawks. The Bears should be rested and prepared, while the Packers might just be in over their heads. I'm expecting it to be a really tight contest, also several lead changes, but the Packers can't do it without some turnovers and lucky bounces. I call Bears by 4.
I'm only 3-5, it's probably going to get worse before it gets better, and only three games left.
It's still bitterly cold, Rico has reverted back to screaming when I make him stand outside, and our porch is filling up with snow. Ahhhh... winter in the arctic. Hopefully the wind dies, planes fly, freight comes in, and nobody asks me to make any deliveries.
Stay tuned.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Blog 101
Winter is finally here! It comes with bittersweet feelings. On the one hand, it took so long to get here, everyone's talking about how this never happens, and we came to the arctic expecting winter. On the other hand... man it's cold! The temp is about 27, but the windchill is more like 37. It's howling outside, and it definitely creeps right into the house. The dogs sure don't seem to have any sense of appreciation for it all. The ocean finally froze over on Monday, and Tuesday had several snowmobiles cruising around on the surface. It's a little late, but by the time it's over, I'm sure that I'll wish that it never came.
This is blog 101. Some days I get several ideas, blog one, and write down the rest. The next day, I'm searching for that piece of paper, because I've just got nothing. The hits seem to have the effect. I go days without much, and then 15 in a day (like yesterday). We're over 700 in total, from 17 countries now, and this month alone is over 100. It comes and goes - like my ideas. This one's pretty much nothing but fluff, but with 15 hits yesterday, I felt like I owed something. So, here I am, phoning it in. Tomorrow should be the conference finals preview.
Stay tuned.
This is blog 101. Some days I get several ideas, blog one, and write down the rest. The next day, I'm searching for that piece of paper, because I've just got nothing. The hits seem to have the effect. I go days without much, and then 15 in a day (like yesterday). We're over 700 in total, from 17 countries now, and this month alone is over 100. It comes and goes - like my ideas. This one's pretty much nothing but fluff, but with 15 hits yesterday, I felt like I owed something. So, here I am, phoning it in. Tomorrow should be the conference finals preview.
Stay tuned.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Worn Out Welcome
Pierre MacGuire - it's time to go.
You know, I may have been the only one, but I actually appreciated Pierre when he first came on the scene. It was mostly due to the fact that most of the time, when he was trying to make a point, and was showing a replay from the game, most of the time it wasn't a goal, or even related to or leading up to a goal. He was just showing somebody either doing their job well, or missing their assignment. Pretty much everyone else that I had seen, or have seen since, only show jobs well done or missed assignments that are leading to goals.
I'm not sure if he created it, but he was the first one that I heard talking about "creating time and space". It seemed reasonable at the time, but now every game that I watch (and I have centre ice) has every commentator talking about time and space. I'm really starting to get tired of it.
Then, there's the frequency with which he feels the need to use the word apoplectic (greatly excited or angered). Just because you know one word that the average person doesn't know, does that really mean that you need to use it every day? Instead of working so hard to find ways of using your one word, why don't you use half of that effort to learn some new words.
My Mom always said "It's better to leave too soon and have people wish that you had stayed longer, than to stay too long and have people wish that you had left earlier". Pierre MacGuire - you should have left sooner.
Stay tuned.
You know, I may have been the only one, but I actually appreciated Pierre when he first came on the scene. It was mostly due to the fact that most of the time, when he was trying to make a point, and was showing a replay from the game, most of the time it wasn't a goal, or even related to or leading up to a goal. He was just showing somebody either doing their job well, or missing their assignment. Pretty much everyone else that I had seen, or have seen since, only show jobs well done or missed assignments that are leading to goals.
I'm not sure if he created it, but he was the first one that I heard talking about "creating time and space". It seemed reasonable at the time, but now every game that I watch (and I have centre ice) has every commentator talking about time and space. I'm really starting to get tired of it.
Then, there's the frequency with which he feels the need to use the word apoplectic (greatly excited or angered). Just because you know one word that the average person doesn't know, does that really mean that you need to use it every day? Instead of working so hard to find ways of using your one word, why don't you use half of that effort to learn some new words.
My Mom always said "It's better to leave too soon and have people wish that you had stayed longer, than to stay too long and have people wish that you had left earlier". Pierre MacGuire - you should have left sooner.
Stay tuned.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
You Win Some - You Lose Some
With two games, I was almost to the point accurate. Steelers by 7 (exactly like I said), and Chicago by 11 (when I called them by 10). Then, there were the other two games. Way off! That leaves me at a pathetic 3-5 record. Going perfect for the remaining three games would only put me one game above 500.
I spent 10 hours stripping and waxing the floor at the store today. Awesome way to kill a day off!
I'm sure that I'll mention it again, but I'm scheduled to head back to Manitoba for about 10 days at the beginning of February. It's all business, and probably not a lot of fun, but there is the first day (weather permitting) that I should be able to get some business done, and spend a few minutes with family.
Anyway, even though I didn't write yesterday either, I'm exhausted - so that's it.
Stay tuned.
I spent 10 hours stripping and waxing the floor at the store today. Awesome way to kill a day off!
I'm sure that I'll mention it again, but I'm scheduled to head back to Manitoba for about 10 days at the beginning of February. It's all business, and probably not a lot of fun, but there is the first day (weather permitting) that I should be able to get some business done, and spend a few minutes with family.
Anyway, even though I didn't write yesterday either, I'm exhausted - so that's it.
Stay tuned.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)