Weakerthan (insert item here)

I'm going to see one of my favorite bands here in Winnipeg tonight.
They are known as The Weakerthans, and the happen to be local talent.
It's a good way to kick off Christmas week, although I only have a few days off...

Have a Merry Christmas everyone, and I'll write you after the big turkey feast.

OUCH!!! Son of a .....

I went for my steroid injection today. I decided that if an injection was going to give me 3-6 months relief at a time, let's do it.

I arrived early to check in, and go put on my fashionable gown.
After a few minutes, the Doctor, his Fellow, 1 resident, and 1 nurse led me into the procedure room.
I was placed face down on an x-ray table, as placement is very precise during this injection.
They started with a little freezing. Everything was going o.k. After a few minutes, I told the Doctor that my left leg was starting to hurt.
His Fellow (a Doctor which has finished his residency, and is taking further education) stepped in to inset the stylet and the IV contrast to again check placement. At this point, my leg was slowly starting to hurt more and more.
He said "you'll feel a little pressure here." Boy, did I. It was such a different feeling, one that only a pregnant woman opting for an epidural or a person getting a spinal tap would appreciate.

After a few more pokes, prods, and episodes of "pressure", he looked at the attending Doctor.
He explained that they were having difficulty putting the contrast into the right space, as I had quite a bit of scar tissue around the "bad" vertebrae.
They took the time to set up two TV monitors beside me, where "I could watch what they were doing-for my viewing pleasure."
I could stand watching for a few minutes, but then the pain took over, and it took all I had not to roll onto my side into a comfortable position.
By the time this supposed 10 minute procedure was almost done, we were going on minute 50.
During one of the final shots, I told the Doctor I was feeling nauseated and very flushed.
The Doctor told me that was normal, what was happening was called a "vagal response" where too much stimulation of the Vagus nerve caused a brief moment of lowered blood pressure.
I know from Nursing experience that when inserting a suppository, or disimpacting somebody can give a person a similar response. Thankfully, they weren't anywhere near my ......area.
I went white as a sheet, and felt as if I had the flu. I sat around for a minute, drinking some water and making small talk, but to be honest, I don't remember much of what I was saying.
After I got my color back, I was led back into the office where I got dressed and went to go greet Ali. She said I was still pale. The Doctor said I was looking waaaay better.

So, here I sit four hours later, still a little stiff, and with a slight headache. The good news is, I get to see Butterbean tonight, and see if the bean has beans or no beans.

Overall, I say this was worth the pain. They now know where to go the first time next time, so no hour long procedure for me. I can only compare it to chewing on a mouthful of tin foil, while getting bitten by a dog. Good night.

In need of a holiday

It seems that Ali and I are very swamped at work lately. I'd like to say that we're both busy due to the holiday rush, but I think it's just a build up of a lot of crap that just seems to hit the fan all at the same time.

The weekend can't come fast enough. Ali has her Christmas party this weekend, then it's my ward Christmas debacle, er, party the following weekend. This is the only time in my life I've seen a room full of professionals go crazy, doing shooters like it's last call, and drinking other various drinks form some questionable containers such as tube feed bags, and foley catheter bags....
Don't worry though, they're straight from the packages.

On Thursday evening, we're going to a private ultrasound clinic to look at Butterbean. I'm excited to see how he/she has grown since his/her first photograph at age 8 weeks.

I managed to get the TV of my dreams after all. My parents went to Bemidji Minnesota with my aunt and uncle for Black Friday.
I ended up getting a 46" LCD Sharp Aquos for the low low price of $999. That's no typo, I saved over $1000 by buying during the sale. After the baby is born, we'll introduce them to a great TV show called Nanalan. The puppets on there are hilarious, and the mailman is constantly flirting with the old granny, so there's some adult humor in it too. It's my second favorite kid's show....my favorite kid's show mentions me and a guy named Paul a lot. Take note Mike, maybe Chris and Paul can be a good influence for once? ;)

Wow, look at the time. It's almost 9 O'clock.....bedtime.

A sound that's sweeter than a new Tragically Hip album

I went with Ali to the doctor's office today.
As she got comfortable on the table, the doctor squeezed some cold ultrasound gel on, and then it began.....

My first experience of our baby's heartbeat. I counted the beats per minute in my head, as the doctor checked the baby's rhythm, and compared it to Ali's. It sounded good. I'm not just saying that because it's OUR baby, it really sounded good. I made eye contact with Ali, and it honestly took everything I had not to start to bawl like a little girl. I had an image to maintain after all.;)

Lately, I've been watching TLC shows like Bringing Home Baby, and A Baby Story. I'll call Ali at work with updates. I know Ali will be a good mom, and she's pretty tough, so I think she'll handle everything pretty well.

We both had to get some blood work today. As we were standing in the waiting area, a four year old boy was getting impatient waiting there with his mom. He started demanding that they go for a drink NOW, and started peeling off his jacket, followed by his sweatshirt. He was running around the room wildly, in nothing but his little Levi's jeans, and a white muscle shirt. He had very light blond hair, which was buzzed right down to trailer trash length. You'd understand if you saw this poor kid. His mom had no control over him, and he even ran into the lab itself a few times. The mom stood by the door, and demanded that the boy get back to his seat. At one point, a lab technician actually had to walk the boy back to his seat. When the mom told him that he was "pissing her off", he cocked back his little arm, and threatened to give her a hay maker.
I laughed at first, mainly because I was shocked, but mostly at the mom's reaction. She crouched down to his eye level, looked him straight in the eye, and said "go ahead, I dare you."

After three or four of these threats, he took her up on the dare.

I guess he was paid back in the end though, it was him that needed blood work.

Five more sleeps.

They did it. Reggie's favorite CFL team, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers made it to the Grey Cup.
They will be playing the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who are probably our biggest rival.

The best thing about this year's Grey Cup is that it includes the league's most passionate fans. Toronto will never be the same after this week.....

I'm able to meet Jeff (my friend from Nassau) tonight. He's flying back tomorrow, but we'll go out for a few drinks later. Here's hoping that I can talk him into coming back this way for Christmas.

Today also marks week 15 of Butterbean watch 2008. I get more a more excited everyday, just imagining every situation of everyday life, then adding a baby to the mix. I get particularly excited thinking about me carrying him or her in the baby carrier, you know, the kind that goes on like a reverse backpack, and the baby hangs freely in front? Yeah, that's the one. I need both hands free to clap and cheer at next year's Bomber games, after all.

My only other dilemma is, do I buy the little blue jersey, or the little pink jersey?

I'm thinking of starting a baby pool. $10 to enter. You pick the gender, and date/time. Whoever gets the closest splits the pot 50/50. What do you think?
If you don't want to lose any money, just pick for fun. ;)

Go Butterbean!!

Go Bombers!!

It's gonna be a good year.

Do I still have any readers???

Man, I really gotta keep kicking myself in the butt to do this blog again.
I've been busy with work, football and taking care of my (family) that I haven't put much thought into this blog.

I'm sure by now I've lost a few readers, but I'll make a strong effort to blog at least once per week from now on.....

My Blue Bombers did it again this week. A last second field goal won us the game, so it's off to Canada's butt hole A.K.A Toronto for the Eastern finals on Sunday. I'll watch the game with my dad and my brother in law. I'm looking forward to calling him uncle and my dad "grandpa".

I've officially retired my Cavalier last week, and am currently driving my dad's car. I tell you, it's hard to give up command start and heated seats, but I have to. The weather is only going to get colder.

I've volunteered to work this Christmas, with the assumption that I'll get next year off. All of my co-workers thought I was crazy for offering, but that was before they found out the news.
It makes me feels so happy to hear all of the ladies congratulating me, and giving me a hug. I know they are all genuinely happy for us.

My friend Jeff is coming home this week. He is the Bahama Mama's boyfriend, and a real good friend of mine. He moved to Nassau just after our wedding, and I haven't seen much of him since. I told him to give me a call when he's down, and if I have to, I'll call in sick to see him.
It should be a good time.

Aside from that, I'm just working, and trying to fix up my back, which is slowly starting to feel better.

Until next week, (promise!)

Chris

A time to remember.....and playoff football.

This weekend marks Remembrance day. Both of my grandfathers were in the Military, along with me and my mother.

With all of the stuff going on these days, it's hard for people to remember the older vets. I think I have shown my displeasure in the past when people only consider these newer soldiers "heros."
I think of the bad situations the old vets faces, the second rate equipment, the sub par food and shelters these guy had to endure.
I don't doubt that today's soldiers have rough conditions, but they also have better equipment as well. Not to mention the better support they get when they finish their tour. I only wish they would get more counselling, as a lot of these guys/gals suffer some serious post traumatic stress disorders.

On a lighter note, this weekend also marks the start of the CFL playoffs. My Blue Bombers are facing the Montreal Alouettes in the Eastern division semi-final. Ali will be escorting me on that day, so I forewarned her that I will be vocal. This is the best time of the year for football.

My back is slowly getting better. I'm going to physiotherapy twice a week, and it's helping, but I suffered a setback yesterday. My physiotherapist was checking my hip strength, and aggravated the Sciatic nerve in my left leg. I was in a lot of pain for the rest of the night, and was kind of pouting a little bit. It just gets frustrating sometimes when you can't seem to find a comfortable position. I'm proud to say though, I haven't missed a day of work because of this.
That also makes me a little bitter, when I have some co-workers who call in sick because they have a sore back or a sore shoulder. I say free massage therapy for all health care workers.
Feel free to sign my petition.....

So, remember to pause on Sunday at 11:11 a.m. and remember to give thanks to the brave men and women who are out doing our dirty work, and helping those who need it most.

Passing the buck

Not much news here today, but please feel free to read Ali's blog....

What'd you call me?

I was thinking of the nicknames I've had while growing up.

When I was young, the first nickname I remember having was "punkin". Both of my grandpas called me this. As I got older, I moved on to the ol' standby "buddy" from my uncles.

It's funny how some people keep nicknames their entire lives. My father in law is a railroader, and all of his friends still go by their childhood nicknames. There's pickle, Ed, (whose real name is Rick)
Siderod, (my father in law) and a bunch more. Basically half of my hometown goes by a nickname.

When I was in the military, I was known as "Tank man" as a spin on my last name, or "Tank-o".
I agree, they're not very creative, but what do you expect from a bunch of gunners.....
There was an instructor who would pair up all of the guys who looked alike. We had Itchy and Scratchy, and I happened to paired up with Sinkins. What brilliant names did they call us, you ask? Sinkis and Minkis...

Ali and I have our own nickname for each other now. We call each other "Shy", which is ironic, because we're far from it. It is a shortened version of another word, which really isn't so endearing......let's just say it involves one of the controversial scenes for the South Park movie.

What were some of your nicknames growing up? What do you call your loved ones now?

Goin to a rock show

Tomorrow after work, I'm joining a friend to see the band The Sadies.
They are playing a small venue, and personally, I prefer a small venue to a big arena show.

I saw this band once, when they opened for my favorite band The Tragically Hip. I'd describe them as an instrumental band, with lots of 60's surfer style music. It should be good.

As I was returning a movie tonight, I heard of another good band called Sunset Rubdown. They are playing here in Winnipeg on Halloween, and I'm hoping to see them as well.

After all of these, I have tickets to see The Weakerthans on December 22. This will be a good early Christmas present.
The best part of all three of these shows is that they are all in 200-1000 person concert halls.

It should be a good few months of rock and or roll...........

Spare change?

Usually, I'm all for giving some spare change if they are polite about it.
As Ali and I were driving home from a little shopping today, I saw the strangest thing.
I was in a turning lane, stopped at a red light. An elderly man and his wife were in front of me.
I looked around as we waited for the light to change. There were a couple of street people walking around, scouring the ground for any loose change, or aluminum that they could cash in.
As I looked ahead to the car stopped in front of me, I noticed that the old man had opened his car door. I thought that he was going to give these people some money....

Here's what happened next. The old guy bent down to the ground, and scooped up a few coins that were lying on the road. What a cheap bastard!! He was driving a nice Buick sedan, he was a veteran, and he was collecting a pension!!!
As if he really needed that fifty cents on the road. To the people in that area, extra change could mean some food (hopefully) or some other necessity. Ali and I were floored. I've seen people refuse to hand out change, but to collect it from the road, just because you're a cheapskate? Not cool in my books.

Speaking of cheapskates, I bought myself some shoes for $15 and got Ali some fancy pants for $1 at this giant warehouse sale today.

My back is feeling a little better. It looks like I may avoid surgery, and opt for some Cortizone injections to help relieve some of the swelling. I hope they work.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

For John

Hey all, (especially John) I realize I've stalled a bit again.
It's funny, when I say I won't let the lack of blogging get the best of me, I don't do it.

My back feels a little better. Today was the first day back to work, and the 12 hour shift was the first test. So far, so good.
We have another group of students on our ward right now. I get excited to teach students new things, and sometimes consider teaching part-time at my old College. I had one instructor in particular who always bugged me to apply....

These days of Fall are kind of depressing. I leave for work, it's dark. I drive home from work, it's dark. The only time I see daylight is when I look out my patient's window.

My parents are going to Cuba next week. They are going to the same location where Ali and I enjoyed our honeymoon. Cayo Coco is a small "finger" just off shore form the mainland. It was abandoned years ago by the local fishermen, who were finally over-run by mosquitoes. When they left, they left behind their livestock, and even now you can find wild goats, cows, and dogs roaming around the streets.
Now that Cayo Coco is suited for tourists, it's fogged for bugs, and actually quite beautiful. We still say that Cuba has the nicest beaches we've seen. The people there are also very friendly.

I took my mom out hunting last week. My dad was working nights, so he was sleeping during the day. I wanted to go hunt some Grouse, and my mom wanted to go along for the drive. I think she got into it more than me. As I was scouting out the woods for birds, she had her head completely out of the car window, scanning the treeline for any movement....
We got 5 birds in our two mornings of hunting, so I was happy.

That's it for now. Time to relax before the chaos known as hospital life resumes tomorrow.

A blog of few words....AKA random thoughts.

My back still hurts.

My team won (again!!!).

I'm officially on holidays now.

I'm content right now. Except for my back hurtin'.

Ali made a good dinner tonight. :)

More hunting is fast approaching.

Some fishing (fingers crossed) is fast approaching.

More blogging (fingers crossed) is fast approaching.

I'm excited for the crunching of leaves beneath my feet. I enjoy Fall weather.

I have the urge to go to a concert. Any concert will do right now.

I AM going to a concert, but sadly, it's not until December 22nd. Have you heard The Weakerthans?

I still want to be a drummer in a band. I guess I should start practicing....

When does 24 start again? (The best show ever).

That's all for now.

Is this 2005?

The reason I ask is, in 2005 I had this constant nagging pain in my left leg. It actually started in 2003, but I didn't have a chance to get it diagnosed until 2005. It turned out that I had spinal stenosis, where the space in your vertebrae slowly closes over time, eventually putting non-stop pressure on all of your nerves running down each leg. On top of that, I had 2 herniated discs.....

After months of waiting for MRI's and CT scans, I was booked for back surgery in March 2005.
Everything has been great ever since. No back pain, no leg pain, I regained the ability to walk long distances again, and eventually play baseball and run again.

About two weeks ago, this all changed. I don't remember hurting or twisting my back, the pain just suddenly re-appeared again, shooting down my left leg. I don't think I would hesitate to have surgery again, the only concern that I have is that the Surgeon who fixed my back the first time has since stopped doing back surgeries. I spoke with a doctor on my ward the other day, and he has booked me in for an MRI to see what's going on. In the meantime, I'll try physiotherapy and other topical pain relievers, hoping that my MRI gets done sooner than the last one, and that my back can (hopefully) get fixed once and for all.

I find it ironic that I work on an Orthopedics ward, dealing with back surgeries, knee surgeries, broken arms and legs, and every nurse I work with has back/leg problems of their own. Suddenly working in a clinic doesn't sound so bad.

On a lighter note, I have one last week of holidays approaching soon, and hope to do some more hunting and watch some football games. I might have a chance to head to Denver after all with my dad. If that's not sweet enough, it would be a Monday night game versus Tennessee. I can picture it now - me with no shirt on, painted head to toe in blue and orange paint (Denver's colours) with a sign reading "I came all the way from Winnipeg to be on Monday Night Football"
Beautiful, isn't it? Is it a coincidence that I share a birthday with John Madden?

Locked, and loaded!!!

This weekend marks the opening of Grouse hunting in Ontario. I love the fall weather, walking down a bush trail, smelling the smells of fall, and hanging out with my dad.
I have been hunting since I was 14 years old. I've never gotten into deer or moose hunting, mainly because of the costs. Bird hunting is relatively cheap, and shotgun shells are fairly inexpensive.

My uncle has asked if I'm interested in duck hunting this year. I think I will take him up on his offer. He has been an avid duck hunter for years, and after his heart attack (on Christmas) a few years ago, he has kind of slowed down in terms of hunting. Unfortunately, he still smokes like no tomorrow, but he has quit drinking, so I guess it's a start. It's funny how people suffer a life altering injury/illness, be it beating cancer, surviving a heart attack, etc., make lifestyle changes for a while, but then return to their old ways shortly after. I see this everyday at work. A good example is a diabetic patient getting educated on the importance of foot care, only to be admitted six months down the road, booked for a below the knee amputation, simply because their sandals have worn an ugly hole between their toes. Sometimes an amputation is necessary, but if the doctor told me I had a chance at saving my foot, I would go all out.

Sorry for that rant, back to hunting. Ducks have incredible eyesight, so you have to be extremely stealthy when you hunt them. There are all sorts of blind that are available to hid behind. My uncle used the kind of blind that you slip into, similar to a sleeping bag. A camouflaged screen covers your face, and when the ducks fly over, you open up, and fire away.
I've been so tired lately, I just hope I don't fall asleep while lying there. Imagine drifting off to sleep, listening to the grass in the fields blowing around, the cool fall air filling your lungs, then suddenly BOOM BOOM BOOM!!
I think I might poo the blind a little....

Wish me luck as I stalk the ever-so-dangerous Grouse and his trash talkin' buddies.

Is bowling a real sport?

We had our "official" baseball windup last night. The bar that sponsored us gave us 15% back of our total bill at the end of the year towards a party. I thought we did fine, ordering a steady flow of pitchers of beer, wings, and a few pizzas. When we got the bill, we still had a $75 credit attached to our tab.....and I thought we were hardcore.

After finishing up there, a group of us decided to go bowling. We insisted on 10 pin bowling, and overall we all had a lot of fun.
As Ali and I walked into the bowling alley, the Monday night league was just winding down. Men of all ages, ranging from 18-65 were there, some with matching shirts, all of them with a beer in their hand in between throwing their custom bowling balls down the lane.
I couldn't get over the beer guts that these men had. You think of every other sport, most athletes are in some kind of shape, even if they are a "weekend warrior", but these guys were all pretty, uh, doughy....

I think everyone had fun. After each strike or spare, we would run along, and high five everyone in our path. My friend Lindsay even patented his "cleaning up" move, where he would simulate sweeping up the lane. As usual, the beer was watered down, and I had this feeling that they were trying to rush us out. The lanes closed at 11 p.m. and we were still going strong as most of the staff left, the cleanup guy swept around us, and the lights were slowly shut down one by one.
I guess I would classify bowling not so much as sport, but more like a social gathering. That suits me just fine.

What's on my mind today...

This is a post about nothing....I'm back to work, the weather sucks, and I'm feeling kind of crappy lately.
Here's some randomness.

1. We'll probably start looking for a house again soon. I'm excited, but also a little nervous.

2. I'm still in the good books with my manager. She actually helped me with some "nursing" stuff today.

3. I want to teach somebody something. More specifically, I'd like to have a student again.

4. I'm currently on a body wash kick, and I have to say I might never go back to soap again.

5. Ali made really good pizza tonight.

6. I want to go on a vacation really bad right now. I'm thinking beach, and warm water.

7. People who talk on their cell phones while driving still make me want to snap.

8. I want to get another tattoo soon.

9. Ali has been cranky lately, but so have I.

10. I'm working all weekend, so I avoid painting the bedroom. (Yessss!)

11. I hate our current bank with a passion.

12. My legs are hurting after my run tonight.

13. I'm concerned about my sudden onset of back pain again. The same kind which required surgery a few years ago...

14. I'm tired, and am going to try to get Ali to bed early tonight as well.

15. Why am I numbering these?

16. I wonder what would happen if you sneezed with your eyes open?

17. I talked my friend Aaron into buying a "Neti" pot for his allergies. Thank you, Dr. Oz...
If it works, I might get one too.

Back in the good books?

After arriving back home in Winnipeg today, I received a message on my machine from my manager. She just wanted me to know that she has moved a few days of my work schedule around to allow me to go to the remaining football games. I gave her the Blue Bomber schedule earlier in the year, and she said she would try to switch those days around. It's amazing what working a few overtime shifts can get a guy hey?

My holidays are coming to an end. I went to visit my parents for a few days, got out fishing with a buddy, and ate some good food. This weekend is the annual "Banjo bowl" between the Bombers and our prairie rivals, the Saskatchewan Roughriders. This is a good weekend of football, and now they have turned it into an entire weekend of festivities. There is a pancake breakfast on Friday, where you can schmooze with some Alumni. On Saturday, there is a fan appreciation day, with kids activities, games, and a concert at night. Sunday is the big game.

I still have one week of holidays left in October. My dad and I were tossing around the idea of heading to Denver to see our beloved Broncos play, but I don't know if our schedules will allow it.

Last, but not least, I'm home with Ali. I was gone only four days, but sleeping alone in a bed just seems to lose it's appeal after about an hour or so. I'm looking forward to curling up in our king-sized bed, talking and laughing in the dark, then having a good night's sleep next to my wife.

I'm glad to be back home, blogging again, watching football practice, and getting back into my normal routine. In a strange way, I'm even kind of looking forward to getting back to work on Monday.

L'il tidbits...

This week, I'm hoping to do a little golfing, some fishing, and some relaxing. The past few weeks have been pretty stressful at work (see previous post), so it will do me some good to get my mind off of work.

Summer looks like it's coming to an end here. The weather was nice today, but the leaves are slowly turning yellow, and fluttering down to the ground. I think fall is one of my favorite seasons. It symbolizes the football playoffs, good fishing, and walking on the crunchy leaves while bird hunting.

We will be resuming our hunt for a house soon. It was nice looking earlier in the year, but since then we've taken a few months off, and decided not to tease ourselves by looking and not being able to buy.

While I was watching the game with some new friends today, I was noticing every one's little nervous "tics". One guy would shake his head, as if he was saying "no", one guy would chew on the inside of his mouth, and another guy kept rubbing his eyes. This got me to thinking - what are some of my nervous habits?
I've recently stopped biting my nails, however I still cave and bite the thumb and pointer on each hand for some reason....
Also, when I get tired, I start to blink very hard. Ali usually noticed this, and scoots me away to bed. I think those two are my biggest nervous habits. What are yours?

Sometimes I hate my job...

First, let me explain. On Orthopedics, I usually see people pretty battered, but usually fixed up, and walking out the front door. The last few weeks, we have had numerous people admitted who come in with a fracture, and then receive the news that they found a "spot of interest" on the x-rays. Lately, this has been cancer.

An oncology nurse will be exposed to these people everyday, and therefore get a sense of "comfort" around cancer patients, meaning they will know what to say to them, and how to offer support. One of my patients received the devastating news yesterday, and today found out that it was inoperable.
She began the day with "I got some bad news yesterday." I knew what was coming, but didn't really figure it would work into my normal morning routine. As she told me the news, her eyes welled up with tears, and her voice began to tremble. I just held her hand, and told her that with today's technology anything was still possible. Now I know that we are professionals, but I am human first. As I was telling her this, my eyes filled with tears too. I'm sure everybody knows someone who has been hit by cancer. I told her that I would do everything possible to make her stay with us a comfortable as possible, and to ask any questions that she or her family had. Doctors are notorious for walking into a room, telling a patient some bad news, then excusing themselves as if nothing happened. We the nurses are left to do the damage control, and personally I wouldn't have it any other way. This is the hardest part of my job, but the most necessary as far as I'm concerned...

I consider myself lucky to be able to give this lady some hope and some laughter, even if it's for a short while. Sometimes I really hate my job, but sometimes I really love it too.

Baseball is fun....please tell that to the other teams.

I missed the first game last night, as I was at the Blue Bomber game.
We got beaten so badly, that they stopped the game after the fourth inning.

Skip ahead to today. I was able to play today. I was going to say I was able to help my team today, but we are really in over our heads in the division that they placed us in. We are ranked 16th of 16 teams in "C" division, and have been outscored a total of about 54-6 in three games.
It's too bad, because we're supposed to be playing for fun. I just wish the other teams got that same message.
It turns out Aaron (co-manager) was talking to the Commissioner of the league today, and he has the nerve to say "Oh yeah, I was looking at your stats. I think I should have put you in another division." You think?

Tonight we go to a house party, which is technically our "unofficial" windup party. At least I can drink away my sorrows. It will be short lived though, we still have two games to play tomorrow. Yay......

The big difference maker next year will be the matching T-shirts. That, and I'm buying cleats.
Wish us luck!!

Back, after a little break

I realize I've neglected my blog lately. As it turns out, I'm also a member of Facebook, which can be addictive at times....
I've just returned from Ontario, where Ali's family from down East was visiting. I tell you, there's something a little intimidating about having five teenagers surrounding you in a house. Non-stop eating, belching, farting, laughing, wrestling, complaining, being lazy, and eating again can be a lot to observe when you're not used to it.

I have my final baseball weekend coming up on Saturday, and I think we'll do alright. We have an "unofficial" windup party at a co-worker's house Saturday night, then the real deal the following week.
Before all of this though, my dad will venture into the big city for another night of football on Friday. They are honouring Milt Stegall pregame, so that will be exciting. It's a good thing we'll be there at 5:30 when the doors open.;)
When I was at my parent's house on the weekend, I couldn't help but notice all of the Blue Bombers merchandise that my dad and I have. My car has a few decals on it, as do my dad's Altima, Neon, and their new van. When I walked inside the house, I hung my Blue Bomber lanyard beside my dad's Bomber jacket and his Bomber pullover. At that time, I was wearing my new Bomber sweatshirt.....
If all that wasn't enough, I bought my dad a Bombers mouse, which I'll give him on Friday.

Sorry I've been neglecting you, my little blog. I promise to get back on board.

Idiosyncrasies of an Aries mind....

Title credit to my wife, Ali.
It was just, uh "suggested" to me that I write a blog. I've been in holiday mode for the last week, and truthfully, I don't think I'm out of it yet.
I worked 16 hours yesterday, because they were short staffed. Big surprise - short on a weekend. In the middle of Summer. It floors me that the powers that be aren't smart enough to see this trend happen every single year. They will be shocked when it happens at Christmas too. ;)
I say hire extra seasonal staff, just for these occasions. Department stores do this every year. Why? Because they know they're going to be busy. The last time I checked, Hospitals are open 24 hours a day, unlike a Target or the mall....

That's my soapbox for the day. I'm happy for Ali right now, because I know she's going to get to see the Bahama Mama this week. I haven't seen my best friend for a while, and wish we lived closer so we could hang out more. At least I have the option of jumping into my car and driving to see him, whereas Ali would have to book a flight. If I could just figure out a way to not work, or have to pay for airfare....

The NFL preseason is upon us, and my beloved Broncos play tonight. This is always a good indication of summer slowly coming to an end. I enjoy fall though, even that much more now, as my dad and I have starting bird hunting again. I love the smell of rotting leaves, and the many different colors we see as we walk down a quiet bush trail in pursuit of the dangerous Ruffed Grouse....

I'm still on board with the workout regime. I gotta say, it's kind of addicting. I'm sleeping better, having fewer leg cramps, and starting to feel better all around. Who knew exercise was good for you?
I'm a little embarrassed. I am constantly teaching healthy living to my patients, but never practiced what I preached until now. By the way, drink more water.

I'm off for a bike ride now. Gotta watch my girlie figure.

A quick pitstop...

Hey folks, I'm back in the big City for few nights. I have to maintain the control of my baseball team after all.
My cousins from Toronto are down in my area for the next few days, so I'm hoping to head out to their cabin and do some fishing. My other cousin is visiting from Alberta, so I'd really like to see her too. It looks like I'll be a road warrior for the next couple of days.

At the last Bomber game, the manager at the Bomber shop offered my dad and I some free Blue Bomber hard hats. I gladly accepted them, but thought afterwards that I will probably not wear it anytime soon. I do plan on taking it to practice one day, having a few guys sign it, and give it to a co-worker of mine who has a young son. I'm so nice. ;)
If it looks too good though, I might have to keep it for myself.
I still have a few days off from the hustle and bustle of the hospital, and I plan on spending it relaxing by the beach, working on my tan, fishing, swimming, tubing, and visiting.
See you next week.

Too humid to think

My holidays start this week, and I have no official plans. I've always been one to just pack up and do something, so I think I'll be fine this week. I want to do some fishing, golfing, and maybe some swimming at the local park.
Ali and I will have the weekend, then I'll be with my parents for the next week or so. Of course I have my baseball team to look after next week, and I'm actually surprised that we'll be able to field a team, with it being a long weekend and all....I guess they love beer as much as I do.

This current heat wave has me feeling very lazy. I don't want to leave the A/C, and my car doesn't have it, so driving really sucks. I'm very thankful that I have an indoor job now.

Aside from that, nothing else to report here. It's been a lazy day, and now I'll have a lazy night at work.
I actually cleaned up a little around the house, just to stay cool. I promise I'll do more on Thursday when I get up.

I like fire....

So Mr. Stegall got the record. 139 TD's and counting.

I was also thinking of how much I like sitting around a fire with people. There is something soothing about watching the fire. It could really put me to sleep. Thanks to our hosts, Zig and Alyssa. I wish I could have stayed all night. Unfortunately, I had to work today, so I ducked out early.
Sitting around with a group of people puts me at ease. I never feel shy, or reluctant to talk to anyone. I guess that's why Ali and I get along so well. We're both social butterflies.
It's usually a competition between Ali and I to see who can get the most laughs. We feed on each other's jokes and stories, and usually go off on our own little tangent, but I digress.
I really have the urge to go camping now. We had mentioned camping last night, but a few people sound a little to "high maintenance" to roll with us. We set up a tent, sleep on an air bed, and do all of the cooking over the campfire or our Coleman stove. That's camping. Not a huge 300' RV like some people I know. (Reggie). ;) By the way, does that thing have it's own satellite?
Maybe if I ever camped in an RV I'd change my mind, so I'll hold judgement for now....
We always have the invitation to go camping, we just have to actually pack up and go. Maybe next weekend? Nah, too hot.

Friday night lights

Tomorrow is Friday. Around here, this means a Blue Bomber game. My dad will be making the trip here from Ontario, and we'll head down to the stadium early.
I love game day. Seeing people walking around in their jerseys, waving flags, and honking at each other as they excitedly make their merry way down to the stadium just gets me so happy.
Enough of that, I know I've already told you before about the whole CFL experience....
I now have two Bombers flags which I fly proudly from my car. The one is quite large, and to be honest with you, it hurts my arms after holding it in the air for a while.

Tonight will consist of me cooking a BBQ chicken, watching another CFL game on T.V., drinking a Corona or two, driving Ali to her girl date, then relaxing for the night. I'm very much liking the idea of sleeping in tomorrow. I have been up at 5:40 a.m. the past few days, and gotta say, that's just a tad too early for me.

I just hope I forget it's game day tomorrow. Ah, who am I kidding, I'll probably sleep in my jersey tonight....

Go Blue!!

Just like Dicky Simmons, I'm sweatin' to the oldies...

Sometime about two weeks ago, I woke up and decided to get into shape. I guess I'm not really overweight, I just wanted to do a few things differently to feel better about myself.
I have been lifting some light weights for a while now. I've bumped up the frequency, and when you do slow reps the correct way, any weight will work to your advantage.

Since my back surgery in 2005, I have wanted to be able to jog pain free. I tried running on the soccer field one day to lessen the impact on my back, and felt no pain. Now, I'm trying to run three to five days a week. I figure this will also decrease the frequency of my leg cramps, which really hinder me sometimes, as well as prevent me from snoring - which Ali will also appreciate.

I notice the days don't drag as much now either. I seem to have more energy throughout the day, and feel better at night. I guess I'm lucky, because I never really crave chocolate or pop. Just lots of water.

I'm trying very hard not to treat this as a phase. This is really becoming a routine, so it is getting easier, and I actually look forward to running. I just wish the weather would cool off a bit. Running when it's 39 Celsius kind of sucks...

Aside form that, I'm looking forward to the Bomber game on Friday, and a bonfire with friends on Saturday. After that, it's four shifts, then holidays. Maybe I'll finally get to go fishing again.

Breathe in.......breathe out.......

This weekend, I hope to relax. I was telling Ali that I have been just sitting around here, but I never truly relax for some reason. In our hometown, it's always a little easier to....relax.
I'm going to bring my golf clubs. I was hoping to do some fishing, but I'll golf any day.
Also, I'm picking up my car again. I was able to get it to my good mechanic, and it apparently has been running well for him.
I get to visit my best friend again. It's been forever since I've seen him, and I think we're both in need of some "guy time" involving some good conversation, and some cold Coronas.

After this relaxing weekend, I will return to my beloved baseball team. We are still slowly getting better, and I have noticed a better team feeling at work now because of the team. Everyone gets along a little bit better now, therefore making work more fun. Speaking of fun, I was flattered the other by my co-worker Aaron. We were sitting in our break room, and the conversation turned to how crazy I am at work. I'm constantly singing a song, or doing some stupid dance moves just to keep the mood light. While one of my friends was on holidays in England, I picked up her rotation, thus allowing me to work with Aaron everyday. He went on to say that working with me so much was the most fun he's had on our ward yet. That made me feel good. I like when everyone enjoys my company, and can have a laugh at work. May I remind you that this is usually reserved for co-workers. I turn on my professionalism like a light switch when I walk into a patients room. ;)

I just wish I could muster up some of that energy during the drive to work in the morning. Ali is all fired up, and I'm sitting there like somebody just shot my dog. I guess it takes a large coffee to stimulate my, uh, ....funnybone.

To be young again (no thanks)

Last night, I stepped back into 1997. I was 19, living on a Military base, and was free to come and go as I pleased. First things first, Ali always lets me do what I want. I just have to make sure that I call her, and give her an update.
Getting back to last night. After our weekly baseball game, the team headed to our sponsor's for some beer and wings. My friend Aaron is still home alone, as his wife and son are in Alaska.
As we were leaving the restaurant, Aaron invited me over for a beer. Since I was driving him home anyway, I called Ali and let her know that I would be a little late.
As it turns out, somebody else heard this invitation, and before you know it, the entire team was figuring out how to get to Aaron's house. Since I'm the responsible one, I offered to be designated driver.
We get to Aaron's house, file into the basement, and begin socializing. A few people are playing cards, some others are having "girl conversations" in the corner, and Aaron and I talked about our tastes in music. His dad used to own a music store, and Aaron is in the process of cataloging the entire collection to sell on E Bay. As I leafed through the many pages of CD's/LP's, we reminisced over certain albums, and where we were when we first heard them.
After the beer was gone, the host wanted to continue serving his guests. He cracked out a bottle of homemade red wine, and offered it around the room. Being one of two people not drinking (Justin is the baby at 20, and only drinks Iced tea) it was getting a little boring. I just sat there and rocked out to Nu Shooz and a few others, and let everyone else have some fun.

11 p.m. quickly came and went. At 12 midnight, I decided to call Ali and tell her that I was still there, and would be leaving soon to drive people home. We finally left at 2 a.m.
Now, I feel old staying out past midnight. We all had today off, so I guess that's why everyone decided to stay out late.
I'm all for going out to bond with co-workers, but next time can we go somewhere and be home in bed by 10?

Insert power ballad here

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Eighth wonder of the world. Guitar Hero II for the Playstation 2.
This game has overtaken me, and Ali is starting to crave it now too.
The concept is simple - you use the controller, which is the "guitar" pictured above, and you have to play various songs using the color coded buttons. Let me tell you, this would be a blast at any get together.
As you can see, I was really belting out a power ballad to Ali last night before I headed out the door to work.

In other news, I had to drop off my car at my mechanic's last week, and decided to go with my parents to Bemidji Minnesota for a day of shopping. Bemidji is a nice town, with a nice feel to it. It's on the lake, and it's a small town feel with big city shopping. The Target, 24 hour Wal-Mart, and Herberger's are a few of our favorites.
It's so nice there, my parents make the 1.5 hour trip every second week or so. My dad even said he would like to live there, and giving that he really doesn't say much about living anywhere, that's a big deal.
This is where I bought my game that forever changed my view of guitar playing. Ali has her guitar, I now have mine. I think I'll name him Joey. It goes with Ramona quite nicely.

Getting better

Our baseball team is getting pretty good now. It took us a few weeks to start to gel, and considering we are the new team, being our first year together and all, we're doing alright.
Most teams we are playing have been together for four to five years.
Our current record is 8-14. If the playoffs started right now, we'd be in the "C" division. It still pisses me off that there is a team that is undefeated after 22 games, outscoring the other teams 260-55. We have a mercy rule, and the game is called if the other team is ahead by 10 runs.
How fun would that be? You go out with your team, destroy the opposition, then go home after only 30 minutes of baseball. Woo!

The best thing I enjoy about playing is that you get to see your co-workers outside of the work environment. We have to maintain a certain level of professionalism, so it's kind of hard to be "yourself" all the time.
You can relax, have a few beers, and tell those bad jokes without repercussions.
I'm really looking forward to the playoffs at the end of August. Go Skeletal Remains!!!!

P.S. I didn't pick the team name.

All right Winnipeg, you ready to RAWK?!?!

On Friday, Ali and her co-workers had their annual pig roast. This was the first time I have ever eaten slow cooked-peel-from-the-bone pig, and it was goooood.
Amazingly, the BBQ was over by 10:30 p.m. and as expected, we were some of the last people to leave. Some other "highlights" of the day included me suffering a mild sprain to my left ring finger from a football, me getting hit in the "no-no" zone by that same football, and then Ali's boss getting hit in the face by a smaller football, causing him to lose a lens from his sunglasses, and get cut on the bridge of the nose. To nobody's surprise, he left shortly thereafter.
The main lesson of all this? Don't play catch when you're drinking.

As we headed back to Zig and Alyssa's house, we were talking about a new video game that Zig had purchased. It was called Guitar Hero II, and it has consumed me. Since I am not gifted in the art of guitar, this will probably be as close to a "rock star" as I'll ever become.
You hold this mini guitar, select a song from the play list, then have to strum and hit the colour coded strings in time to the music. I've gotta say, even though I sucked, it was a blast.
I vowed the next time I play this game I will try it left handed. It was weird playing a guitar on the opposite side of which I am used to.
Get ready Zig, I'm ready for round 2.

Untitled

Hmmm. What's new with me?
I finally get back to co-ed living tonight, as Ali and I have been on separate schedules for the last week or so. I'll be nice to have a home cooked meal, and spend some quality time with my wife again. In case you were wondering, I'm roasting a Mesquite BBQ chicken with rice and veggies.

My parents will be in for a quick visit this week. My dad will be joining me at the football game, where one of the all time best receivers in the CFL, Milt Stegall will go for the record in touchdowns (138).

Why is it that my arms always tan darker than my legs, when they've both received the same amount of sun? Furthermore, why does the skin just above my knees tan darker than the rest of my legs? Is this just me, or does it happen to everyone?

I really want to go camping. We haven't made it out yet this year, and with my holidays only being at one week intervals, I have to spread myself pretty thin. My wife, best friend, and cousin from Alberta all want to do different things. I'll just roll with the punches, and see what happens. I was never one to really plan anything out anyway.

Lastly, my beloved car is acting up again. Spitting and sputtering, it made it out to the baseball diamond and home last night, but I think it's only a matter of time before he croaks again. Now I"m just waiting for that dreaded phone call from the mechanic. I hope it's a cheap fix.

I'm back, and I'm ringin' the bell..

Title taken from a rapper wanna-be, Vanilla Ice.
The week was good, we had a huge storm on Monday night, then Tuesday and Wednesday were kind of cold and cloudy as well. We managed to catch lots of big fish on the last day, and, as usual, it was sunny and warm the day we left.
Ali and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary yesterday, and we hung out at both of our parent's houses throughout the day.
I am now back in Winnipeg, heading to work tonight, then enjoying a few more days off this week.


Quick update - Winnipeg Blue Bombers are 1st place in the Eastern division after a thrilling OT tie in Edmonton . WOOO!!
We now have 1 single point.

Gone fishing

This will be my last post for a few days. I'm heading up to NW Ontario for my annual fishing trip with my brother/father in law.
It will be nice to get out of the city for a while, sitting on the beach at sunset, and fishing all day long. I like the idea of staying at the cabin while we're out there too. There's something soothing about listening to the waves splash up on shore, and to hear Loons calling in the distance.
Time to de-stress. It's kind of like a spa treatment for men.

P.S. I have my 2-in-1 body wash, so I get to jump in the lake, scrub up, and rinse down. I just hope the water is warm. And our host doesn't go skinny dipping again.

A ho hum kind of day

There's not much going on today. Ali and I might catch an early show, then it's off to work tonight.

I was thinking of things I used to do when I was a kid. My parents always took my sister and I camping, and I remember we used to have a canoe, from which I'd fish, hopelessly trying to catch something even though my line was only about ten feet behind the boat.
We used to go to some surrounding areas swimming quite often too. All of my childhood pictures involved me being outside, in the water, fishing, camping, or feeding large birds at the zoo. Apparently, I loved the peacocks.

These are all things that I hope to do with our kids during their early years. My dad said it best when he said they chose to have kids, and we were going to be their lives. I guess their friends didn't have any kids, but always proudly sported their new boats, campers, cars, etc.....
My parents proudly sported us.

One of my favorite pictures from when I was younger involves me and my younger sister. I was about 5 and Jen was 2. We were out for a day of swimming and fishing in a small town called Stonewall, Manitoba. The picture was taken as Jen and I sat on the dock, looking up at the camera. Jen has that "little- girl- forcing- a- smile" look, and I am proudly wearing a Blue Bombers T-shirt, with my long sun bleached hair. I miss my sister right now. I think I'm going to give her a call....

I don't like that "next blog" feature

You see that? Right above this heading, there's that evil little Next blog icon.
A few times, I've clicked on it to stumble across the odd interesting blog, but most of the time it's ads for some business, or people trying to sell you stuff. And, of course with the Internet the way it is these days, I've also clicked that icon to bring up a porn site. On blogger? Are you kidding me?
That has to be the biggest "speed bump" of the Internet. You can't even Google something innocent, such as "Mother's Day gifts" or "Discount toys" without being linked to some nasty site.

A few years back when I was in Nursing school, I decided to write a paper on disciplining your kids, and brought up the debate of whether to spank your kids or not. I went to Google to find information, but to my surprise, those weren't the kinds of articles I wanted. Somehow, I don't think gag balls and leather would be fitting in my paper.

Years ago Ali wanted an idea for a Mother's day gift. Again, no useful sites came up, just some crap which we quickly shut down.

I cringe when I think of our kids playing on the computer. I know they have filters and different settings, but I won't trust them.

This has been my rant for the day.

P.S. Four more sleeps until the big fishing trip. I can't wait!

Another wedding, another blast

Well, the wedding was a ton of fun!
Ali and I saw a lot of friends, danced hard, and had a drink or two...
This was the kind of wedding I have totally forgotten about. The ceremony was short and sweet, the two hours before cocktail hour was fun, the reception was the highlight, then the huge buffet the next was a good way to finish off the weekend.

Tonight I go back to work. I only have a few shifts, then I'm joining my brother/father- in- law on our annual fishing trip. This lake is probably the best fishing that I've ever experienced in my life.
This time, I have to remember the camera. Last year, I had the biggest fish of the weekend, and of course, no camera to back my story up.
We're doing it a little different this year. Our host has a cabin which he shares with three other guys. He booked it for us to use this year. Now, I don't have to worry if my company wants to sleep in, I can just go with our host. I'm there to fish after all, not sleep until 9 or 10 in the morning.
It should be a good time, as usual. The guy that takes us out is the manager of the local liquor store, so he always has a nice variety of import beer waiting for me in the fridge.
What more can a guy ask for - fishing and cold imported beer. Sounds pretty good to me.

One more sleep...

Tomorrow is the big day. The first Blue Bomber game of the year.
The only downside to this? Visitors. My dad is coming in for the game. We have to clean up. Fast.
See Ali's blog for further details.
I'm excited to see my dad again. It's been a few weeks, and I like hanging out, just the two of us. When my uncle couldn't make the game, I quickly turned around and gave the extra tickets to a good friend of mine who will enjoy the game as well, so I did my good deed (off the clock) for the day. Also, I can sit with my pops instead of my friend.
It has been hot and humid here for the last few days. Every time I imagine being on vacation when it's cold here, I never remember the humidity. I hate humidity. The worst was when we went to the Bahamas one August, or Cuba in July. I hate that feeling when your clothes stick to you, and sweat runs into your eyes.
Good thing I don't live down South, because I would be cranky right now.
Speaking of being down South, a few of the Blue Bombers come from Georgia/Florida/Tennessee, etc. and know hot weather very well. I shake my head as they run around the field with sweatpants and toques on their heads. It is only 80 or 85 here after all.
By this time tomorrow, my throat will be sore, and my ears will be ringing. Geez, it's only the pre-season. I gotta pace myself.

It's hot in Winnipeg

How hot is it you ask? I've finally turned on the A.C. today. The temp here is 32 Celsius.
I can't imagine having to play baseball tonight, but it's better than the cold rainy weather we've been having.
Here's how my week is shaping up. I work tomorrow and Wednesday, then it's the Bomber game, then yet another wedding. Sadly, there will be no theme, just your standard run-of-the-mill wedding. I'll get a chance to visit with some friends whom I haven't seen in a while. Ali is a bride's maid, so I'm glad I can sit with people that I know.

We also have new neighbours. I was out cooking on the grill the other night, and was wanting to go over and introduce myself. After a few minutes of awkward pacing, pulling some weeds by the patio, and observing the sky, I just walked over and said hi.
They are a nice couple, I just wish that they were a little closer in age to us. No big deal, we'll be moving (hopefully) in a few months anyway.

It was weird being here by myself this weekend. I enjoyed eating what I wanted, watching whatever I wanted, playing video games, drinking beer, and making a mess. The hard part was sleeping at night. I'm never paranoid, but when I go to bed at night, I think there are people breaking into our front door, or trying to get through the windows. I guess it doesn't help much that I've been reading all sorts of zombie books. I'm such a wuss.

I'm happy Ali is back tonight. She can protect me from the zombies and whatever goes bump in the night.

Corona and days off

Two of the best things around.
Sadly, Ali isn't around with me right now. It's her cousin's grad party this weekend, so I'm kickin' it old school (bachelor style) this weekend.
I'm having a cold beer after a busy day at work, then I'm going to BBQ some chicken. Tomorrow, I am hoping to play a round of golf, but it looks like there's rain in the forecast. All day long I looked outside of the hospital, and saw nothing but blue skies. After my shift, the clouds rolled in.
Tonight, I'm going to turn back into a 15 year old boy. Video games, staying up late, watching bad horror films, and eating junk food. That doesn't sound too bad.

Update: My car is fixed (again). It turns out it was the same part I had just replaced, not two weeks ago. Just when I threatened my car with fire, it gets fixed......
I now have no faith in my car at all, so I will be staying around the city for a while.
Have a good weekend. I'll be thinking of everyone on Monday as I sleep in. :)

Fore!!!

I finally get to go golfing today.
I'm going with a couple of friends that Ali used to work with. I just hope we don't get that awkward fourth person joining our group. It's always more fun joking around with your buddies when you don't have to worry about offending the strange guy who golfs alone.
My car gave me a scare today. As I was on the way to the Stadium, it kind of heaved, and sputtered. I quickly turned off the main road onto a quieter side road. Just as I turned to head towards home, my car stalled. The funny thing is, I hardly reacted. I picked up my cell phone, called Ali, and told her my car died. Again.
I called CAA (AAA in U.S.A.) and requested a tow. They told me that this was the last free tow on my account, and that they'd be there in an hour or so. I turned the key again just for fun, and whaddaya know? It started.
Here's my new dilemma. Do I chance driving it to the garage, or wait for CAA to get me, knowing full well that I have used my last of the towing privileges?
I'm a risk taker, so I put on my four way flashers, turned my car around, and proceeded to slowly blow through every STOP sign that I came across. I was a man on a mission. Of course, all the way there, the car ran fine. I pulled up to the garage, called Ali again, then headed for the nearest gas station. A full tank of gas and some fuel injector cleaner later, the car is still going.
Like a true die-hard fan, I continued to drive to the Stadium to watch the Bombers practice. As I was there, my worries all melted away. Now I'm just excited for the season to start.
Other than that, not much has happened today. I have plans to go see "28 Weeks Later" later this week, but I can't bring myself to call it a "date" if it's with another guy that Ali works with. Yet another thing that women can get away with, and something that men just never call pull off. Men just say "I'm going to the show with ......" and that's it.
Gotta go soon. I have to get ready for my golf date...er....um...I mean Tee time.

What part of "we'll get back to you" don't they understand?

Our answering machine clearly states the above message. We'll get back to you. So, why do people insist on calling again and again, never leaving messages, or leaving the SAME messages over and over again?
This is another one of my pet peeves. And now it's worse, due to the fact that we call caller ID on our phone/TV, so I see the same numbers repeating themselves. Of course, whenever I try calling them, it gives me a message stating that it is a calling centre, and they cannot be reached at that number.
When I finally do talk to these people, I usually cut them off during their sales pitch, but then they just skip down to the part of the script where they have a counter offer, or a lower interest rate.
This is when I wish we had video phones. One simple hand gesture, and the people would know how I felt.
On a side note, I have just bought Ali her birthday gift(s).
I think she'll be happy. I must say I actually enjoyed shopping today. It's rare, and I'm sure the feeling will pass, but so far I've had a fun day. I watched the Bombers practice, went shopping, listened to some good music, and then came home to the same 3 phone calls.

Flashback to 1985

As you may know, we're attending a wedding this weekend. The reception will be in an 80's theme, so it will be a little more exciting than your traditional wedding.
Ali and I have both purchased the appropriate attire for the evening, and we're both excited to dress up and have some fun.
One good thing about this idea is I've only spent about $20 for my outfit. Oddly enough, Ali only had to buy some leggings. The rest she had in her drawers.
Another bonus - everyone can do the 80's dance.........how many of you just swung your arms from side to side trying to repeat these horrific dance moves?

I gotta practice my 80's lingo for this one. I'll be saying "dude"to address any guy, and following every sentence with "sike!!". Sadly enough, I still use "rad" and "tubular" every now and again.
See you Monday.

I guess I'm just talking to the walls

I had an orientation at another hospital today. I will probably only work there once or twice a month, but my employer found it necessary to take in this day long snooze-fest.
First of all, there were two of us on this orientation. Judging by the huge folder of information they provided us, there were probably supposed to be about 10-20 others with us.
The lady would ask us about a certain pump. I said I am familiar with it, but then she would say "we'll just run through it quickly anyway."

She would then ask about certain medications. I said that I used these all the time on our ward, but again she would say "Just for a refresher..."

After lunch, this lady took us for a tour of the units that we will be working on. The staff did not give me a good vibe. They just looked us over from head to toe, and didn't say hello after I introduced myself. Oh well, I hope they like working double shifts....

Halfway through the tour, she stopped to go through some policies. I again said that these were province wide changes, and that they were the same at every hospital. I cringed as she said "Well, just in case something is different....."

This went on for eight agonizing hours. I never wanted my bed so bad in my life. I got home just after Ali, and made a nice supper for the two of us.
Tomorrow I go back to my native hospital, chaos and all. I wouldn't change it for the world.
All this, and we get to go to an 80's theme wedding this weekend. It should be fun!!

Blah,blah,blah

I got my car back yesterday. Hopefully it runs for a while now.
I've discovered a new band, and they are unbelievable....how good you ask?
I prefer to support Canadian bands most of the time, and these guys (and gal) are from California.
They are called the Silversun Pickups, and you should really check them out. They have a unique sound, with very off-beat drum...beats...

Right now I'm cooking some burgers, and listening to music. I'm embarrassed to say this, but as I was going outside to flip my burgers, I skipped like a school girl to the patio. I don't know what came over me, but I can hear Ali saying "Oh my God, you're soooo gay!!"
If that wasn't bad enough. I just played air guitar with the spatula. Thank goodness I'm home alone.
I have to agree with Ali. Sometimes it just takes some good loud music to get you out of a funk. And I was the funkiest one in the land.

8 things about me

This comes from being tagged from Ali and John.

1. I have a bad habit of twisting my kleenex to blow my nose, and this drives Ali crazy.

2. I have a fear of reefs in the lake. They are so intimidating, just lying there under the water, waiting for an unsuspecting boat to hit them. I also hate weeds in the lake, especially when you're tubing or water skiing and wipe out in the middle of them.

3. I was asked to be best man in my best friend's wedding next year, and I'm actually very nervous about my speech which I'm going to deliver. He's like a brother to me, so it has to be perfect.

4. I was class clown in highschool, and was constantly fooling around during class. I think I was also voted most likely to become a movie star, which, sadly didn't pan out.

5. I would drive all across Canada and the U.S. to see my favorite band, The Tragically Hip.

6. I can do anything at the drop of a hat. My friend and I used to pack a toothbrush, and go tubing for the weekend, sleeping in the car, and eating raw hot dogs. Of course we were in Minnesota, so we had to drink a lot of beer to feel the effects.

7. I was in the Military just out of highschool, and I would probably re-enlist if my wife let me. I would like to be a medic, but would hate to move around so much. I'd like to stay in Canada, but that wouldn't happen.

8. I would like to visit each state across the U.S.A. I've been to Minnesota, the Dakotas, Montana, Washington, Michigan, Kentucky, Kansas, Texas, Wisconsin, the Carolinas, Iowa, and Idaho. The idea of putting a pin in each state visited is kind of cool.

There you have it. I thought that would have been more difficult.

Men's Union - local 126

I'm starting a Men's Union. One where we get rights, have support from each other when we need it, and have a place where we can develop a grieving process when our significant others have a complaint against us.
It seems that I have missed the boat on something. Ali has posted on how men are daft. This is a post on how vague women are. They think we should know something, but to actually say it is like pulling teeth. They quickly throw the "you should know what I'm thinking all the time" line in our faces. Men never do this. We have something on our mind, we say it. Of course with me, it takes a little prodding, but when I do start, it's hard to stop.
Too many times my fellow brothers, have we sat here as a collective group, and taken these verbal jabs in stride. This is why I propose the "I didn't know" jar. It's similar to a swear jar, but anytime your girlfriend/wife asks something the we should know and say I don't know, we put in a dollar.
On the contrary, whenever a girlfriend/wife says "you should know what I'm thinking" they put in a dollar.
Can I get an Amen!?!?!

On another note, my car is scrapped again. That's right, after a repair bill larger than my car's value, it has stopped running - again.
You think I almost lost it the first time? Ha. That was child's play. I had all the same fuel in the fire as before, but now I had a $600 repair bill to top it all off.

Back to the subject at hand. I want all brothers in blog world to extend their right hand, and repeat the following:

"I vow to work hard to understand my wife/girlfriend. I vow to understand that look from now on, and I vow to stop being so selfish (most of the time). I vow to be proud when I say you were right, and I was wrong. I also vow to say that at least once a month. I vow to give credit where credit is due. You are the boss of everything. I love you."

Men's union inaugural meeting now adjourned. Go in peace to love and serve the wife.

Time to reeeeeeeeellaaaaaaaaaaxxxxxxx

This officially marks the beginning of the May long weekend. No work for three whole days, visiting friends and family, and fishing.
This long weekend couldn't have come at a better time. Putting out money for my car (which now runs again) a crazy work week, and a depressing funk that I've been in for the last few days can all finally disappear.
All that and a day or so of Mom's home cooking should sort things out.
I can't put my finger on why I've been feeling like ass lately. It seems when I turned 29, I developed this environmental allergy - in my right eye only. It gets all red and itchy, and Benedryl apparently renders me unconscious, so that's out. Work has been stressful, it's been cold here, I haven't been golfing yet, I haven't been fishing yet, football season is still too far away, and worst of all it seems like I haven't seen my wife in ages. By the time I come home, I'm ready for bed, so I just sit there in a daze, until I finally drag my butt to bed. I think we will have a date this weekend, just the two of us.
So, there you have it. All the above problems disappearing in one fell swoop. Thank goodness for this weekend.
Have a good one. I will.

A funeral for a friend

First off, it's not a human. It's my car.
It stalled on me on Saturday, and right now it's at the mechanic. He first told me he thought it was an ignition module, and that would cost $300 just for the part.
I have just put $ 600 into this car, so I don't know if I want to keep on prolonging the obvious, or if I should just put it down.
By the way, why do people get mad when somebody is broken down on the road? While I was calling a tow truck, the looks people were giving me were pretty upsetting. It's like they were thinking "How dare YOU break down and ruin MY day?"
Yeah, sorry my car won't start....
Some people really try to sell the fact that they are broken down by putting up their car hood. Not me, I just called the wife, then proceeded to freak out in true Chris fashion by hitting everything within arm's distance - the steering wheel, the sun visor, the seat, the dash, the gearstick.....
Maybe popping the hood wouldn't have looked so bad after all. This car has caused me so much stress the last few months, that it's not even funny. I jinxed it when I said that when we have extra money, we will put it away for our house fund. Every time I say that, something goes wrong with my car.
Oh well, I'll try to relax tonight by playing baseball with my friends. Maybe I'll even have a beer and some wings. Go team!!

Everybody's working for the weekend!!!

As everyone heads out to the lake or river this weekend, I'm going to be trapped indoors.
It's been cool here, and it's supposed to rain, so I guess that softens the blow. I'll get my fun in next weekend though. I've already set up the fishing date.
I've convinced Ali to stay home this weekend too. There's something unsettling about being in bed alone, although we would both equally enjoy some peace and quiet, as I wouldn't bother anyone by snoring.
That's one of my side effects from surgery. I snore now, and apparently, it's more often than not.
On that note, what do you dislike about yourself? Is this something that drives just you crazy, or your significant other as well?

Other things I don't like about me are:

-my feet
-my temper
-my distaste for tomatoes. They never did anything to me...

I know these just bother me, 'cause Ali loves ALL of them. ;)

So, uh, what else is new?

I am finished work for a few days. My parents are coming into town, so I can hang out with my pops, and take my mom out shopping - well not shopping, but be her chauffeur.
I received a letter in the mail today from our local insurance dealer stating that my old work car, lovingly referred to as "Biff", is a high theft risk, and therefore entitled to a free immobilizer.
This is something new in Manitoba. They ( our insurance provider) have come up with a "top 100" list of the most popular stolen cars, and if yours was on it, you could get this free immobilizer.
Here's the thing - my car is hardly worth stealing. It's mechanically sound, but rusty, and hardly the "looker" that our other car is....even with me having the windows down, and singing songs with my hair blowing in the wind. (Wink)
I guess I'll get the immobilizer put in, but God help these kids if I catch 'em.
It looks like I might be able to go fishing this May long weekend after all. My buddy ( who I thought was ignoring me) had a baby, so I guess he's excused.
I have wanted to head out on that annual fishing trip for years, and it now seems possible.
I was supposed to go camping with my best friend and his girlie, but it probably wouldn't be a good idea - what with it being cold and expensive. We gotta pinch our pennies for other things right now. I promise Mike and Irene, we'll go out sometime this year!!
Three weeks until training camp. That means my Bomber jerseys will get some use, starting tonight. I now know how a Woman feels when she gets to wear a new skirt or those cute sandals...
Other than that, my bathroom is sparkling for my parents, and my hands smell like bathroom cleaner, and Ali and I are starving. Gotta get some food. Right after I re-wash my hands.

Weekend update

I went to visit my parents over the weekend. I brought my golf clubs along, so of course Mother Nature had to put her foot down and turn the weather bad. It was cloudy, and very windy all weekend.
This was one of the first times I've actually visited with my parents. Usually when Ali and I go "home" one or both of my parents are working. They were both off Saturday, so I took advantage of the time and just hung out with them.
Today I woke up to the annoying sound of wind chimes. I usually don't mind ONE set, but my mom has about twenty different sets scattered around the yard. Pair that with the wind that could peel the paint off a building, and you've got yourself a party. I'm talking eight hours of steady chiming and clanging....
After having breakfast with my dad over in Minnesota, he wanted to show me a car that was on display in front of one of the local gas stations. It was a black Mustang with silver racing stripes down the center. This was no ordinary Mustang though. It was the limited edition Shelby Mustang. I now remember the feeling that kids get when they peer into a pet store window or a candy shop. We both just pressed our faces against the glass and drooled. I think we both even started the conversation by saying "If I ever won Power ball...."
Even then I can't let my fantasies go interrupted. I started saying to myself "$47 000 American dollars would be a good down payment on a house" or "That's too much horsepower" or "With the price of gas nowadays...".
I should have just let my imagination go. Sometimes I hate being an adult.

P.S. I don't wanna get up for work tomorrow. Hmph.

It's a regular sausage-fest in here!!!!!

After work this evening, I decided to BBQ some Pioneer sausage. These are a Manitoba treat very popular in the Mennonite communities. This is pork sausage at it's best, and, of course, while I was eating it, Ali was gagging endlessly.
There's something about these little buggers that just screams summer to me. They have a distinct smell when cooking, and I have flashbacks of when I was younger and my mom would cook them.
If you ever come to Manitoba, you have to try these along with some squeaky cheese.
Plus, I bet these would go along great with some of Gigi's biscuits.

Aside from that, I just relaxed and watched Canada's last hope of bringing the Stanley Cup back North (Ottawa Senators) beat New Jersey. Speaking of NJ, there's one place nobody ever says they want to move to. I guess they call it "the swamp" for a reason.
Goodnight my friends, and if there is anyone from NJ who reads this, I was just kidding. I live in the mosquito capital of the world, remember?

That reminds me. There's a stupid "joke gift" that they sell around here to tourists. It is a little tiny bear trap the size of a quarter and the packaging says "authentic Manitoba mosquito trap."
Do people buy this crap? It's almost as embarrassing as the T-shirts with every single animal indigenous to Canada on them. Tacky junk at it's best.

Skeletal Remains Undefeated!!!!!!!

Yesterday was the first day of our baseball season. I'm proud to say that we are now 2-0.
I had to work yesterday, so I skipped out a little early, and headed down to the diamond.
I was so excited to play, and was focused on warming up my arm, that I totally neglected my poor legs. Now I'm hurting a bit.
Afterwards, we went to our sponsor's Restaurant for some beer and wings. My friend Lindsay was the first to call his wife and check in. He mumbled a few words into his cell phone, and quickly hung up. He said she gave him "the tone." It's what all men dread when we speak to our wives.
It's a little more in-your- face that the usual "fine!!" that I get, and it's effective. We know the whole time we're sitting there, our poor wives are home alone waiting on baited breath for us to come stumbling in the door at 2 or 3 a.m.

Yeah right.

We rehearse the scene in our heads, trying to cover angle of the argument that is about to follow.

"No, I only had two beers."

"Yes Lindsay and Aaron stayed too."

"I only spent $20, and that'll be it for this whole month."

We can never be prepared enough apparently, because we always lose that fight.
Last night, I was the only one who didn't get "tone."
And I let everyone know how great MY wife is....

Chris 1
Co-workers 0

A day in the life of...

I'm finally done nights.
I got to go to bed with my wife for the first time in almost a month. We went to bed last night at 10:30. I got up again at 1:00 a.m. to go to the bathroom, and guess what. I was lying in bed fully awake. That's when I heard it.....
Ali rolled around a little, and mumbled something about a purple tongue. I couldn't stop laughing.
I asked her to repeat herself, but I got no response. Just as I figured, she was talking in her sleep.
By this point, I was too awake to stay in bed, so I got up and watched The Silence of the Lambs on Showcase. That's right, a nice quiet feel-good movie to help me relax...
Strangely, I couldn't fall asleep until the sun started coming up. Ali got up, and I quickly rolled over to her side of the bed. Her side just always looks more comfortable.
I finally rose from the dead at 12 noon. We got ready, and headed out to finally buy some groceries. I don't think I can take another grilled cheese sandwich.....
Wal-Mart was packed with the usual carnie type folk, walking around with that clueless look on their face, not watching where they or their kids are going. Ali shot me that look when she was cut off, and I was expecting her to throw down right there. She just bit her tongue, batted her eyes, and kept on walking. I wonder what it is that makes people put on the blinders when they shop.
We got home, and decided to BBQ some chicken tonight. That's it folks, just a regular day here. I never thought I would have missed it so much.

I fought the bugs - and the bugs won (Round 1)

I sat out on our patio today for awhile. I looked around and decided that it could use a little cleaning, so I wiped down the chairs, swept the patio stones, and had a beer.
As I sat there, I noticed a few Silverfish coming out of the cracks. Being the pest control guru of the house, I quickly grabbed the bottle of bug killer and laced the entire patio with the deadly spray.
I sat down again to relish in my victory and enjoy my beer (Sleeman's honey brown in case Reggie was wondering) when it happened.
You know the scene from Arachnophobia when the thousands upon thousands of spider poured out of the woodwork? It was like that, only with Silverfish. I gasped in horror as the little creatures scurried out of EVERY area that I had just sprayed. It's a good thing that I was sitting with my feet up on a chair, because I was under attack. Big ones, little ones, centipedes, ants, you name it.
They were attacking from every angle. There was no way out.
I screamed like a little girl, went back inside, armed myself again, refilled my glass, and went to war.

Don't worry Ali - Chris 1
Insect world 0

Sweet and Sour

I was just thinking that I would like to have a voice recorder attached to Ali and only be able to hear her voice throughout the day. It's funny how she can be talking one second, whining the next, then snapping - all before the sentence is finished.
Point and case a few minutes ago....She asked me if I read her blog in a whiny voice. When I said I will in a minute, she quickly pulled out the Devil's horns and flames shot from her eyes. Her response wasn't blog appropriate, but then it was all over. She put on the pouty face while I was laughing, and all was good again.
Men don't have this ability. We never say anything, until we've had enough. Then it's a big blowout, and we over react to the slightest of things. Our emotions don't change in a matter of seconds. Actually, I take that back. During a football game, I get mad - then happy - then mad - then happy again all in a few minutes of play.

I've been attacked by a ninja!!!!

You might recognize that foot tattoo. It belongs to the resident ninja which I lovingly refer to as my wife.
We were play fighting earlier, and just when I thought I had her down and out, she would kick up her feet, and boot her hands free of my death grip. I blame it on the four hours of rest I had today.
I tell ya, these feet are sneaky. The big toe especially. I found out that it fits perfectly between my 3rd and 4th ribs. OUCH!!!
Tomorrow, I'll have my revenge though, I'm sleeping till noon.
Her super powers won't get to me again.

I always told her to enter the Ultimate Fighting Championships, so she could hone her skills. But then I thought - I'm tired, not crazy. With more training, she'd kill me.
I sure missed being around my ninja the last week or so. It's nice to be back.

A sad fanclub

In Winnipeg, when a person is waiting for trial or a court appearance, they are held in the Remand Centre. It is straight across from the Law courts, and it's a very ugly building, all one beige colour, and with very small slitted windows.
A few months ago, I drove by the Remand Centre. There were two young ladies standing across the street, waving up at the windows, yelling stuff, and throwing gang signs.
I had a good laugh, and honked at these idiots as I drove by.
Well, today they were back. I guess their boyfriends/pimps/fellow gang thugs were arrested once again. The only thing different was that these girls were actually "dressed up" in skirts and flip flops. It is summer weather after all.
I just shake my head when I see these people out there. It's not like they're offering words of encouragement, or saying we'll beat this, they're just giving the ugly building the finger, threatening to meet up with it in a dark alley. The guards inside must have a hay-day. I wouldn't be surprised if they were inside placing bets as to who is going to take their perch across the street and deliver the first one fingered salute....

I don't want to be in that fanclub.

Can we do that again?

Pictured here is one of my all time favorite movies. I started thinking about a few of my favorites, and was kind of hoping that somebody would do a remake of The Warriors. It has a very cool story, and I think that with today's cinematography this could be a very interesting project.
Another movie I'd like to see remade would be The Omega Man. The original starred Charleton Heston, and again, with today's technology, they could make those undead characters just a little more scary. My luck, they'd cast Brad Pitt or Tobey McGuire in the lead, then I'd be pissed.
Of course, there are bad remakes. I think of Solaris starring George Clooney. Probably one of the worst movies ever.
Another ting that gets me, is when they make a sequel to a very successful movie. Most of these are so-so, but there are some stinkers. See Grease 2, or Dumb and Dumberer....
Now, if you'll excuse me, my head is pounding, and I have some quality time to spend with my wifey.