It's The Meds

This blog has become my "red headed stepchild"

2010-04-12T09:10:00.002-05:00

Neglected, and not loved as much as the others....

With F.acebook and T.witter growing more popular each day, my blog has taken a back (back) seat.
Sorry...

I celebrated my 32nd birthday on the weekend. I went out with a group of friends to Rumor's comedy club, and saw Bobcat Goldthwait. He is still funny as hell!

I also got a sweet fishing trip from Ali (all expenses paid), a new reel, a video game from my daughter, and some cash. Not too shabby.

In other news today, there is a "big" press conference from the Blue Bombers today at 1 p.m.
I am praying to everything holy that we signed this QB named Buck Pierce, who, has been injury prone in the past, but deadly accurate when he's healthy. We would finally have a QB going into training camp!

I hope to keep in touch on a more regular basis. Bye for now.

My wishlist (wishful thinking?)

2010-02-25T11:22:00.002-06:00

I would love to take a road trip this summer with Ali and Ellery. I would love to head East to the coast, see Boston, the market, the seafood, then eventually end up in Charlotte, NC to visit Reggie and Gigi.

I would like to go to Denver this year at some point with my dad to see a Broncos game.

I would like to travel to Montreal with my best friend Mike to see a Canadiens game at the Bell Centre.

At this point, I'm desperate to go anywhere tropical. All of my co-workers and some family are going places this winter, whether it's Arizona, Mexico, Cuba, or Las Vegas. We need a vacation.

I am hoping to do my annual fishing trip with my FIL and brother in law (if he's working a summer job) in Sioux Lookout again. This has become a yearly tradition, and it seems to get better every year.

I am also hoping to hammer through these necessary course ASAP. It's hard to sit around and wait until they become available in the Fall.

I am hoping that we can spend some weekends at my parent's cabin. I'm excited to sit on the beach and build sandcastles with Ellery, and take her fishing.

As you see, there's a common theme to most of these - travel.

To end this post, I'll say that I really hope to win this week's Lotto Max at $50 million, so I can check each of these off my list once and for all.

Sports....why do men take it so seriously?

2010-02-09T08:16:00.002-06:00

First off, congrats to the New Orleans Saints for winning the Super Bowl.
I'm sure 90% of the U.S.A was pulling for them to beat Indianapolis, and they got their wish.

It got a little tiresome, however, listening to EVERYONE say that this victory was for the city. That they had been through so much, and this was a little something to help the healing. I fully agree it is an amazing thing for the city, and if it helps bring them some joy, then I say why not...but we get it.

Men take their sport seriously. Whether it is soccer in the UK, NFL football in the US, or the CFL in Canada, we all support our home clubs with a passion that has been passed down from our grandfathers to our dads, and then to us.

However, there are a few things that still baffle me;

If a team finally ends a win less streaks after 70 or 80 years (i.e. Boston Red Sox), why do the fans gets cocky and arrogant? You've still only won 1 championship over your lifetime.

Why do some people riot at games? I get worked up at games too, but never want to curb stomp an opposing team's fan, no matter how annoying they can get.

Why do NFL teams get their owners to dance during the Super Bowl parade in their towns? I have yet to see any old white men with rhythm.

Why do some fans get depressed if their team loses? I get upset for about half an hour, then move on. The bottom line is there is only 1 happy team at the end of the year anyway.

It is now only a few months away, before I don my Blue Bomber jersey, fire up the grill, wave the flag, and cheer until I lose my voice.
I will cheer for my team with class, never any swearing or rude behaviour - just plain old fashioned fun. Unless I see a damn Riders fan.

8 random things (Borrowed from Wreggie)

2010-01-21T12:45:00.002-06:00

I am afraid of working in high places. This didn't bode well when I was an Industrial electrician.

I have seen a roller coaster ride turn fatal.

A high school friend was hit and killed by a train. He was wearing one of my shirts, and the police came to my house the next day to tell my parents that it was me. I'll never forget the look on their face when I answered the door.

I have tried eating "Prairie oysters". AKA bull's testicles.

I have matching scars on both hands from a hacksaw slip up. Don't ask me how both hands were hurt...I have no idea.

I once got my ass kicked by a 1/2" drill on a job site. It ripped my pants, cut my finger, and bashed me in the side of the head.

The closest relative that I have that is somewhat famous, is a 3rd cousin who was a professional swimmer. He raced for team Canada, won numerous medals, and holds some speed records.

I once considered becoming a chef.

New year, same resolutions?

2010-01-02T15:47:00.002-06:00

Every year, people always have the same resolutions. Lose weight, quit smoking, and eat healthier.

I say I want to start smoking, eat even worse, and do no exercise whatsoever.
That way, when I don't do any of the above, I'll actually beat some resolutions.

I consider 2010( I say two thousand and ten by the way) to be a "staging area".
I will be taking some courses in preparation of going back to school in 2011. I'll gradually make the transition from part time student to full time, then reap the rewards once I've finished the hectic program.

With my current job rotation and schedule, it leaves no flexibility for other stuff, such as if Ali wants to upgrade or take another course. This is why I will probably look for a job with 8 hour days instead of the 12 hour shifts that I work now.

I have been sick for the last 2 days. I can't remember the last time I've vomited, and was thinking about that when I was violently ill on Friday morning. I was picturing the neighbors hearing me praying to the porcelain god, and thinking that I had waaaay to much to drink the night before. Nothing could be farther from the truth, as I didn't have a drop to drink.....
Truth be told, I was in bed before 11:30 and missed the countdown for the 10th consecutive year.
E has also been sick, so it's been a real fun smelling house here for the last few days. Poor Ali.

Speaking of E, it's incredible to listen to her talk. She repeats everything, and strings together sentences that make us laugh. She knows how to push our buttons, has little tantrums, and cuddles up with us the way we've always imagined. One of her favorite thing to do is give her toys a hug. It's to the point now where she'll hug her cup, her spoon, and even her own hand.
She loves singing, and one of her favorites is "Twinkle twinkle little star". She's going to be on Canadian Idol and win it all one day.

Christmas break was one big blur. I finished a night shift on Christmas eve, so we drove out to Ontario in a snow storm first thing in the morning. Christmas day was spent at the in laws, then we had a night at my parent's house. Before I knew it, I was on my way back to Winnipeg on Boxing day. I didn't even get to see my best friend at all.

I hope everyone had a good Christmas, and a safe new year. Here's hoping 2010 will bring us lots of good things.

C'mon boy, jump through that hoop!

2009-12-14T14:49:00.002-06:00

I'm in the process of applying for College again.

First, they want me to fill out an application, complete with transcripts and employment record.
No problem. Oh yeah, send a cheque for $60 along with it. I knew there was a catch....

Next, I find out everything was to their liking, and now I'm waiting to do a "Reading skills assessment test". Again, no problem. I've been speaking English for a few years now, and I live with a friggin' editor. I should nail this one. Oh yeah, send another $35.

After this is done, I'll find out if I'm accepted, only to send them many more payments and be dealt with a pile of stress for my effort. Ah, to be in high school again.

I'd like to see where my money actually goes, rather than them just telling me "it's for administrative costs".

An Internet bully? There's such a thing?

2009-12-07T09:42:00.002-06:00

I've recently purchased a Playstation 3.
One of the great things about this system is the wireless Internet connection. It allows me to play multi - player games with people from around the globe.

I've always made fun of those guys who wear the headsets, co-ordinate attacks with their friends, and just take the game way too seriously.

Last night just further re-enforced my distaste for these nerds.
When these guys are wearing the Blue tooth headsets, you can hear everything they say in real time through the T.V.
As one game ended, one user who plays this game way too often (something like 5000 kills - whatever) was making comments on the new guy.

"What? 0-11? (Referring to no kills, and being killed 11 times)

"Is this guy serious? 0-11? What a waste of skin!"

"How is that possible? 0-11? Huh? Just give up man!"

I had to laugh. My lack of online gaming skills was actually causing this guy stress. He was livid.
You should have heard his reaction when I was placed on his team for the next session.....

Some people need to take a break and go outside for a while. Interact with females, move out their parent's basements. And relax when I accidentally shoot my own team mates... ;)

Falltime ramblings

2009-11-16T16:03:00.002-06:00

It is staying unseasonably warm here. I love that the air is crisp in the evenings, but it warms up during the day, so much that you only need a sweater.

Ellery is sick with a fever, and she's a little more sluggish than usual, but we're watching her like a hawk, and she seems to be improving.

I have applied to go back to school. I figure 5 years away is enough, and if I don't get motivated now, it'll never happen for me. I'm nervous, but that will pass as soon as I get into the swing of things. FYI, I'm staying with nursing.

Ali and I are both working at our other jobs quite frequently. The extra money is nice, and it will come in handy during Christmas time.

I am entertained by Ellery more and more every day. She repeats everything, and her personality is a good mix of mine and Ali's. She has the best dance moves I've ever seen an 18 month have. It's interesting to think of what she will grow up to be. My money is on something where she can debate a lot - possibly politics.

I was trying to plan a trip down South to an NFL game again this year. I thought this would be a fun thing for my dad and I to do, but the timing was off for every game that I tried to attend.
Sometimes I think it would be nice not to work!

That's it in a nutshell. Talk to you later.

Oh no, it's the H1N1 shot!!!!

2009-10-29T12:25:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, I waited in line for about 15 minutes and got the feared shot.
I figure I want to be covered to protect Ali and Ellery, and we do have a lot of patients that come from the higher risk areas of the province.

So many people are on the fence about this shot. The only issue that I have with this flu shot, is that it's not available without the preservative Thimerosal. This a derivative from mercury, and there haven't been sufficient scientific test done to show what effects this may have on kids from 6-35 months.

If we do decide to get Ellery immunized, I'd opt for the Thimerosal free one.

Aside form that, it was entertaining to watch some staff play up their reactions from the shot, varying from a sore arm, to sweating, nausea, or headache. I was talking with a friend of mine, and we said this would be such an easy way to squeeze a few extra sick days out of the system.
I for one, do not abuse my sick time, so I'll report for duty as any good employee would.
For the record, my arm is just slightly tender. Maybe I should stay home...;)

The time of year when stuff begins to matter....

2009-10-26T11:08:00.002-05:00

As October wraps her cold hands around our waists, this can only mean a few things;

A. Football season is winding up, and all teams (except Toronto ha ha ) are jockeying for playoff positions. I love going to the stadium when it's cooler out. This to me is true football weather for true football fans!

B. Shopping takes on a completely different meaning. For most of the year, I wonder around the malls, completely disinterested in the stores. As we tally up our Christmas lists, I begin to take notice in the shops as I carefully scout out potential gifts for my family.

C. Sweatpants and socks. Most of the year, neither one of these touch my legs. As the weather turns, I look forward to putting on my favorite pair of sweatpants as soon as I get in the door.
Now if only I can get Ellery to keep socks on her little feet......

D. Christmas day. Ellery is getting to be that age now where we can ask her if Santa is on his way. This should be fun!

Shit....I can't wear that.

2009-10-14T08:07:00.003-05:00

As I was walking through Wal-Mart last night, I decided that I should buy some chap stick for my lips. The weather is turning rather cold, and when I combine that with lots of cheering at football games, my lips become rather chapped.

I entered the chap stick/facial beauty isle, quickly scanned the products, and grabbed "cherry".

Great. Done.

When I got home, and actually looked at what I bought, it turns out it was a little more than "cherry".

It was "high gloss cherry, with a hint of pink".

Shit...I can't wear that.

I just goes to show you what a man reads, and what a label actually says.

What's the big deal?!?!?

2009-09-27T21:22:00.003-05:00

At my workplace, the staff are all required to share one washroom.

Add up the 7 nurses, 2 health care aides, numerous residents and other Doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dietitians, and any other allied health providers, and that equals quite a few trips to the can during a 12 hour shift.

It's funny watching people on the way to the washroom. If they're just going in for a, ahem, short visit, there's usually no problem.
But watching a person on their way to have a sit down rest, it's like watching Chuck Norris sneak up to Charlie's hut in Missing in Action 1 and 2.....

First, they look around. Next, they casually walk in the direction of the washroom. Then, when nobody is looking, they duck inside, ensuring to close both doors on the way.

Sometimes, if I time it just right, I'll try to enter the washroom just as somebody else is leaving. If they were in there for a while, their face turns red, and they bolt down the hall like they've just stolen an old lady's purse. After a few seconds, the stink hits you, and you know exactly why they were trying to outrun their shadow.

My question is this - What is the big deal? Everybody goes to the bathroom. The only time I'm embarrassed is when I know there's someone right outside the door and they usually try opening the door just as I let out a little excess air.

On to another subject. There are some people that I work with that actually try to flush paper towels. I don't know what these people are used to wiping with, but our paper towels are the equivalent of a fine sand paper - dipped in shards of glass.

Our toilet has been plugged numerous times. So many times in fact, that our manager actually had to post a sign in the washroom stating "No flushing paper towels". How stupid can some people be?

So, I'll end this little soap box with this little nugget (no pun intended). If you do have to use the facilities for a stinky sit down time out, please use the provided air freshener. The next person would appreciate it.

Hip Hip Hip Hip

2009-09-10T12:32:00.005-05:00

I went to the Winnipeg Concert hall last night to see of my favorite bands, The Tragically Hip .

Just as they were finishing their set, somebody threw a drink from the upper level.
This showered us with an unknown alcohol plus the distinct smell of 7-up.

This was the breaking point for me. The free unwanted alcohol shower, coupled with the countless times that I had to move so people could do a beer run, my nerves were shot.
I went to enjoy a show, not move out of the way 100's of times, listening to the drunk idiots explain why they had to piss so badly or that they had a call on their phone.

I thank God that I wasn't as annoying as a young man. I hardly ever drank at concerts, plus my fear of pressing shoulder to shoulder with another guy in the urinals pretty much assures that I will not drink copious amounts of anything.

The only thing I am guilty of is bellowing out the words to every song, as excited as the first time I saw them play.

P.S. The count has now reached 10. I've vowed to see them 30 times before I leave this world, although watching them last night with a little more grey in their hair, and some beer guts starting to appear, I may make that number 20.

The Tragically Hip are one of the best bands that Canada has to offer. They are currently doing a tour of smaller venues. Be sure to check them out if they come to a city near you.

Failed NFLers/rejects report here

2009-09-01T20:07:00.002-05:00

Up here in Canada, our beloved football league consists of 8 team, spanning from British Columbia, all the way to Montreal Quebec.

This is an exciting league, with such all stars as Doug Flutie, Warren Moon, and the great Joe Thiesman playing parts of their careers here.

As some player from "the league" get in trouble down South, they find their way back into the NFL by playing here for a season or two until they are noticed, or their suspensions are served.
Ricky Williams, star RB of the Miami Dolphins, was suspended by the NFL for violating drug polices and bailing out on the team. He came here for a year, stunk it up, and ultimately got his call back to the NFL.

My beloved Blue Bombers have been rumored to sign disgruntled DB Adam "Pacman" Jones. I know he's a talent, but again, some of his off field antics (involved in shootings/assault charges) have over shadowed his play. After being traded by Tennessee to Dallas last year, he was released following the 2008 season.
He is scheduled to arrived by next week at the latest. If he can keep his ego in check, I welcome him with open arms. After all, our return game has been terrible thus far.

Also rumored to be in talks with the Bombers is former #2 pick Charles Rogers who stunk it up while in Detroit, never fulfilling his expectations. I think I'll pass on this one.

So, if anyone has any relatives or friends that have a football pedigree and are looking to renew their careers, have them forward their resumes to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Just be sure to attach an extra sticky note to the page if they're a quarterback.

Sure signs of Fall...and some depressing stuff..then some happy stuff

2009-08-29T15:09:00.003-05:00

The NFL season is about to start.

My Broncos look like a team is disarray, first trading away their cry baby Pro Bowl QB, now suspending their only good receiver Brandon Marshall. Again, I wish these whiny humans would actually have to try a real job for once, then they'd have something to cry about.....

My final week of holidays is fast approaching.
I'm taking a friend of mine fishing for a few days. He's had one hell of a shitty year on a personal level, so I think a few days of R & R are in order.
On that note, it has been a shitty year for a few people. My best friend Mike's dad suffered from a series of TIA's (small strokes) and has months of physiotherapy ahead of him. He is a strong man, one who has beaten cancer, so I know he'll pull through this as well.

Mike's wife also has had her share of drama on her side of the family too. She's currently dealing with Cancer in the family, and my thoughts and prayers are with them.
I read somewhere that soon, 1 in 3 people will be touched by cancer. That sucks.

On a happier note, Ellery is growing like a weed. She's repeating everything now, and actually said her first cuss word. Ali was telling me a story, and she used the word "shit".
E heard this, and walked away repeating it several times. Ali and I looked at each other, and vowed to clean up our language around little ears now.

I'm in the final stages of planning my next tattoo. It's a simple thing in honor of Ellery.
I guess the full back piece of Chuck Norris will have to wait.

I have the itch to see another NFL game. I might ask my parents/in-laws to chip in and help cover the cost of me to go see a game in Denver as a Christmas gift. We'll see....

Hope you all have a good weekend.

Acca Dacca

2009-08-22T15:22:00.002-05:00

Tonight, we see one of the most influential rock bands of our time.

AC/DC will be playing at the Winnipeg stadium, to around 45,000 people.
This will be the biggest rock show that I've been to in a long time.

I waited in line for over an hour yesterday, just to buy some AC/DC gear. God knows the lineups will be brutal today, even though they opened at 11 a.m.

So, I'm ready to rock, and watch Angus melt my face off.

The only thing I'm missing is the mullet.

Mid Summer update

2009-08-06T11:01:00.002-05:00

It has been unseasonably cool here. We have broken records for 8, going on 9 consecutive months of cooler than normal weather.

My days off are spent with Ellery, and we would normally be at the park, or trying out her new inflatable pool, but the crappy weather has limited us to the odd park visit.

This kid is beginning to love to climb things. It started at the playground, rushing up and down to keep up with the bigger kids. E tries to socialize with the kids that she meets, but most just stand there like duds. I guess they're a mirror image of the parents, because the parents don't have much personality either.
Here's an example - Ellery walked up to a little girl wearing Dora shoes. She pointed to the shoes and said "Dora!". The older girl, probably around 5, curled up her arms just as a kid does to avoid a dog, and looked the other way. She didn't even acknowledge Ellery's presence.
I guess Ellery intimidates kids too.

My Bombers are slowly gaining ground. We now have a new Quarterback in camp, and if he can get the Offence going, we will have a well rounded team, as our special teams and Defense has been kicking some serious ass.

I made it out for our annual fishing trip with the father in law.
The weather was cold and rainy ALL WEEK, but we toughed it out, and still managed to catch lots of fish.
As we would sit around the cabin each night, usually over drinks, I would just sit back and listen to our conversations. I thought of what another person would think of our topics, and language.
This was male bonding at it's best. Lot's of cussing, belching, passing gas, and laughing.
Listening to my father in law and his childhood best friend hurdle insults at each other was quite entertaining. I felt as though I was a part of the crew once those insults were directed at me.

It was fun to hear a lot of their stories from when they were younger.

So, with two final weeks of holidays approaching, this signals the end of our summer months.
I look forward to the Fall, taking walks in the cool evening air, and NFL football.

My daughter - the Intimidator....

2009-07-29T13:17:00.002-05:00

It's funny watching people's reactions to my 14 month old daughter.
As we are weaving our way through the isles of a grocery store, or deking the clothes racks in other stores, Ellery is constantly on the lookout.

She has a radar for those who fear babies.
She'll stare them down, often craning her neck just to peer past my shoulder.

As the person nervously makes eye contact, Ellery slowly raises her hand and gives them the cutest wave ever. Of course, to these people scared shitless, this wave looks like the way a Great White toys with their next meal by bumping into them before devouring them.

Some people try to play it off like they don't see her. I'll watch as eye contact is clearly made, then the person will quickly dart their eyes in another direction. When Ellery says "hi" in her sweet little voice, to me it's cute. To others, it sounds like a Lioness' roar....

At Safeway today, an older man actually fell out of line after the Intimidator said hi.
I laughed and rolled my eyes, and as we were walking away, Ellery gave him the biggest smile and waved goodbye to him. She was toying with the weak.

It's not mine.....I swear.

2009-07-27T20:40:00.003-05:00

Today, I received a "Glow" magazine in the mail.

Advertised as "Canada's beauty and fashion magazine", this is a publication I've never paged through.
This mag was addressed to me, not Ali, so I'm confused.
Who has my name on a mailing list, and more importantly, did my neighbours see?

Watch what you say

2009-07-24T08:27:00.002-05:00

Everybody has read one story or another about a person posting something on their blog site, their F.acebook account, or saying something in an e-mail that has come back to haunt them.

I'll give you two examples of idiots that I work with (or near).

The first girl has about as poor of a work ethic as you'll ever see. She's constantly calling in "sick" after a night of binge drinking.
When she actually does show up, she has to lay down and sleep for 3 hours of her 8 hour shift because she's "sick" again, or there's a "family emergency" requiring her to leave early.

A while back, one of her family members was having a social. Of course, this girl followed suit, and quickly called in "sick". A few hours later, her F.acebook status says "Uncle's party tonight. I need a date, ha ha ha!".

Not only is that stupid, it's also a slap in the face of all of her other co-workers that were working that day (me), leaving them short for their entire 12 hour shift.
Apparently, she got reprimanded for this, and I say it's about friggin' time.

The second example features another associate of mine, complaining about her fellow co-workers and peers - on F.acebook. I guess she forgot that half of her friends were on F.acebook, and she was quickly let go from her job. I don't know all of the details, but it must have been some pretty heavy shit to actually lose your job over.

So, ladies and gents, watch your P's and Q's.

(How often do you use the letter Q anyway?)

I finally surprised her

2009-07-09T13:51:00.003-05:00

As I was searching the Internet a few weeks back, I noticed that one of Ali's favorite bands was stopping in our city as part of a cross Canada tour.
I quickly looked at my schedule, and to no surprise, saw that I was working - again.
So far, I've worked during my birthday, Ali's birthday, our anniversary, so why not this day too?

After talking a co-worker of mine into making a switch, I got the day off. Now all I had to do was make sure Ali didn't find out about this evening.
I hired my cousin to watch Ellery for the night. Ali and I made our way out the door. She was asking me the whole time about where we were going.

"Are we going to the cheap theatre?"

"Nope."

"Ah, we're going to the IMAX aren't we?"

"No, it's better."

As we parked the car in a rather sketchy part of town, Ali was getting more nervous by the minute. She kept telling me that she was feeling sick to her stomach.

We walked around the corner, and there by the front doors was the band's van and their little trailer with the words "Said the Whale" on the side.

Ali let out an excited squeal, usually reserved for Christmas time, or good birthday presents.

That alone was good enough for me. Everything worked out exactly as I planned it.

It was a good night of music, and local beer. We have to do it again soon.

As a matter of fact, I think I'll take her to another concert on Monday. This is her belated birthday present, and I think she'll quite enjoy this one too.

Canada day, and the rules that apply

2009-07-01T22:17:00.003-05:00

Today is Canada's birthday. Millions of Canadians show their pride by wearing red and white, and waving tiny Canadian flags about.

This day also holds special meaning to the hundreds of thousands of immigrant Canadians.
They leave their respective war torn countries, or poverty to find a new life for their families here in a peaceful country. Most of them, anyway.

We have an increasing number of immigrants here in Manitoba. I cannot even begin to fathom the shit that they saw from a very early age, be it from rape or starvation, to watching their own family members being slaughtered right in front of them.
Some of these youths find the transition to Canadian life hard. I put the blame on the Government for not giving these people a proper orientation to our laws, and the way things work here.

Young kids end up on the streets, forming gangs, and committing crimes. Sometimes it's just a "kids being kids" attitude from the law enforcement, and just like every other child under the age of 16, the criminal youth justice act protects them from any kind of true punishment.....

Here's the part that I don't fully understand. If these kids are coming from a violent country, why wouldn't they be the first ones in line to protest violence, rather than pick up a machete and hack some other kid's arm just to get their MP3 player?
Again, the law steps in and protects them by saying "They come from a violent country. It's all they know..."
Really? So there's nothing wrong with that? We can all just say "I didn't know we weren't supposed to shoot that grocery clerk in the face. It's all I know".

I love being a Canadian. I love this country more than any other place in the world, but our government really has to grow some balls.

The Canadian deported one violent immigrant, after numerous assaults and robberies, citing that he had no chance of rehabbing.
Maybe if they put the fear of sending people back to the hell that they came from, they would behave like human beings after all.

So, happy Canada day to the many people who truly appreciate and deserve a better life here. Just give that bad ass kid a kick in the ass for me, and tell them to smarten up. Then apologize, because that's what Canadians do...

Care for a drink?

2009-06-24T21:25:00.004-05:00

It bugs me when people under the age of 30 drink wine.
To me, wine seems like a sophisticated drink. Most people under that age are not sophisticated.

I hate when people say "We just sat around, drank some good wine, and chilled."
First, how the hell can they know the difference between a good wine and a bad one?
Second, do they think that they're in that "artsy" group that actually hangs out, just to drink wine?

Some of my co-workers drink wine. Never mind the fact that when we have a social gathering, they drink enough wine to kill a horse, and end up puking it all up in the neighbor's yard. Remember, they enjoy a fine Merlot. It doesn't burn the esophagus as much when it's spewing out at 100 miles per hour out of every orifice in your upper body...

Then there's the people that drink wine with pizza. Pizza is made to be had with beer, not wine.
Imagine the messy table with napkins, opened pizza boxes, chicken wings - then a fucking wine glass beside it. That's so wrong.

I've tried different wines. I've had white, red, blush, whatever. It should be made to drink in the house, out of sight from your buddies, and please don't try to bring that shit to my next Superbowl party. I'm not serving chilled pheasant in a glass, escargot, or your grandparents.

Wine is for 30+. Remember that.

A late night conversation

2009-06-16T21:22:00.002-05:00

As we were lying in bed last night, I was just about to drift off into a nice deep sleep, when this takes place;

Ali : I feel like watching "Return to Oz"

me : What the hell is that?

Ali : You know, the sequel to Wizard of Oz?

me : Oh, yeah.

-Pause for a second -

me : I wonder if Toto is still alive...

Ali : What?!?

me : You know, the dog....

Ali : That movie was made in, like 1935....

me : So, no? It still could be.

Ali : (Laughs) You're a loser. Good night.

I love bedtime.

Hanging out at the park

2009-06-14T19:19:00.002-05:00

This weekend brought the nicest weather we've seen yet. Two full days of nothing but sunshine and warm weather hovering around the 25-27 degree mark!

The family and I spent two separate days at Assiniboine park. It's nice to see so many people out with their pets/kids/friends, hanging out enjoying the weekend.

On that note, we're going to buy Ellery a wading pool for the yard. I might have to buy one big enough for me to fit in it too.

Welcome here, Summer. It's nice to have you here.

SO you think I'll admit this?!?!

2009-06-11T20:36:00.002-05:00

One of my guilty pleasures lately is the show "So You Think You Can Dance".
This show features an audition from amateur dancers across America. The list is narrowed down to 20, then they whittle the list down to one winner.

Ali has watched this show from the beginning, and I find myself watching with her more often than not. Plus, the side stories form some dancers are enough to make you want to cry.
You know, the 17 year old girl who had no money growing up, so her dad worked the job in the factory, then washed dishes at night to put her through dance class, just so he could end up getting cancer, and on his death bed, requesting that she enter this competition only to be the dark horse and America's favorite little orphan, then lose in the finals? Yeah. That good.

Plus, this show also demonstrates to me how out of shape I am, and that I never have a chance of being as physically gifted as these young kids.

I mean, I'm so great, there's nobody smarter/more handsome/awesome than me. I'm the best at everything that I do. ;)

2009-06-03T09:01:00.005-05:00

Today marks the dawn of a new era. This will begin a new tradition of me and Ellery (and hopefully more kids) attending Blue Bomber training camp and home games.

I've got our matching jerseys laid out ready to go. It has been a long, painful off season.

Get ready to join the Blue Revolution. Ellery and I are on board. Are you?

I'm Frankenstein!!!

2009-06-02T07:45:00.004-05:00

I'm addicted to surgery. ;)
Yesterday, I went in to have a chronic ingrown toenail removed.
It wasn't the entire nail, but just a wedge on the medial (outside) edge.

I thought the Doctor would be able to do it in the safe confines of his clinic, but it was actually considered a day surgery.

Working in a hospital, I get used to all kinds of different smells. However, once I walked into the operating room, an overwhelming stench of Formaldehyde filled the air. It was actually the chemical called Phenol, which they use to cauterize the nail bed after the nail is removed, and the smell quickly took me back to high school science class, dissecting the frogs and piglets....

I found myself getting nervous. As I lay on the table, the nurse asked if I was worried. My high blood pressure was a dead give away. I felt calm, but I guess my body didn't know what to expect.
I found that I was actually less nervous about my back surgery years ago. I guess that it was the point of me being awake while somebody sliced away at my body that bothered me.

This all helped me re-enforce the importance of keeping my patients as calm and reassured as possible before their surgeries. I think it is easy for nurses to forget that these people have worries and concerns about their upcoming procedures.

After the initial small sting of the freezing, the nail was lopped off, and I was on my merry way. Now I have a week off with Ellery, and rookie training camp starts tomorrow!

I should plan surgery every year at this time.

We've got rednecks!!

2009-05-26T20:39:00.004-05:00

Last week, we had some new neighbors move in.
They live in the three bedroom apartment across from us, and from my count, I see 7 of them

Let me paint the picture;

The dad is about 45, wears Harley Davidson T-shirts with the sleeves ripped off, camo pants, a Nascar hat, and of course he has the redneck goatee.

The mom is dressed like she's straight from the 80's with puffy hair, and tight black jeans on.

The angry 15 year old son is full of angst, as evidenced by his huge screaming fit at both parents this evening. Of course, they patched things up with a family cigarette break on the balcony.....

There are two younger daughters around 12 and 9, and two other boys probably around 6 and 8.

I think Ali jinxed the block when she said how nice and safe our area was. Now we have our own version of Dog the Bounty Hunter just outside our window.

Ellery's first words will now be "Get me a damn beer, woman!"

Happy 1st birthday to mini-me

2009-05-13T10:29:00.003-05:00

Today marks Ellery's first birthday.
At this time last year, we were making our way to the hospital, where we would spend the next 12 hours eagerly awaiting her arrival.

Our little girl has been the best thing that has happened to us. She has made me more patient, more caring, more sensitive and more aware of my surroundings.

It makes me warm and fuzzy whenever somebody says that she looks just like me.
It must be a good thing if everyone says she's sooooo cute, right?

Everyday with her is an adventure. She makes new sounds, new faces, new words, and I never thought that a 1 year old could have such an attitude when she doesn't get her way!

Happy birthday E. Daddy and mommy love you more than the world.

To quote Madonna, "Holi-dayyyy!"

2009-05-11T15:19:00.004-05:00

Today marks my first week of vacation since September of last year.
The weather is finally nice, it's Ellery's big 1 year birthday this Wednesday, and we're heading home for a fishing derby.

What's not to like?

At my hospital, they're starting a new pilot project to retain older nurses. They are offering anyone who is 50 and older with their "magic 80" (the total of age + years of service) the chance to keep working with 6-12 weeks of extra time off. The rate of pay will be %55 of the gross income.

Free money to stay on the payroll but not to work? Where do I sign up?

At the moment, I'm on my "magic 36." That looks awfully sad.
Why wouldn't they offer this to younger nurses, say 25-35? We young'ns always get the shaft.

Loud talkers and white froth

2009-05-09T16:07:00.002-05:00

I had this patient last night, who only has one volume - loud!

It's alright when he is talking to you and it's noon, or 3 p.m. but when he is yelling at 2 in the morning as I try to quietly wake him up to do his vital signs, it gets to be a little much.

I asked his roomate if he would like to change rooms. He said not to worry about it, he would have to stop sooner or later.
At one particular point, the patient was talking on his cell phone to his son. He was requesting that his kid bring him in an item from home. From across the curtain, all that I kept on hearing was "It's on my night stand. Bring me a package. A pack. A pack will do..."

The quiet patient with whom I was talking to, motioned for me to lean closer.
He whispered "Do you want to know what he wants his son to bring? Ear plugs."

I guess the loud talking grinds on his own gears after a while.

I really grosses me out when a person is talking to you, and they have that little bit of white froth in the corners of their mouth. It's even worse when it gets so thick that it actually spans out from one lip to another while they are speaking.
I had an instructor in Nursing school who had this problem. My eyes would be drawn to it like a moth to a flame, and you would think that if a person were staring at your mouth the entire time, that you would maybe wipe that shit with a napkin or something.

On that note, have a happy Mother's day tomorrow. Give your moms a kiss, and check for the froth.

Baby's first sick day/fake tanning

2009-05-04T19:47:00.005-05:00

Right now Ellery is in the middle of a teething/congested/rashy/can't-stand-to-be-alone-for-a-second mood.
She was supposed to go to my Aunt's house for the day, but I decided that dropping her off for the first time there in this condition was not in anyone's best interest....

We enjoyed some outdoor time, as the weather hit 70 degrees here today. I finally got to put on some shorts, flashing my pasty white legs for the block to see. We all have to start somewhere with the tanning I suppose.

You can always tell the people who fake tan, and the people who fake tan too much. There was a young girl jogging today, and from a distance, she looked like a Sunkist orange. Not natural at all.

I'll take my natural white legs instead of the tangerine look, thank you very much.

So, it's off to the baby sitter tomorrow, as Ali and I head back to that shitty thing called a job.
If I were in Parliament, I would say no work if the temperature is above 70. We should be safe for about three days a year here. ;)

Head West young man

2009-04-23T12:02:00.003-05:00

This weekend I will be attending a conference in Calgary, Alberta.
Calgary is one of the most beautiful cities in Canada, and there are so many things that I miss when I lived there.

I will be staying with my cousin Kara, who has always been more like an older sister than a cousin.
I look forward to laughing with her awesome hubby Dave, and some good home cooking.

One of the things that I'm most excited about, is renting a car. I love driving a car like I stole one, and a rental gives you the best opportunity to do so. Being the worry wart that I am though, I have purchased rental car insurance form my local agent, rather than paying a fortune through the rental agency.

My friend Thomas was to come along with me, but there were some family issues which will prevent him from coming.
Sunday night I will try to get together with some old friends and share a beer or two.

On top of all of this, Calgary is in the playoffs, so I will get to see the "Red Mile" first hand.
Now all I need is a Flames jersey....

Wow, we wrangled warm weather, Wreggie!

2009-04-14T21:23:00.003-05:00

SO, it finally hot a balmy 16 Celsius today. The snow is melting, and the birds are alive in the sunlight.

I spend the last few days in Ontario with the family, and was actually able to get outside in a T-shirt.

I helped dig out little canals to channel the water out of my parent's yard.

I placed a huge Bomber logo on the back window of my car. Sadly, it's now the most expensive part on my car.

I was finally able to visit my best friend and his wife Irene. It feels like 20 years ago since I've last seen them. His birthday is a month earlier, so he had to add "Now you know what it's like to be 31" to the end of his happy birthday wish to me. Apparently, he's going to do this every year from now on.

Now that I've actually turned 31, it's not such a big deal. Maybe it worried me to think that I was just 30, but not yet into my 30's. Whatever. I'm still young at heart.

Speaking of young, I watched a great special on Neil Young called "Neil Young: Heart of Gold".
I recommend it. Did you know Mr. Young spend his early years here in Winnipeg?

Next month brings the promise of warmer weather (maybe even shorts weather) and Ellery's 1st birthday. I can't wait to see her up to her elbows in chocolate cake.
Speaking of cake, did you or any of your friends ever have money cakes when you were younger?
First, how unsanitary was that, and second, I wonder how many kids suffered from bowel obstructions after swallowing those dirty coins.

Enjoy the rest of the week.

Are you in the band?!?!

2009-04-09T11:06:00.003-05:00

With warmer weather comes the start of concert season.

Going to see a live rock show is one of my all time favorite things to do.

This August, AC/DC will be gracing us with their presence at the Winnipeg Stadium.
There aren't many shows that we say we have to go to, but this is one!

Here is my concert resume of some of my favorites:

Bachman Turner Overdrive - my very first concert when I was 7 years old

Green Day - My first concert at the old Winnipeg Arena (my first show by myself)

The Tragically Hip - My all time favorite band, I've seen them 8 times across Canada, but one great show was at the bird Amphitheatre in Minneapolis Zoo. I've also had the privilege of meeting them backstage in Sakatoon, Sk.

The Rolling Stones - I made the mistake of taking my sister, who was wearing a skirt in Winnipeg, in October, at an outdoor show. I watched the entire concert by myself

The Rheostatics - Another of my favorites, I've seen them about 6 times

The Weakerthans - A local Winnipeg band, slowly picking up a solid following of listeners

U2 - The best stage show that I've ever witnessed (on my birthday)

Oasis - Would have been better if it were 10 years ago, but still great none the less

Various outdoor festivals - Including Los Lobos, Sheryl Crow and Wilco

Eagles - Another huge act, probably the best sounding live show I've seen

I wish Canada would get into more outdoor events like the UK. They know how to hold a festival....

I'm not a fan of freak accidents

2009-04-08T09:58:00.003-05:00

A friend of mine got a call the other night that we all dread.

His dad had been out with some friends, building a hunting shelter.

He fell about ten feet, landing on his head and injuring his back.

It turns out that he has a complete spinal cord injury from T3 down, meaning that he'll be paralyzed form the chest down - and that's a best case scenario. He's still fighting in intensive care, and I'm praying for him.

I get stupid patients all the time. Young guys who are surfing on the hood of fast moving cars, drunk drivers, or the "tough guys" who punch their girlfriends in the face and get a raging case of cellulitis and some broken fingers.

It's unfair to see a father of two being responsible and having fun with friends end up in the wheelchair, while these other people walk out with a few bumps and a broken ankle.
I wonder where the justice is sometimes....

This is another part of the job that I don't particularly like.

Sorry to bring everybody down, this has just been weighing on my mind.

"Elite" athletes

2009-04-01T13:29:00.003-05:00

So Jay Cutler, QB of my beloved Broncos, is pissed off that the team was listening to offers from other teams about a trade.

He took the low road, publicly announcing that he thought he was the future of the team, and would never play in Denver again.
The kid is in his early 20's, he's signed a deal for 6 year/$48 million, and he's complaining.

With today's economy and people losing their jobs everywhere, I hope nobody shows this idiot any sympathy. I hope he gets traded to a shitty team, and he never sees the playoffs again.
Let them give him something to complain about....

Maybe I'll just cheer for the Panthers full time. At least Julius Peppers is a team player....oh, never mind.

It's the meds, alright....

2009-03-23T13:45:00.003-05:00

I've got this little head cold. The kind where everything I do feels like slow motion.

Couple that with this allergy pill that I took last night, and it was a TKO at 9 p.m.

I think the women at Shopper's Drug Mart think I'm a junkie who doesn't know how to pick the right meds. On Saturday, I went in for anti diarrhea pills. Yesterday was sore throat meds, and today was Vicks vaporub, and sinus pills. Talk about an awesome pill party!!!

Anyway, aside from that, it's finally warming up here. I can see greenish grass poking through the remnants of the winter ice, and we enjoyed a walk in the plus 4 weather.
On a side note, why does liquefied dog poo decide to stay on the sidewalk, while everything else just washes away?

Flood watch 2009

2009-03-17T19:54:00.002-05:00

It's that lovely time of year again here in Manitoba.
As the snow and ice melts, it brings tons of water from the rivers and the surrounding area.
Our neighbours to the South in Grand Forks ND have the same experiences every year.

Our Province bought an additional "Ice buster" this year. It's a modified back hoe with inflatable platforms, and it goes out and breaks up the ice before the dreaded ice jams begin.

I wonder why people continue to build and live along these flood ways. I guess it's the same reason why people rebuild in tornado alley. Stupidity.
I agree that maybe after you fix your house and property after the first flood, you may decide to stay put. My question is - if you know that it's going to happen again, why would you not begin sand bagging around your house and set up pumps before the shit hits the fan?

There were a few people interviewed on the news tonight. They said that they are not worried about the flood, and they are not preparing for the worst case scenario. These are people who have already suffered lots of damage from the first flood. Stupid. I hope these people do not get insurance coverage for their laziness.

During the devastating flood of 1997, I was volunteering here in Winnipeg while I was a member of the Canadian Armed Forces.
They put us up in an Armoury with about 500 other military personnel, and we alternated from sand bagging duties, to delivering supplies, and manning the radios.

One particular night, I was driving with my commanding officer to a Southern part of the city.
We were on security patrol, as there was no power in the community, and the residents were ordered to evacuate.
I had directions to get to our command post, but all I had to go on was a light on a generator set off in the distance.
The river had swelled well over 10 feet past the banks, and by this time, my headlights were under the murky, cold, fast flowing water.
In our military "Iltis" jeeps, there are fording plates which we fix to the front of the vehicle. As long as the air intake just below the windshield stays dry, the jeep continues to run - even being submerged.
The water was pushing the jeep to the left, and by this time it was almost up to my armpits. I continued to head straight for the lights ahead, with the theme from "Jaws" playing in my head. I was picturing that ride in Disney World where Jaws comes up and bites the boat.
It was an eerie feeling, not being able to see anything ahead of you, your headlights under water, and being tits deep in spring melt water.

Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, as we were sand bagging later that night, the Labatt brewery truck pulled up.
They started off loading cases of beer, free for anyone to take. We were quickly reminded that this was a "dry exercise", therefore we could not have any alcohol. All of the civilians who were out helping dropped what they were doing, hoisted as much beer as they could carry, and continued to drink all of the beer while we continued to build up the temporary walls of defense.

Oh, I also got some mystery immunizations while on exercise. To this day, they never told us what the shots were for, or what possible long term effects they may have on us.

Eagles review

2009-03-16T22:12:00.006-05:00

On Friday night, I had a chance to see a North American iconic band.
As the lights went out, and the announcer said "Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. The show is about to begin."

And what a show it was.

Glenn Frey took to the microphone, and greeted the sold out crowd. "Hello Winnipeg Manitoba. It's summer in here tonight!!."
After the show, I heard that the band requested that the heat be turned up - to a modest 23 degrees Celsius. Add 15,015 people, and that heat just keeps going up. They wanted it warm to save their voices.

Is it just me, or could Glenn be a long lost twin to Huey Lewis?

It was a two set show, with the band playing mostly older stuff for the first set.
Of course, I was waiting for Hotel California, which began by a guy cast in a red hue, playing a slow sultry trumpet solo.
Don Henley played the drums for this song, and the next three or four songs. I always give a guy credit when he plays the drums and sing at the same time. (See Phil Collins)
Before the show, a guy was telling me that the band has opened with that same song since 1971. Not tonight.

My personal favorite of the evening was "Love will Keep us Alive". Timothy Schmit is hard to look at, but wow, does he have an awesome voice.
Mr. Joe Walsh was also here, gracing us with some kick ass guitar solos. I love how he would get up onto his tippy - toes for those longer high notes.
The band never played "Rocky Mountain Way", as I was hoping for, but Walsh still had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand with "In the city".

For a band that has been feuding for many years, they played very well together.
I found out before the show that all 4 members arrived and left at separate times, with each member having his own dressing room and attendants.

There were even arena staff assigned to keep two of the band mates split up during the intermission.

The view from our seats was amazing. We were to the right of the stage, about 60 feet from the band.
At an average price of $250 per ticket, the Eagles treated their fans to a show worth every penny.
It has been 30 years since they were in Winnipeg (they played an outdoor show in 1978), but they sound as good as they did back then.

I'm speechless...has "Hell Frozen Over?!?!"

2009-03-13T10:01:00.000-05:00

I have gotten to know one of my patients pretty well this week.
As he was sitting in his room with his wife last evening, he stopped to ask me a question.

Patient: "Don't feel obligated to say yes, but we were wondering if you would like to accompany us to the Eagles concert tomorrow."

Me:"Uh, YES!!"

Patient: "A good friend of ours is the V.P. of marketing at the local arena, and said that we can bring you along. I'd also feel better if a nurse were to escort me there."

Me: "Uh, yeah, let me talk to my wife, although I'm sure she'll be fine with it..."

Patient: "This will be the first time I've left the hospital in 7 weeks, and I would feel better if you were to come with me. I want you to have fun too."

Can you believe that? He was the one stuck in a hospital bed for the last two months, and he wants me to have fun.
I consider myself to be a casual Eagles fan (my dad is the die-hard), but I want to go just for his sake, so that he can relax and enjoy himself. As he was talking to me, his eyes were filling with tears, and it was hard to say anything, except "I'm flattered that you want me to go."

I will be in a private suite with my patient (now friend), his wife and a bunch of his associates.

I will also be at his beck and call tonight. It has been a long, hard 7 weeks, and I'm going to make sure he can escape from reality for a little while. It's nice to know that there are still genuinely nice people in this world....

I wear my sunglasses at night.....

2009-03-05T20:22:00.004-06:00

Title credit to one of Canada's treasures, Mr. Corey Hart.

While on my drive home from work tonight, I was waiting to turn right on a red light.
A woman exited a nearby money loan place - wearing sunglasses. Uh, it's 8:00 p.m. and it's dark outside. Why the hell are you wearing shades?

I had my window open a crack, since it is a balmy 0 degrees Celsius, and I think I said something along the lines of "Why are you wearing shades, you f'ing moron?"
I guess she heard me judging by the glance she directed my way, then picked up her pace to cross the street.

Pet peeve #5 - people who wear sunglasses at night, or in the bar. This includes you, Mr. Hart....

An alternate universe where my phone doesn't receive phone calls

2009-03-02T16:24:00.003-06:00

One thing that really get to me, is when people don't return phone calls.
I leave them a message or two, and expect a call back.

I called my mom on Sunday (her birthday) and said Happy birthday, blah blah, call me back. Nothing.

I call the Nursing agencies that I work with about my availability. They never call back.

I repeatedly call our leasing office to remind them of our broken stove/carpet needing to be cleaned/hole in our bathroom ceiling. No calls back.
Finally, I went in to pay rent today, and reminded them that we are still waiting for a guy to come clean our carpets. The lady (who sports a 1960's beehive hairdo - I shit you not) looked up and said "Oh, he still hasn't done that? He was here yesterday....."

I said no such guy entered our home, so she jotted our suite number down on a piece of paper, and told me that it "may be a while, because we don't have anyone else on the list."
How about US, who have been on this "list" for almost 6 friggin' months!!

The lady did call back about an hour ago to tell me that a painter will be in to look at our bathroom. Here's a quick question - how does paint help hide a hole the size of a quarter in a ceiling? Plus, I really could care less about that right now, I want these carpets cleaned.

I swear to you, we don't live in the slums. I think they get better service. And returned phone calls.

Randoms (What grind my gears pt. 2)

2009-02-26T22:15:00.005-06:00

I'd like to know what makes people think that when they're walking towards you shoulder to shoulder, that you are the one that's supposed to move...

Why the guy who works in the Telus phone store in the mall thinks that it's necessary for him to sing show tunes out loud.

Why it's considered trashy if men wear sweat pants out in public, but women can wear them and it's okay. It is trashy, however, when women roll down their waist bands into a huge lump. That's not sexy, it looks like you're wearing a diaper.

Speaking of sweats, who thought it would be cool to put writing on the ass? "Juicy" or "Princess" is one thing....."University of Winnipeg" means that your ass is too big.

Why do people insist on putting their cells phones on speakerphone while driving? I think they are pretending that they are using walkie talkies...

Watching celebrities on an infomercial, pleading for your donations, then showing that the actor has been compensated in the ending credits really pisses me off.

I'm getting tired of calling people's bluffs with these "You've won a free vacation" phone calls. If it's free, why the hell do you need my credit card number?

Why can't people just know when I'm trying to change lanes while driving? I could use the blinker, but it's too far away. My look in the mirror should make things very clear. ;)

If a person tries to add me as a friend on facebook, and I've rejected 15 times, take the fucking hint.

Just some things to think about before a nice weekend break. Have a good one.

Summertime fun

2009-02-23T21:57:00.002-06:00

It appears that I'll get some prime holidays again this year.

During my entire 5 year career at the hospital, I have been lucky enough to get some holidays during the warmer months. This year is no different.

I'm planning on taking a week off in May, so I can enjoy my daughter's first birthday.

After that, I'll do my annual fishing trip with the father in law and brother in law.

A week in August to enjoy some camping, and finally the week of football that matters the most - the rematch game after Labour day in September.

I can't complain. There are people that have many more years of seniority, and aren't able to take time off until September or November. Life is good.

Bear sighting

2009-02-16T22:12:00.004-06:00

One of my favorite shows on T.V. these days, is a show called "Man vs. Wild".
This stars an ex SAS soldier named Bear (Edward) Grylls who shows you how to survive in the elements, ranging from the Sahara desert to the Canadian Northwest.

I've always enjoyed survival themed shows, but this guy is as hard core as they come.
In previous episodes, I've watched him disembowel a camel to find water, eat live snakes and scorpions, and make shelters and fire while suspended twenty feet in the air between trees.

One of the neatest parts of the show is how he gets to each location. He talks to the camera while he is flying out to the wilderness, then jumps out of the plane/helicopter, free falls for a while, then deploys his parachute.

I once watched another documentary on this guy where he joined the French foreign Legion - just for fun.
Of course he completed the training, and is now a white cap owning member of the Legion.

If you're ever stuck for programming, switch to the Discovery channel and give this show a try.
I bet you'll like him a little too.

Even Ellery has caught Bear fever. One of her little toys is a yellow bear which, we of course, named Bear Grylls.

I'm all for brushing your teeth, but....

2009-02-12T20:38:00.003-06:00

I pulled into a Domo gas bar today to fill up my tank.
It's a small Manitoba chain with the motto "We jump to the pump for you".

I noticed that as the guy was walking out to fill my tank, he had a toothbrush in his hand.
I rolled down the window and asked him to fill it up.

His response, as he continued to brush his teeth?
"Sure, no problem", followed by him spitting his toothpaste onto the ground.

My question is what was he eating that warranted him to immediately brush his teeth afterwards?
I think he could have waited the two minutes until I was gone.

Can't you just shut up?

2009-02-11T19:27:00.004-06:00

On tonight's newscast, there was a segment about people putting out road side memorials in tribute to a loved one.
An old man was interviewed, and was complaining that it was up too long, and he wants the city to take it down.
This had come up a while ago, and a girl fought the city when they asked her to remove a memorial to her uncle who was killed as he was working on a city street. City officials gave her a deadline of 2 months, while she argued that it should remain for at least 6 months.

I'm all for road side memorials. Who are they bothering? Maybe if you happen to live on a street, and an accident happened in front of your house, you would get a little tired of the people coming around. Suck it up. What would you do if it were your family?

The next segment featured a woman fighting a speeding ticket that she had received while speeding through a construction zone. A recent ruling had a judge throw out 9 tickets, because the signs only specified "Slow down while there are workers present."
Evidently, there were no workers around that day. Regardless, it was still designated as a zone where you need to adjust you driving conditions to remain safe.

It appears that people just aren't happy unless they are bitching about all the small things.

Dude....change your shoes!

2009-02-06T19:16:00.004-06:00

As I was entering the hospital for work yesterday, I heard the distinct clicking of high heels coming down the hallway.
My brain said "This is a woman coming. Those are high heels that you hear".

Just as I approached the intersection in the hallway, one of the plastic surgery residents that I work with came strolling by, dressed in a nice suit and dress shoes.

Men, never wear shoes that click on hard floors. You just might cause my brain to explode next time.

Various childhood memories

2009-02-03T17:32:00.003-06:00

I would like my special power to be the ability to stop time.
I have always thought this would be handy. You see a crime in progress, just stop time and walk over and beat the guy silly.

Either that, or have the ability to completely empty a body of water. This would be cool to see all the crap that has accumulated on the bottom over the years, especially in the Hudson River in NY.
All the bodies, guns, and vehicles would make me rich.
When I was a kid, I often thought of being able to empty lakes, so that I could walk across and pick up the biggest fish. Laziness at it's best!

Also, when I was on long road trips, I would pretend that the knob on the window handle was a remote control to a high speed airplane. As I would look out the window, I would picture the plane flying under signs, through ditches, and of course, if I pushed the button, it would become a 4 X4 car with huge tires.

When I laid in bed as a kid, I imagined that if I closed my eyes, evil things could not see me. I figured that this gave me too big of an advantage to the bad guys, so I compromised. If I had one eye open and one eye closed, bad guys could still see me, but I was like a hologram. That, and I couldn't see them back.
If I closed my eyes, it would have a 3 second delay, so I could still technically be killed even though my eyes were closed.

And, before you ask, yes I did eat glue as a kid.

One on one with Mr. Wreggie

2009-01-30T19:29:00.006-06:00

Here is my interview with Wreggie: (Pictured to the right)

What was the biggest misconception about North Carolina?

My biggest misconception was that there would be a lot of log shacks, and people sitting on the porch with greasy stained wife beaters (tank tops).

I actually never saw any dumpy neighborhoods while I was there.
What was the biggest Misconception of me, my house, etc?

Since I had never met you, I had a backup plan to just hang out in the airport. You, of course were cool, and your house was actually what I pictured it to be. I wondered if you really liked to joke around as much as you said you did. Yep. When I first saw your house on Google maps, I was trying to locate the axes...Oh, and I loved the dogs too.

Was NFL like what you thought it would be?

The whole NFL experience has made me a better man. I literally tell everyone I can about how fun the day was, especially the tailgate party. It's now your turn to experience the CFL in all it's glory.

If a pig drink a quart of buttermilk before he starts, and runs a mile before he farts, the farther he runs the farther he gets...how far will it be before he shits?

He will poo at the 2.54367124532 mile mark. Or, right next to a huge restaurant window, for all to enjoy.

How many minutes did you spend with Gigi?

My time with Gigi was short, but sweet. Total talk time was about 1 hour, but it was quality, not quantity. She definitely has the gift of gab, and I could talk to that girl for ages. She comes from good genes, Larry touched my heart too.

I enjoyed it dude. Can't wait before you guys come back.

Ditto. More golf, more grits, and more laughs.
Thanks again for helping Ali with one of the best Christmas presents ever!!

I'll see if I can fit you in...

2009-01-30T09:45:00.004-06:00

Hey, even the Dali Lama loves the Bombers!!

The Canadian Football League has released it's 2009 schedule.
This is when I write down every Blue Bomber home game in my little calender, then present it to my manager, who then ensures that I have these games off.

I owe her one.

I'm hoping to take Ellery to a game this year. Once I know she can stay entertained for a while, she can begin the Bomber experience.
That little jersey is getting smaller by the day, so she had better get some use out of it soon.

Then, of course, when it comes time to book my holidays, I'll be sure to take the second week of September off, so I can get ready for the hated arch nemesis that is the Saskatchewan Roughriders...

Can't wait for training camp to start on May!

Getting in touch with my inner "Gemini"

2009-01-27T20:19:00.004-06:00

Following an example of my dear Ali and Wreggie's blogs...

I was wondering who the first person to drink cow's milk was up to....

Why people argue that humans aren't meant to eat meat because we have "rounded" teeth. The last time I checked, we have called Canine teeth for a reason.

Why we can't sneeze with our eyes open. I'm still trying to do that one.

Why is it physically impossible to lick your own elbow?

Why is it called your funny bone? It hurts like hell!

How come nobody has invented a word (Ebonics or otherwise) that rhymes with orange?

Why don't we have a Bojangle's chicken and biscuits here in Winnipeg?

I see stars

2009-01-20T21:07:00.003-06:00

I just finished watching the Nicholas Cage movie "Bangkok Dangerous".
Not bad, but a messed up ending.

I have always been impartial to Nick Cage, err, Coppola. I don't love him, don't hate him. This got me to thinking about actors that I like, and others that I wish would just go away.

Actors that I like:

Charleton Heston. One of my all time favorites.

Jason Statham. Abs like mine, plus, I dig the accent.

Jet Li. That man can do some crazy ass stunts. My genitals hurt just thinking of trying some of them.

Brad Pitt. In fight Club and Snatch Brad , not Legends of The Fall Brad.

Will Farrell. In Anchorman, not Semi Pro. Nothing too deep, just like him when I want to laugh.

Nick Swardson. He has cameos in a lot of movies, but his best role is Terry on Reno 911, and and Jeff on Grandma's Boy. Plus, he has a fuckin' sweet car bed....

Kevin Spacey. Good in The Usual Suspects, and who really cares if he is gay?

Actors that I hate:

Jean Claude Van Damme. Need I say more? I get it, you can do the splits....

Colin Farrell. Whiny, and I'd kick his whiny ass like the whiny little rich puke that he is.

Any musician that "doubles" as an actor. Insert Jessica Simpson, Jamie Foxx, Lindsay Lohan, Billy Ray Cyrus, etc. name here.

Jonah Hill. Can you say type cast? "Here's your character. You're a large lovable loser with a potty mouth, who's always yelling and mad that you can't get laid."

Samuel L. Jackson. Why are you always yelling? It worked in Pulp Fiction, but that was like 15 years ago. Try something new.

This is a list of just a few people who really grind my gears. Feel free to add yours.

That....is disgusting!!!

2009-01-19T19:42:00.002-06:00

I was thinking about how many people I catch picking their nose while they drive.

It isn't limited to just young men either. Even though younger men are dubbed the pigs of the earth (wearing the same undies for days on end, and using up every clean dish until you're actually eating from an empty pop bottle cut up to fashion a bowl, etc), I've actually seen older business women driving BMW's and Range Rovers indulging in a quick snack too.

First of all, EEWW!! Second of all, every time I've been guilty of cleaning my nose, it's never been something that I've thought "Man, I just have to eat that!"

This make me wonder what these people lacked as kids. Maybe their moms didn't cook with enough garlic, and that just reminds them of mom's home cooking.

This also reminds me of one of Ali's former classmates who would scratch her scalp, then proceed to dig up the dried skin from underneath her nails with her teeth.
The worst part was how she'd justify it. "Well, I was hungry!!".

I've eaten some nasty foods in my day, including raw caribou and bull's testicles, but never would I stoop to those levels. I've got my pride ;)

So, the next time you're on the open road, take a quick peek to the car stopped next to you at that red light. See if they actually stop when they notice you staring at them, or see if they are just too hungry to care.

Why are Canadians dumb?

2009-01-12T20:26:00.003-06:00

Just look at the climate we live in.....

It's currently -29 Celcius, and it's supposed to go down to -34 tonight. Great.

To top it all of, I have a piece of shit 1993 Cavalier that decided that I don't deserve heat any longer.
This is just one of the many "features" my car has. It's other selling points are a defrost that hardly does it's job, and a rear defrost that lasts as long as a 15 year old boy looking at a Playboy magazine.

So, needless to say, I'm at my wits end. I'm thinking of calling my grandma to see if I can borrow her car for the next few months. This is, of course, if I can pry it out of my greedy aunts/cousins hands long enough to get it out of the driveway.
This is the same car that Ali and I borrowed after her beloved 'Tunia (R.I.P) was stolen a few years back.
The only difference - if we borrow it, we wash it, put gas in it, clean it, and show our appreciation by getting her flowers and a thank you card. All my asshole family does is drive it until it's empty, and add a few new dents and scratches every time they get behind the wheel.

Tough choice?

If any of you have an inexpensive vehicle to donate to Chris' work fund, let me know. I'll get you as many rubber gloves and suppositories as you can handle.

Just where exactly are the cockles of the heart?

2009-01-09T12:37:00.003-06:00

Anyway, here are a few things that warm those "cockles".

I love hearing Ellery say "Dada". I'll love it even more when she knows how to use it to her advantage.

I love packing up the family and venturing outside in the cold winter air for a brisk walk.

I love watching football in HD. I never really appreciated the difference until I got hooked up.

I love relaxing and ice fishing in an ice shack. Nothing beats manly conversation and fish.

I love mom's home cooking. I just have to get her to pick up on Southern comfort food...

I love driving on long road trips. Especially the ones I had with my best friend Mike.

I love having a date night with Ali. We haven't made much time for each other lately, but I think it's time for dinner and a movie (her choice).

I love staying in hotel rooms.

I love a good zombie movie.

I love when Ellery smiles so hard it looks like her face is going to crack. She's doing it right now...

Beware!! Rant coming on!!

2009-01-06T20:28:00.003-06:00

99% of the time, I love my job. I love working at a hospital, I like the people I work with, and I really enjoy getting to know patients and their families.

The other 1% of the time, I have to deal with stuff that I'm not fully prepared for, like deaths on our ward, or somebody falling and breaking their arm, only for the x-ray to reveal that they're riddled with cancer.

I work on a Trauma/Orthopedics ward. I deal with broken bones, and back surgeries. For the most part, the Surgeons that I work with are all excellent when dealing with their issues. However, when somebody gets a less desirable diagnosis, other services (IE. Medical Oncologists, or Nephrologists) are slow to pick up the slack. This leaves us nurses in a very tough spot, seeing as we advocate for our patients and do the fighting with the doctors on behalf of the family.

If a person is a newly diagnosed Diabetic, or if the doctors do discover a mass on a lung, it has to come from the doctors. Most of the time, they try to leave it up to the nurses to inform the patients, or see how much the family knows without actually talking to them.

In health care, we all have to give news that not be what anyone wants to hear. There is a fine line between maintaining professionalism and breaking news without showing any empathy. I think that Doctors have to remember that they are humans first, and professionals second.

P.S. I still get teary-eyed when I have bad news. This is why I'm a nurse I guess.
If I were a robot, I would have attended Med. school.

New Year's (Re)solutions

2009-01-04T13:05:00.002-06:00

Here we are, 4 days into the new year.
Like many others, I have set goals in the past, only to crash and burn.
This is a list of things that I want to happen, mostly for others.

1. I want my Winnipeg Blue Bombers to finally win it all.

2. I want Ellery to have an awesome 1st birthday party.

3. I would love for somebody close to me to win the lottery.

4. Actually cash in some Air Miles for something.

5. Help Ali get excited about work again.

6. Maybe attend some more concerts.

7. Take the family camping.

8. Go on day trips.

9. Make a stronger effort to stay in touch with friends.

10. Hopefully become an uncle.

There. 10 little things that I hope that 2009 will bring. Wish us luck!

Back in the saddle again

2008-12-30T15:41:00.002-06:00

I've returned form a week in Ontario.
I've over eaten more than once, visited friends and family, and even stayed up past 11 p.m.

I now have to face the reality of working again, getting up and starting my cold car, and eventually listening to my parents gawk about their trip to the Caribbean, and how hot it was.

My dad will come back tanned as black as tar, my mom will have her hair weaved in that stupid little dread lock thingy that all white tourist get done (I think it's just a joke that locals play on tourists to make them look like assholes) and my sister will be on her latest rant, which currently involves how farm animals are mistreated, and how skim milk powder is 2 chemicals away from napalm.....

I'm over the fact that 90% of my immediate family is going South. I had my awesome man weekend earlier in the month, and I'm hoping Ali will be able to do something with her girlfriends in the future. It just irks me how people always tell stories of their vacation and say things like "Remember how our bartender Jose said your name?" or when they have an inside joke that just won't die.
With my parents, it's the lame pictures. Sure, they mean something to them, but to me it's just a group of strangers smiling, and holding up giant drinks.
And then there's my dad's famous line "Did you notice _____ while you were in Cuba?" Or "Is that what you did when you were there?"

Petty, I know, but I'm ready for it this year more than ever. I have Ali and Ellery to keep me sane through the cold months ahead.

Ode to my belly button lint

2008-12-19T20:25:00.003-06:00

Oh, belly button lint, so stealthily you appear

I have a shower, put on a clean shirt, and yet you persevere

I find you in the evening, after carrying you around all day

I take my shirt off and get ready for bed, and you poke your head out to see if I'm OK

I wonder what you're made of, and if you'll ever cease

I imagine how big you'd be if my shirts were made of fleece

I always know you have my back, or rather my mid section

I just wish you were one of those things I simply couldn't mention

As I live my life these days I'll take the good with the bad

After all you're not the toughest combatant that I've ever had

You're evil twin toe jam has introduced themselves on occasion too

But I'll have the last laugh when I shower away the both of you

Until next time, bellybutton lint. Until next time....

It's almost the "C" word..

2008-12-18T09:34:00.002-06:00

Christmas.

Remember a few years back when a few people were freaking out, saying that Christmas wasn't just for Christians, and that everyone celebrated this holiday?
We couldn't say Christmas tree. It was known as a "holiday" tree.
We couldn't say Merry Christmas, it was "Happy holidays".

Way to ruin Christmas. Merry Holi-mas.
Better?

This last few days before the big day is where I'm truly impressed with Ali's ability to speed shop.
This is like watching a man on crack going through his shopping list. My question is this ;

Why can't women shop like this all of the time?

They buy what they need, glancing at their lists, get into a store, get mad at the crowd, buy what they need, and bee line it for the till. Sounds like man shopping to me!

Good luck finishing your shopping.

What's not to like?

2008-12-16T20:36:00.003-06:00

I've returned home to frigid cold winds, a foot of snow, and bitter cold.

For the past few days, I was living a sports fan's dream, watching a live NFL game between the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos, and enjoying an awesome round of golf at a beautiful golf course called Old Sycamore golf Plantation.

I have to sincerely thank my hosts Reggie and Gigi for showing me true Southern charm and hospitality. They made a great trip even better, and I can't wait for the two of you to finally meet the rest of my family.

I think I must have been a Southerner in a former life. I sampled all of the local dishes and loved them all. It started with a good seafood dinner, complimented with succotash. The next morning, I had my first taste of grits and country ham (a salty version of our Canadian back bacon).
The next day at the best tailgate ever, I had Chesapeake oysters as big as a baby's fist, including one with a pearl, and fresh North Carolina shrimp and steamed mussels.

My host's house was very cozy. I've visited many States across the U.S., but this is the first one that I could actually see myself living there. I think a lot has to do with the whole Southern charm there, and we as Canadians are very polite too, so we're very similar.
I was getting used to being called "honey" by the older ladies, and chuckled every time I heard a man address another woman as "darlin'" or "sweetheart".

I loved meeting the extended family - all 5 of the Border collies, the 2 horses and cats, and Bosco the parrot.
I enjoyed the dialogue with Larry, and chatting with Tree and Bash.

I enjoyed Penny's place - this little dive of a restaurant with no windows that served food on Styrofoam plates.

I liked the coffee there. Probably the best American coffee around.

I appreciated the hospitality of all of the strangers that I introduced myself to.
I'm looking forward to our next trip to Charlotte to visit Reggie, Gigi and family.

As a transplanted Chicagoean says about North Carolina, "What's not to like?".

Thanks, one million times over. I've been ruint.......

Superstitions

2008-12-11T11:57:00.002-06:00

As a man, I have some superstitions when it comes to sports.

I always wear my Bomber jersey to games. I think the world will end if I don't.

I have to watch an away game, or else my team will lose. This one doesn't make much sense, because they still lose anyway.

When I go away to watch my first NFL game, I will have to wear something with Denver Broncos on it. Not in plain sight, I don't have a death wish, but something nonetheless.

Other superstitions include not stepping on the first base line when playing baseball, or putting on my wedding ring a certain way, so the engraving faces upward.

When I go fishing, the first fish is always let go - this produces more fish in the end.

What are some of your superstitions in life?

Why do sit ups hurt?

2008-12-09T12:18:00.003-06:00

The other day, I had Miss E on the floor beside me.
She was entertaining herself with various toys, and I'm trying to get back on track with the whole exercise thing, so I grabbed my weights and got to work.
After my set amount of reps with the weights, I decided to do a few push ups and sit ups.
When I was a young buck, sit ups were an everyday occurrence while serving my Country, so why not start slow again?

After about thirty sit ups, I began to feel a slight twitch in my abdomen. I kept going, focusing on my technique, as to not mess up my back further, managing to do a few more.
All was well, until I tried to sit up. I swear to everything holy, I actually felt like I had a hernia.
I stood up as straight as I could, allowing my abdominal muscles to stretch, but I had these two burning, nagging spots in my belly. What made things worse, was the fact that I had already picked up Ellery, and was frozen in severe pain. She knew something was wrong. She looked at me, trying to figure out why daddy looked like he was getting shanked in a prison shower, but no words would come out. I just stood there, bend slightly to the left, making my peace with God.
Then, as fast as the pain hit me, it disappeared into thin air.

Lesson learned. Abs are over-rated.

Manventure V 2.0

2008-12-08T08:57:00.005-06:00

Soon, I will be packing my bags and venturing down to some warmer weather to see my first NFL game.
I think I have been driving Ali crazy, with my relentless planning, my lists, and talking about the most recent weather forecasts.
I basically plan on getting as little sleep as possible to fully maximize my time in North Carolina.
My gracious host is filling the day planner with different ideas and suggestions for sampling the local cuisine.

Here's my only dilemma - the host team is playing my favorite team. The other thing is that I actually own a Carolina Panthers jersey, so I'll think I'll be safe and wear the proper "gang" colors.
I don't want to cause a scene. I'll still cheer for my team, just a little quieter than usual.

So, as we reach our high temperature of -29 Celsius with the wind, I'll be day dreaming of my first tailgate party, my first NFL game, and the tropical 50 degree weather that awaits me.

Another top 10

2008-12-05T14:22:00.006-06:00

I've decided to make a list of things that I'm not good at, but aspire to learn, or improve my skills.

1. Photography - Ali loves taking pictures, and when I see her work (especially of Ellery) it makes me wish that I had a better knack at finding "the perfect shot".

2. Water skiing - Never tried it, but it looks fun. If those wipe outs are half as bad as they are on an inner tube, I'm dead...

3. Football - If I could turn back the clock, I wish that I played football in high school. Now that my bad back/feet don't allow it, I wish that I had some cool football stories to tell.

4. Guts - I hate the thought of sky diving, or bungee jumping. I wish I had that "no fear" attitude, but also working on an Orthopedics ward helps change my mind on those things.

5. The travel bug - Self explanatory, unless I win the lotto, I don't have that ability to just pack up my stuff and fly around the world. Someday, when our finances are a little more set up, this will happen.

6. Neil Peart II - One day, I'm going to own a drum kit, and rock the f*$# out. You'll see.

7. Speaking Spanish - This is probably the one language that I would like to learn the most. I think it would serve me well during all of my trips to the Caribbean.

8. Staying in touch with family - Over the years, I have lost touch with cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents for no reason whatsoever. Time to make some calls.

9. Card tricks - Always popular with the kids, and a great ice breaker anywhere. Plus, maybe it'll net me some quick cash.

10. Work on blogging more - I think I've picked it up quite nicely again. I just have to find a way to get my readers back....

Soap vs. the "poof"

2008-12-04T10:42:00.002-06:00

As I showered today and used up the last of my body wash, I decided to go back to soap for a while.
I just feel cleaner using a bar of soap, instead of that little clump of material that most women love.

Besides that, most body washes stink. They're either "passion raspberry" scent, or "Jungle Musk". Both not appropriate for a 30 year old man.

I once heard a comedian talking about how his wife wanted him to do the laundry. She asked him to wash the "poofs". He responded with "How do you wash something that only touches soap? It's not even dirty!".

So, for now, I've retired the poof. Maybe I'll gain a little more of my manhood back with each subsequent shower.

Which do you prefer?

Best Christmas memories...

2008-11-30T14:50:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow marks the first day of December, one of my favorite months.
Stores begin to play Christmas music, lights are being put up everywhere, trees are being sold at most corner gas stations, and the streets are jam-packed with people.

I remember one particular Christmas when I was 7 years old. I heard a sound on the roof (looking back, it was probably snow falling off) and swore it was Santa. My mom played right into it, and told me that he wouldn't come down the chimney if I stayed awake, so I quickly pulled the blankets over my head and forced my eyes shut.

The next morning, I jumped out of bed, woke up my sister, and ran downstairs. There on the table in the living room, were 2 envelopes. I opened my letter, and It read "Dear Christopher, thank you for the milk and cookies. The Reindeer loved the carrots, too."
I was blown away. Santa is on such a strict schedule, but he took the time to write a personal note to me and my sister?
The rest of the morning was spent opening our gifts, eating breakfast, then heading outside to show our friends what we got.
On the way out the door, my mom stopped me to show me the living room carpet. In a direct path from the chimney to the tree, were heavy boot prints - Santa's bootprints!

It turns out our elderly next door neighbor wrote the letters so we wouldn't recognize the writing, and the boot prints were my dad's....unless my dad IS Santa.

My parents are the best. These are the kind of things Ali and I are going to do with Ellery.

Happy belated Thanksgiving

2008-11-29T09:49:00.002-06:00

In the midst of my dreaded stretch of night shift, I forgot to say happy turkey day to our Southern friends.
Usually, I remember this day as a day when football starts at 11:00 in the morning, and goes all day.
I also think of Sarah Palin pardoning that one little turkey, while some get slaughtered in the background. A classic on Youtube.

So, happy (belated) Thanksgiving to all of my American readers. I hope you ate turkey and sweet potatoes until your belts exploded.

Wintertime fun!

2008-11-20T22:50:00.004-06:00

A friend of mine who's Australian, wants to go ice fishing. He's really excited to go this winter, and he keeps on asking me little things like "Do you drill your own holes?", or "Do you use live bait?", and my personal favorite "Does the water freeze after you drop the line down the hole?".
It's how I imagine fishing with a 4 year old will be.
I'm going to make a real strong effort to go out at least once here in Manitoba. Sadly, I've lived here for going on 7 years, and I've only bought a Manitoba fishing license once. Most of my fishing is done in Ontario.

We're in the process of buying Ellery a sleigh. We want to continue to go for walks in the winter, and a sled is the only practical way to lug around a baby. I never thought that two pieces of wood and a rope would be so expensive. When I was a kid, we used to slide down hills with a plastic garbage bag, or the ever-so-popular "Crazy carpet" which was essentially a stiff chunk of plastic about three feet long, and two feet wide.

When I was living at home in Ontario, my friends and I used to tie 4 or 5 different toboggans/GT snow racers/sleds behind a snowmobile. We had a little course set up around the yard that weaved it's way through the trees, around the shed, and over the hill in the field across from the house.
When it became boring, we used to have competitions like who could stay on the longest. My personal favorite move consisted of running along side the moving sleds, and kicking my friends in the head to knock them off. 60% of the time, it worked every time.
Once in a while we would venture off the beaten path, and go full throttle down the street.
I remember one night, a few of us did this for about 2 hours straight, up and down Ali's street. This was one of my "wooing" tactics to get the girl. It worked.
I wonder if there's any way a 30 year old man can pull that kind of stuff off now...

Hockey night in Canada

2008-11-11T20:44:00.003-06:00

So, now that my beloved Blue Bombers are finished for the year, the time for our "unofficial" Canadian pastime begins. Actually, hockey started over a month ago, but I just got into it.

I've always enjoyed skating, and playing hockey. I was never on a team, but would rather play in a pick-up game, or play road hockey in front of my house.

One of my fondest memories of road hockey is the following;

It was a game of two on two. Me and my best friend Mike were battling my neighbors, who, happened to be cousins.
We had been playing for over a hour, when we decided that the next goal wins. Just then, I passed the ball (which was frozen solid, and hard as a cue ball) to Mike. He was about 10 feet away from the net, and as the ball was rolling towards him, he began the longest back swing I think I have ever seen. It was like watching Chi Chi Rodriguez lining up on a 400 yard drive.
The ball connected with the blade of Mike's stick, and launched at the goal at break-neck speed. Actually, it was launched at the poor goalie's, ahem, area at break ball speed.
He hit the goalie square in the nards, and he crumpled like he had been shot. After a few minutes of him trying not to cough up his balls, he got up and quietly whispered "I'm going home now".
Nobody saw him for 2 entire days. We thought he was dead.

One other time, I was invited to play on a team who was one man short. I borrowed the missing guy's equipment (all except his jock) and took to the ice. As I took to the ice for my first shift, I just tried to stay out of everyones way.
I was playing defense, and as I was entering the other team's zone, the puck scooted around the boards, and lazily bounced towards me.
I wound up to take a one-timer and fired the puck at the net. Just as I was completing my follow through, I noticed this big orange blur. It was my neighbor form the road hockey incident.
He crouched down just before impact, and that's when everything turned to slow motion. I remember him hitting me, my feet leaving the ice, and me lying face down on the ice, trying to figure out which way was up.
The hit itself wasn't too bad, nor was the impact of smashing down onto the ice. Actually, after I realized that the equipment actually padded my fall, I thought that contact wasn't so bad.
The only shitty part about this whole experience, was the fact that I was wearing one of those thin, flimsy Jofa helmets, similar to what Wayne Gretzky used to wear. No protection whatsoever. That's when the headache began, and my one game hockey career came to a screeching halt.

Since my back is feeling much better lately, I'm hoping to be able to take my skates and stick down to the local rink and have a good old fashioned game of non contact shinny.
Just another typical day in Western Canada.

I should be on ER

2008-11-03T20:40:00.003-06:00

At my place of work, we have the occasional code, or "medical emergency".
Today, I was at the nurse's desk doing some paperwork, when I heard a little voice yell "Call a code blue!!! Room 47 bed 2!!"

I quickly jumped up, as I knew that this was my patient, and ran down the hall. I was in the process of transfusing blood to this woman, so the risk of her having a reaction was always a possibility.
I was surprised when I entered the room to find my patient sitting upright in bed, perfectly fine.
Her husband, on the other hand, was rigid as a piece of plywood in a chair at the foot of the bed.
Me and another nurse quickly scooped the man under the arms, and helped him back into the chair.
Within seconds, the "code team" was in the room. This is a specialized group of doctors, nurses, IV nurses, and Respiratory therapists which answer these medical emergencies.
As I was making my way down the hall to check on my patient, my mind was swirling, and I was preparing myself for the worst. I was thinking "o.k, I'll get into the room, put the head of the bed down, set up oxygen, do a quick blood pressure, assess the patient, and then initiate CPR if needed". All of this went out the window when I realized that this was a visitor to the hospital, not a patient on our ward.
I had to stand back for a second, and restart the whole process. First off, I didn't know who this man was. Secondly, I knew nothing of his past medical history, or any medications he was taking (or not taking).
As I was trying to assess the man, I was asking his poor wife questions about his health history, as she lay there in bed with a total look of terror on her face.
It was quite the distraction - normally, one would only have to focus on one patient and have the full support of the code team, but there I was, with one other nurse, a concerned wife in the bed next to me, a son who was frozen with fear, and a family friend who was crying hysterically.
I asked the other visitors to leave the room to give us some room to work. Just then, the team showed up with the "crash cart", which is loaded with everything from oxygen and dressing supplies, to Epinephrine and an EKG machine.
Luckily, the man came to his senses, and we were able to load him into a wheelchair, and whisk him down to the safe confines of the Emergency Department.
Still shaking for the events that had just happened, I grabbed my lunch and headed to the break room to have some lunch and gather my thoughts.
Just as I began my lunch, I heard on the PA system "Code blue, Adult Emergency".
I don't know if it was the same man or not, and I wasn't able to settle in and enjoy my lunch after that.
I now know why people try to find things to get their heart pumping. These adrenaline junkies love the way they feel during something that terrifies them. As much as I didn't want those events to take place, I found myself just kind of going into robot mode, and just doing what had to be done.
I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.

Boy time

2008-10-23T16:00:00.003-05:00

No, it's not a Boy George song title, it's a chance to hang out with some friends on Monday night, and watch a little football.
Ali and I have decided that once in a while, she can have a girl's night, and I can have a boy's night.
We do most things as a family, which I love to death, however I don't think Ali and Ellery would enjoy a football game and a platter of honey garlic wings, washed down with a nice cold beer.

As Ali stated on a previous post, a little time to yourself is needed to keep your balance.
This is why I need to hang out with my friends, and talk sports, bitch about work, and de-stress.
It's almost inevitable that our conversations turn to work, and we start complaining about our co-workers. I think this helps get all of the issues off of your chest, and allows you to keep plugging away at your job.

On a side note, it was nice having a conversation to a certain Southern gentleman the other night.
Please, don't ever mention my beloved Broncos and their disgusting blow out loss to those "untouchable" New England Patriots again. I had nightmares.

Why the bad rap?

2008-10-17T20:30:00.002-05:00

So, our Nurses union fought to get us a more competitive wage. Part of the agreement was that we remain 4th highest paid in Canada. Saskatchewan was without a contract while this was settled, so it was decided that once Saskatchewan reached a deal, we would go back to the table and get 25 cents per hour more.
Sask. settled, and after crunching the numbers, we received an additional 5%, resulting in a 10.2 % for this year.
The local media took it upon themselves to announce this to everyone on last night's news telecast. They should have just left it at "Manitoba nurses received an additional 5% increase in their hourly pay today." Instead, they went on to break down our pay with full pay scales for everyone to see.
I can see it now - The public will again be complaining how much the nurses are paid. There will be a trickle down effect, and our health care aides will consider strike action.
How often does the average working slob have their pay announced on the news?
Why do our patients give us the same B.S line that they "pay our wages?" The last time I checked, I pay taxes too (probably a lot more than most).
I can't recall seeing the bus driver's annual salary on T.V. or the local newspaper (who is currently on strike) advertising their pay scale.
I think this is another way to give the nurses more unnecessary bad press.
Thanks for nothing, media. Maybe some day I'll have you on my ward to "pay my wages" and we can discuss this like adults.

ALI vs. PINK

2008-10-08T18:04:00.003-05:00

No, not that Ali, my Ali....

As Ali, Ellery and I were driving in the car today, we were listening to one of those crappy top 40 music stations.
There is one particular "artist" that I really despise. Her name is Pink, and all of her stuff sounds the same. This got me to thinking how much I hate her, and who could do something about it?
Most of her songs, she's singing about how much of a bad ass she is, and that she hates authority. First of all, you're like 30 years old. Disliking authority is something a 13 year old does. Second, anyone who constantly carries on about how tough they are, really aren't tough at all.

I looked over to Ali, and proposed a cage fight - between my beloved wife, and that hack they call Pink. I think she could honestly take her. I've had my fair share of wrestling matches with Ali, and I think she would rag doll all 100 lbs. of that dye jobbed-nose pierced-always-frowning-always screaming-always-punching-the-air "musician".
I would pay big money to set that up. Then Ali could take over the role of tough singer, who could actually fight, and actually sing.

If I had my choice, I would love to go toe to toe with Ryan Seacrest. He thinks he's God's gift to men, and is waaay over paid. I'd punch him right back to puberty.

Election year

2008-10-02T15:45:00.002-05:00

As we all know, there is a pending U.S. Presidential election happening this month.
Furthermore, there is a Canadian election brewing up this month as well.

I watched a poll on the news the other night, and the man was asking people if they knew there was an election. Everyone knew, the problem was that they knew about the US election, and NOTHING of the Canadian election.

This brings me back to high school. Our "world" geography consisted of mostly learning the American states, and where to find Asia and Africa on a map.
I've followed American politics, not enough to identify every state Senator, but enough to know who is running for President, and who their running mates are. I've heard their promises to the "working class" and their plan for Iraq/Afghanistan. (Send the troops home!)

Here in Canada, we are going to have a Federal election to see if Mr. Steven Harper remains in power as the Prime Minister, or if he can be de-throned. Personally, I think he will remain in power, with a minority government (as per) and nothing will change. His biggest challenger can hardly speak english, and is proposing a "carbon tax" that frankly sounds like it'll add extra taxes to anyone and everyone.....
The party I typically vote for has the right ideas, but can usually only muster up enough votes to hold 10-15 seats out of 100.
My party stands for the "working family", and fully supports the arts and healthcare.
We also have the Green party. They support all of the "green" alternatives to the environment, and want to re-negoitate NAFTA, which, thanks to former PM Brian Mulroney totally screws Canada...

Everyday, we're force fed news of meeting, lunches, and discussions involving the candidates. I can't wait for the elections to be done. Let's just hope that the new President and our PM can work together, and restore some good relations, just like our old friend Bill Clinton did. Just leave all sex toys (cigars) out of it.

Long live Queen Elizabeth!

Some truths about men

2008-09-23T20:54:00.002-05:00

It is in our genes that we cannot fold sheets or towels properly.

What we think is "clean" really isn't clean at all.

A dirty car makes us want to shit ourselves.

We can cram 2500 more pieces of garbage in a trash can than the average woman. It's never too full.

Most of us are scheming how we could make a living playing video games or watching sports.

We subliminally make our wives suggest buying them flowers, moments before actually suggest it ourselves. By then it's too late, and it looks like we're buying out of guilt.

We can trick our noses into not smelling the disgusting odours that linger in our home.

We have a hard time leaving the house without having our hair brushed.

We flex in the mirror whenever we have no shirt on. And yes, we still suck in the gut, even though it's just us looking at ourselves.

Ladies, I hope that helps a little. A quick glance into the mind of a gentleman, or a little boy at heart.

Time to mix it up?

2008-09-17T20:54:00.002-05:00

Lately I've been thinking of exploring my options in Nursing.
There are some other jobs available at a hospital which is literally 5 minutes away from my house.
Some pros of moving would be that I'm way closer, and would save the $105 per month in parking fees. The con would be that I wouldn't know what kind of nurses I would be with. (The brand new grads who think they're better than everyone else, or the old bitchy nurses that should have retired 10 years ago.)
My good friend Aaron is my acting manager right now. As luck would have it, I was talking about our current situation at my current job, and was saying that it feels like we're in a sinking ship, and things aren't looking up anytime soon. We have many nurses leaving all the time, and right now, we have about 8 vacant nursing positions. We're chronically short staffed, and the few full time nurses that we have (about 7 full time, and 30 part time) are getting worn out simply because the part time nurses are only working their scheduled shifts, and not picking up any extra hours. This leaves the full time staff to pick up the slack by ALWAYS being short staffed.
I really pity Aaron right now, and can see the stress mounting every single day. The kicker is, when he was asked if he was interested in the temporary management position, they told him that it was start in May, ending in September, with a tiny chance of it carrying on to January. Well, guess what....they've asked him to stay on until January.

I've always said that the work will be the same everywhere. It's always been the staff on my ward that have kept me where I am. How do I bring a better morale back to my ward? It seems like the fun is slowly draining away little by little each day.
Aaron and I have started the baseball team, but as soon as the season is over, there are no more activities planned.
I also told Aaron today that it would take a lot for me to leave, but I think I will fill out a few applications, just to see what is out there. Wish me luck!

Back

2008-09-08T20:06:00.004-05:00

We've returned from Calgary. It was a fun filled week, with lots of quality time with my favorite cousin, sightseeing, and some shopping.

We ventured out for a little day trip to Lake Louise and Banff Alberta. If you ever have the chance, Lake Louise you must check it out.
The water is the most beautiful blue colour that you'll ever see, and the view is simply the best.
As we were walking around, with little miss Ellery in tow in her "Snugli" carrier, I noticed all of the tourists that were there. I heard some Dutch, some German, some Italian, and some other unknown language.

With rising gas prices, and the weaker American dollar than previous years, it was refreshing to see so many people making the trek North (or otherwise) to come to Canada. Even on the drive to Alberta, I noticed many RV's with American plates. Ali and I were talking about the prospect of renting an RV one year with some other friends and taking a nice leisurely drive down South somewhere.

It was a great trip, but I'm happy to return home to my own bed, my own comfy couch, and my own culinary prowess. Just for the record, we ordered Chinese 2 nights ago, and pizza last night.

ROAD TRIP!!!

2008-08-22T17:41:00.002-05:00

As you may have heard, our little family is heading out West.
We lived in Calgary for 5 great years, and could see ourselves moving back there sometime.

My older cousin Kara still lives out there with her husband and two daughters. This is the cousin that I refer to as my older sister, because we grew up together, and are two peas in a pod.

Her husband Dave also keeps us in stitches. When the four of us are together, we always try to out-do each other, and it's one big laugh fest. They are how I picture Alison and I to be when we are around our other friends.

When I first moved to Calgary, I lived with Kara and Dave for the first six months. Everyday was an adventure, and there were always too many laughs to count. Dave is a musician (self taught), and is constantly writing songs. Some of his best hits include "Parking lot", "Welcome mat", and "You gotta make some room for Jesus". They are all equally hilarious....

Alison and I are both giddy at the thought of being around them for a week. We know we're going to have a blast, and just when we thought it couldn't get any better, we're also going to the Calgary zoo, and IKEA!!

Kara and Dave are two of my favorite relatives. They're the kind of people you want to always be around, and the kind of people who know how to make you laugh.

P.S. I know Alison will bring her "A" game too, so it'll be exciting to see what kind of shenanigans will ensue. I can't wait!

Retirement plans?

2008-08-11T22:39:00.002-05:00

I'm fairly new at my chosen profession (only 4 years now), but from time to time, I think about when I retire.
I get quarterly statements about where my pension is at the moment, and it makes me laugh. It says I'm entitled to around $200 per month - so far. I can live on that right? Maybe in Mexico....
Thank heavens for savings accounts.
I think about when I was in the Military. Had I remained in my chosen field, I would have 12 years in, and a half decent pension.
When it comes time for me to "Hang 'em up", I hope to settle with Alison somewhere warm for the winter months, and remain in Canada through the summer months. Most Canadians do this, and they're appropriately called "snowbirds".
I would like to head South to Mexico, Texas, or maybe Florida, although is seems quite pricey.
All I know is, that I want a tan in February.

What plans do you have for retiring?

Summertime fun

2008-08-07T20:37:00.003-05:00

Some of my favorite memories of when I was younger included going to the beach on sunny days.
Most of my childhood pictures show me in a canoe, or in the water, fishing with my sister, or sitting by a campfire.

We used to take long road trips for our "big" vacations every year. We made it down to the East coast of Canada, then ventured down to Kentucky. We headed the other way, driving to Arizona/New Mexico, and back home through the Canadian Rockies.

In a few short weeks, we will be taking our first family road trip, as we head to Alberta to visit my favorite cousin, and her awesome family.
I hope to show Ellery as many good times as I had growing up, and if I can fashion myself to be like my dad, she'll have a blast.

I know Ali will keep Ellery entertained during our drive, and I actually think that the drive there will be one of the most fun parts of our trip!

Respect is earned....unless you're over 65

2008-08-01T14:18:00.004-05:00

Ali and I were at Wal-Mart yesterday buying some necessities, and like any other day, it must have been seniors day.
If I am walking through a store and see a mother with kids approaching, I get out of the way. They have enough to worry about, with their kids pointing at things, crying, sleeping in the cart, or trying to fit that chocolate bar under their shirt before you make it to the till.

As Ali made her way down an aisle, an older woman was looking at laundry detergents. She had her cart in the middle of the isle, and she was bent over with her ass sticking out way too far for a woman that age. She glanced up at us, and went back to comparing prices. As we passed, she gave a look to say "how dare you bother me", and it was Ali apologizing for going by. That's our fault as Canadians, we're too friendly.

Other older couples were rushing around the store. The thing that separates these seniors form the rest of us "normal" shoppers, is the fact that they walk shoulder to shoulder to block off the entire lane. Again, they give you a look because we're in their space.

To top it all off, they had 6 cashiers open (all at the same end) so everyone was crowded in one place, with the lines twisting and turning through the women's unmentionables.
I commented that they always seem to do this, and an older guy in front of me said the he works at Safeway, and this would never happen. We'll see. The last time I checked, seniors shopped at Safeway too. 10% Tuesdays is waaay too tempting.

Sure I'll sign your jersey....

2008-07-30T20:25:00.003-05:00

Some athletes put themselves above all others. I guess if you have scouts drooling over you while you're in high school, making you all sorts of offers once you're eligible for College, giving you discreet "gifts" like cash and vehicles, signing you to a huge signing bonus once you are drafted, and then have legions of fans follow you around donning your name on their jerseys, it might be possible to get an attitude.

Alison has said before that professional athletes are one of the most over-paid professions around. I could not agree more.
Some are smart with their money and open a restaurant or sports bar. Others invest in the stock market. Then there are the few who take $80 000 in $1 bills to a strip club, or those who can't resist the temptation of drugs while they're playing....
If I had a multi million dollar deal to play a sport, that would be my main focus for the few years that I did play, then I would worry about everything else.

This post came to me as I heard about yet another football player who failed a third drug test, and is now suspended (without pay) for the entire year.

I was listening to the radio one day and they had a discussion about over paid professions. Dentists were another suggestion, saying that their dental hygenists do all the work, then the dentist come in, look at your mouth for 10 seconds, then say "see you in 6 months".

In our fair city, it seems as though the city bus drivers are always threatening the public with a strike vote. Their biggest complaint is wages, yet the bus fares go up each year, as do their wages.

I say if you want the best "gravy" job around, work for the Federal government. They've got it goooooood!!

Pets

2008-07-19T18:12:00.002-05:00

I grew up with dogs and cats for most of my life.
I consider myself to be a dog person, and hopefully one day, my family will enjoy a dog, probably after we buy a house.
It's amazing how attached we get to our pets. When they die, it's like losing a part of your family.
My parents adopted a shepherd cross from the humane society a few years back, and finally old age caught up to her, and my parents had to euthanize her. The way they looked at it was that they gave her another 3 good years of life.
My parents are now talking about getting two new puppies. They are a Jack Russel/Westhighland Terrier cross, and will be a little easier to handle due to their size...
Now Ellery gets to (indirectly) have a dog. They will grow up with her, and she will know the joys of owning a dog, without dealing with the mess.

I've created (another) monster

2008-07-16T15:41:00.002-05:00

My mom has been bugging me forever about Facebook. She always wants to go on there so she can see pictures of our family.
I finally explained to her that she needs to register, just like any other website.
Well, she has joined, and now it's Ali being bombarded with friend requests from my mom, and some other family that we really don't ever see.
Facebook is one of those things that we'd like to keep private. It's a chance to have some friendly banter with friends, and sometimes it's maybe some stuff that you don't want your parents to read.
Just like this blog, we keep this from certain people, because it's a chance to complain to your OTHER group of friends, without fear of backlash from family.

I just hope they keep it in control. Otherwise, I might have to take Facebook behind the barn and put it out of it's misery......

If you are who you say you are....

2008-07-11T10:21:00.002-05:00

Why aren't Psychics weather forecasters?
They could say "It will rain until 11:07, then nothing but hot and sunny until 7:55 tonight."
We would never have any issues with the weather again.

I though of this at around 3 this morning, as I was in that half-awake-half-sleeping phase.

Furthermore, it is Friday night, time for a Bomber game, time for a win, and of course, there's rain in the forecast. Damn psychics. I want my money back.

When adults act like kids

2008-07-09T21:01:00.002-05:00

One of my co-workers is turning 40 this weekend. She posted an open invitation in our staff room, so everyone knows that they're invited.
One of my other co-workers is celebrating her 5th year wedding anniversary this weekend. It's their tradition that they invite a bunch of their close friends to a BBQ, and have a friendly game of baseball.
The lady who's having her birthday party found out about this "other" party. She approached the other woman, and asked her to re-schedule her party because that was the day of her party....
The other woman was quick to respond that her get together was at noon and was expected to be done by 4 p.m. Suddenly, that was acceptable, and all is right with the world again.

The same woman who's having her 40th birthday this week was also mad at me.
One week before my birthday, I invited a few friends to join Ali and I, and go 5 pin bowling.
One of the girls that came out with us invited everyone back to her place afterwards for a few drinks. We declined, and headed home - unaware of the drama my actions were about to cause.
The next day, some of the people were talking about the bowling, and the shenanigans that followed at the "after party".
This woman overheard their conversation, and snipped "Chris never told me about this party. How come I wasn't invited?".
My first clue is, if somebody doesn't ask you to join them, you're probably not wanted. I guess that's just me...
Her next comment was priceless. She said "I WAS going to throw Chris a baby shower, but now he can forget it!".
What are we, eight?

So, my advise to everyone is to post a general invite, extended to all, even if you don't want everyone there. If you don't like the company, you can sneak out the back door.
There's never a shortage of drama at my workplace. It's a real-life soap opera, but with uglier people.

2008-06-27T10:29:00.003-05:00

Today is the home opener for the Blue Bombers. Not only do I enjoy going to the games, it's the whole ritual of what my dad and I do.
We get to the stadium early, watch the pre-game warm up, enjoy a smokie or two, drink a cold beer, and just take in the smells and sounds of the game.
Again, I picture myself a few years down the road. My dad actually mentioned that once Ellery is old enough, we will have to buy a third season ticket so she can come out with us.

The best part about today is that I finally have a distraction away form the fact that I'm home alone for the entire week. It's wierd seeing an empty crib, or not hearing the usual baby sounds coming form the other room. After work each day, I come home and make myself supper, and then it's bedtime by 10:00. I feel like an old man....
I can't wait to see my girls again on Sunday night.

P.S. Thumbs up this week to Ali/Ellery, Theresa(thanks for the card) John, Reggie, and Zig.
Oh, and Phoung Nam Restaurant....

Lonely

2008-06-24T20:33:00.003-05:00

Ali and Ellery are still in Ontario. I have been back in Winnipeg since Sunday, as my holidays are now done, and I have the work week from hell ahead of me. Friday is my only day off (Bomber home opener!!) then back for the weekend.

I don't know what to do. Ali hasn't been feeling that great lately, and at least I know she has her mom to help out, and do some baby sitting. If she were here, she'd be all alone during the day.

Work is as hectic as always. After almost 3 weeks off, you would think that the pace would slow down a little. Wrong. I guess car accidents and workplace mishaps didn't get the memo to take the summer off.

I think I'll curl up on the couch, watch a movie, then go to bed early tonight. Wait, I did that last night too...

Hurry up Friday!!!

I'm snoozing, in more ways than one

2008-05-27T09:36:00.002-05:00

My apologies for not blogging lately.
It has been steady around here, and we're all trying to establish some sort of rhythm to our daily lives.
Ellery is sleeping pretty well, but is WIDE awake form midnight to 5 a.m. like clockwork....

My mother in law was in the city for the last few days, and we appreciated the help while I was at work. It's now my mom's turn to offer a hand for the next couple of days.
I got to thinking about all of the single mothers out there, or just any of the moms who do not have the supports that most people take for granted. I have a new found respect for motherhood, not that I ever thought it was easy, but it truly is a 24 hour per day job.

Our baseball season is now in full "swing" (pardon the bad pun) and luckily, I've made it out for our first week, but have missed the last few. I'm a little leery to play as often as I'd like, because I don't know how my back will hold out. Lately it's been feeling ok, but I think I'm due for another visit to Igor my Russian mafia masseuse...

After six long cold months, Blue Bomber training camp officially starts new week. This, as my readers may know, is my favorite summer past-time. I look forward to taking my daughter to games when she's older. This will be "our thing" until she begins hanging out with her girlfriends at the mall, or dating. I'll be sure to keep my shotgun close. Alright, change of subject, I just panicked a little.

I just thought of one of my bad habits that Ali truly hates. You know when you have "something" in your nose and a good hard blow just doesn't get rid of it? When this happens to me, I twist up a tissue and use my patented corkscrew technique which is 1.) highly effective and 2.) a better alternative than my finger.
Ali hates this, and I think she even gags once in a while. That remind me, I saw another lady picking her nose and then eating it in her car yesterday. I'm going to start keeping a count of how many disgusting people drive to work each day. Blech!

For my next few blogs, I'm going to give a special "thumbs up" to a person/people who I am thinking about or noticing a lot of lately.

Today's blog will include my best friend Mike, Ellen Degeneres, the Mallard ducks living in our pool, and our moms.

Stay tuned to see if you make the next list...

I've got a staring problem

2008-05-18T20:18:00.001-05:00

Since the first day we brought Ellery home, I find myself unable to peel my eyes away from her.
If we're watching TV, Ali and I both jump up a commercials to check on the baby as she sleeps.

It is such an awesome feeling to have her right in front of us, after many years and countless heart breaking nights, thinking of the prospect of never having kids.
I now know what all fathers feel when they talk about their kids, and how they want to nourish them and protect them for the rest of their lives.
The funny thing about this whole experience is that I'm the one who tears up when I hold her, or say anything related to my little girl. I have never been so emotional. It's so bad I bawl when I see a certain commercial, or hear a certain song. I'm such a girl....

One of the thing that I enjoy most is watching our parents hold Ellery. I remember my mom running into the hospital room for her first visit. She immediately started crying, and kept repeating "Oh my God, she's beautiful." At one point, she actually stomped her feet and flailed her arms a little. I think she might have a bit excited to finally become a grandma. Again, I cried, but so did everyone else in the room.
Our parents now look for any excuse to come into the city, or give us a call to see how she's doing.

I am so thankful to finally have this little miracle baby here in our lives. Now our family is complete.

Update

2008-05-14T16:57:00.002-05:00

While I sit here at home, fresh from the shower and two whole hours of sleep, Ali is at the hospital right now with our little Bean....

Bear with us people, I want Ali to handle the introductions. Think of this as a final "teaser" until you get all the details tomorrow when we return as a family!!!

I hope you can handle the suspense!

(And sorry for leading everyone on, but you had to wait this long, what's one more day?)

Now, try to get some sleep before the grand announcement. I didn't.

I guess I'm not as patient as I thought

2008-05-12T12:39:00.002-05:00

Yesterday consisted of getting an early morning call to the hospital, only to wait, wait, and wait some more.
After almost 7 hours of monitoring, walking, and more monitoring, they sent us home to hopefully have contractions and maybe even some labor symptoms....

It's easy to see that nothing has happened so far, and I can only imagine the stress that our parents and friends (and fellow bloggers) are experiencing. Every time the phone rings, we're hoping it's that call back to the hospital. I've done this trip so many times already, I think I can set the cruise control on our car and it can find it's own way there. I hate waiting by the phone.

To add to my impatience, daytime television is full of programs such as Bringing Home Baby or Baby Story. We're surrounded by babies, just not the one that matters to me the most.

So here we sit, bags packed, list of phone numbers I have to dial after the bean's arrival, MP3 player to listen to music, magazines to read, and snacks to enjoy.

All we need now is for that phone to ring.....and some comfy seats for support people in the hospital rooms.

Hug a nurse

2008-05-08T20:29:00.003-05:00

This week in the U.S., and next week here, it's National Nurse's week.
I've been nursing for almost 4 years now, and I can honestly say that this is the best career choice that I have ever made.
With nursing, some people think that we just hand out pills. I can assure you, in my workplace alone, we do way more than that.

The one thing that people may not consider about nursing, is that there is plenty of patient teaching, and counselling that goes unnoticed. We explain the patient's medical condition, common treatments for the same, possible options and expectations for their hospital stay.
We also advocate for our patients. Many people are afraid to ask a doctor to repeat him/herself, and say "yes, I understand" only to have more questions than when the doctor first arrived.

I think I enjoy the patient teaching the most. In a previous post, I mentioned that I would love to be a nursing instructor one day, and my everyday work experience will help me along the way.

I watched Martha Stewart today while waiting in the hospital lounge. I had to laugh when she appeared on camera wearing nursing scrubs. If only she knew what kinds of debris hits those pink scrubs, she would not think that "was a good thing...".

So this week (or next) hug a nurse. Tell them you appreciate them, and that they are doing an excellent job. And then buy them cookies.

So, that's the name you picked...

2008-05-04T17:41:00.004-05:00

A while back, Alison ordered a necklace with our baby-to-be's name on it.
Seeing it for the first time printed on something really made me happy. Even as we make lists now, and write down the name, it gives me goosebumps. This is the necklace to the right, and don't worry, the name has been blurred out.

We keep telling everyone that the name we have selected is uncommon, but hardly weird.
Probably the weirdest name I've heard from a friend was a co-worker naming her daughter Zuzu. Yes, Zuzu. That's not a nickname, as it was in "It's a Wonderful Life", but her actual first name. I hope for her sake, they call her by her middle name - Kaleigh.

When we were first selecting names, we had a laugh at the author when it was obvious that she had exhausted her baby name bank. After a while, it was like she wasn't even trying with names such as Post, Den, and Hall.

So far, the pool at work is about 50/50 with guessing if it's a boy or girl. My colleagues have suggested some pretty interesting names, but I am trying to listen to their parenting tips.

I have 13 shifts left until some much needed holidays. This is the first year I was able to get a 2 week stretch off together, and with my regular days off, it works out to be almost 3 weeks off.
We're planning on having lots of family/friends time (Hello Mike/Irene) and even a trip out West to visit my favorite cousin.

Bring on the warm weather, sandals, and of course, the diaper bag....

The click that changed my life...

2008-04-28T13:26:00.002-05:00

Today we installed the car seat. Actually, it's now called a "carrier system" which includes the base, car seat, and the stroller. The colour won't give anything away either, it's called "green tea".

After I heard the clicking sound to say that the seat was firmly locked in place, it was official.
I had to drive down Portage Avenue to drop off our income tax, and I noticed that I had already modified my driving. I was more cautious, and was noticing all of the bad drivers.

I'm already dreading the first drive home after the baby is born. Alison and I joke that I'll be driving in the slow lane with my four way flashers on, cursing every driver that comes too close for comfort.

We've also installed a web cam, so if we can show our parents how to access the camera from their computers, they can see us and the bean, and capture how quickly he/she will change...

As Canadian as...

2008-04-24T21:15:00.002-05:00

There are a few stereotypes that Canadians cannot shake.
One is our apparent love of maple syrup. Granted, we love syrup, but no more that our American friends on the East coast that produce a similar sweet treat.

Another stereotype, which I cannot believe, is that we live in igloos. Seriously? It's 2008.

I've been asked by a Texan once if Canada had electricity. Ouch.

As Canadians, we say "eh". Not every second word, but we say it. It's very comparable to an American "huh" after every sentence.

The idea to this post hit me tonight, while I was watching hockey. (A true Canadian passion)
I thought of certain hockey fans booing certain hockey teams. I'd love to remind them that half of the roster for any NHL team calls Canada their homeland, but they wouldn't want to hear it.

On a side note, the riots that occurred in Montreal following their first round victory was deemed to be a well thought out plan by a small group of hooligans, who used the final victory as an excuse to burn police cars, and loot a few stores. It would have been considered a little more well thought out if the idiots didn't videotape this with their cell phones and DVD recorders. The police simply are searching Youtube/Facebook, and arresting these tools one by one.
I've been pretty excited about my teams in the past, but have never considered throwing a brick through a window or setting fire to a car to say "Wooo!!!". Maybe I'm not so hardcore after all....