Friday, November 25, 2005

There's a Rumour Going 'Round

If you haven't heard this by now you are either living under a rock or don't pay attention to (or don't care about) Canucks hockey: apparently there is a big trade with Florida coming down the pipes.

My speculation, Colin's speculation, our friends' speculations, the media's speculation is that it will be Jovo and Cloutier for Luongo and a draft pick. I have heard rumours for sometime now that Jovo would like to return to Florida, so I wouldn't be overly surprised by that move; and Cloutier, as much as I like him, and he puts out good numbers, he is injury prone (as proven again this week) and has never had a decent playoff run.

Luongo may be the first superstar goalie Vancouver has ever seen. Not sure if this is set in stone, but it sounds like he will be back up to Brodeur at the Olympics and will most likely become Canada's starting goalie when Brodeur retires.

My only concern is that Vancouver has often proven itself to be a goalie graveyard: I seem to recall Potvin being a good goalie for TO but when he came to Vancouver he was as about as useful as a screen door on a submarine.

It has also been rumoured that Betuzzi may be traded. I don't think that will happen, for two reasons: First, to break up Bert and Nazzy would be destructive; and second, I think Vancouver is the only franchise and city that even accepts Bertuzzi after what happened that fateful day in March, 2004. So far every other rink he has played in this season, he has been booed everytime his stick touches the puck.

But, for now, this is all just rumour. Maybe someone planted it to take our minds of the Grey Cup partying we Vancouverites should be doing this weekend...

Thursday, November 24, 2005

Getting Lazy

I can't believe the amount that has passed (again) since my last blog entry. For some reason lately I haven't been in a very creative mood and just haven't felt like writing. Plus, I really just haven't had the time to sit down and write an entry.

It seems like ever since I returned from Hawaii I have been extremely busy, and when I have five minutes to myself all I want to do is sit and down and watch TV.

So what have I been up to the last couple of weeks:

With Remembrance day landing on a Friday, Colin and I decided to go out Thursday night to watch the Canucks-Colorado game and invite some friends along. Matt Diamond and Travis joined us at Hudson's Landing, a gorgeous, little sports bar just minutes from our apartment. But I think that is the last time I will ever watch a Avs-Canucks game there, since the Canucks lost both games to the Avs that I watched at Hudson's Landing. In fact, I think every Canucks game I have watched there, they have lost. Bad Karma. Hockey superstition.

On Friday (November 11), I went shopping with my mum, and began to mull over my Christmas list, as I am working up until December 23, a first for me. Colin was good, and went downtown to watch the Remembrance Day Service. He didn't stick around for the parade though, since it was pouring rain, and he was soaked to the bone.

I have only worked over Christmas once in my life, and that was nine years ago when I worked at Roger's Video during my second year of university (and the only time I worked during the school year). Every other Christmas I have either been in school or worked in a school so I had anywhere from two weeks to five weeks vacation. This year, including weekends and my flex days, I have eight days off, so I need to get my shopping done in early December, probably on one of my two flex days I have before Christmas.

But I digress. After shopping with mum, I headed over to Lisa and Andrew's and spent some time with Lisa and Tina. Tina took off around 5 PM, but I stayed as I had no plans for that particular Friday evening.

I went out to dinner with Andrew and Lisa. We dined at the Bavaria House in New West. It was my first time at a German restaurant, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will have to take Colin there one evening. After dinner we returned to Andrew and Lisa's and watched Child Star - a Canadian film, which I really enjoyed.

I don't remember much else of that weekend - so I am assuming it was fairly uneventful.

Last Thursday, Colin and I went over to West Van after work to have dinner with my grandparents. Since they can't fit all of their grandchildren and significant others in their apartment at one time, we are going over in pairs. I think my brother and his girlfriend are the only ones who hasn't made it over yet.

Last Friday I was super busy - most of my day was eaten up at my hair salon. My appointment was at 12:30, and I didn't leave till almost 3:30. But my stylist is good - so I'm not complaining. That evening I joined my in-laws for a night at the movies. We saw the new Harry Potter movie, The Goblet of Fire. While my favourite book is the Prisoner of Azkaban, the Goblet of Fire is definitely my favourite of the four movies they have made so far. It was excellent.

Saturday was an interesting day: Thalia and I went to the CHS Bazaar for an alumnae tea for the Class Reps. We were the only two there from the 90's. Most of the attendees were from the 60's and there were a couple who graded in the 80's.

It was very strange being back at Crofton. We chatted with Miss Addison at the tea and then walked around the school grounds and checked out the Bazaar. It was very weird walking through the woods. All the memories of lunch time forts, the money tree and the "horse riding area" came back to us. Between the two of us, we pieced together many a lunch hour spent in those woods when we were little girls. It was a very nostalgic moment.

We were also able to go into the Fine Arts Centre. The second I entered the Auditorium I felt very strange. I spent so many years on that stage, on the catwalk and in the sound booth. It was a huge part of my life coming back to me. A life I left behind 9.5 years ago. A life to which I am now returning - I have taken on the task of organizing my 10 year reunion and have been in contact with CHS a lot over the last month.

On Sunday I watched a very frustrating hockey game. With all the penalties called, I think a maximum of 5 minutes of actual hockey was played in the first period. There was just no flow to the game - but at least the Canucks won. Two points is two points, no matter how you get them. Afterwards I watched the Grey Cup Western Final. Good year for the BC Lions to loose - since the Grey Cup is in Vancouver this year. I'm glad I decided not to by any Grey Cup tickets.

There are all these great festivities going on this weekend, but with the Eskies playing the Allouettes, I am not really in the mood for Grey Cup partying now, as many other Vancouverites probably feel.

On Tuesday I was exhausted and all I wanted to was go home and go to bed. But when I walked in the door, Colin informed me that his dad was coming by in about 30 minutes to pick us up to go out for dinner and watch some hockey.

I didn't have to go, but I wasn't about to give up a free meal and a hockey game.

Ruutu and Kessler were the big favourites at that game; in fact at one point GM Place was chanting Ruutu, Ruutu. It took me a moment, however, to decipher what they were chanting as the crowd sounded more like a bunch of barking seals. Maybe it's a good thing Ruutu isn't a superstar.

Tonight Colin and I are going to watch the San Jose game and tomorrow we are going with Travis and Clare to the Giants game.

I love going to the Coliseum to watch hockey - it brings back so many memories.

Do you remember when the Fox was locked out and you had try to get him back in???

On that random note, goodbye...

Thursday, November 10, 2005

It's Been A While

I haven't written anything substantial in my blog for sometime. It's not that I haven't had anything to say, or anything interesting going on in my life. In fact, it has been quite the opposite. I have been very busy lately.

Let's rewind a couple of weeks: I love Halloween, it is one my favourite times of the year. But it's always a crap shoot; I either have many parties to go to, or none at all. This year it was the former. I was invited to three Halloween parties, but with one in Vancouver, one in North Van and one in White Rock party-hopping was out of the question. Colin and I ended up at Tina and Mark's in White Rock. It's always a good party at that house. I dressed up as Batgirl, and Colin dusted off his Joker costume, that was a huge hit in 2001 and again, this year.

Last weekend I was very busy. On Friday I went to the dentist, Curves and went shopping (both clothes and grocery). On Saturday I headed to North Van for a day of quilting. Yes, that's right, quilting. Two of my sorority sisters are excellent quilters and decided that we should make a t-shirt quilt using old sorority t-shirts, to auction off for our Centennial Fund. So I really did learn something new this past weekend - 6 of us spent the day working on internal stitching. I know it doesn't sound that exciting or glamourous, but I had fun, and enjoyed the time spent with my sisters.

That evening Colin and I headed to the first of two 30th birthday celebrations that weekend. That night we spent the evening celebrating Shawn's (Colin's ex-roommate) birthday, and on Sunday night we went to a Karaoke Bar on Alberni to celebrate Matt's (one of Colin's groomsmen) 30th birthday.

So far I have no plans for this weekend. Tonight Colin and I are going to a sports bar to watch the Canucks-Avs game. I guess I will have to see where the weekend takes me.

Next weekend I am going to the CHS Bazaar, and will be attending a class reps tea. Yes, in a moment of weakness or maybe insanity, I signed to be a class rep for the class of 1996. It could be interesting...

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Good News...

...for all you Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert fans - The Colbert Report begins airing in Canada next Monday (Nov 7), right after the Daily Show, on the Comedy Network.