First Night in Cowtown

Interesting experiences one has when one flies, busses and drives all in the same day, and survives a 20-minute violent hailstorm, followed by extreme flooding in a strange city that one will soon call home. Up early to fly WestJet to Calgary with my second daughter who helps me find my way to the city transit, including the C-train. Then bombing around town in a borrowed Sebring and hauling a new lawn mower to our new house on the hill. After picking up a new PT Cruiser, we dine at Olive Garden, leisurely. After that all **** broke loose.

Calmly sitting in the new (previously owned) Cruiser in the Marlborough Mall parking lot, it begins to rain. And then hail. I have been around for quite awhile and witnessed quite a few hail storms in my time, but I don't recall seeing it hail for 20 minutes straight. The poor Cruiser (affectionately christened "Mikey" by my daughter, after a favourite English footie star). I was sure the car would be severely dented. Once the hail subsided, leaving "snowbanks" around the parking lot, we attempted to leave. It was quite a challenge to find some higher ground in the ocean that surrounded us. Eventually we forded several streets and made it to yet other malls in search of mattresses for that night's sleep in the new (previously owned) house on the mountain.

It takes several stops and some persuasion, but we finally procure sufficient cash to haul away two beauties, a foam and a futon. The second mattress is actually partially draped over our heads as we drive away from United Furniture Warehouse, who took pity on two tired travellers by allowing us to take the mattresses for cash, even when their system was down because of the storm. Following some quick shopping for blankets in another furnishings store after closing, we were finally ready for bed in the house on K2. Whew! What a day in Cowtown!

A Most Unusual Birthday

I turned 51 yesterday. The day was mostly uneventful, with my sleeping most of the morning, to catch up somewhat due to my sleeping disorder(s). After a superb dim sum late lunch with my family, where my proletarian daughter and I mostly slumped in our seats from fatigue, I returned home only to fall asleep while watching NFL Network (No surprise there). I then rose to the occasion to trek off to my evening drama rehearsal for the Masked Cow Skeptics' upcoming performance of Bridge to Terabithia. After swatting mosquitoes and then freezing in the chilled air of our outdoor practice, the birthday boy picked up the said proletarian, fatigue and all, and returned home to resume celebrating. I was forced to close my eyes and was led to the dining table where I discovered my other proletarian daughter's superb cake creation. With a little coaching, I soon realized that it was a boyhood dream come true - a Bohemian Waxwing in cake form. "Bohemian?", you ask. Well, yes, this particular 50-something had recently visited Jerry's Food Emporium where he had used the pseudonym "Bohemian W.", while ordering his food. A most unusual birthday.

Rockin' With April Wine

My sweetheart and I took in the evening rock concert at the grandstand at the Saskatoon Ex. I think she was even more impressed than I was with April Wine. My only disappointment was that the current version of the band just did not have the same sound on those early 70s hits, Bad Side of the Moon and You Could Have Been a Lady. However, the band was, indeed, really rocking all evening. I had forgotten so many of the hits they performed this night. Myles Goodwin is just an incredible talent. I hope that he and his young son can adjust well to his son's diabetes. And you just have to be impressed with the 66-year-old drummer. Thank you, April Wine, for taking me back. Oowatanite.

Seven Years

Seven Years! Wow, that's quite a contract extension. I hope I live that long so I can enjoy each and every blast through the line. Way to go, Deuce! I don't know how much you're going to make, but I'm sure you deserve it. I am anticipating the start of this season, to see McAllister power through the line over and over again, and then suddenly break one for 75 yards. I hope he's still breaking them seven years from now so that New Orleans will give him another long contract extension. Go Saints!

We did it! (They did it!)

I have not become tired of the sensation. Lining up for the city champions medal presentation with a large group of teenage females. It happened yet again, yesterday. What a feeling! I am so proud of the girls and the way they dominated the game with enough savvy and skill to pot two first half goals that carried them to a two-nil victory in under-18 bronze level football (AKA soccer) in our fair city.

I went crazy cheering, as usual. Especially for the first goal that came only a few moments after it appeared that we had been robbed by a missed call. The opposing team's keeper had had to make a stabbing save of the ball bouncing behind her, and wound up on the ground with her head over the goal line and her arms holding the ball over her head. However, it mattered not, as the keeper immediately took a drop kick into the wind with the ball arcing slowly and dying only a few yards away at the feet of our pesky wide midfielder who trapped the ball nicely and shot accurately, with a beautiful soft touch, into the goal just beyond the reach of the keeper. Hooray!

The second goal came closer to half time, as my daughter fed a nice pass to our striker who then put some beautiful moves on the last defender to break in alone on the keeper and fired a superb winner. It was beautiful to watch our girls keep the other team at bay the entire second half. As the wind blew hard, our team worked harder and capped off a brilliant season with the city championship. I really enjoyed coaching them this season and I hope I get the opportunity to coach them again. It is a rare privilege.

It's here!

I cannot believe how quickly it came. I ordered four essential items from NFL Teamstore last Wednesday morning and they showed up in Saskatoon this Thursday. Unfortunately, I was at work when the delivery came to my door, hence I had to wait until Friday to pick it up from the PO. A special family sitting ensued with the revelations from among the cardboard and brown paper - tada! - my very own Deuce McAllister authentic replica jersey. It's pretty big, I guess. I promise to wear it almost every day instead of merely hanging it up in the vicinity of the shrine.

Also making its way into the shrine area is a regulation size Packers helmet. It is quite a squeeze to fit it on my 7 3/8 tete, but it looks and feels great. The other items are two team Monopoly games, the Packers and the Raiders. I am not sure why Sapp warran-ted an inclusion as a property after only one year in Raider nation, but we're all glad he's there. The board games should come in handy if it happens to be a slow afternoon on NFL Sunday Ticket.