Well, off to change out the thermostat in the 'new to me' Volvo. Thanks Slick. Hopefully it won't be too horrible. Gonna take Mickey with us with us for a little more human interaction. He's doing very well, and seems just plain happy to be with a family who loves him. The more time I spend with him, the more I suspect he's come from a family that tried hard and gave up. If I'm correct, then they made a huge mistake. He's got all the basic commands down, and is eager to learn, please, love and be loved. He loves his Momma, his Dad, and shows a contentment I wish I saw more of in humanity. At this time of year, we ought be thankful for what we have, not what we crave. To those of us enjoying where we're at, High Five - to those without - hope the sunshine comes calling, and your days become as bright as it seems for this wee man I feel so fortunate to have as a part of the family.

Yet another brilliant Michael Mann film. Depp wonderful, as was the rest of the cast. The tow 'elder' cops almost outshone Bale, albeit with very few lines. All in all, a beautifully crafted piece with shots and visual that will leave you gasping for air. Highly recommend this one, and pretty much anthing Mann graces us with.

Welcome Mickey....he's beyond wonderful. I only pray that Bailey approves; Hiram likes him: so all is well in the Robertson animal kingdom. Thanks to Jo and Jon for the support this afternoon.

Some out of order photos...I ain't so good with technology. Story was supposed to from top to bottom, but alas, it's bottom to top.

Jo makes her first burgers to be BBQ'ed in Canada. She got a lovey package of lean bison and lean beef from the Meat Shop at TRU. Made the patties herself, and we had enough to freeze a few. Enjoyed said burgers with carrots from the garden, a lovely salad, and home made fries (thanks for the tip btw baby!).

Hiram sleeps while we enjoy said burgers, because he never bothers us while we cook or enjoy our dinners. Cough cough.

Having that much food, but still feeling peckish - I opt to eat the cat, raw and whole. Tasty those Siamese, spicy almost. Hint of oregano for some reason.

We smile, knowing we're full and now saving approximately eight thousand dollars a month in cat food.

Back to the dust in the morning...

Think I'd like to visit the Isle of Mann, seems that nice folk come from there.

Been almost two months since you've been gone girl, and I still find myfelf calling out to you everyday. Hope the sticks are tasty wherever you are. Miss you Babygirl - RIP

The Steamer just looks pissed...

Twins are officially signed...now what???

A High School pal passes...thought I'd post it here for the peeps to check in.

Kamloops – Ed Patterson remembers former teammate Dale Masson as a quiet guy with a terrific sense of humour.

Masson, a goaltender who played parts of four seasons with the WHL's Kamloops Blazers, died Saturday near Calgary. He was 36.

Masson spent much of his time with the Blazers backing up Corey Hirsch, but, according to Patterson, he accepted his role and was a good teammate.

“He was a quiet guy, a nice guy and a big part for our team when we won,” said Patterson, who played two seasons with Masson. “He never caused too much trouble when he was the backup for Corey.”

Masson, a lawyer in Calgary, collapsed and died while running in the Kananaskis 100-mile race, a 10-person relay that starts in Longview, southwest of Calgary, and ends at Nakiska ski hill. He leaves a wife, Tanya, and two sons — Wyatt, 2, and Sam, two months.

Masson, an Edmonton native, joined the Blazers in 1989 and played in Kamloops until he was dealt to the Victoria Cougars for goaltender Steve Passmore during the 1992-93 season. In 1991-92, when the Blazers won their first Memorial Cup, Masson appeared in 29 games and had a 3.68 GAA.

Masson is the third former member of the Blazers to die in the last 13 months. Mike Mathers, who played in Kamloops from 1990-93, died in his sleep in St. Albert, Alta., on June 1, 2008. On Nov. 29, Michael Maniago, who was a Blazers goaltender from 2004-07, died in a car crash in Calgary.

Upon graduating from the WHL, Masson attended the U of Alberta and played five seasons with the Golden Bears, the last four as starter. In his final season (1998-99), he backstopped the Golden Bears to the CIAU national championship in Saskatoon.

Masson went on to play two seasons of pro hockey, spending time with the ECHL's Pensacola Ice Pilots and the Central league’s Wichita Thunder and San Antonio Iguanas, before returning to the U of Alberta to study law.

Masson got his law degree in 2004 and was working for Burnet, Duckworth and Palmer in Calgary. According to the firm’s website, Masson, who was called to the bar in 2005, specialized in securities and corporate law. His profile picture on the website bdplaw.com shows a smiling Masson wearing a blocker and leaning on a goalie’s mask.

Patterson, who guessed that he last spoke with Masson 15 years ago, was shocked at the news of his death.

“He had a good sense of humour,” Patterson said. “He was a quiet guy, but when he dropped a joke, it was always funny.”

The BDP website noted that Masson was a participant on Team Burnet, Duckworth and Palmer for the Kananaskis 100-Mile Relay from 2005-08, meaning this was his fifth appearance in the race.

Masson also ran in the Calgary Police half-marathon on April 26, finishing in two hours five minutes 45 seconds.

Funeral arrangements have yet to be finalized, but the tentative plan is for a service to be held Friday in Calgary.

Guess it was meant to be:

An Italian woman who missed the Air France flight that crashed into the Atlantic on May 31 has died in a car accident in Austria, according to an Italian media report.

Johanna Ganthaler, an Italian senior citizen, had been vacationing in Brazil with her husband, Kurt. They were due to take Air France Flight 447 from Rio De Janeiro to Paris on May 31, but missed it after arriving late at the airport.

The plane crashed into the Atlantic four hours after takeoff. All 228 aboard lost their lives.

The Ganthalers flew to Germany the next day. Upon landing in Munich, the two rented a vehicle and decided to drive home, Italy's ANSA news agency reported Thursday. While driving through Kufstein, Austria, their vehicle swerved into the opposite lane, hitting a truck.

Ganthaler died at a local hospital, while her husband remains in critical condition, ANSA reported. It was not immediately clear when she died.

Proof that Hockey beat writers IN US backwater just don't get the game:

I don't like the Pittsburgh Penguins.

They remind me of how smug the Colorado Avalanche used be when we couldn't stand Patrick Roy, whiny Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg.

The ghost of Claude Lemieux is traveling with Pittsburgh during the finals as this talented bunch of so-called superstars have become an ice gang of crybaby cheap-shot artists. They know they are the weaker team next to the big Red Wings machine.

The good part about the bad blood in this series is Red Wings fans now have a team to hate for the next decade in Pittsburgh. Five games with the Chicago Blackhawks provided a platform for a future regional rivalry but pales in comparison to the ugly side of hockey we have witnessed from the Pittsburgh bench in this series.

A lot of people have been waiting so long to despise a hockey team and individuals as much as we did Colorado back in the day. This is good for hockey and good for the Red Wings.

Watching Detroit crush the Penguins on Saturday night was as fulfilling as anything I have ever witnessed in sports. Even better than when the Red Wings got Roy pulled in that epic Western Conference final Game 7.

The sad part of this story is that Penguins coach Dan Bylsma, a Grand Haven native, never played the game the way his team has played in the finals.

The showboating and headhunting has no place in hockey. It's obvious Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are the malcontents who run the show and when their game is on they dance and throw it in the face of their opponents. Did Stevie Yzerman or Wayne Gretzky ever show up other teams?

When the little baby Penguins are frustrated, they can't handle it and lose it on the ice for all to see. Great teams and great players win and lose with class like the Red Wings.

This ridiculous comparison of Sidney Crosby to Gretzky is propaganda spewing out of the NHL front office on the Nothing But Crosby network (NBC).

The Great One respected the game and never would resort to the dirty tactics Crosby delivered in Game 5 and his constant complaining to the officials.

Lets be honest about Crosby. He's got great talent with an immature side to him that probably will never see a Stanley Cup trophy parade as long as the Red Wings are in business. He knows this and it kills him so the little sniper and his Russian buddy Malkin bask in the glory of home ice but have curled into the fetal position on the road in Detroit.

Crosby is no superstar until he gets multiple Cups. Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg of the Red Wings are more complete players than Crosby and Malkin.

The Game 5 win was a message to all that the Red Wings still are the class of hockey on this planet and plan on staying at the top for a long time.

The beauty of what will be a win over the Pens compared to last year is that the Red Wings became a better hockey team while Pittsburgh's thuggery lowered the street value of Malkin and Crosby.

If Crosby wants to be Gretzky he had better start winning some Cups and respecting his opponents. Malkin will never be a star outside of Pittsburgh and his homeland because he has no respect for the game.

Maybe one day Bylsma will be able to show them how to win and lose with dignity. If you're a hockey mom or dad you want your kids to be like the Red Wings and not the Penguins.

E-mail Bill Simonson: huge@grpress.com

One dead after double shooting at Cloverdale hotel

Guess I need to find a new place to stay in Jan.  The titty bar in this hotel is overrun by a gang called the 'White Boy Posse.'  Seems the inevitable finally happened.

Too good not to post:

Researchers are trying to make a bulletproof turban that would allow Sikhs in British police to join firearms units. 

As Sikhs aren't allowed to wear any protective headgear over the turban so the UK prohibits them from becoming firearms officer. But now, scientists are developing the sturdy turbans made from Kevlar-like material to act as a shield, British newspapers reported on Thursday. 

Inspector Gian Singh Chahal, from Kent Police and vice-chairman of the British Police Sikh Association, said on Thursday: "Sikh officers have been prohibited from becoming firearms officers because our religion does not allow us to remove the turban. Nor can we wear the Nato helmet for public order policing." 

"There has been research done into producing a ballistic material for turbans and we would like to follow any opportunity where we could manufacture a ballistic product", the Sun quoted Singh as saying.

LOST....

In my return to blogging, I made light about what I wanted in my house.  For the record:  below is what I want.  Truly, Madly, and Deeply.

Other than Erin and Noah - I only want the Nucks to win the Cup, and no girly soaps!  Kidding about the soaps, she actually brought me a very manly mint soap.  Lucky man I am, truly.

3 goals, 3 assists in five games played this post season.  Left the ice immediately after scoring an absolute beaut - here's hoping the glass man returns soon, we're gonna need him me thinks:

Especially considering he can inflict this kinda damage:

Go boys!

Morning y'all - long time no chat.  I thought I'd try and get blogging again with a wee rant regarding customer service these days.  

Last week I had to pick up a padlock for a storage locker Erin and I had to rent in order to store away all her candles, girly soaps, satin pillows and other things I wouldn't allow in my home.  (Yeah, I know - I'll catch shit for that one!)  Anyhoo, wander into ye olde Crappy Tire on 8th.  I've been frequenting this license to print money shit hole for as long as I can remember.  So I peruse locks, and settle on one for about ten bones.  There is a shitload of them hanging there by the way.  

Make it up to the till, and it comes through at $18.  I'm in no rush, so I apologize - thinking I may have misread the signage, or grabbed the wrong item and offer to go and re-check.   Sure enough, there it is - I'm right; and they are wrong.  Return to the till and inform the grade two dropout that $10 is the price.  Now, let me make this clear - this gal is none to bright, not a flicker of intelligence in her eye.  I say eye cuz I think one of them may have been glass, or maybe coal.  Anyhow, she repeats that $18 is the cost.  I politely tell her that is NOT what the posted price is.  She wanders off to check, thinking I'm some sort of drooling, short bus traveling type.  

Anyhow - no shit here; she's gone for about five min.  and there is a lineup starting to form.  You know the type; kids with bottles of ether and fistfuls of Crappy Tire Money.  So seriously, she's gone for AGES, and I wander back to the section marked 'Security' and there she is, knee high in padlocks - rearranging the entire display!  I almost want to laugh out loud, but instead ask her what she's doing.  She agreed that the display had been 'sorted wrong' and that I was right, and the till was wrong.  I remind her that she was, in fact, running the till - and that some kids seemed rather twitchy to rush out behind the dumpster with their cans of ether.  

The following, also, isn't a joke...she replied 'Oh yeah - shit!'  So I follow said bimbo back to the till, almost killing myself trying to get over the locks she'd laid out in no apparent order.  So, I'm assuming I'm gonna get the lock for the price it was marked, and get this: she rings it through and requests the full price...AGAIN.  Now I'm fed up, I tell her I'll pay what it was on the shelf at, and not a fucking cent more.  She'll need the manager to authorize this, she tells me.  Out comes the radio, an anxious back and forth, and said flunkie appears and tells me that if it was a $5 difference, she'd be happy to do it, but with such a shocking difference (Egad!) she just can't.  I am almost speechless, I want to swear but don't.  She tells me it was a mistake.  Can't I understand this?  I can.

I tell her that sending me out of the store without my lock is a mistake.  I tell her sending out a loyal 21 yr. customer is a mistake.  Shopping there that morning was my mistake, one I won't make again.  I left, got it at Home Hardware in Westsyde, felt good about supporting my 'Hood, and enjoyed the conversation I had with the old fella who runs the joint. 

 Lesson learned I suppose.

"...AND THE NHL WANTS TO BAN THIS? For those of you in the Chicago area yesterday, that sudden burst of sweet humidity you felt was the simultaneous moistening of thousands of panties after this amazing melee at the Blackhawks game."

Good match last night - though I suspect a fine or suspension for Burr's little hair pulling incident....

Please see Geo's blo for further info on these "random shots."  HeeHee.

A Motley Crue indeed - what the hell was with that game last night?  No offense for a change; playing down to their opponent - me not likey.

My oldest pal and I at the game on Sunday...there are loads of other fine photos I will post, but I'll wait until my Fiance (cool eh) touches them up with her magic before I post em.  See the trick here boys?  Take bad photos, but make sure you marry a gal who can fix em....

SPOTTY teenager Sam Cummings has been nicknamed Craphead Slaphead because his acne spells out the word A-R-S-E. The unfortunate 16-year-old, from Berkshire, says he has suffered from the spotty skin condition for years and has always had to put up with remarks about his blemishes from cruel classmates. But things took a turn for the worse for the Titherton Secondary schoolboy when he woke up one morning this week and found his out of control zits had merged - and formed the word arse.  He said: “I’ve always had bad skin and didn’t think things could get any worse, but obviously I was wrong. He added: “The kids at school have been ripping the piss out of me. It’s been hell and I can’t do anything about it. “ “The other day some of the bigger lads dragged me into the toilet and tried to flush my head down the shitter because they said that’s where an arse belongs.

Mucho thanks to Dan (pictured) and Mark.  They are the owners of the totally rockin, kick ass, sweet coffee shop that I haunt.  Turns out they had a pair of Nucks tix they can't take advantage of, and therefore put out a draw box for em.  Guess who won?  Jerseyed it up, and went down to collect today.  JFu and I are making a trip down on Sun....back Mon.  Thanks again to Karma - supporting local business' does pay off!

My lovely lady and I...ain't she gorgeous?  Luck man this monkey is.  Happy one year+ Love.

http://www.canucksnews.ca/

Uh really - there is not much more than I can say...follow the link.  Watch the most retarded Canuck's fan ever.  It's truly some spooky shit - this guy obviously had a very heavy branch fall at some point and hit him squarely on the melon.  Wow - crown shots in the attic between periods, who hasn't done that?  Luongo to shut em out tonight....

A Fucking disgrace - 52 priors...not allowing a family member to intervene...getting caught with booze while denied access...allowing your children to die, and all the while playing the 'aboriginal' card...a fucking disgrace.

A Saskatchewan man whose two young daughters froze to death when he took them into a snowstorm while he was drunk has been sentenced to three years in prison.

Christopher Pauchay pleaded guilty to one count of criminal negligence causing the deaths of Kaydance, 3, and Santana, 15 months, on the Yellow Quill First Nation, about 230 kilometres east of Saskatoon in January 2008.

Pauchay, 25, was drunk when he took his two girls outside in blizzard-like conditions. The girls, who weren't dressed for cold weather, were later found dead of hypothermia.

Prior to sentencing, Saskatchewan Provincial Court Judge Barry Morgan heard recommendations from an aboriginal sentencing circle.

While Morgan was not bound by those recommendations, the circle suggested Pauchay should not go to prison but should be reunited with his wife, Tracey Jimmy, and their other child.

The group also recommended Pauchay receive drug and alcohol treatment, and assist elders with cultural and spiritual activities.

Pauchay's wife made a passionate plea for the judge not to send her husband to jail.

Crown prosecutor Marylynne Beaton had argued Pauchay should serve a sentence of 2½ to five years in prison. The defence said the judge should consider a non-jail conditional sentence.

In passing sentence Friday, the judge said Pauchay lacked insight into his behaviour and wasn't willing to accept responsibility for what happened.

The case has cast light on social problems and substance abuse on Yellow Quill First Nation.

Pauchay will receive credit for time served in custody, the judge said. Pauchay was re-arrested last month for twice breaching bail conditions that prohibited him from using alcohol.

It was on Jan. 29, 2008, that an intoxicated Pauchay left his home some time after 12:30 a.m. with his two daughters, who were dressed only in T-shirts and diapers. Temperatures felt like — 50 C with the wind chill factor.

Pauchay was later found on a neighbour's doorstep around 5 a.m., suffering from hypothermia and frostbite.

Eight hours later, it was disclosed that the girls had been with him.

The frozen body of Santana was found that day, roughly 100 metres from the family’s home, and the next day, Kaydance's body was found by a search and rescue team.

Autopsies showed both girls died from hypothermia.

The prosecutor reminded the judge earlier this week that Pauchay told the sentencing circle he shouldn't have been charged with a crime because the incident was accidental.

But there was evidence Pauchay rejected help from a brother-in-law who offered to take the girls after realizing their father was drunk that night.

Pauchay had 52 prior convictions, most of them for failing to comply with court orders.

His defence lawyer, Ron Piche, said Pauchay was relieved he did not receive a harsher sentence.

Piche said there are no immediate plans for appeal

Prior to yesterdays playoff like game against the Flamers, Coach Keenan made some jokes about Willie's illegally' long stick.  So apparently Mitchell put together two shafts and used this stick in warmup.  Good to see these players are maintaining a sense of humor.  They obviously have some giggles in that dressing room, which always goes a long way.  I'd have loved to see the look on Keenan's face, I bet he laughed his ass off.

Hmmm - looking forward to Mat's return to Toronto on HNIC this weekend.  This pic caught my eye, seems one of em has to hide his face, and the other does it out of necessity - hmm; wait...LOL...it should be an interesting game none the less.  The one following it in Montreal ought be pretty cool too.  Buggers.

Some weekend lego action...

The hockey rink behind Erin's place.

My new remote and I!  I was doing my best to look like a kid at Xmas.  My alien technology has finally arrived...Only Erin will appreciate this shot, as she was the only witness to the pure look of bliss that crossed my face as I first encountered a uni-remote such as this while attempting to figure out a stranger's system in order to begin watching 'Lost.'  Oh yeah, I'm onto season IV, and have spent approx. 53 hrs getting there.  Hope you're laughing Baby...

Nucks 5-3 over the Flamers this eve....

Just trying to keep up with m'lady...

Not so good:

Very Good:

Penn's performance was outstanding, the rest of the film was unimaginative, poorly edited, and shot with the kind of gust one reserves for holiday snapshots.  Very disappointed with this film.

HAPPY ON THE PHONE...

NOT SO HAPPY ON THE PHONE...

Whew, all caught up - glad I'm not a member of 365 - strict rules with that contest!

Glad I made up my own...slag away....

My wee man following his favorite club!

My lovely doing her afternoon stretches...

Hiram doing his morning stretches

This is clearly too good not to cut and paste.  Pay attention to his excuse for missing court:

 A self-described "vampyre" and former fringe political candidate faces charges for threatening a teenage girl who tried to break off their relationship by telling him she was actually a vampire hunter. John Alfred Sharkey, 44, of Toms River, N.J., was held in the Olmsted County jail Wednesday in lieu of $125,000 bail. He was charged last summer, but didn't appear in court until last month after he was arrested on a warrant. Sharkey, who calls himself the "The Impaler," ran as the Vampyres, Witches and Pagans party candidate for Minnesota governor in 2006, when he listed Princeton, Minn., as his address. The criminal complaint says he was running for president in 2007 when the 16-year-old Rochester girl wrote a message of support on his MySpace page. She told police they began dating online, and the threats began when she tried to break off the relationship. She told police that "in a desperate attempt" to get him to leave her alone, she had e-mailed him that she was a member of an elite vampire hunter society and that continuing their relationship would put him in danger. Her father told police he talked to Sharkey, but Sharkey continued to call the girl and write letters to her parents. Sharkey was supposed to appear in court here in August, but got a delay by saying he had been hurt in a pro wrestling match.

Well this story had a little bit of everything huh?  First of all, I'm totally sold that this guy is a real vampyre. Because only real vampyres spell it with a "y" anymore. That's how you can tell the fake ones from the real ones. Anyway what did the police want this vampire/fringe presidential candidate to do when his girlfriend told him she was part of an elite vampire hunting society?   I mean I’m no vampire expert but I’m pretty sure that’s code for I’m going to kill you.  So I’d be fucking pissed too if I were him.  

PS – Who hasn’t used the old "I got hurt in a pro wrestling match" excuse to skip a court appearance before?  

Ben's grow op!!!

Kitchen Angles.