Apart from golfing, this looks like a fine way to spend one's retired years eh?

Two of the only pics I have from Havana as my batteries croaked out for the digital (another reason I'm ready to swear off the technology for holidays, weddings etc) and sixty bucks for two Lithiums seemed like a bit of a gouge. Alas, the beautiful, though crumbling city lives in my minds eye...I only hope it someday regains it's splendor and pride.

These pics were taken one early morning where I joined up with a couple of fellow Canucks for a round of golf on the Dupont's old mansion on the North coast of Cuba:

Alrighty, finally some pics of Cuba for you all: Loved this billboard in the village of Varadero. These pics were all taken in varadero, where I tried to escape the commercialism of the resort area where I was staying. This was the start of a look deep inside the poverty that envelops a very proud, lovely population. I wish I hadn't traveled to Cuba alone, as my first trip to a third world country demanded conversations that were inpossible to begin with tourists seeking only sun and mucho rum.

Man alive, just found these pics...prior to Cuba I drove straight from work and went to Geo's. Fair enough to say we got a little loaded and I wandered home at 5ish to turn in for the 'night.' After night shift, I'd been up for over 24 hrs at this point. Must have pulled out the digital and tried to get all artsy in the Doc's hallway. Sleep deprivation and Stella abuse yields photos like these mes amis.

Here's the Panic Button Nonis needs to hit! Wow, is this team unacceptable....absolutely puzzling. Anyhow, last post prior to Cuba; talk to y'all later. Adios Amigos.

In an unpresidented move Crawford will start both Alex Auld and Maxime Ouellet in net wednesday versus the Dallas Stars, while Crawford will mix up the lines with 3 forwards and one defenceman. He claims that the 2 goalies that will start will be able to defend the net better than just one. By doing this crawford claims that he has founded a new goaltending style which will help loosing teams. Both Auld and Ouellet will be able to play side by side or stack on top of each other for deflections. Reactions from all around the league have been fast and furious with comments from Mika Kiprusoff such as "Ha HA Ha". Crawfords mixing up of the core lines with one defenseman and 3 forwards is said to bring speed and basically allow a non present defense to conitnue its non presence. The gamble should pay off, while perhaps playing shorthanded the whole game would get players playing with heart, and perhaps into shape in order to get them hustling again. Crawford earlier started to teach the defenseman of the Vancouver canucks how to play goal so they could fall back during odd rushes, however Crawford arrived at starting two goaltenders by realizing his defenseman couldnt block shots to save their lives, coupled by the defensemans non stop efforts to leave the zone too quickly.

Check out Rory's restoration of the '79 here....

The Nephew makes this old man proud, what a kid...

Link

Heading here on the Ninth to forget about hockey for a while! Oh yeah, and to forget about work too...heehee...email addy if ya want a postcard. God, I can't wait to swing a golfclub, home on the 17th.

Alrighty then, here's the score as I see it. The Nucks are losing ground fast and furious. They've exhausted all efforts at trying to find the diamond in the rough via Manitoba. To date, there's been ten call ups I believe. The lastest one is done for ages with a busted leg. Still limped off the ice though, tough lad. Reports say Jovo is doubtful again for tonight with some sort of 'lower body injury,' and our latest goaltender experiment is failing misereably to say the least. If this slump continues, the team will be in the basement before we know it. Puffy's gotta have something up his sleeve hasn't he? I also wonder if ownership actually gives a shit, the building is selling out ain't it????

Betcha this guy would have fared better than Alex Auld last night; Auld's positioning is truly starting to freak me out. Nonis better lay off the buttertarts this holiday season and get on the phone. Our goldtending situation is fragile. A few more bad games, or even worse and injury, and the price for another keeper is going to go up steeply. I really hate the postition the Nucks are in at the moment: WCE is rocking, even without a completely absent Morrison. Anyone remember the days when he used to hit as well? No more. Second line is our best, matter of time before some bastard runs right over one of the twins and takes him out for a while. I'm liking the third and four lines, though Kesler needs to eat some popcorn and watch from above. The kids wheels are great, but he needs to find his touch again. Great seeing Cooke back in the lineup, they truly are a differnt club with him in the lineup. Again, this brings us to goaltending. Freaky, freaky, freaky. Don't know if Nonis is thinking of a no. 1 or no. 2 - I think he should be thinking of a starter. Cloutier can be packaged in the summer for some pics/prospects. No more can we deal with these freaky injuries. I feel horrible for the guy; but the more Nucks hockey I watch, the more I realize Auld is being pushed too far along, too quickly. he will be a great goaltender, but the pressure of being a no. 1 is getting to him. He's letting in weak goals that Cloutier would have on an off night, and his overall positioning and rebound control has been steadily dwindling over the past few weeks. Alas I ramble, and hope that our GM makes his mark by shaking up this club and aquiring the pieces we so desperately need.

Well, Cloutier's knee is shot, requiring surgery. What Nonis going to do? As much as I've loved Auld's play of late, I doubt he can carry the load for a full four months. As the cap doesn't count against players on the injured reserve; I suspect we'll see a move in the near future with Nonis attempting to pick up a new keeper.

I'm moved back in!!! Some prelim pics. Still a few odds and ends to take care of, but I can tell you I've never just wanted to stay in my room for so long once I got moved back in. Odd how we get so in a funk with such a simple wee change...

The Nephew told me the other night that this mask (AKA Chief Dan George) freaks him out...anyone else out there scared of painted Cedar?

Loving this album, what a recording, check it out.

/www.emilianatorrini.com/

Saw this truck going across the bridge the other day and snapped a shot of his licence plate. Think he's a nerd who sits in fields all night looking for flying sacucers, or is he some mutant alien spy in our midst waiting for just the right time to call down the ships and turn us all into Yoda food???

Well well, long time no post. Just to inform you all that I've still got the renovation touch. Redid a bedroom here at home that some silly bastard had destroyed. Found a 3/4" solid oak floor hiding beneath a sexy red disco rug that was in fact - GLUED to this oak. Suffice to say, after 6 hrs scraping, approx 18 hrs sanding and five hours varathaning, it looks swell. Will be tacking on the trims, tassing round some filler, caulk, and paint to touch up and I can move back into my room. I'd be willing to provide this sevice to anyone out there who can provide me with vast amounts of Tech Cominco stock, BJ's from supermodels, or simply vast sums of the almighty Canuck Buck. Do not reccomend wasting days of your lives doing it, do what I should have - hire some shmo.

If a Canuck goaltender is weak or fragile, the elder members of the bandwagon will kill and eat it. Thus the circle of life continues.

Hey kids, in addition to driving one of these:



I got my new job and also get to run this:



and this:



As well as one of these:



And best of all, this baby:



Should be a hoot learning all the new equipment, God know I need a change. Training will be about four months, then at least a day or two per set after that.

A link from Rob's blog, some seriously funny stuff. Be sure to check out the blurb re Corey Feldman, man that kid's had it rough. LOL. By the way, Ken here scares the hell out of me! Shivering as we speak!

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/features/weekly/worst-album-covers/