Some Thoughts On The Playoffs

I just thought I'd share some thoughts on the NHL playoffs too date.

1.  I'm very disappointed, but not really surprised that Chicago is out in the first round.  I really didn't think that Phoenix had it in them, but Chicago just had way too many problems that plagued them throughout the season, that they weren't able to fix in time for the playoffs.  Abysmal penalty killing and a cellar dwelling power play were major problems all year and were a large reason the 'Hawks flamed out.  Poor goaltending.  The 'Hawks came up against a goaltender that is in the zone and has luck like I haven't seen in a long time.  When your goaltending isn't at least competent, you are going to lose.  Finally, poorly timed and massive defensive zone lapses led to the offensively challenged  Coyotes scoring.

2.  What the hell is with Phoenix?  I have never seen a team get ALL of the bounces in a series and into a second.  Sure, sometimes the puck just goes your way.  But for that many games in a row?  It helps to be a counter attacking team when the puck always seems to bounce onto your stick.  It will be interesting to see if a team with so little talent and so boring to watch can continue to capitalize on unreal luck.  I'm watching game two of Phoenix/Nashville right now and so far so good for the Coyotes.

3.  I'm pretty glad that the Canucks are out.  Is that petty?  Yes.  Do I care?  No.  It warms the cockles of my heart that the Canucks laid an egg this year and makes the pain of another Chicago early exit easier to bear.  As I've mentioned before, I hate the finger biting, soccer diving, referee whining Canucks with every fiber of my being.  Plus, I don't have to see all of those stupid flags flapping off of cars around town.

4.  I read an interesting Tweet to the effect of Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, San Jose all out of the playoffs.  It's not your father's NHL anymore.  This is so true.  I heard on TSN that none of the remaining teams in the Western Conference have ever won a Stanley Cup.  It definitely is a different look in the playoffs this year.

5.  This is my first playoffs watching in HD.  Wow!  Do I wish I had this TV in 2010 when the 'Hawks won the cup.  It certainly enhances the viewing experience.

6.  I predict the the Kings in the Finals, maybe even winning it all.  Take it to the bank, baby!

Who Are You?

I just realized that I haven't posted since the beginning of the month.  I got sick and then I guess I just lost the plot.

Anyway, to today's topic.  I have a story about a stupid person that I have not met or even seen.  Starting last week, I started getting email in my inbox from job search sites and post secondary institutions in the US.  They all welcome Courtney Nowell.  The first thing I did was change the password on  my account.  I still was receiving the emails.  There has been no evidence that someone was using my account, it seems as if this twit simply does not know what her own email address is.  Now I am getting piles of spam from all manner of job sites and never heard of schools and everything in between.  As I've said, there is no evidence of this idiot using my account, just putting in the wrong address.

Now I have to decide whether to put up with the increased level of spam and the possibility of my little idiot friend continuing to spam my account or go through the hassle of changing email addresses.  I had  been so careful with my current address as well.  I only got about a dozen spam messages a month, now I get that many a day.

Needless to say, I am very unhappy with Courtney Nowell, whoever and wherever the little vacuous tart is.

This Is Where I Live

I forgot I had these pictures.  On the last day before Spring Break (so two weeks ago)  we had students arriving at school by snowmobile.  In most other places in the world, kids come by bus and at this time of year, maybe they would ride their bikes.  Not up here.  Snowmobiles are the order of the day.  I wish I could say this was the first time I've ever seen this.

On the bright side, our front yard is now officially snow free after a couple of warm and sunny weeks. However, there is a chance of snow in the forecast for the coming week.

Living at the North Pole Sucks

Yeah, it's April 4th and there's new snow on the ground.  Long timers up here say they've seen it snow in every month of the year.  I just want some spring dammit!  Gimme my spring.

On the plus side, it will cover up the mountains of dog crap lining the sidewalks and over powering my nasal passages as the the winter snow was melting.

More Like the Most Bittersweet Time of the Year

When I wrote my post about it being a wonderful time of the year, I forgot a crucial component that adds a grey lining to my silver cloud.  It is also the time of the year when I play my last game of hockey for the season.  This happened last Thursday.  It always makes me sad when I know I'm walking into the dressing room for the last time.  It's the last time you step out onto the newly flooded ice and smell that crisp, cold scent.  It's the last time that you have a winger barreling down the ice at you with only a split second to decide whether he's going to try and go wide around you or beat you with a deke inside.  On the bright side it's the last time you have to hear the goalie yell at you when you choose wrong.

Hockey defines my weekly schedule during the winter.  I play every Sunday at 7:30 in the evening.  I also play one other evening during the week which is on the schedule posted on the fridge.  When we decide what we're having for dinner or whether we will be going somewhere or doing something during the week, we must always consult the schedule first.  When hockey is over it always seems like I should be doing something else during the evening rather than what I am doing.

Soon warmer days will be here and I will be out on my bike and playing baseball and I can forget about hockey...for a while.

Yoga Pants

Many people that know me may think that I have a problem with yoga pants.  That is not true.  I think yoga pants are a great invention and have their uses.  My problem is the misuse of yoga pants.  I think many people have missed the first word in their name.  They are not just "pants".  Pants are garments that can be worn anywhere for most any occasion.  When you add the word "yoga" to the name, they suddenly have a purpose.  When you do not put yoga pants to their intended use, you upset the natural order of things and upset the clothing gods.

Mostly though, when you where your yoga pants shopping or to the movies you make make people's eyes water and their stomachs churn.  Let's face it, most people that wear yoga pants have never and will never set foot into a yoga studio (or a gym for that matter).  Yoga pants have a disturbing design element that allows others to see every little bit of your bottom half.  The general public does not need to be able to count the dimples on your thighs, tell that your underwear are crawling up your ass, or be able to read your lips.  This is what happens when you wear yoga pants when you don't do yoga.  Granted, there is the 1% of the female population that men can really get behind wearing yoga pants full time,  However, it's the other 99% that really make it not worth it for us.

Do you think this fine specimen can do the downward dog?

Finally, there is the issue of wearing what is essentially long underwear in public.  In my opinion, wearing yoga pants in public is the same as wearing your sleep pants to the grocery store.  Where has that sense of propriety gone that people can't even be bothered to put on a proper pair of pants when they leave the house?

So, there you have it.  Everyone now knows my views on yoga pants.  I'm sure your lives have all been enriched for the experience.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Well, Spring Break has finally arrived.  After a very stressful and tiring second term it's time to sit back and relax a bit.  Jen has flown down to Vancouver Island to see her parents and she didn't even leave me a Honey Do List.  I know there is an unspoken one, so I will get a few things done this week, but it will be generously interspersed with happiness inducing activities.  In order to better reach my goal of relaxed bliss, I thought I'd make a list of things I'd like to do with my two weeks irresponsibility.

1.  Blog some.  Check this one off the list as evidenced by this post you are reading.

2.  Read a couple of books.  I have not read as much as I'm used to the past few months.  I just bought the last two books in the Hunger Games trilogy and I think I'll try and finish those.

3.  Play with my camera.  I spent my hard earned money on an expensive camera and haven't taken the time to learn how to use it properly.  I've done some research and it seems there is no replacement for actually fooling around with the darned thing.  When will cybernetic implants become a reality?

4.  Get some exercise.  I've been to the track the last two days, so I'm off to a good start.

5.  Build some models and paint them.  I have a massive pile of unbuilt and unpainted models.  I really want to spend some more money on plastic crack, but I've promised myself not to until I've made a significant dent in my to do pile.  So far, the going is slow and the playoffs are coming.  I need to make hay over the next couple of weeks.

This doesn't look like a hard list to get through, so I think I might have myself a good break and be primed to learn some kids for the last three months of the year.