Hurry Hard!....That's what she said

What could be a truer Canadian sport than one where you get to drink while playing? Hockey? Hah. Lacrosse? Don't make me scoff. Curling; the Scottish sport that was founded over nearly a five hundred years ago? Bingo!

Here is some fun curling trivia:

1. The first Canada vs America curling game was held on Lake Erie.
2. In the Bond film, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Bond plays curling with a group of hospital patients. He falls down while wearing a kilt. Evidence of why this is the worst Bond film ever made. Bond does not fall down.
3. A lead or second player will walk as much as 2 miles in an 8-end game.
4. The term "curl" comes not from the way the stones curl up the ice but from the Scottish word "curr" which means a low rumble; this is the sound the stone makes over the ice.
5. The Halifax Curling Club was founded in 1824 making it the oldest active curling club in North America.

(Trivia points found at wikipedia.com and www.halifax.curlingclub.ca)

Metaphors abound...

I know I'm a cliche. In fact I cling to that knowledge with hope because it means I'm not the first person to slide down the slippery slopes of crazy. However the actual cliche that I am elludes me; take last night for example...
I sat at home, watching movies by myself and eating Betty Crocker icing straight out of the tub (french vanilla flavoured). Classy I know and it would make you think that I'm well on my way to becoming "that old cat lady." But compare that with what I ate for supper: deep fried chicken and beer. No vegetables. No side dishes. Just straight up chicken. Apparently I'm a middle-aged man.

The Cake Sale

I've had a song stuck in my head for the last three days and I figure if I can't get it out by now then I'm just going to direct everyone else to it so that I can share the joy and the madness. It's by a compilation group known as The Cake Sale. The group put out a cd in Ireland and all the proceeds go to Oxfam Ireland.
The song is "Some Surprise" and you can enjoy it a sample of it on their website or watch the video on Youtube. The lead singers in it are Gary Lightbody from Snow Patrol and Lisa Hannigan. I think I've listened to it about fifty times in the last two days, so don't say I didn't warn you...

"your lips came as some surprise"

Looking back and stepping forward

Well it is official, 2007 is finally upon us. And in the words of the great Daniel Kelly "what a weird number for a year." I'm not sure what this year is going to hold for me but I think I should take a moment to reflect on the goings on of 2006 to fully appreciate it. It was an up and down year for me, but mostly I think it was up. If this time last year someone had sat me down and told me what was going to happen, I know I'd have been excited for the final product. So with no further delay, and in no particular order, here are some of the highlights from 2006.

1. Moving in the rents this summer. I really got to spend quality time with my family, and I enjoyed it; whether they did or not is another question.
2. Trip to Ottawa last February. Finally got a pair of Lulu's!
3. Camping at Pugwash and Tignish this summer. Twice!
4. PEI with Kathleen, Aimee, Eric and Rosalie. The fireworks were a highlight for sure.
5. New glasses. Lame I know but I love them.
6. Graduating! You'd think this would be higher up on the list. Hah!
7. Becoming an official teacher. Albeit a substitute.
8. Mars bars becoming peanut-free. First time I could eat one since fifth grade.
9. The Gn'R concert with my roommate Kathryn. Also will go down in history as the first time I saw strippers.
10. BBQ Mondays. They saved my life this summer. Thank you Eric and Aimee.
11. Moving downtown! With the some of the best roommates a girl could ask for.
12. New friends and hanging out with old ones! That includes people who came back to Halifax for visits like Spaz and Rebecca Wu!
13. Discovering the CBC Radio 3 podcast. It's my new internet addiction.
14. Sushi parties at Joel's house! Although next time I think Joel and Kathleen should put on sleeved shirts.
15. Reading Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby. It only took me 3 years to track down a copy of the book.
16. My new duvet. Thank you Mom and Dad.
17. Split Crow power hours all summer with the gang. We miss you Jeff!
18. Learning how to cook. Somewhat.
19. Finally completing a personal goal to write more often. On this blog!
20. Writing my name in wet cement on the corner of Harvey and Church.

Wow, that's quite the list and that's just what came to the top of my head. I know there was a tonne of stuff that's slipped through the cracks at the moment. I think it's safe to say that if 2007 has a lot to live up to if it wants to compete with 2006. Course I am visiting Vancouver this summer so I'm sure that'll make next year's top 20 list.