Books, brew, and a beautiful sky...
Posted by Hello
Sunday, September 12, 2004
Saturday, September 11, 2004
Heart-Stopper has Nation Holding Breath
What a game!
Team Canada went into today's semi-final match in the World Cup of Hockey 2004 against the Czech Republic with a flawless 4 and 0 record. Easily the favorites in today's match-up, they had the benefit of Home Ice Advantage and knowing their opponent would be fighting the wearying effects of jet-lag, having to travel from Europe for the game. The only thing that might have caused concern for the Canadians was an injury to goalie Martin Brodeur's wrist that would keep him out of the game. And this only days after becoming the first Canadian goalie in history to post a shut-out in International Hockey.
Enter Roberto Luongo.
Facing enormous pressure, the Florida Panthers goalie took to the ice to net-mind for Team Canada... And it's a good thing he did!
The Czech Republic showed today just how they were able to eliminate Sweden so handily. They skated hard, back-checked ferociously, and stripped the puck from the Canadian sticks again and again. Throughout the First Period, it looked as if Canada had forgotten to put their skates on! The Czechs dominated all over the ice!
The tide began to turn going into the Second, as Canada found their legs and managed to post 2 goals, including Mario Lemieux's first of the tournament, in a little over 3 minutes. But the Czechs simply would not give up and came right back with a two goals of their own. The game had opened up, and it would be up to the goalies to keep their teams in it.
Luongo rose to the challenge with more amazing saves than you could ever hope to see in one game. At one point, he made 3 miraculous stops on shots from close range... without his stick!
In the Third Period, Kris Draper was able to get a step on his defensive coverage and streak down the inboards into the Czech zone. He let a blistering shot go that beat the Czech goalie on the glove side and put Canada up 3-2. With only minutes left in the game, the crowd at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto began to celebrate. They could taste victory... But that celebration was only to last 6 seconds.
Right off the face off, the puck popped into the Canadian zone. The defensive team, struggling to contain a Czech player racing for the net, became entangled with each other and could only watch helplessly as Patrik Elias one-timed the puck right through Luongo. The period ended 3-3 and the two teams went back to the dressing rooms to prepare themselves for Sudden Death Overtime.
The first overtime period didn't look much different from the rest of the game, with the Czech Republic continuing to stump and frustrate Team Canada. The fear that Canada might not make it out of this game was growing...
Then, beginning with a harmless play behind the Czech net, it happened.
Vincent Lacavalier, falling, managed to scoop the puck out from behind the net. He immediately regained his feet and took a position to the left of the Czech goalie. The pass came... The goalie went down... And the puck went through Lacavalier's skates. But he spun, picked it up again, and fired blindly from a near impossible angle. As if in slow motion, the puck floated up, up, and over the Czech goalie.
Horns. Flashing lights. Crowd gone wild.
Canada wins their semi-final game against the Czech Republic in overtime by a score of 4-3 and earns the right to play Finland for the World Cup this Tuesday. Both teams will go into the contest unbeaten, Canada with 5 wins, 0 losses, and Finland with 4 wins, no losses, and 1 tie.
Team Canada went into today's semi-final match in the World Cup of Hockey 2004 against the Czech Republic with a flawless 4 and 0 record. Easily the favorites in today's match-up, they had the benefit of Home Ice Advantage and knowing their opponent would be fighting the wearying effects of jet-lag, having to travel from Europe for the game. The only thing that might have caused concern for the Canadians was an injury to goalie Martin Brodeur's wrist that would keep him out of the game. And this only days after becoming the first Canadian goalie in history to post a shut-out in International Hockey.
Enter Roberto Luongo.
Facing enormous pressure, the Florida Panthers goalie took to the ice to net-mind for Team Canada... And it's a good thing he did!
The Czech Republic showed today just how they were able to eliminate Sweden so handily. They skated hard, back-checked ferociously, and stripped the puck from the Canadian sticks again and again. Throughout the First Period, it looked as if Canada had forgotten to put their skates on! The Czechs dominated all over the ice!
The tide began to turn going into the Second, as Canada found their legs and managed to post 2 goals, including Mario Lemieux's first of the tournament, in a little over 3 minutes. But the Czechs simply would not give up and came right back with a two goals of their own. The game had opened up, and it would be up to the goalies to keep their teams in it.
Luongo rose to the challenge with more amazing saves than you could ever hope to see in one game. At one point, he made 3 miraculous stops on shots from close range... without his stick! In the Third Period, Kris Draper was able to get a step on his defensive coverage and streak down the inboards into the Czech zone. He let a blistering shot go that beat the Czech goalie on the glove side and put Canada up 3-2. With only minutes left in the game, the crowd at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto began to celebrate. They could taste victory... But that celebration was only to last 6 seconds.
Right off the face off, the puck popped into the Canadian zone. The defensive team, struggling to contain a Czech player racing for the net, became entangled with each other and could only watch helplessly as Patrik Elias one-timed the puck right through Luongo. The period ended 3-3 and the two teams went back to the dressing rooms to prepare themselves for Sudden Death Overtime.
The first overtime period didn't look much different from the rest of the game, with the Czech Republic continuing to stump and frustrate Team Canada. The fear that Canada might not make it out of this game was growing...
Then, beginning with a harmless play behind the Czech net, it happened.
Vincent Lacavalier, falling, managed to scoop the puck out from behind the net. He immediately regained his feet and took a position to the left of the Czech goalie. The pass came... The goalie went down... And the puck went through Lacavalier's skates. But he spun, picked it up again, and fired blindly from a near impossible angle. As if in slow motion, the puck floated up, up, and over the Czech goalie.Horns. Flashing lights. Crowd gone wild.
Canada wins their semi-final game against the Czech Republic in overtime by a score of 4-3 and earns the right to play Finland for the World Cup this Tuesday. Both teams will go into the contest unbeaten, Canada with 5 wins, 0 losses, and Finland with 4 wins, no losses, and 1 tie.
Thursday, September 9, 2004
To Plug Or Not To Plug...
Okay, folks, time for a little "Blog Promotion"...
An "associate" of mine has recently stumbled upon the world of blogging (mostly through my repeated, "When are ya gonna do a blog? When are ya gonna do a blog? When are ya gonna..."), and has launched his own. So, without further ado, I'd like to introduce you all to CalgaryWineGuy's Rants and Raves.
At first glance, this blog seems to appeal to the "upper crust", as its content deals a lot with... You guessed it... wine. But don't let that fool you! There's a very down-to-earth side to CWG, as can be seen in his profile quote, "I am an enigma. Frasier Crane meets Tommy Lee". Yes, you'll find out about some good wines, and experience first-hand the knowledge he has gained from his first year of training to be a sommelier, but don't be surprised if you detect a little of his "heavy metal" side, just under the surface. Intrigued? I thought you would be.
On another note, a great big thanks goes out to Clint Vander Klok for naming Yours Truly the latest "Leonard of the Month" over at www.clint.ca. I've been an avid fan of his for about 2 years now, but I never thought I'd be honored with such a prestigious award! Check it out... And I'm not just saying that to drive up his traffic... I'm actually quite proud and vain!
Well, that's it for tonight, I'm afraid... I shredded a couple of fingers pretty badly at MSA One today and typing isn't exactly comfy right now! Once they're feeling better (or I suck it up and stop whining), perhaps I'll do a "Scenes from..." to let you know how it happened.
Nah... Only other people's screw-ups are funny. Right?
An "associate" of mine has recently stumbled upon the world of blogging (mostly through my repeated, "When are ya gonna do a blog? When are ya gonna do a blog? When are ya gonna..."), and has launched his own. So, without further ado, I'd like to introduce you all to CalgaryWineGuy's Rants and Raves.
At first glance, this blog seems to appeal to the "upper crust", as its content deals a lot with... You guessed it... wine. But don't let that fool you! There's a very down-to-earth side to CWG, as can be seen in his profile quote, "I am an enigma. Frasier Crane meets Tommy Lee". Yes, you'll find out about some good wines, and experience first-hand the knowledge he has gained from his first year of training to be a sommelier, but don't be surprised if you detect a little of his "heavy metal" side, just under the surface. Intrigued? I thought you would be.
On another note, a great big thanks goes out to Clint Vander Klok for naming Yours Truly the latest "Leonard of the Month" over at www.clint.ca. I've been an avid fan of his for about 2 years now, but I never thought I'd be honored with such a prestigious award! Check it out... And I'm not just saying that to drive up his traffic... I'm actually quite proud and vain!
Well, that's it for tonight, I'm afraid... I shredded a couple of fingers pretty badly at MSA One today and typing isn't exactly comfy right now! Once they're feeling better (or I suck it up and stop whining), perhaps I'll do a "Scenes from..." to let you know how it happened.
Nah... Only other people's screw-ups are funny. Right?
Monday, September 6, 2004
Scenes from the Forklift: The Revelation
A common problem in almost every job is the lack of feedback. Day in and day out, you come in, punch the clock, and get down to the business of doing what you do, but seldom is there anybody there to say, "Lookin' good, Charlie!" or "Gonna have to pick up the pace, Bob...". Instead, you have to wait for that magical time once every few months when someone higher up the ladder than you feels it's time for a review. Even then, you are usually only offered vague references to "increased productivity", "future potential", and "setting goals to achieve before your next review" ("I suppose I could try to be on time for work, say, 3 days out of 5..."). Wouldn't it be nice, for a change, to simply find out what they think of you?
Maybe not.
I was sorting through the usual assortment of Jurassic-era PC's that find their way to the DID when a page came over the loudspeaker, instructing me to call The Boss. Now, I like to think of myself as something of a Go-To Guy, someone that can be called upon in tough situations to figure out the best and most efficient way to meet our objectives. So, as I strolled to the solitude of my office, I flexed my mental muscles in preparation for whatever problem The Boss might throw at me.
I dialed the extension and only waited about a half-ring before he picked up on speakerphone. This isn't unusual, since he's usually doing about 5 different things at once.
"What's up?", I asked, projecting an air of calm self-assuredness.
"Hey, Buddy..." We are all, on one level or another, The Boss's "buddy" when he's in a good mood. A good sign, in this case. "Are you very busy at the moment?"
Let me pause here to say that "busy" is a very subjective word. Considering the fact that there is always something to do in MSA One, my cohorts and I are always, technically, busy. However, I'm the type of person who likes to come across as relaxed and on top of everything... an image most people would describe as "not busy". Some have gone as far as to say "slacker", but they just don't see the work that's being done. Besides, if that description of my work ethic was actually true, I'm sure there would have been a lot more "Scenes from the Unemployment Line" posts by now! That being said, I chose my answer carefully...
"Well, I'm just doing a little Receiving..."
The moment the words left my lips, laughter from at least 4 different voices erupted over my handset.
(Warning! Warning! Ego Systems damaged! Self-Evaluation Diagnostic required! Vanity Subsystem Shutdown imminent!)
Talk about a smack-down! Ouch! He had an office full of Sales Reps and Managers who, apparently, had some reservations about the size of my workload... And to add insult to injury (or would it just be more insult to insult?), I wasn't even able to help The Boss out with the problem that prompted the call in the first place!
Perfect.
Perhaps working in a vacuum wasn't so bad after all, eh? Ignorance is bliss, folks...
Maybe not.
I was sorting through the usual assortment of Jurassic-era PC's that find their way to the DID when a page came over the loudspeaker, instructing me to call The Boss. Now, I like to think of myself as something of a Go-To Guy, someone that can be called upon in tough situations to figure out the best and most efficient way to meet our objectives. So, as I strolled to the solitude of my office, I flexed my mental muscles in preparation for whatever problem The Boss might throw at me.
I dialed the extension and only waited about a half-ring before he picked up on speakerphone. This isn't unusual, since he's usually doing about 5 different things at once.
"What's up?", I asked, projecting an air of calm self-assuredness.
"Hey, Buddy..." We are all, on one level or another, The Boss's "buddy" when he's in a good mood. A good sign, in this case. "Are you very busy at the moment?"
Let me pause here to say that "busy" is a very subjective word. Considering the fact that there is always something to do in MSA One, my cohorts and I are always, technically, busy. However, I'm the type of person who likes to come across as relaxed and on top of everything... an image most people would describe as "not busy". Some have gone as far as to say "slacker", but they just don't see the work that's being done. Besides, if that description of my work ethic was actually true, I'm sure there would have been a lot more "Scenes from the Unemployment Line" posts by now! That being said, I chose my answer carefully...
"Well, I'm just doing a little Receiving..."
The moment the words left my lips, laughter from at least 4 different voices erupted over my handset.
(Warning! Warning! Ego Systems damaged! Self-Evaluation Diagnostic required! Vanity Subsystem Shutdown imminent!)
Talk about a smack-down! Ouch! He had an office full of Sales Reps and Managers who, apparently, had some reservations about the size of my workload... And to add insult to injury (or would it just be more insult to insult?), I wasn't even able to help The Boss out with the problem that prompted the call in the first place!
Perfect.
Perhaps working in a vacuum wasn't so bad after all, eh? Ignorance is bliss, folks...
Thursday, September 2, 2004
Photo of the Week: The Mighty Pass
The highway into Radium, British Columbia coming through a break in the mountain.
Posted by Hello
Wednesday, September 1, 2004
Rude Awakening for Slovakia
Slovakia played there first game in the World Cup of Hockey 2004 tonight against the formidable Team Canada (back in their traditional Red-and-Whites). Hot off a 2-1 win over the U.S., the Men of the Mighty Maple Leaf came flying out of the gates, much like the night before, and jumped to an early 2-0 lead in the first period, compliments of Joe Thornton and Ryan Smyth. But unlike last night's game against the States, tonight Team Canada showed no sign of slowing down. Simon Gagne kept the pressure up and increased Canada's lead to 3-0 early in the second period and Martin St. Louis made it 4-0 early in the opening minute of the third.
The Slovaks were finally able to get one past Martin Brodeur as Team Canada fumbled the puck deep in their own zone. Martin Cibak came flying out of the corner to bury one top-shelf over the sprawling Canadian goalie. The goal breathed life into the Europeans and it looked like there could be a repeat of another game earlier in the day. Sweden was up 4-0 in the third period over the Czech Republic, but only beat them by a score of 4-3 in the end.
Slovakia's hopes were dashed, however, on an unbelievable play at 7:15 of the third period. Vincent Lacavalier hammered a shot past the Slovak goalie, only to have it carome off the post. Ryan Smyth, however, marked his second goal of the night by picking the ricocheting puck up and burying it in the near-empty net to give Team Canada a 5-1 advantage. Even a penalty to Canada late in the game for roughing couldn't reduce that deficit for the Slovaks, so that's where it ended.
With 4 points, Canada remains the top team in the North American Pool and plays Russia this Saturday in Toronto. Sweden still dominates the European Pool, also with 4 points.
The Slovaks were finally able to get one past Martin Brodeur as Team Canada fumbled the puck deep in their own zone. Martin Cibak came flying out of the corner to bury one top-shelf over the sprawling Canadian goalie. The goal breathed life into the Europeans and it looked like there could be a repeat of another game earlier in the day. Sweden was up 4-0 in the third period over the Czech Republic, but only beat them by a score of 4-3 in the end.
Slovakia's hopes were dashed, however, on an unbelievable play at 7:15 of the third period. Vincent Lacavalier hammered a shot past the Slovak goalie, only to have it carome off the post. Ryan Smyth, however, marked his second goal of the night by picking the ricocheting puck up and burying it in the near-empty net to give Team Canada a 5-1 advantage. Even a penalty to Canada late in the game for roughing couldn't reduce that deficit for the Slovaks, so that's where it ended.With 4 points, Canada remains the top team in the North American Pool and plays Russia this Saturday in Toronto. Sweden still dominates the European Pool, also with 4 points.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)