Hmmmm....I am really bad at blogging!!!

Seriously though...It's been aprox. 1 year since I last blogged! Sheesh! You'd think I was busy or something :) Well okay, I have been pretty busy. Bren and I moved into our new house, and we love it! :) It's not a super big place by any means, but it suits the both of us just fine! Very minimal maintenance...A patch of grass in the front of our townhouse and that is it...This calculates to very little lawn work :) Fantastic!

But before we moved in to our new pad, on November 24th/2007, I proposed to Bren...In front of a crowded bar on stage at karaoke...You see, I can be shy...And well, known to be pretty shy. But not when it comes to karaoke for some reason...With or without the liquid courage. So I thought, what better way to propose than in front of friends (and strangers) on stage after singing a duet. And the plan went off without a hitch! :) Bren said yes, and, was definitely surprised! :) Actually, so were most of my friends who had no idea I was planning this. They all thought that it was a going away party for Bren and I...Celebrating us moving in to our new digs.

With the engagement and moving...Plus the holiday's and the start of cottage season, it's been pretty hectic...Yet fun! :) I hope to try and blog more as time progresses...But I do know that as the summer ramps down, the wedding plans will ramp up...So, I make no promises. Our wedding is in April of 2009 :) Can't wait!

Cheers!

Less than 5 Months!

Yep! Less than 5 months to go before Bren and I move into our new house! :) Can't wait!!!! :)

Cheers!

Now this is neat!

Are you sick??? Why not publish it?!?! Gotta love the internet age!



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Fuel the fire!

Okay...What's up with the gas prices already??? How can it go up 3 cents a litre in less than 12 hours??? I mean, the price of oil dropped, but instead of reaping lower prices, we get screwed! There is no natural disasters, fuel shortages, and we haven't even hit our first long weekend of the summer...So, what is the reasoning? I may not know all the facts, but I can only assume that it is greed! Nothing more...This is insane! Stupid! And just well, frustrating!

That's all, just needed to vent!

Cheers!

Say yes to Hardwood floors!

Last Thursday, Bren and I had one of our most anticipated appointments...We went to the design center to pick out all of our colours, carpet, countertops, cabinets, doors, and yes...We even upgraded to an above stove microwave, and hardwood floors for our new house! It may seem minor to some, but having hardwood floors on the main level and all the stairs is paramount...Reason being, we have two cats. Both of whom shed like there's no tomorrow...And to boot, they both still have all of their claws! Now, this could prove troublesome upstairs where we are keeping the broadloom, but we are hoping they learn quickly to continue using the scratching posts provided (as they already currently do). Problem is, neither cat has grown up to know what carpet even is. So, it'll be a learning curve, and I'm sure everything will work out just fine.

To change the subject, and to continue from my last post, booooo to the Leafs! I mean, they had their chances and they blew it! I know that it came down to the final game of the season for the Leafs, and the final game of both New Jersey and the NYI's season. Toronto won their last game, and all that was left was for New Jersey to win, and the Leafs were in the playoffs. But Jersey opted to not play their key goaltender, and rested some other players. Outcome (although exciting at times), a New York Islander victory...Booo! They Leafs missed the postseason yet again. All that I can say is that I am frustrated! Not that New Jersey decided to give Clememson a chance in net (and BTW, he played really well), but because the Leafs squandered many-a chances throughout the season and played themselves out of the playoffs...Not once or twice, but way too many times to count them. The D was off, the goaltending...Well, don't get me started. And the injuries. Also, how many seasons must the Leafs play before they finally figure out that a whole NHL game is 60 minutes long?!?! Not 20, 25, or even 40! But this is neither here nor there...The Leafs are out of the playoffs, and out on the golfcourse! Fore!

Cheers!

Okay....Wow! It's been a while!

Okay...So, where to begin??? Hmmm, let's say, a lot has gone down since my last post. Bren and I bought a new place in the M-Dot! We don't move in until December, but wow! What a big step for the both of us! And are we ready??? Yup, I think so! It's pretty fantastic! We'll be in our new place in less than a year! And yes, it's a new place...Built from scratch...Thanks Mattamy! That's correct, Milton...Mattamy...The fastest growing community in Canda! Good times for re-sale! Well, we're hoping anyways! Not that we're flipping, but in 5-10 years, the price is sure to go up! :)

Next up, the Leafs! Okay, what a game tonight!!! First, we're winning...Then, we're losing...Then, well, we won!!! Next step, the Isles losing tomorrow! Well, here's to hoping! And if NYI loses tomorrow, we're in the playoffs! And do we deserve it??? Not really, but I'll take it! As long as they start Aubin! Raycroft = a pretty good back-up goalie...But, they pay him 1.5 mill...So, they'll of course start him...Now, lemme tell you, I'm not a pro...In any way! But, give me half of what Raycroft makes, and I could probably compare! And, I'll be happy! Don't yell "Checkstr, Checkstr"...As a matter of fact, booo me! I'll strive on it...And cost less than Razor! I don't doubt he's a stand-up guy! But, put him in net, and stand-up...Not so much! Go near him, and his down! Then, they score...Always! But that's not here nor there, Aubin rocks! But will he get a chance??? Nope, the Leaf organization paid too much for Raycroft...So, we'll play him, he'll dissapoint...Then, we'll sign him again...But why??? Well, because we're the Leafs! And we'll cheer, then, we'll boo! Will we ever chant Razor! Razor!???? Nope! And, well, that's fine with me...Go Aubin Go!!!

Cheers!

The Leafs Report Card At The Halfway Mark

Sheesh, we're already at the halfway mark in the NHL season....My, how time flies! Below is my synopsis/report card from the beginning of the season (excluding pre-season) up until now.

Defence: C+

Although somewhat experienced, still lacking a stay-at-home defenceman. Hal Gill is the only defenceman who rarely rushes, but frequently makes mistakes which sometimes proves costly in close games. His long stick reach is a definite asset but his speed is lacking...If he makes a mistake, he seems to have trouble recovering. His penalty killing is fantastic, he is strong in front of the net and rarely takes risks. Injuries have plagued the defensive core, with the latest injury to young defensman Ian White. It is hard to stay strong in the back end when regaular defencemen like Kaberle and McCabe have to continously adapt to new partners on the blue line almost every game. And yes, I mentioned McCabe...Now here is a player who impressed last season, and some games earlier this year....However, what has happened? Maybe it was the long term contract he signed? But he's lacking the drive and apparently lost some defensive talent as well....It almost looks like he is struggling to keep up with the play on most shifts, and his passing has become atrocious. He has potential to be one of the top scoring defensmen in the league, however, I feel that he is lacking the drive! And then there is Kubina...A once point getter on defence has slowly faded into the background. Don't get me wrong, this is not a bad thing...He's a pretty strong defenseman and not noticing him so much while he is on the ice is a good thing...This means to me that he's not making big mistakes which stand out. For the rest of the defense, they are young and will improve after each and every NHL game they appear in...Problem is, we are currently fighting for a playoff spot...They need to improve fast!

Forwards: B-

Once again, injuries are playing a big role....Great news for the Marlie players, but not for our experience up front! Good ole' Mats Sundin, our captian has come into a zone. I will admit that I was once not a fan of his, but he's shown some good grit and determination on the ice. Jeff O'Neil is slowly gaining his old form of scoring goals....Could it be because of Maurice and his familiarity with his coaching style? Whatever it is, it's working! John Pohl is a streak player...But on the bright side, even when he is not on one of his point streaks, he continues to play hard and grind out plays in the corner. He's gonna be a good one...With some time of course. Some other forwards which have stood out for me...Ponikarovski (as he always does), Steen (even though he's had a slow start) and Kilger. Stajan, what has happened to him this year? I guess not everybody strives under a new head coach. But I do believe that he'll come around in the second half. The loss of Mike Peca is huge! He is such a great penalty killer. And as much as I'm not a fan of Green, he will help us penalty kill, and provides a little more grit alongside Belak (who to be honest, is having a great season). He plays hard and with emotion. I say, keep him a forward, he's not a defenseman!

Goaltending: C-

Raycroft? Really?!?! What about Tellqvist?!?! Oh I know, trade him away and watch him flourish with another team! I think he's a fan favourite in Phoenix, and good for him...He deserves the attention after being treated as second best with the Leafs....And I couldn't believe that he was actually fighting for the second best job against Aubin at the beginning of this season. Aubin won...Fair enough....And I think wether it be Aubin or Tellqvist, way better than Raycroft. Okay, to give Raycroft some credit, he has stood on his head for a few games so far...But where's the consistency? But the media keeps saying that we haven't given him a fair chance...Well, we're running out of chances! If Raycroft were to hold onto the puck instead of giving up so many rebounds, he'll not only help his GAA, but he'll help the team!

Well, that's the way I see it....Overall, a C+. And since we're sitting in 10th place in our conference, I would say a C+ is pretty acurate. Next game, Saturday Jan. 27th...Go Leafs Go!

Cheers!