Superbowl

This is the first year in a longtime that I have followed the NFL season. It has been a long and varied viewing experience. From the men’s group in Vancouver, to the Washington Redskins in Winnipeg and watching the Minnesota v Chicago game in Minneapolis.

As a Dolphins fan it hasn’t been the best year to get back into American Football, but it has been fun none-the-less. I now think I actually have gotten a grasp of the game. Which brings me to the Superbowl on Sunday. I went to Toronto and watched the game at Jacob’s house. It was great fun! At halftime I got to really show my new NFL knowledge! We played a halftime game. When it was our turn to attack I was the one who called the plays! sadly we lost! But it was great fun.

As I was wanting New York to win it was an exciting and tense finish – helped by the 20 pounds of wings we had to eat! The cheer from all of us when New York scored that final touchdown was just a great moment! Then to find out I had actually played football (at half time) with Jen’s aunts (two of her aunts actually) husbands brother (if you are following me) – small world this Ontario!

So here’s to next year and the Dolphins to win!

Photos of the “Big” Drive…

So for those who are interested here are some photos of the drive – sadly my camera kind of gave up battery life around Winnipeg (figures! see below).
Click here for the pics:

In case you are wondering why I am outside so many Tim Horton’s it is simple. They had an advert a couple of years ago that claimed you could drive coast to coast and eat in a Tim Horton’s for every meal. Jen told me this was impossible – so I was just proving the Tim Hortons publicity department right! (I am willing to be in their next TV campaign!

Now for some observations on the drive:

1. Not many people seem to drive the Coquihalla highway in December – we passed about 3 cars and about 2 trucks on the whole drive – see the snow on the pictures!

2. When we got over the Coquihalla our windscreen washer line froze and we were left without windscreen washing for the rest of the trip. What we did was buy a sports water bottle thing (you know the type of thing – a litre bottle with a sippy top type thing). The person in the passenger seat leaned out the window and sprayed the window – works ok!

3. The Rogers pass at the edge of BC is much higher than the Coquihalla – which was a surprise!

4. Sunshine in Banff is not a patch on Whistler – the runs are too short

5. Calgary is a nice town – we really enjoyed the Irish pub opposite the Ramada downtown. A great lamb burger!

6. Why do so many people smoke in Regina??? Ok it is a bit grim – but drink whiskey or something – every hotel, shop, bar whatever had hoards of people smoking outside. It was freezing cold and you had to brave the smokers and lung damage to get into any establishment. Regina is a little sad. It seems a very nice, friendly, but depressed town. I liked Regina. The biggest thing it seems to have is the casino. It was packed the Saturday we were there.

7. Winnipeg is just about the most grim city I have ever been in. Maybe it was the hotel (never stay at the Marlborough downtown – it is just awful), maybe it was the 1960s grim architecture, maybe it was just the town, I do not know, but I do not want to live there, that’s for sure! It is cold, it is dead, it is just bleak. Maybe the summer is better – who knows!

8. The North Dakota landscape is flat. Very flat, with very straight roads. What I was expecting Highway 1 to be in Canada is what North Dakota actually is.

9. Minneapolis is nice – try the Brit pub downtown. The Guinness beef and the Lancashire hot pot were a treat!

10 Chicago is great! although don’t get into a discussion with the staff in Walgreen’s – painful!

11. Indiana has the worst roads I have ever had the misfortune to drive on. I used to think that no roads in the western world could be worse than rural Republic of Ireland. It always amazes me when you cross the border in the rural areas and how bad the Republic of Ireland roads are compared to the UK (although they are improving). Indiana roads must have been built by some Irish road building immigrants – truly awful.

12 It was great to cross back into Canada and make it to First Line!

Invoking the Spirit of Breath

Usually it is Jen who does the baby update stuff. I thought I would give an update. We went to our prenatal class yesterday. I have to say I lost it!

We were being taught breathing techniques. Anyway the woman said that the pregnant lady should sit down with back to partner. Then the partner puts his hand on her back and says “I invoke the spirit of breath” then you move your hands up the back and say “release.” The pregnant person breathes out with a loud groan.

I completely lost the plot. The woman dimmed the lights and put Pachelbel’s canon in d major on the CD. Then we all had to try out the new breathing stuff. I completely went off. The tears streamed down my face – what a load of old Kitsilano rubbish! I can’t wait to try it out in the delivery suite! “I invoke the spirit of breath” oh what fun the birth will be! 

Worth a post of its own…

A few days back I blogged about the poor guy singing the Croatian national anthem. I wondered had my Dad made a similar mistake. Well he replied to the post, the problem with replies to posts is that they often get lost – and this one is good – so it gets a post all of its own! So here is my Dad’s Romanian gaff:

 My dad says:

“yes your dad does make gaffes in Romanian. One time, with a car full of young people from church, I took a bend too fast and exclaimed, “that was a bad bend” – in Romanian of course. However, I used the word curva for bend instead of curba and what i said was in fact, “that was a bad prostitute”. So i do feel for the poor guy and his attempts to sing in croatian”

It made me laugh!

All I Want For Christmas…….

What do you get the self respecting Christian who has everything? well ship of fools have the answer! They have the top 13 Christmas gifts for Christians.

So what are the top 13?

1. You can recreate the life of St Sebastian, (a martyr) who died under a volley of arrows, by buying a pin cushion. Push each pin in and feel the pain!

2.  For the computer lover there is a Mary memory stick. Based on Luke 2:51 (she treasured things in her heart), you can now put your documentary treasures in the same place!

3. Have you ever wondered what to do with your loved ones remains? why not have them stuffed lovingly into a teddy bear with “hug me” stitched on the front. That will dry those Christmas tears of remembrance for that loved one.

4. Do you own a funeral home? then you need this calendar – naked women in coffins!

5. This is one I have featured before – The Vatican Board Game

6. Now this is for your Pentecostal friends. It is a Holy Ghost t-shirt with words spoken in tongues on the front – so for all the hand wavers and lifters – Hi-Pa-Pa-A-Shun-Da – you interpreted that ok??

7. As the web site says “Riding in on a donkey won’t cut it today” so they have this chopper available

8. Want to smell like the Pope? Well get buying this alternative to Hi Karate!

9. Are your prayers not directed in the right place – you need a Jerusalem compass!

10. Church can be a bit dull – so here is how we can liven it up. No need to wait for the communion wine – bring your own in this hip flask shaped like a Bible!

11. Are you jealous of all those people who get Jesus on their pizza? Feeling left out that your KFC chicken wings do not resemble anything religious. Well now your toast can – yes you can wake up each morning to Holy Toast!

12. Now my fav – Thongs of Praise! The web site speaks for itself “Brothers, pop a righteous g-string in the stocking of the lady in your life this Christmas, and she will be blessed among women. Sisters, try these on for him, and put the guilt back in your sex life where it belongs.”

13. A walled nativity set – what every home needs for festive cheer

Enjoy the holidays!

Fun for all the family!

I think this is one for all our Christmas lists! I am sure we could have hours of family fun with this great game. It is only $39.99 – and it looks better than risk!

As if that wasn’t good enough, this site has all you could ever want for your Christmas stocking.

Dear Santa,

I have been a good boy this year please can I have a papist baseball cap!

Regards

Tim

Now go on order order order – you know you want to!