Friday, February 1:
ORANJESTAD, Aruba -- We didn't even try Aruba's Carlos 'N Charlie's here this year after finding it dead as could be a year ago. So we took a tour of the island instead. Interesting place -- "flat as a pancake" according to our tour guide, but with some great beaches. And great beachfront property if you've got a couple of million dollars to spare. Aruba is especially desirable, because it's south of the hurricane zone and those intense storms move north after forming in the ocean.
They moved karaoke night from the Rendezvous Lounge to the much larger disco -- the Bar at the Edge of the Earth. I tell ya, I had 'em eatin' outta my hand last night! (Well, I would have, if I could actually sing. But I had all the moves down pat!!).
Just like a year ago, the weather on this cruise has been perfect so far.
Sunday, February 3:
CARTAGENA, Colombia -- They tell us we had 20 centimetres of snow Friday. They tell us much of it will melt on Tuesday. Who knows what we'll see when we get back home on Friday?
This is my first visit to South America and Cartagena is a very interesting city. Two cities, actually -- the old town and the new town. The new is comprised of a great many mid-range high-rises, both residential and commercial. From a distance, it looks like a miniature Hong Kong.
Super Bowl Sunday. My gut tells me the Patriots should win to complete their 19-and-0 season. But the Giants played them tough in the final game of the regular season and I think they have a chance at the upset. I tell ya what, if the spread is indeed Pats by 12 as we're told it us down here, then putting a bob or two on the G-Men might not be a bad idea. I think Eli and company will keep it close -- but not close enough.
PREDICTION: New England Patriots 32, New York Giants 24.
Monday, February 4:
COLON, Panama -- I have no idea if it's the best play in Super Bowl history, but it's the best play I've ever seen in the championship game. Eli Manning was as sacked as a quarterback could be, but -- shades of Fran Tarkenton, who also wore #10 for the Giants after his great years in Minnesota -- Manning somehow escaped, heaved the ball 32 yards downfield into heavy traffic where it was caught in spectacular fashion at the Patriots' 24 by David Tyree, cradling the ball against his helmet as he was falling to the ground. If Manning is sacked, it's 4th and long for the Giants, and for all intents and purposes, the ballgame. Instead, it was the key play in an 83-yard drive and suddenly, New York was knocking on the door. The G-Men scored the winning touchdown with 35 seconds left and even the mighty Patriots didn't have an answer. The key to the win was the Giants relentless defence and the pressure it put on Tom Brady. I knew New York would keep it close. I just wish I'd had the sand to predict what my gut was telling me all along -- that the Giants would indeed, pull off this amazing upset.
So how do you rate the Patriots, 18-and-1? A great team, yes. A great season, yes. But ultimately, a Super Bowl loser, like 41 teams before them.
Wednesday, February 6:
COZUMEL, Mexico -- We were told it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And it was mighty impressive, to be sure. In a bit of a last-minute decision, we went swimming with the dolphins today with our friends Glenn and Chris. Dolphins -- what remarkable creatures they are! We were blown away by their playfulness, complete lack of shyness around humans -- and especially their intelligence. Yes, they're trained, but still! Our dolphin, Louis, was placed in a situation where he was to propel us while we were lying on a small surf board, pushing our feet with his nose toward our gate. Problem was, one woman was struggling with the board and would have been sent directly into a fence. No problem. Louis changed course 45 degrees on the fly and safely pushed her into the designated area. All in all, an amazing experience.
And yes, we returned to the scene of the crime, where 364 days ago, I drank myself into a massive stupor. Carlos 'N Charlie's was rocking again and we had fun, but managed to stay in some semblance of control. And yes, I made it to dinner. Problem was, that also included a martini, wine, a drink with dinner and a few post-dinner cocktails. Glenn said something about helping him drain a half-gallon of vodka tomorrow, our final day on board. Not a chance! I'm a big guy, but this is a big ship! I can hide for 24 hours!
The Manchester United air disaster in Munich occurred 50 years ago today. Where does the time go?
Friday, February 8:
We could have come home to a nightmare, but Steve, The World's Greatest Next-Door Neighbour, came to the rescue again. In exchange for letting him use our driveway for his family's three cars over the past two weeks (which also helped us, giving our place a "lived-in" look), he promised to keep the driveway free of snow. He did. And I can only imagine how many times he must have used his snowblower. It looks as if we've had as much snow as we got prior to our three-day January thaw. I can only imagine how high the snowdrifts would be if that thaw didn't melt everything a few weeks ago.
Well, the cruise was outstanding -- again. And the weather was the best yet. There were rumours of an early morning shower one day last week but I slept through it on board the ship. And the only other rain we saw was while we were safely in our Air Canada jet just before we turned onto the runway at Fort Lauderdale for takeoff.
Sunday, February 10:
Go figure the Toronto Maple Leafs. They beat Ottawa, Montreal and Detroit and in the midst of all that, lose 8-0 at home to Florida. So if you're Cliff Fletcher, what do you do? Believe in the team that beat the Senators, Canadiens and Red Wings and make a push for the playoffs (which the Maple Leafs would make if they play that way over the last two months)? Or take your cue from the lopsided defeat against the Panthers, blow it all up before the trade deadline and start over? I think I'd opt for the latter if it resulted in a few more draft picks. The late-season playoff push didn't work the last two years, and even if Toronto plays well down the stretch, how far could this outfit go in the post-season? But it's interesting to see how some players are responding, now that jobs are allegedly on the line.
Monday, February 11:
Back to work. Inevitable, but man that felt strange, having an alarm clock jar me awake at 4am.
Manchester City doesn't win at rival Manchester United very often, but when they do, it's rather monumental. Like yesterday's 2-1 triumph on a day United was marking the 50th anniversary of the Munich disaster. And no fluke, either. City were deserving winners. Their last Stretford win in league play was back in 1974, when they relegated their bitter rivals to the Second Division. A flair for the dramatic, to be sure!
Wednesday, February 13:
The cruise pictures are up. Now, to get to a backlog of overdue e-mails to send to friends from our two-week excursion!
So much for penciling in the Detroit Red Wings for an automatic berth in the Stanley Cup final. They've now lost four in a row following a successful west coast trip. I suppose if you're going to hit the skids, it's wise to do it two months before the playoffs and with a large lead.
There was a time when baseball actually scheduled doubleheaders. But the owners took them away from fans, and the only twin bills you see now are due to rainouts or other weather-related postponements. So I suppose it was only a matter of time before baseball took away the annual Hall-of-Fame exhibition game in Cooperstown, which it will next year. It was a great deal for area kids each year. So much for tradition. Baseball is spouting some equine-poop about scheduling conflicts. Right.
Thursday, February 14:
Quickly, guys! Stock up on those flowers, chocolates and Valentine's day cards. It's either that, or the "hot tongue and the cold shoulder," and who needs that?!
Pitchers and catchers report today in Florida and Arizona. After another big snowfall Tuesday, I can't wait for baseball.
Nice to see a tentative deal in the writers' strike, so some of our favourite TV shows can eventually get back to fresh episodes. But it's still jarring to watch CSI without actress Jorja Fox, who decided to leave the show. One of the reasons I love CSI is the seven-year cast longevity. How many shows keep the principal characters (and actors who portray them) for the better part of a decade?
Friday, February 15:
It's not the eight points back with 23 games to play that should worry fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs. It's the fact that, after last night's game, Toronto is now last overall in the Eastern Conference. In order to gain a post-season berth, the Maple Leafs would have to leapfrog six teams to qualify. There's still lots of time left, but moving from 15th place to 8th is one tall order.
When I was a teenager, some of my dad's sayings would fracture me. When something frustrated him, he would actually say this on occasion: "Wouldn't that jar your jam?!" Well, I actually muttered that yesterday after another fruitless visit to the book store. Somehow, the Chapters-Indigo-Coles-Smithbooks monopoly that sells books in this province has released paperbacks in a series I'm following, out of order. The most recent one has been available for a few months while the one before it has yet to make an appearance. This, despite a release date of last month and Chapters' own web page touting plenty in stock. Problem is, if you get fed up with Chapters-Indigo et al, where do you go? Cripes, even "The World's Biggest Bookstore" in downtown Toronto is part of the chain.
Saturday, February 16:
One of my work colleagues has kindly answered yesterday's question for me. Where does one go when one is fed up with the Chapters' book monopoly? Why online, to Amazon.ca, of course! Which is exactly what I did and hopefully, I'll have my book soon. I did know about Amazon and have ordered material from them before (and have been very satisfied with its service). The one thing that is lost of course, is the joy of roaming through a bookstore and discovering something you were looking for. That old, "there it is!" moment of joy. Yeah, I know. I'm about as old school as you can get!
Monday, February 18:
A heck of a way to bust an 81-race winless streak. Ryan Newman broke out of it by winning the 50th edition of the Great American Race, with a little help from teammate Kurt Busch. It was Busch who decided not to make a dangerous move and go wide on the final lap and instead surrendered his chance of winning to stay behind and give Newman a push. That was enough to give Newman the checkered flag at the Daytona 500 and allowed car owner Roger Penske -- long the king of Indianapolis -- to capture his first triumph at the famed Florida track. It's a bit reminiscent of 1972 when a star driver from the Indy 500 -- A. J. Foyt -- won the Daytona 500, just three months before the late Mark Donohue gave Penske his first success at Indy.
Speaking (as I was the other day) about CSI, it's The Bride's favourite show (mine, too) and we own all seven seasons on DVD. So, I decided to give her a CSI board game on Valentine's Day. And she immediately cleaned my clock, figuring out the first case with ease. Maybe she's moonlighting with the Toronto crime lab.
How can a team that looked so dreadful in a loss to Manchester City six days ago, look so sharp on Saturday? Beats me, but I'll take it. Manchester United's 4-0 win over Arsenal in the FA Cup playdowns had me giddy all weekend.
And what's the latest with the locals, you ask? Even if you didn't, here's an update. The mighty Spirit of Stouffville finished strong to take fourth place away from Couchiching and grab home-ice advantage in their best-of-five first round of the playoffs. And yesterday, they finished off a three-game sweep of the same Terriers with a 6-2 win. Next up -- the first-place Huntsville Otters, who were 5-and-1 against the Spirit this season, including a 3-and-0 mark in Stouffville.
Friday, February 22:
Wednesday was one of THOSE days. Actually, it started Tuesday on my way home from work when I suddenly realized -- on the Don Valley Parkway -- that I had no brakes! I had to completely stand on it to get the vehicle to slow down even a little. So, I limped it home to my mechanic, and the verdict was a broken brake line. Further inspection revealed serious rear end work and new tires -- all to the tune of about three grand, before taxes. So yesterday, I borrow The Bride's car, only to have it start giving me grief on the same parkway. I'd go to change gears and it would stall. I finally get to work where I spill not one but two (2) coffees down the front of my shirt during the course of the day. The upshot is this: The Bride's vehicle worked fine after that, but there's obviously an engine problem of some kind. Mine? Time to trade it in. I spent plenty on it last year, and at 325k, it owes me nothing. I'll get the brake line fixed and then say bye-bye. But what to get? Think my sweetie will let me buy a convertible? Me, either.
Sunday, February 24:
Well, isn't that wonderful?! Champ Car and the Indy Racing League finally agree on a "merger" (an IRL takeover is more like it) and because it was done at such a late date, the 2008 Toronto Grand Prix (nee, Molson Indy) is now history. For years, fans of both series have put up with a substandard product and finally when integration is here, the Toronto event becomes a casualty. The villain of course, is Tony George, the grand poobah of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway -- and by extension, the Indy 500. He's the one who singlehandedly ruined open-wheel racing in North America and now, because of him, Toronto has lost its race for this summer. I've attended 15 Indy 500s from the time I was 25 years old until I turned 50. Our most recent "Indy gang" is planning a return next year to the 2009 event but it will have to take place without me. I've spent my very last dime in that place.
I wore my creaky knees down to the nubs today touring the Toronto Auto Show yesterday, but enjoyed every minute of it. But I still have no idea what I'm going to buy in the coming days. My needs are threefold: Something fun to drive, good on gas, and reliable for long road trips. Simple as that.
Conversation on a street corner near the Air Canada Centre while walking to the office parking lot from the Auto Show:
Trio of voices: "Hockey tickets, hockey tickets, who needs 'em?" (One voice adding): "Cheap!"
Me: "I don't even know who they're (the Toronto Maple Leafs) playing!"
Trio of voices: "Atlanta!"
Me, (walking on): "Maybe they'll win one."
Trio (in unison): "Doubt it!"
(Historical note: The Leafs won 3-1).
Wednesday, February 27:
Two things that stand out from draft deadline day and the deal the Pittsburgh Penguins made in acquiring Marian Hossa from Atlanta. First of all, the Pens must think they have a legitimate shot at winning the Stanley Cup or else they would have gone after the sniper in the off-season when he's an unrestricted free agent. And secondly, now that he's in their stable, Pittsburgh must be very confident of signing him to a long-term deal. Unless you win the Cup, trading for a player who's only going to be there for a quarter of a season plus playoffs makes little sense.
Maybe it's asking a lot of an economy-scarred community but how great would it be to have old Windsor Arena packed to its ancient rafters tomorrow night for the Spitfires' game against Belleville? It's Windsor's first game since the tragic loss of 19-year-old captain Mickey Renaud, who died at his Tecumseh home last week. It will be extremely difficult for the players tomorrow and a packed house would sure go a long way towards helping them deal with the loss.
Friday, February 29:
How I wish I could have been in Windsor last night! The city did turn out, packing the old Madhouse on Madison in a wonderful tribute to its team and late captain, Mickey Renaud. And thankfully, it was available on TV throughout the province. The memorial put on by the Spitfires was first class and the fans were all in their seats in time to wish the team well during the pre-game warm-ups. The Windsor players all wore red warm-up jerseys sporting Renaud's name, number and captain's "C", and in a moving ceremony before the game, the Spits' skated up to centre ice, two-by-two, to take off those jerseys and place them on a table before skating back to the blue line, many with tears in their eyes. And a recap wouldn't be complete without a mention of the visitors, the Belleville Bulls, who displayed as much class in one night as I've seen any team exhibit in sports. To start with, he Bulls wore their own white warm-up jerseys, adorned with Renaud's name and number, a Bulls' logo on one shoulder and a Windsor "W" on the other. At the game's end, when the Spits' players were saluting the crowd, the Bulls remained on the ice, tapped their sticks in a salute of their own, and skated over to shake hands with the Windsor players the way teams do following a playoff series. I'm sure there wasn't a dry eye in the house. The only other possible thing Belleville could have done was lose the game -- but they weren't going to try to do that (nor did they, winning 4-3 in a shootout). The City of Belleville and its hockey fans should be extremely proud of its franchise and players for a remarkable show of sportsmanship. As should Windsorites, with theirs.
The locals? Still alive, and nicely so after a 4-1 win on home ice last night against first-place Huntsville. It could have been Stouffville's final home game of the season, but the win squares their playoff series at two games apiece and guarantees a sixth game Sunday at home. A win tonight in Huntsville puts the Spirit in the driver's seat -- and they know they can win there. They're 2-and-3 up north this season, including a split in this series.
