Mindless Meme-ery

So here's what you do. When you read this, you're supposed to answer the questions too. The "x" means you've done whatever's listed. Nothing new here - in fact, most of you could probably answer these for me.

(x) Smoked a joint (once....all I got was a headache)
() Been in a wet t-shirt contest
() Crashed a car
() stolen a car
(x) Been in love
(x) Had a threesome x2
(x) Been dumped (more times than I want to admit)
() Shoplifted
(x) Been fired
() Been in a fist fight
() Snuck out of the house
(x) Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back
() Been arrested
(x) Made out with a stranger
(x) Gone on a blind date
(x) Lied to a friend
(x) Had a crush on a teacher
(x) Been to Europe
(x) Skipped school (University/College...I couldn't skip HS, my old man was a teacher)
() Seen someone die
(x) Been to Canada (um, duh)
() Been to Mexico
(x) Been on a plane
(x) Seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show
() Thrown up in a bar
() Purposely set a part of yourself on fire
(x) Eaten Sushi
() Been snowboarding
(x) Met someone from the internet in person (More than a few, even married one)
() Been moshing at a concert
() Been in an abusive relationship (not so much physically, but mentally)
(x) Taken painkillers
(x) Love someone or miss someone right now (Yep, sure do...)
(x) Laid and watched cloud shapes go by
(x) Made a snow angel
() Had a tea party
(x) Flown a kite
(x) Built a sand castle
(x) Gone puddle jumping
() Played dress up
(x) Jumped into a pile of leaves
(x) Gone sledding
(x) Cheated while playing a game
(x) Been lonely
(x) Fallen asleep at work/school
() Used a fake ID
(x) Watched the sunset
(x) Felt an earthquake
(x) Touched a snake
(x) Slept beneath the stars
(x) Been tickled
(x) Been robbed (house where I was staying in 2nd yr University was burgled)
(x) Been misunderstood (frequently)
(x) Pet a reindeer/goat
(x) Won a contest
(x) Run a red light
() Been suspended from school
(x) Been in a car accident (as a passenger on 3 occasions)
() Had braces
(x) Felt like an outcast
() Eaten a whole pint of ice cream in one night
(x) Had deja vu (Ya know, I think I've answered this before...)
(x) Danced in the moonlight
(x) Hated the way you look
(x) Witnessed a crime
() Pole danced (I don't think she was Polish, so, No)
() Been obsessed with post-it notes
() Walked barefoot through the mud
(x) Been lost
() Been to the opposite side of the world
(x) Swam in the ocean
(x) Felt like dying
(x) Cried yourself to sleep
(x) Played cops and robbers
(x) Recently colored with crayons/colored pencils/markers
() Sung karaoke
(x) Paid for a meal with only coins (Groceries...close enough)
(x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't (Oh hell, that happens all the time)
(x) Made prank phone calls when you were younger
(x) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
() Danced naked in the rain (It began to rain while skinny-dipping)
() Written a letter to Santa Claus
(x) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(x) Watched the sun rise with someone you care about
(x) Blown bubbles
(x) Had a bonfire on the beach
() Crashed a party
(x) Gone rollerblading
(x) Had a wish come true
() Worn pearls
() Jumped off a bridge
() Screamed the word penis in public
() Ate dog/cat food
() Told a complete stranger you loved them
() Kissed a mirror
(x) Sang in the shower
() Owned a little black dress
(x) Had a dream that you married someone
(x) Glued your hand to something (I was an avid scale model builder...)
(x) Got your tongue stuck to a flag pole (does metal fencing count?)
() Kissed a fish
() Worn the opposite sex's clothes
() Been a cheerleader
(x) Sat on a roof top
(x) Screamed at the top of your lungs
() Done a one-handed cartwheel
(x) Talked on the phone for more than 6 hours (oh gawd, yeah)
(x) Stayed up all night
(x) Didn't take a shower for a week (Army, on exercise...I had an excuse)
(x) Picked and ate an apple right off the tree
(x) Climbed a tree
() Had a tree house
() Are NOT scared to watch scary movies
(x) Believe in ghosts
() Have more than 30 pairs of shoes
() Worn a really ugly outfit to school just to see what others say
() Gone streaking
() Played chicken
(x) Been skinny dipping
(x) Been pushed into a pool/lake with all your clothes on
(x) Been told your beautiful by a complete stranger
(x) Broken a bone (right elbow - radius)
(x) Been easily amused
(x) Caught a fish then ate it *even cleaned it myself*
() Caught a butterfly
(x) Laughed so hard you cried
(x) Cried so hard you laughed
(x) Mooned/flashed someone
(x) Had someone moon/flash you
(x) Cheated on a test
(x) Forgotten someone's name
(x) Slept naked
(x) French braided someone's hair
(x) Grown a beard

Don't worry, Steph...the vengeance is in the volume. *grin*

Thoughts for a Friday

It seems a little odd to be back in this space again, not that I'm sad that I'm back...

Blogging and journaling have always been very therapeutic for me, but there are times when it's really easy to just lose yourself in reading and commenting and going back and forth.

So, I forced myself to stay away for a little while. Work was becoming a real killer with some nasty deadlines and a scary amount of work to do. I can usually leave work at the office, but there are times when I have to schlep the laptop home and take away from "my" time to get work stuff done. It's not quite how I prefer to spend my time, but unfortunately, it's necessary....but at least its not constant.

And here I am, sitting at home. Chatting with Larry on MSN, and catching up with another buddy in Ottawa (also via MSN) while DW is out with a girlfriend for a few hours.

Life, generally, is good. I'll put some work hours in this weekend and try to get caught up. I'll also do my damnedest to get rid of this annoying bronchial hack that's been plaguing me for the last 2 weeks.

We're off to San Fran in about 4 weeks. Really hoping to see some of our blog friends from the area when we get down there. I am also REALLY looking forward to the break from work. Yeah, I still have a monster deliverable in early Sept, but at that point I might not care so much. *grin*

Watch for some other catch-up news and mindless Memes....

Who knows. There might even be an audioblog in the future.

Rumours of my demise...

...are greatly exaggerated.

No time to post...not a lot to say...busy as all fuck with work...occupied posting naughty comments on numerous blogs. (You know who you are, you lucky creatures)

Back with a vengeance soon.

-Mossy

R.I.P. James Doohan

I just saw the sad news on the Toronto Star's web site. Another sci-fi icon gone forever.

His legacy will live up to the motto of the Royal Canadian Artillery (with whom he served in World War 2), 'Ubique'.

Everywhere...

Happy Anniversary!

I know it's a strange one to celebrate, but as of today, I have been with my current employer for one year.

Only one year, you say? Why is that so important?

Having gone through a little career upheaval prior to my arrival at the Moderately Intelligent employer, an anniversary wasn't even in the cards anywhere. I was in Monthiversary mode. My last full-time employer (since 1998) decided to right-size me (and 30 other staff) in mid-2002, so I hadn't had a first year work anniversary since mid-1999. Needless to say, this sort of thing is important to me because it speaks to a relative stability in my career, when compared to my constracting and consulting work that did its best to fill the void.

I'm trying not to get too lost in the "what have I accomplished at work" mode, because I'm way too freakin' busy today worrying about upcoming deadlines.

Am I loving it? Was it the right call to come to work here?

You bet your booty. *grin*

I'm celebrating it in a corporately appropriate manner: Working from home.

My Cauldron boileth over...

I'm a Gryffindor!

All the education in the world...

...doesn't mean you're a smart cookie.

I got this link through Kal's latest post.

I'm not sure how someone who is supposedly on the faculty at the State University of New York at Albany could "publish" such drivel. I'm not necessarily referring to the mind-numbing content, mind you. I'm talking about the gruesome spelling and grammatical errors. Let us not also forget the ignorance of his own nation's historical figures and his self-serving tome on his post office rant. I'm disappointed that the local constabulary didn't take him in, but I suppose he'd revel in such a 'display of power of the police state.'

Biff help us if this reality-challenged person actually gets out into the real world on a day pass from academia.

Then again, it takes all kinds...

[Edit, July 19. Apparently our social activist greenie has removed the post from his blog that started all this stuff. Before he engaged in his own brand of censorship and revisionist thinking, I did, however, manage to get in a shot via the comments section that I simply must share with you.

"You know, I read this blog entry a few times. I'd honestly love to see things from your point of view. Unfortunately, as much as I'd like to, I just can't cram my head that far up my ass.

Your shockingly uninformed opinion and your myopic viewpoint speak of all that's wrong with Academia. I really hope your therapist helps you deal with your self-esteem issues before they get out of control and you do something stupid.

Oh, wait. Too late.

You are a marvel, though. Pomposity of your calibre usually doesn't manifest itself until tenure is achieved...or shortly after your first mid-life crisis. For you to achieve this standard at such a young age is either a remarkable achievement, or the result of poor toilet training and some serious Oedipal issues. I'd go on about what a complete jackass you appear to be but, frankly, I have better things to do with my time. Like picking the lint out of my navel.

Begone, you sanctimonious prig...you ludicrous popinjay."

-end Edit]

Weekend Update

Funny how it can rain and still leave you with a really good weekend.

DW and I enjoyed a little escape to one of our favourite haunts out in Mennonite country. I hasten to point out that the trip was all organized by my awesome DW as a little treat for yours truly. She's far too good to me. We passed the bulk of the trip there by reading the latest Harry Potter tome. I narrated the tale while DW drove

We've been a few times to go enjoy the farmers' market, the flea markets and the various antique places. It's not too far from the city and finding little B&B places are a real bonus. The last one we stayed in was a massive log home on 5 wooded acres. Until you've been served a 5 course breakfast to start the day, you've not really lived.

This time we stayed at an 1850's inn that used to be a major stagecoach stop (no, don't think Old West...we had them up here, too) in that part of the country. (Its nice to find these little gem places in the most unexpected locations. ) DW definitely picked a winner with the room, not just because it was a mini suite with its own fireplace, not just because it came with a VCR in the room and a modest selection of movies, not just because it had nice comfy robes for us to lounge in, but because it had the most decadent of all indulgences, a big, high-backed claw-foot bathtub just off the foot of the bed. It was actually a fiberglass (note: I used to have something similar in the bathroom of my old apartment and I miss it.) DW and I liked it enough that we are seriously considering putting one into the alcove in the walkway off our bedroom. This bears further investigation and planning. *grin*

Don't believe me? Then check this out...

DW has blogged about the snoring fiasco (which I feel bad about, even though I've been told I'm not to blame,) but I do appreciate her indulging my interest in antique hunting and in particular, my interest in antique woodworking tools. Despite overwhelming temptation, I behaved and only bought two things: a ratchet brace in remarkably good condition, and a medium-sized hand drill (looks something like a hand-crank mixer.) Of course, this means I'll eventually have to build a case for them. Yeah, yeah....another building project on the list.

Anyway, it was an excellent weekend. DW and I got some nice edging for the yard, and we picked up some amazing produce and had a very, very nice weekend away in god's country.

Perfect 10

Yep, my Sunday team is a perfect 10. That's oh-and-ten. As in no wins and ten losses.

There's 2 goals I want back, but not much I could do about the others. Funny how you can play well and still manage to lose. My team has mastered the art of the untimely turnover.

*sigh*

Minor Automotive Miracle

I've never been enamoured with mechanics. There are times when I view them as a somewhat irritating necessity. However, one of their bretheren has managd to provide some small measure of redemption.

The Mighty Intredpid had been running with the "Check Engine" light on for a little while. Sometimes these little warnings are accompanied by some spectacular actions and noises on the part of the motor, but I seemed to be humming along nicely.

However, since DW and I are making a minor weekend getaway today, she wanted me to get it looked at so we could avoid being stranded by an untimely (but not unexpected) engine failure.

I was surprised to note that mechanics do indeed work on Saturdays, although they move only slightly faster than the average postal worker at the best of times. I went down to one of the Canadian Tire stores only to discover a backlog of cars and drivers looking for maintenance and repair. When I got to the counter, I was informed that they couldn't hope to get my car in before noon, and even that might be a stretch. Fine. Off I go to the one at the North end of town. En route, I swing by one of the Master Mechanic franchises. Closed Saturdays in the summer. Hmmm. I go to another independent place (where I had my oil changed recently) and while both bays were occupied and the 2 mechanics were going great guns at their work, they couldn't get me in for at least an hour.

Feeling a bit frustrated and a bit self-chagrined, I took one last stab at an independent just across the street in a strip mall near where DW does her stained glass. I popped in and explained my situation to the guy. He said that he had to go and pick up a car, but since the diagnostic wouldn't take long, he'd have a peek just to see if it was anything critical.

Fortunately, the magic box said that the only thing wrong was with one of my Oxygen sensors. He said it wasn't anything that would leave me stranded and that it was about a 45-minute job to fix, even though he might not have been able to get to it that day. So I was quite relieved and asked what he wanted for the diagnostic. He didn't charge me for it at all. Needless to say I'll drop the Mighty Intrepid off next week for the fix.

Nice to see that customer service does exist out there somewhere. You sometimes have to hunt around for it, but its there.

Happy Saturday!

For a limited time only...

...a picture of yours truly.

I realized that most of you have some kind of pic up, so I'm going to add mine. I will, however, replace it at some point soon, so act now!

Is it a winning streak when its only 2 games?

Shocking everyone (including us) the Predators actually ceased to be fodder for the division and we pulled off a really kick-ass win last night.

Yeah, I know, people tell me that there's more to life than hockey, but the 4 or 5 of you who actually read this blog know that it hasn't been a fun summer season and the win is definitely a reason to celebrate.

If the truth be told, I feel better about this win because it was a really close game all the way to the final buzzer. Final score was 4-3. The other guys even pulled their goalie with a little over a minute left to play the extra attacker. The last two games we played against this team, the score was so lopsided in their favour by the middle of the second period that they let up on us and didn't keep running up the score. Sportsmanlike, for sure. Embarassing, definitely.

So I was a happy camper when I got home. I know that 2-7-0 is not exactly a record to be proud of, but I feel better about getting those two wins than about almost any other victory I've had since I started playing.

Sometimes it really is the little victories that count.

Sunday hockey update

We lost, but we made them work for it.

For the first time this summer season, I am actually feeling a teeny-tiny measure of confidence in my play. Granted, I'm in no danger of being a free-agent pickup for an NHL team when the lockout ends, but for me it's a big step up.

A goalie's confidence can take a real beating and mine is certainly no exception. I mean, when your teams are pretty much winless for a season, it tends to wear on you after a while.

But this week, riding a small wave of confidence from our unexpected win on Tuesday, I felt better going into Sunday's game.

I was definitely low on energy from the weekend's festivities and labours, but I was determined to get out and play, even just for the switch in mental activity.

The game was actually one of the better team efforts we put forth, and it was against a very dogged and fast-skating opponent. I was seeing the puck pretty well, and we even managed to be scoreless at the end of the first period. The goals they got (except for the last one) were all from rebounds and scrambles, so at least I know I was making a few solid first saves. I even managed saves on two breakaways. The last goal definitely left me wearing the ol' goat horns. I mis-read the shooter coming in. I was sure he was setting up for a pass to another player and I cheated a little bit the wrong way. He got me flat-footed. D'oh...

Final score was 6-2. Still, I don't feel I played badly.

Ya take the small victories where you can, I guess.

Birthday Surprises

I got her! I really got her!

I've been sitting on this for quite a while, but I planned and pulled off a surprise B-Day party for DW on Saturday.

DW's friend, "Al", was my co-conspiritor and ever-helpful party planner.

The story of the overall deception plan is somewhat lengthy and convoluted, but suffice it to say I managed to get DW out of the house for a couple of hours so the guests and the food could arrive. DW was under the impression that the Wondertwins were arranging something for her and that I was sworn to secrecy, but she had to be GONE between 5-7 that evening. She wasn't excited about the prospect, but she agreed.

I was going to distract her with a movie, but since Fantastic 4 didn't grab her (and the reviews seem to consistently paint this as a real turkey) we opted for some time on a patio. It was a welcome respite from a day spent scraping paint from upper floor windows in the searing heat.

She did get a little antsy as the 90-minute mark, but we managed to keep the stall going as long as possible.

We got to the house and the kids came out an brought her inside. They told her to head right out to the back. But, as the passed the entrance to the dining room, the crowd let loose.

And she got GOT!! *big grin*

It really was an awesome time. There was food galore, much laughter, stories and good friendship all around.

The final words belong to dtrini,

BRILLIANT! That was a very enjoyable evening with an eclectic group of participants. We enjoyed ourselves immensely and hope to do it again soon.

I love it when a plan comes together...

Sleepless in Suburbia, or Why Rob Thomas is Haunting my Dreams

"She says baby...It’s 3am I must be lonely"

- Matchbox 20, '3AM'

It's a disturbing trend.

For several nights over the last couple of weeks, I've been waking up right at 3:00AM. Not around 3, right at the stroke of 3. This is not a good thing, considering that I usually hear the alarm around 5:45AM. Sometimes it's the cat making noise, sometimes I open my eyes and I can get right back to sleep, and other times it's a struggle. This kind of sleep pattern is usually a sign that I'm stressed.

It's scary enough having my sleep interrupted, but it's scarier when the mind starts to wander and its so tired that all sorts of bizzarre imagery forms the waking dream. Work meets life meets Salvador Dali. Strange Dad-esque and cubist pictures and voices and things. At that point the brain is on Auto-weird.

So for the bulk of this week I have not been terribly well-rested and it's definitely taking a toll. I'm feeling a little frazzled with some of the planning work I've had to do, and I just want a few hours' rest.

Ya hear that, subconscious of mine? Is that too much to ask? Is it? huh?

Happy Birthday, DW

As the saying goes, she's not getting older, she's getting better. She's a gem, a rara avis, a pearl beyond price.

Happy Birthday, love...

Fashion statement du jour

I get to the subway station on my way to catch my train, see? And, like, there's this *guy*, you know, wearing the weirdest combination I have ever seen.

Black, square toed wellies
Black socks
Charcoal grey dress shorts
Wife-beater shirt with something printed on it
Grey glen check vest from a 3-pc suit
Black Snap-brim hat
Narrow, rectangular glasses

To top it all off, this guy is hairy. And I mean REALLY hairy. Like, fur on the upper arms and back hairy. Shaggy, unkempt black beard but with a nearly-invisible moustache, and black hair.

I've never seen anything like it in my life.

Biff willing, I never will again.

Shameless steal...

I stole this from Kal. Sue me. ;-)

You Know You're From Toronto When...

A really great parking spot can move you to tears. You can recommend about 3 good body piercing parlours. You make well over $100,000 and you still can't find a nice place to live. You realize there are far more rainbow flags in the city than Canadian Flags. When the temperature rises above zero degrees, you yell "Woohooo! Patio weather!" You enjoy watching channel 47 multicultural TV You're guaranteed to know at least one person on every episode of Speaker's Corner. You haven't been to the CN Tower since you were six, but still have nightmares about that damn turbo elevator. You've had at least 3 bicycles stolen in the past 10 years. You've partied with at least one of the members of The Kids in the Hall You've fantasized about having sex in Casa Loma At least 3 of your friends have moved to Vancouver You turn your nose up at any establishment frequented by the S&M crowd. (Scarborough and Mississauga) You never, never, never swim in the lake You know "The Beaches" are really called "The Beach", but still say "The Beaches" just to annoy all the nitwits who live there You ever had a birthday party at the Organ Grinder or The Mad Hatter You can say "world's tallest freestanding structure" ten times fast You know the correct answer to "Where do shopping carts go to die?" is "The Don River" You speak better Chinese than French The word "cabbagetown" doesn't strike you as particularily amusing Castle Frank subway station remains one of the great mysteries of the universe for you. You know what the bathrooms in the First Canadian Place are REALLY for You don't know where Fort York is, but have a vague recollection of being there in a past life You know the Demic's song "I Wanna Go To New York City" was intended as sarcasm, not a weekend getaway suggestion You know where to find Dim Sum, Sushi, Curry, Pad Thai and a dildo at 3 am on a weeknight For the last time, it's pronounced 'TRONNA'! You consider eye contact a sign of hostility and an invasion of your privacy. It takes you half an hour to get to work by TTC and you are the envy of all your friends. You mourned the death of the Spadina Bus. You know someone who went to high school with at least one member of The Barenaked Ladies or RUSH You laugh heartily at people who refer to highway four hundred and one. You've taken the vomit comit. You can manuver your bike across Queen st. without getting caught in the streetcar tracks. You know the difference between souvlaki, moussaka and spanakoptia. You can name at least three locations of The Beer Store that are open till 11 PM. You have NEVER been to the Hard Rock Cafe You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from Toronto.

Get Your Own "You Know You're From" Meme Here



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...and sometimes you just get lucky

So there I was, after the game last night.

I take off my mask and my gloves, peel off my jersey and my chest protector. I start putting them in the bag.

I see something in there that shouldn't be in there at this stage of the undress.

I.played.the.entire.game.without.my.cup.

oh



my




god



I did a retro-active cringe wondering just how I managed to brain-fart enough to completely forget a somewhat crucial piece of gear, especially considering the position I play.

I told the guys and they laughed.

They said I'd have to go without it for the next game, too...because obviously that was why we won.

That's One...

Anyone who has ever played some kind of sport knows that joining a new team can sometimes be a bit of a crap shoot. Even when you've bee playing together for a while there is a chance that you can win each time you play. Granted the odds are sometimes longer than others, but there's still a chance.

Take me and my 2 summer hockey teams, for example. I came in to two teams of individual sign-ups and to say that we've struggled would be an understatement. My Tuesday league is more of a challenge than my Sunday league, but its seemed impossible to produce any meaningful points on the board, let alone win a game. At this point, a tie would be a serious achievement worth celebrating.

As the goalie, I tend to put a lot of the blame on my shoulders. I'm by no means a star, but on a more competetive team I can hold my own. We are definitelY outclassed by our opponents and there seems precious little we can do about it. It certainly doesn't do much for anyone's psyche when you go into the game worrying more about how to limit the carnage than just getting out and playing the game.

Having said all that, we've pretty much resigned ourselves (on both teams) to winless seasons. We're not bothered by it because we're really just out to have fun, get some exercise and all that stuff. Some guys take it *way* too seriously. I mean, NHL's Central Scouting is not checking out beer league games for undiscovered talent, right? We're not playing for money, right?

So, last night we donned the gear and headed onto the ice against a team that has, charitably, wiped the ice with us. We don't have any defence that can keep up with them and I'm certainly not a worthy challenge in goal. One again, "limit the carnage" was the battle cry of the evening.

When it was all said and done nobody was more surprised than us. We won. We got the lead and never looked back. They definitely made it interesting for us and they never gave up, but we played a solid team game and they had to work for the goals they got.

Happy? Damn right we were.

Confidence? Yeah, I can see a glimmer coming back.

Fun? Damn right.

Who knew that a lone win would make such a difference?

Plumbing Stupidity

(NOTE: This post is suitably backdated...)

Those who know me well really know that I hate making mistakes. I mean I *really* hate it. Worse, of course, if someone else notices it before I do, or if its public in some way.

Maybe its an ego issue or just esteem. Whatever it is, it can really set me off.

Yesterday, for example, I finally replaced the float and valve in the toilet for the main floor powder room. The run-up to this story is that I bought the parts last weekend during the wallet-less run to Home Despot. I discovered that a couple of key parts were missing from the box. *sigh* While DW and The Boy were out, this weekend, I exchanged the box and got busy with the repairs.

The swap-out is a pretty straightforward task, really; but its somewhat labour-intensive, particularly when I need the pipe wrench to try and get the retaining nut off the pipe from the tank to the bowl. (I wound up having to break the thing out because it just wasn't loosening up, despite the persuasion of every "fixing word I know.

So, I get things assembled and put the tank back on and do the first fill of the tank.

Leaks.

Shit.

Okay, so I need to adjust the seals on the bolts holding the tank in place. No problem. I get the remaining water out of the tank, then pull the damn thing off again and tighten the loose nuts to get the seal seated.

Now let's try this again.

Re-mount the tank and start the fill. Leaks? Leaks? Nope. Okay. So far so good. Now let's see if the flush cycle works. YEAH!!

Feeling pleased with myself I packed up my tools and got back to my work stuff.

Sunday morning rolls around and I'm up before DW. When she gets out of bed, I'm on the computer, engaging in a little rampant despotism in Civilization III. She goes down to the basement to get some coffee from the pantry. I am summoned downsaits with an urgent voice.

Water.

Almost fucken everywhere.

As it turns out, yours truly - Idiot J. McPlumbing - didn't have quite the tight seal on the fitting from the water line running into the tank. So while I couldn't see any leaks where the mounting bolts were, I never checked the feed line and it ran, slowly and surely for the balance of Saturday afternoon through to Sunday morning.

I was most displeased with myself and quite chagrined. Actually, that's not true. I was pissed. Seriously pissed. Only at myself, of course.

However, the problem was easy to fix and the only thing that got wet was some spare hockey gear and some wood I had stored down in the basement. The leak area was near the drain in the concrete floor so it took care of the worst of the madness.

I felt pretty stupid for making a rookie plumbing mistake, but DW thinks I was being much to hard on myself and probably not keeping things in perspective. She's probably right. But I still feel like I OD-ed on stupid pills when I do dumb shit like that.

Needless to say I'm checking that fitting every so often. ;-)

Happy Birthday, Nation of mine...

Happy Canada Day!!

Even though the act of Confederation (Officially known as "The British North America Act") happened 138 years ago today, we celebrate a long, rich and incredibly diverse history that spans the better part of a millenium (thank you, Leif Ericsson for getting itchy feet to see what lay beyond Iceland and Greenland.)

Oh, to be at the Party on The Hill now that July 1 is here.

This day is also a tribute to the members of The Royal Newfoundland Regiment, as they pause to remember the battle at Beaumont-Hamel. Lest We Forget.