I had the pleasure recently in being part of the organizing commitee, for the second year in a row, for the 2nd Annual Sympatico Hackers and Whackers Golf Tournament. And, it was a huge success once again.
Last year we did it for the first time and had little to no experience organizing a large event which aimed to fill 144 available spots. The event was hosted at a ClubLink course in the Ottawa area, named Greyhawk. The event was very well received and was a success despite the last minute preparations and such. 142 of 144 showed up that day. We were also able to raise over $3,000 for Kids Help Phone.
As a result of it's success, we decided to expand the participation level to 240 available spots. Many didn't think we'd be able to fill all 240 spots, however we were successful! Unfortunately, there were again a few no shows (15 of them to be exact), and we ended up with 225 golfers instead of the 240 target.
However, those 225 golfers had a great time, enjoyed a great lunch and dinner, enjoyed the company of friends and the occasional drink... ;)
We gave away some great prizes for the contest holes, such as digital cameras, digital photo frames & Sens tickets, just to name a few.
But most importantly, we were again successful in raising a lot of money for Kids Help Phone (final number TBD at this time - will update when available).
If you'd like to get a taste of what everyone experienced that day, check out the website: http://www.hackersandwhackers.ca
There's a great video and pics to be added soon.
Friday, August 17, 2007
3 weeks and counting...
Well, it's not only been almost 3 months since I last updated this blog, but it's also been 3 weeks since I've moved into my new home and it's been great (and hectic)!
Moving Day: It rained! Yay! :S
Despite the rain, we forged ahead and all 12 of us were able to pack the truck (5 ton, 24 footer), wall-to-wall and three trailers (can anyone say "Kids Toys"?), by noon (started at approximately 9 am). All the cars/trucks were packed with stuff as well. It's true when someone tells you that you don't realize how much stuff one has until you have to move it all.
I've since told my wife that if we can afford it one day, we would buy a new house, already furnished, and sell this one, already furnished, and only move our clothes. :)
We were able to unload everything in about 3 hours. However, we're still not done unpacking. I'm still living somewhat out of a box for my clothing and my office is still not completely setup. However, the essentials are done: kitchen, living room, dining room, kids room's and the playroom.
I also have a garage now, which up until this week, was filled with carboard due to the move. Now that it's all gone, I can focus on organizing it.
The kids love the new house and my son has a great view from his bedroom of an elevated tee from the Outaouais Golf Course. He's now taken an interest in the sport since he saw kids playing there.
I'm looking forward to completing the work that's left to be done in the house so that I can actually do nothing for a single day at some point in the next year, however I fear that will never happen (unrealistic, I know).
Moving Day: It rained! Yay! :S
Despite the rain, we forged ahead and all 12 of us were able to pack the truck (5 ton, 24 footer), wall-to-wall and three trailers (can anyone say "Kids Toys"?), by noon (started at approximately 9 am). All the cars/trucks were packed with stuff as well. It's true when someone tells you that you don't realize how much stuff one has until you have to move it all.
I've since told my wife that if we can afford it one day, we would buy a new house, already furnished, and sell this one, already furnished, and only move our clothes. :)
We were able to unload everything in about 3 hours. However, we're still not done unpacking. I'm still living somewhat out of a box for my clothing and my office is still not completely setup. However, the essentials are done: kitchen, living room, dining room, kids room's and the playroom.
I also have a garage now, which up until this week, was filled with carboard due to the move. Now that it's all gone, I can focus on organizing it.
The kids love the new house and my son has a great view from his bedroom of an elevated tee from the Outaouais Golf Course. He's now taken an interest in the sport since he saw kids playing there.
I'm looking forward to completing the work that's left to be done in the house so that I can actually do nothing for a single day at some point in the next year, however I fear that will never happen (unrealistic, I know).
Friday, June 1, 2007
First Time Home Buyer
I've finally achieved a goal that has been beyond my reach for many years, which is to own a house. I'm relieved, to say the least. However, I'm not stressed about it (yet - maybe I'll feel that way the week of August 1st when I move), and I'm not super excited about it either.I'm very happy, but I'm not more emotional then that. I'm being very level headed about the whole affair. When I spoke to our banker this week, he seemed surprised and started telling me about how some new home buyers call him repeatedly over the course of a single day to see if the papers are ready to be signed - and their closing date is in September!
I guess I've learned over the last few years not to get ahead of myself. I believe that if you get too emotionally involved with something that you leave yourself vulnerable to dissapointment. Too many times Nat and I had high hopes for something to happen in our favour, and too many times we were left dissapointed and filled with despair wondering if we would ever get ahead.
Well, we've finally made it ahead! We've bought our first house, in Rockland. A nice two storey single home. There are three bedrooms on the 2nd floor, a finished basement with two additional rooms, and three bathrooms (one being an ensuite to the Master Bedroom). It also has a garage and the yard is completely fenced in.
Finding a house has been a long process as well. It took us about a month and we visited about 20 houses before we found this one. It has everything we need and nothing we don't. However, I do have to purchase new appliances (fridge, stove, dishwasher - all black to match kitchen). We were lucky we found it actually. We saw the house the day it was listed, and put in an offer that night. Within a few hours, it was ours - they didn't even have time to put a sign on the lawn!
The home inspection went very well with no major issues found anywhere, except the garage, which had some water damage on the ceiling. They replace the drywall, insulation and burnt fixture (it had caught fire as a result of the water damage), which occured before the roof was replaced last September.
We're going to meet with the principals today of the two schools that are in the area. Both are French, one being public the other Catholic. Jacob will be with us to meet them as well and we'll then make our decision as to which school Jacob will attend. Public schools receive more funding from the Government, so I'm expecting that school to have more teachers, smaller classroom sizes, better access to material and equipment, etc...However, we'll know for sure this afternoon.
If you'd like to see more picture of the house, click here.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Sens vs Ducks - Stanley Cup Finals
Tonight marks the beginning of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Ottawa Senators and the Anaheim Ducks. This series should be fast and physical.
I've been reading a lot of the match-up previews and predictions on TSN, SportsNet, The Hockey News, Sun Media, nhl.com, etc...And I'm happy to say that about 95% of the sports media in North America have picked the Senators to win in 6 games.
I for one think the Sens can win in 4 games. Here's why:
- Depth: The Senators have more of it, whether it be with their forwards or their defence. The Sens are 4 lines deep. And although the bottom 3 lines have contributed about 40% of the scoring, they're all very fast and create quality scoring chances almost every shift on the ice. If their forwards can continue to cycle the puck in the offensive zone as well as they have all Playoffs so far, then the Niedermayer/Pronger threat will be null and void. They'll be so frustrated and tired that mistakes will occur and penalties will be the result against the Ducks.
The Sens defence is 6 players deep. Although the Ducks do have some offensive prowess, so did the Pens, the Devils and the Sabres. Keeping the scoring at bay won't be an issue for the Sens as long as Emery holds up his part of the bargain.
- Power Play/Penalty Killing: The Sens have a better PP and better PK then the Ducks throughout the Playoffs so far. If the Sens can continue to generate the chances they had against the Sabres on the PK, then the Ducks will have a hard time keeping up. As well, the Wings made obvious of the fact that the Ducks' PK players aren't very active with their sticks, this leaving wide open lanes across the slot, which will allow players like Alfredsson, Spezza and Heatley the opportunity for their much beloved back-door passes.
- Goaltending: On paper, the Ducks have a better goaltender in JS Giguere, which is simply based on current stats (JS has played 2 fewer games then Emery). However, the whole goaltender matchup thing is over-rated and doesn't speak to the fact that hockey is a team game. And although I agree that your goaltender has to be your best player at any given time, that same goaltender isn't facing off against the other goaltender. He's facing the other team's forwards and defence.
That aside, Emery hasn't been a series stealing goalie for the Sens simply because he hasn't had to be. However, he's been consistent. Emery and Giguere's stats are almost identical (1.95 GAA & 1.87 GAA, respectively, .919 SV% & .932 SV%, respectively). All that to say that it's a pretty even matchup, even though Giguere wears the max legally allowed pad sizes, whereas Emery does not, which allows him to have more mobility. They both also give up fat rebounds from time to time and have problems with pucks along the boards behind the net.
GO SENS GO
I'm going out to Scotiabank Place tonight the watch the game, since it's free parking and admission, however concession stands will be open. Should be fun!
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
The Buffalo Butter Knives
The Ottawa Senators are on the verge of sweeping the Buffalo Sabres tonight at 7 pm, and are 60 minutes away from making their first appearance, in modern team history, in the Stanley Cup Finals.
As a Sens fan I'm very excited about this possibility since the team itself is playing with the type of drive, determination and confidence not seen in playoff year's past.
I had the privelege of attending Game 3 vs the Sabres on Monday night. I sat 12 rows behind the players' bench, and next to Ottawa Mayor Larry O'Brien no less. The atmosphere was amazing and the game was very good. When a team is forechecking agressively, hitting hard, backchecking, blocking shots and creating lots of scoring chances, it's simply a treat to watch.
I must admit that I would have never predicted that the Sabres would be down 3-0 going into tonight's game. My expectation, and everyone elses as well, was that this series would be hard fought back and fourth hockey we'd come to expect from these two teams this season. The only glimmer of hope in every game for the Sabres has been Ryan Miller.
And kudos to Ray Emery. He's now shutout every team once in every series. What a difference last year's playoffs and this season have made in regards to his game play, his confidence and his temper. He's also 11-2 in these playoffs.
And finally, the #1 line for the Sens is actually it's #1 line! Spezza, Heatley and Alfreddsson are 3 of the top 4 players in the Playoffs right now in regards to point production. The remaining 3 lines are also producing points, although not as many, however they're still contributing in a big way by creating chances and hitting every Sabre that's on the ice. In Game 3, every Ottawa Senator except one (Mike Comrie), had a shot on Ryan Miller.
Game 4 should be very exciting tonight and the energy level will be through the roof. There's a campaign going on to change Elgin Street in downtown Ottawa to the 'Sens Mile'. After the Sens win tonight, there's a party going on that starts at approximately 10 pm that lasts until 1 am. Don't know if I'll make it (some of us have to work), but I'll certainly try.
GO SENS GO
As a Sens fan I'm very excited about this possibility since the team itself is playing with the type of drive, determination and confidence not seen in playoff year's past.
I had the privelege of attending Game 3 vs the Sabres on Monday night. I sat 12 rows behind the players' bench, and next to Ottawa Mayor Larry O'Brien no less. The atmosphere was amazing and the game was very good. When a team is forechecking agressively, hitting hard, backchecking, blocking shots and creating lots of scoring chances, it's simply a treat to watch.
I must admit that I would have never predicted that the Sabres would be down 3-0 going into tonight's game. My expectation, and everyone elses as well, was that this series would be hard fought back and fourth hockey we'd come to expect from these two teams this season. The only glimmer of hope in every game for the Sabres has been Ryan Miller.
And kudos to Ray Emery. He's now shutout every team once in every series. What a difference last year's playoffs and this season have made in regards to his game play, his confidence and his temper. He's also 11-2 in these playoffs.
And finally, the #1 line for the Sens is actually it's #1 line! Spezza, Heatley and Alfreddsson are 3 of the top 4 players in the Playoffs right now in regards to point production. The remaining 3 lines are also producing points, although not as many, however they're still contributing in a big way by creating chances and hitting every Sabre that's on the ice. In Game 3, every Ottawa Senator except one (Mike Comrie), had a shot on Ryan Miller.
Game 4 should be very exciting tonight and the energy level will be through the roof. There's a campaign going on to change Elgin Street in downtown Ottawa to the 'Sens Mile'. After the Sens win tonight, there's a party going on that starts at approximately 10 pm that lasts until 1 am. Don't know if I'll make it (some of us have to work), but I'll certainly try.
GO SENS GO
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Jacob's Hockey Banquet
Another post related to hockey...not a big surprise for anyone who knows me.
Jacob recently completed his first season of organized hockey as a Timbit, and he really enjoyed it! It came to a point where he would wakeup in the morning for school and want to play hockey instead of going to school. We had to tell him that if he didn't go to school he couldn't play hockey. It worked.
We were four coache's on the ice this year with about 17 kids on the ice. It's amazing how quickly they learn how to skate forwards, backwards and stop on a dime...ok, maybe a quarter...ok, maybe more like a few feet after they've attempted to stop and fallen on their butts.
Anyhow, the season ended recently and I had the pleasure of organizing their banquet. Banquets are the climactic end to a successful season. I decided to give the kids a different experience compared to the type of banquet I had as a kid, which comprised of a bunch of us from our team sitting along long stretches of tables in the local Legion or Knights of Columbus (which, when I was a kid, weren't 'non-smoking'). And if we were lucky, the association we're enrolled in for our respective sport was able to raise enough money to get us some nice trophies with our names engraved on them and not just the team name.
So I found Kidz Sports World. They booked us for two and half hours. They provided us with a "coach", who leads the group of kids through the activities. They spent 30 minutes on the floor using the rock wall and playing through the inflatable obstacle courses. Then they spent 30 minutes playing lazer-tag (which, I'm sure was a fluke, the top 2 scorers were parents), and then spent the remainder of the time eating pizza and I then presented the trophies to the kids with another one of the coaches.
All that to say it was a great time had by all! See all the pics HERE.
Jacob recently completed his first season of organized hockey as a Timbit, and he really enjoyed it! It came to a point where he would wakeup in the morning for school and want to play hockey instead of going to school. We had to tell him that if he didn't go to school he couldn't play hockey. It worked.
We were four coache's on the ice this year with about 17 kids on the ice. It's amazing how quickly they learn how to skate forwards, backwards and stop on a dime...ok, maybe a quarter...ok, maybe more like a few feet after they've attempted to stop and fallen on their butts.
Anyhow, the season ended recently and I had the pleasure of organizing their banquet. Banquets are the climactic end to a successful season. I decided to give the kids a different experience compared to the type of banquet I had as a kid, which comprised of a bunch of us from our team sitting along long stretches of tables in the local Legion or Knights of Columbus (which, when I was a kid, weren't 'non-smoking'). And if we were lucky, the association we're enrolled in for our respective sport was able to raise enough money to get us some nice trophies with our names engraved on them and not just the team name.
So I found Kidz Sports World. They booked us for two and half hours. They provided us with a "coach", who leads the group of kids through the activities. They spent 30 minutes on the floor using the rock wall and playing through the inflatable obstacle courses. Then they spent 30 minutes playing lazer-tag (which, I'm sure was a fluke, the top 2 scorers were parents), and then spent the remainder of the time eating pizza and I then presented the trophies to the kids with another one of the coaches.
All that to say it was a great time had by all! See all the pics HERE.
Sens Beat "Cindy" and the Pens, Face Devils in Round 2
It's been a long while since I last updated my blog and I've been told that I have to do a better job of doing so. So, let's talk Playoff Hockey! :)
First let's address the "whiner" label Sidney "Cindy" Crosby has inherited recently. I consider him to be one of the best young players in the world today. He plays hard, gives it 100% on every shift and also won the Art Ross Trophy for Top Scorer in the NHL (the youngest player to do so - ever), all while averaging 20 mins per game. Martin St Louis is the top ice time forward and averaged 24 mins per game and finished with 102 points (18 less then Crosby). All that to say, he's lives up to the "phenom" label as well.
However, when he get's hit anywhere near or around his face, his head whips back like he got hit by a truck and acts like he went to the Dominic Hasek school of acting (next for Crosby would be the helmet flying off for good measure). As a result of these theatrics, Crosby doesn't, and didn't in the series against Ottawa, draw as many penalties as he could since the Officials believe he's "diving", of sorts.
That aside, kudos to Chris Phillips and Anton Volchenkov of the Sens for being the shut down pair they were expected to be. Not only did they only allow Crosby to collect 5 points in his first ever playoff series, but they also restricted Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal to 4 and 3 points each, respectively (Malkin had zero goals).
And of course, Ray Emery, who collected a well deserved shutout in Game 5 to close out the series against the Penguins. He played pretty good hockey throughout the five games, but he'll have to play better against their next opponents: The New Jersey Devils.
With Martin Brodeur backstopping his team to 3 Stanley Cup Championships as well as being second on the all-time playoff games win list with 93 (second to none other then Patrick Roy), the Sens have their work cut out for them. They'll need all four lines rolling and producing offence if they hope to beat 'The Trap', and then their best defence: Brodeur.
However, if the Sens can produce the same type of 60 minute effort they did in games 1 and 5 against the Penguins, then I'm confident the Sens can succeed. I predict a 6 game series with the Sens advancing to the Conference Finals against...
My other Playoff Predictions:
Sabres vs Rangers: Sabres in 7 - This will be a high scoring series with both teams well known for their offence and their goaltending and not so well known for their defence (or lack thereof).
Red Wings vs Sharks: San Jose in 6 - The Sharks have more offence and a comparable defence to the Red Wings, however if Hasek can keep up his great playing the Red Wings might be able to pull it off.
Ducks vs Canucks: Canucks in 6 - The Vancouver Canucks have just completed a series that should have ended last week in Game 5. Finally the Sedin's decided to show up and make a difference. The Canucks will need the same production from them in this series that will have a lot more hitting in it compared to their series with the Stars. If Luongo can keep up his stellar play, they'll advance to the Conference Finals.
More to come...
First let's address the "whiner" label Sidney "Cindy" Crosby has inherited recently. I consider him to be one of the best young players in the world today. He plays hard, gives it 100% on every shift and also won the Art Ross Trophy for Top Scorer in the NHL (the youngest player to do so - ever), all while averaging 20 mins per game. Martin St Louis is the top ice time forward and averaged 24 mins per game and finished with 102 points (18 less then Crosby). All that to say, he's lives up to the "phenom" label as well.
However, when he get's hit anywhere near or around his face, his head whips back like he got hit by a truck and acts like he went to the Dominic Hasek school of acting (next for Crosby would be the helmet flying off for good measure). As a result of these theatrics, Crosby doesn't, and didn't in the series against Ottawa, draw as many penalties as he could since the Officials believe he's "diving", of sorts.
That aside, kudos to Chris Phillips and Anton Volchenkov of the Sens for being the shut down pair they were expected to be. Not only did they only allow Crosby to collect 5 points in his first ever playoff series, but they also restricted Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal to 4 and 3 points each, respectively (Malkin had zero goals).
And of course, Ray Emery, who collected a well deserved shutout in Game 5 to close out the series against the Penguins. He played pretty good hockey throughout the five games, but he'll have to play better against their next opponents: The New Jersey Devils.
With Martin Brodeur backstopping his team to 3 Stanley Cup Championships as well as being second on the all-time playoff games win list with 93 (second to none other then Patrick Roy), the Sens have their work cut out for them. They'll need all four lines rolling and producing offence if they hope to beat 'The Trap', and then their best defence: Brodeur.
However, if the Sens can produce the same type of 60 minute effort they did in games 1 and 5 against the Penguins, then I'm confident the Sens can succeed. I predict a 6 game series with the Sens advancing to the Conference Finals against...
My other Playoff Predictions:
Sabres vs Rangers: Sabres in 7 - This will be a high scoring series with both teams well known for their offence and their goaltending and not so well known for their defence (or lack thereof).
Red Wings vs Sharks: San Jose in 6 - The Sharks have more offence and a comparable defence to the Red Wings, however if Hasek can keep up his great playing the Red Wings might be able to pull it off.
Ducks vs Canucks: Canucks in 6 - The Vancouver Canucks have just completed a series that should have ended last week in Game 5. Finally the Sedin's decided to show up and make a difference. The Canucks will need the same production from them in this series that will have a lot more hitting in it compared to their series with the Stars. If Luongo can keep up his stellar play, they'll advance to the Conference Finals.
More to come...
Monday, March 26, 2007
Sens Clinch Playoff Spot
The Ottawa Senators are the second team in the Eastern Conference to officially clinch a berth into the 2007 post-season! The lowest they can finish mathematically is 7th place, the highest being 1st, however the likelihood of that happening is very slim (even though the Sens are only 5 points out of 1st place, currently help by the Buffalo Sabres).
The Sens are hot lately as well, coming off a successful road trip of 4 games while collecting 7 of an availble 8 points during that road trip. They're 7-0-3 in their last 10 and haven't suffered a regulation loss since March 2nd, there last regulation lost before that was on February 7th! And only 5 regulation losses in 2007 so far! That's a much better second half to the season compared to the first half.
Where are the Leafs, you might ask? Currently in 11th place. (Fill in Leafs Fan excuse here).
The Sens are hot lately as well, coming off a successful road trip of 4 games while collecting 7 of an availble 8 points during that road trip. They're 7-0-3 in their last 10 and haven't suffered a regulation loss since March 2nd, there last regulation lost before that was on February 7th! And only 5 regulation losses in 2007 so far! That's a much better second half to the season compared to the first half.
Where are the Leafs, you might ask? Currently in 11th place. (Fill in Leafs Fan excuse here).
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
I now own a Wii
What a great entertainment system the Wii is. It's simply amazing. Where to begin?
It looks great. Simple, sleek and compact. Easy to setup, the remotes are wireless and easy to hold, and it has built-in Wi-Fi for Internet access. It has 3 wires to plug into their respective outlets (AC, video and the sensor bar that is placed above or below the TV).
My family and I have played the Wii for countless hours and find ourselves hosting friends every Friday and Saturday night to play the various games that come with it (Wii Sports), as well as the additional game package we purchased, Wii Play. We plan on hosting larger 'Wii Parties' in the near future!
The best part: you're constantly moving. Want a workout? Try boxing for an hour, assuming you can last that long!
Even my son, Jacob, loves it. As much as his playing style is un-orthodox (he does a lot of jumping), he still has a mean score in bowling, his personal best being a 221. Funny story: he achieved that score a few weeks ago while playing against a good friend of our's, Chris Kirkey. Chris scored a 130. He got his ass kicked at virtual bowling by a 5 year old. Nice.
Nintendo also has available, at a cost of course, classic Nintendo (500 points each), Super Nintendo (800 points each), and Nintendo 64 (1,000 points each), games that you can download onto the Wii through their built-in web browser (which is Opera, btw). You need to purchase a 'Points Card' to do so (which costs $24.95 for 2,000 points). Gamecube games, as well as their remotes and memory cards, are cross compatible with the Wii.
All that to say, if you were undecided between purchasing one of the 'Big Three' gaming systems, go with the Nintendo Wii. You, your family, and your friends will enjoy it more. Not only because the system is fun to interact with, but also because Nintendo has done an amazing job at designing games built around the capabilities of the Wii, as well as designing them as multi-player games so up to 4 players can participate at once, on most games.
Well worth the $320 CDN.
It looks great. Simple, sleek and compact. Easy to setup, the remotes are wireless and easy to hold, and it has built-in Wi-Fi for Internet access. It has 3 wires to plug into their respective outlets (AC, video and the sensor bar that is placed above or below the TV).
My family and I have played the Wii for countless hours and find ourselves hosting friends every Friday and Saturday night to play the various games that come with it (Wii Sports), as well as the additional game package we purchased, Wii Play. We plan on hosting larger 'Wii Parties' in the near future!
The best part: you're constantly moving. Want a workout? Try boxing for an hour, assuming you can last that long!
Even my son, Jacob, loves it. As much as his playing style is un-orthodox (he does a lot of jumping), he still has a mean score in bowling, his personal best being a 221. Funny story: he achieved that score a few weeks ago while playing against a good friend of our's, Chris Kirkey. Chris scored a 130. He got his ass kicked at virtual bowling by a 5 year old. Nice.
Nintendo also has available, at a cost of course, classic Nintendo (500 points each), Super Nintendo (800 points each), and Nintendo 64 (1,000 points each), games that you can download onto the Wii through their built-in web browser (which is Opera, btw). You need to purchase a 'Points Card' to do so (which costs $24.95 for 2,000 points). Gamecube games, as well as their remotes and memory cards, are cross compatible with the Wii.
All that to say, if you were undecided between purchasing one of the 'Big Three' gaming systems, go with the Nintendo Wii. You, your family, and your friends will enjoy it more. Not only because the system is fun to interact with, but also because Nintendo has done an amazing job at designing games built around the capabilities of the Wii, as well as designing them as multi-player games so up to 4 players can participate at once, on most games.
Well worth the $320 CDN.
I've recently been introduced to a site called Facebook (kudos to Pat Narcisse for doing the intro; Facebook thanks you as well; We go out for drinks regularly now, hold hands, hug...you get the picture).
Anyhow, not only am I on Facebook, but so is Nat (my beautiful wife), and apparently so is everyone else from the High School we graduated with and everyone else I know in the Ottawa area.
I actually ignored the site for the longest time thinking "not another social website to update on a regular/semi-regular basis", but, new friends are being added all the time and the social network keeps growing at a torrid pace! It's definitely a convenient way of keeping up to date with, what we thought, were long lost friends. Now you don't have to wait until the 10 year reunion to play catch up with everyone within a 5 hour time frame, all the while getting drunk and forgetting most of what was said the next morning.
In fact, people who organize a reunion should use Facebook to not only organize said event (that's a given), but use it as a game. Quiz people at the reunion about their respective Facebook profiles to see how much people really pay attention to the details. Hand out prizes to the winners! Even declare a winner for the individual with the largest social network!
All that being said, I find myself checking the site daily now to see who's requested to be my friend (although they were probably already my friend at some point in the past), and enjoying 'seeing', virtually of course, those who I have not seen in a long time. Hopefully I'll get to see them in person again some day soon.
Anyhow, not only am I on Facebook, but so is Nat (my beautiful wife), and apparently so is everyone else from the High School we graduated with and everyone else I know in the Ottawa area.
I actually ignored the site for the longest time thinking "not another social website to update on a regular/semi-regular basis", but, new friends are being added all the time and the social network keeps growing at a torrid pace! It's definitely a convenient way of keeping up to date with, what we thought, were long lost friends. Now you don't have to wait until the 10 year reunion to play catch up with everyone within a 5 hour time frame, all the while getting drunk and forgetting most of what was said the next morning.
In fact, people who organize a reunion should use Facebook to not only organize said event (that's a given), but use it as a game. Quiz people at the reunion about their respective Facebook profiles to see how much people really pay attention to the details. Hand out prizes to the winners! Even declare a winner for the individual with the largest social network!
All that being said, I find myself checking the site daily now to see who's requested to be my friend (although they were probably already my friend at some point in the past), and enjoying 'seeing', virtually of course, those who I have not seen in a long time. Hopefully I'll get to see them in person again some day soon.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Winterlude '07
We decided to go to the Rideau Canal for Winterlude for our kids to enjoy their first skate on the world's largest ice rink. Jacob really enjoyed it! He went for about an hour non-stop.
However, he did fall a few times because the ruts in the ice in some sections were considerably large.
We then stopped for some hot chocolate and Beavertails. A tradition for anyone who has ever come to Ottawa and enjoyed the Winterlude festivities.
This pic was taken when we had just finished eating those delicious pastries.
However, he did fall a few times because the ruts in the ice in some sections were considerably large.
We then stopped for some hot chocolate and Beavertails. A tradition for anyone who has ever come to Ottawa and enjoyed the Winterlude festivities.
This pic was taken when we had just finished eating those delicious pastries.
Timbits Hockey
Jacob has been enjoying his first year of hockey in the Timbits program. Recently, he enjoyed 30 minutes of ice time at Scotiabank Place (where the 'in the playoffs' Ottawa Senators play their Home games).
The ice was split into three areas with two teams playing a game in each area at once for 30 mins. The event started at 7:30 am and ended at 7 pm. Over 140 Timbits teams from around the Ottawa area participated.
Every child was also presented with a medal at the end of the game.
The ice was split into three areas with two teams playing a game in each area at once for 30 mins. The event started at 7:30 am and ended at 7 pm. Over 140 Timbits teams from around the Ottawa area participated.
Every child was also presented with a medal at the end of the game.
Family Photo - Christmas '07
This is a family photo of Nat's Family.
Top Row: Annick Larose, Isabelle Larose, Natasha Larose, Christian Belanger, Pierre Larose, Candace, Sebastien Larose, Alexandre Larose
Bottom Row: Pauline Berlinguette, Gilles Berlinguette, Jacob Belanger, Nathalia Larose, Therese Larose, Therese Poulin, Eve Belanger, Real Larose
Top Row: Annick Larose, Isabelle Larose, Natasha Larose, Christian Belanger, Pierre Larose, Candace, Sebastien Larose, Alexandre Larose
Bottom Row: Pauline Berlinguette, Gilles Berlinguette, Jacob Belanger, Nathalia Larose, Therese Larose, Therese Poulin, Eve Belanger, Real Larose
My first post...
After discovering this blogging service through a friend's site (Steve's blog), I decided it would be a good idea to start my own blog. I have no idea how many people read my existing blog on Live Spaces and have followed the ups and downs of my aquarium (aka: The Deathtrap), however I hope that this blog provides some insight on myself and my family.
I will attempt at keeping this blog up to date, however, with family, work, travelling and school, I can be quite busy.
To increase the visual experience that is this blog, I've also added some pics of my family. Enjoy!
I will attempt at keeping this blog up to date, however, with family, work, travelling and school, I can be quite busy.
To increase the visual experience that is this blog, I've also added some pics of my family. Enjoy!
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