What a big surp-RICE

Christmas will soon be known as the spirit of getting instead of giving. And probably more like the spirit of not-getting-what-I-wanted.
Hmmm...something has been lost in all the marketing hooey.

It should be...
Getting together with family.

Getting trains and thankful for feeling like you just received the world.







Getting chased by family, having fun and loud screaming. It doesn't matter that you can say only 'dis' and 'da'.






Getting BACOOOOOOONNNN and lots to eat especially KFC coupons for the Baconator.






Getting more coupons and 30% off. And learning to save your money for something important that you'll use your whole life. No it's not an xbox or uggs.
It's an education.




Getting a big surp-rice! It's always good to have rice around, you never know when you'll run out. You can make it in a pot. It's easy...cuz I make it!





I think we all had a good time spending time with family and friends for the holidays. Kieran had lots of people to play with.

I would say we're all really fortunate to have as much as we have.






Christmas is the spirit of family and friends (no coupons necessary).

I'm thankful we got ourselves another babysitter.

Click me for more photos

Christmas came early for these guys

It was the hockey series of the year. Best of 7 games.

There was lots of taunting going on.
On one side the defending champs didn't want to lose the cup. On the other side the losers for the the past 3 years are itching to recall what it was like to be winners again, and not wieners again.


No one wanted to come out a loser.

And this year there was a new game console in town. We have moved on from the N64 system and onto the XBOX 360. Hooked up to the High Definition plasma screen. We had officially started gaming in the 21st century.

It was GAME ON!
No offsides.
No penalties.
No losers allowed!

It was a close match for the first game. Everyone was just trying to figure out how it worked.

Then there was lots of hitting and the scoring was tight. It was a lot of rebounds and garbage goals. The goalies were tough to beat. We lost two close ones in the dying minutes of the 3rd period.
We needed to play 60 minutes of basic XBOX NHL2K7 hockey.

Then the flood gates came on the heels of one timers.
It was the new NHL 2k7. We dominated game 3 but we were now down 3 games to 1. But we were confident on our side of the couch.
We knew what we had to do if we were to defend the cup.

We needed a break for more chili, ice cream and beer.
Derrick needed to use the washroom. AGAIN! And again. And again. And again.

But Elvis had left the building.
We were blown out in game 5 and could not get all four lines firing.
I think all the washroom breaks threw our rhythm. And we just couldn't get things going. Plus we were frustrated by the korean goon holding the puck in his own zone killing time.
They were a fragile team, they needed this win.


Santa came early for these guys.
He finally brought them victory. After consecutive years of defeat at the thumbs of the Filipino nationals dynasty.
Santa should have brought Derrick a new shirt too. I think I saw that blue polo in highschool.

2007 XBOX NHL 2K7 Champions
Dick & Hong

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays,
everyone.

The great black and blue spot

Tresa went slip sliding away last week. There was a thin blanket of snow over top some black ice and snow mounds that melted and turned to ice.

She ended up doing a 'Home Alone' move and went air borne and ended up smacking the mound of ice into the region just below the small of her back.

Now she's got a black and blue spot like the famous Red Spot in the Jupiter photo, but this spot was on the moon.
The x-rays were negative but it didn't help to take away the pain. But it was good news nonetheless.

My Wish List 2007

Santa's coming and this is my wish list.

The Iceman Cometh

Well not really, but lots of snow came down today. It started yesterday, but man it hasn't stopped.
I was out in my Arctic expedition gear shoveling a few feet of snow.








Ola and I were out shoveling for what seemed like forever. And when we were done there was another couple of inches of snow on the ground.




Even Kieran came out to help me. And he lost one of his mitts somewhere on the front lawn. I tried looking for it but couldn't find it anywhere. I guess it'll turn up sometime in the spring.

And then I heard thunder. Or it was a really loud jet plane flying directly overhead.

I took my car off the street in case the snow plows decided to come by and bury it in.



Although it's probably -10 deg C outside and Global Warming is probably the last thing on everyone's minds...or maybe the first thing.
I think it might be time for someone to make a decision for the industrial nations to get with the program and the Kyoto accord and do something about this global warming effect.

Ryan must be making lots of mucho dinero shoveling snow today.
Hey it's another Snow Day! No School!



I thought Kieran would be tired from being out in the snow....but he didn't crash until around 3:30pm ET.

Apparently we haven't had this much snow in 60 years.
Good. I won't need to buy a snowblower for a while then.

Bah Humbug

What has happened to the Christmas spirit?
I hear commercials on the radio that depicts people telling their mothers to go to some store because they have what they want for Christmas.

Christmas every year seems to be about sales events and 30% off.







It's about super shoppers and Canadian dollar parity and the all elusive bargain.
It's about Uggs and mugs and Coaches and roaches.
What are we doing?



It's been about cross border shopping and getting a deal instead of getting what you need. Actually I needed this ice scraper when we were in Michigan and the ComfortInn we stayed at gave it to us for free. WOO HOO! Bargoon!




What are teaching these guys?
Is it about who gets the nicest toy?
Or who gets the most for free or the most percentage off?





What about Christmas?
Is it about excess commercialism and marketing?








What about the guy in the red suit. What about the baby in the manger?





Or is it about enjoying the company of family even though they may be laughing at your expense and teasing you.
And you do it because you love them and it's the Christmas spirit.

Bah humbug. When are we going to Buffalo again?