Exhibition game: St. Lawrence Thunder 4, Gloucester Rangers 3 (shootout)

The game was played in Potsdam, NY at a beautiful athletic facility on the campus of SUNY Potsdam (State University of New York - Potsdam).

The hosts scored a couple early goals, before the Rangers began dominating the game. But they were unable to score until mid-way through the second period, when they popped in a couple quick ones.

The score after regulation time was 3-3. A five-minute overtime period failed to settle anything, then St. Lawrence won the shootout.

Rangers staff are considering another trip to Potsdam, to watch a Clarkson University hockey game on Friday, January 26; stay in the dorms at SUNY Potsdam, then play a game Saturday.

Geez, it's slow around here

I say slow, because in my business, when you say it's q---t (opposite of loud or noisy), the proverbial poop hits the fan. Ask me sometime, I'll give you a couple examples.

Sooooooo, how are ya? Whudjaget fer Christmas?

Happy Boxing Day!

...Not Thanksgiving Boxing Day, or Canada Day Boxing Day, or My Birthday Boxing Day, THE REAL DEAL!

I had a nice, albeit quiet Christmas, which was okay, because I have a cold and/or throat infection, and feel like a poop sangweech without the bread. I went to two walk-in clinics on Saturday: one had an estimated wait time of two hours, the other was two-and-a-half. It wasn't that serious, and I didn't feel like waiting that long. So I saw a pharmacist on Sunday, and he just said to use lozenges and Tylenol. I tried to get some Tantalum from him to gargle with, because I've used it before and it's great stuff, but you have to have a prescription for it. So I called my doctor's office this morning (my own doc is on maternity leave, but I was hoping one of her colleagues would see me), but it's not open 'til Thursday. Crap! So i'll just soldier on, and keep gargling with salt water. I only wish I was also immersed in the salt water, off the beach in Varadero or somewhere.

I did okay in the gift department. Basically the same old, same old sweater, DVDs, lottery tickets, books, but nice nonetheless. And the receiving isn't done yet. Purolator is delivering a parcel from my brother tomorrow; and Little Bro Dan's mother is bringing his gift for me, when she returns to Ottawa from Porcupine later in the week.

I'm itching to do my traditional Boxing Day and/or post-Christmas shopping for myself, but with my layoff date less than a month away and no new job yet, I'm trying to resist. Last year, I bought my satellite radio. Two years ago, it was a beautiful oak bookcase; three years ago, my digital camera. It's always something like that, or just clothes, or both.

My wardrobe does need a bit of freshening up, but another reason I should wait is because I'm not sure how I will have to dress for my next job. A-Channel is pretty casual, you can even get away with jeans most days. Where I go next and what I'll be doing could dictate how I should shop. I still have jackets, suits, shirts and ties from my anchor days, but they're pretty tired and verging on out of style. After all, it has been over six years since I was on the air.

Oh well, off to have a turkey sandwich and see if I have the energy to do something today, besides playing Scrabble online and watching my new DVDs.

Post a comment at will, and let me know whether I should treat myself, or do the smart thing and hold on to my money, just in case. Background info here: I have no debt. My car and my Visa are both paid off. The only recurring expenses I have are rent, groceries, phone, the Rogers cellphone/cable/internet bundle and car insurance.

Advise away!

Merry Christmas, fellow Bloglodytes

Just in case I don't get around to it before the big day, thanks for a lot of fun and friendship. May it continue into 2007 and beyond.

Sincerely,
Newsguy Bob/BigBroBob/Bobbycakes
and all the voices in my head.

Dude, it's the middle of freakin' December!

Another idjit in shorts, tonight at about 8:30, at the Harvey's/Swiss Chalet take-out: a kid, about 16 or 17, in soccer shorts with a pair of those pajama pants around his neck like a scarf, and a ring through his lip. It was about five degrees outside, and chillingly damp.

Sheesh.

Eastern Ontario 3, Gloucester 1

Turn about is fair play. Full marks to the Cobras; they played a great game, and their goaltender stood on his head. Our team wasn't putting forth a strong enough effort, or getting any breaks.

It's a good time for a two-week Christmas break to relax and rest up for the big push to and through the playoffs.

Gloucester 3, Eastern Ontario 1

In Hawkesbury today. Goal #3 was on the empty net.
Goalie Chris played awesomely again, and for once, his teammates played a solid game in front of him.
The rematch is tomorrow at the Earl Armstrong, and we know the Cobras are gonna want blood.

SCAM ALERT!

Thanks to my friend and former co-worker Anni for passing this along. I hope it's not too late for my fellow Bloglodytes:

If a man comes to your door and says he is conducting a survey and asks you to show him your bum, do NOT show him your bum. This is a scam - he only wants to see your bum.

I wish I'd gotten this yesterday. I feel so stupid and cheap.

The Hottest Gifts for Christmas 2006

Exhaustive scientific research, also known as listening to the commercials on BOB-FM while driving in to work this afternoon, has reached these conclusions on the hottest gifts for Christmas, 2006:

-Jewelled frames! Gotta be the hottest... I heard about them in two consecutive commercials, for Winners and Home Outfitters.
-Brazilian wax. Not sure what it is, something you get at a spa, I think. Is it used to make Brazilian crayons that you use in a colouring book while getting a massage?

Feel free to add your own picks for hottest gifts.

Cumberland 1, Gloucester 1

Our first tie of the season. It should be noted that three apparent goals were disallowed by the referee.

Dude in Shorts spotting

Just a few minutes ago, walking through the Rideau Centre from my bus stop, on the way to work.
I mean sure, it's mild for the middle of December, but IT'S THE MIDDLE OF DECEMBER.
Dude, your nuts must be so far up inside your gut...

Who the hell is Todd Langdon?

For the past several weeks now, I've been getting automated phone calls that start out "This is not a solicitation. It is an important call from (some credit agency or other) for Todd Langdon."
I've been hanging up because a) I don't talk to machines and b) I am not Todd Langdon. I even checked my ID to make sure.
But in the past week, while I've been temporarily marooned on the evening shift at work, the calls have been more frequent, and all at 8:10 a.m. So this morning, I listened to Annie Automation long enough to know that if I pressed "0", an attendant would be with me shortly.
So after close to ten minutes of listening to a really cheesy remake of Cat Stevens' "Wild World" that's apparently on a tape loop, interrupted occasionally by a ring tone that goes nowhere, a very bitchy sounding woman finally came on the line. I told her that I am not Todd Langdon, and would appreciate it if her machine would stop calling me. "And you have no idea who Claude is...?" she asked, then told me that I would be removed from the list within 24 hours. When I politely told her that even less than 24 hours would be appreciated, she abruptly said "Thank you, Sir," and hung up. Earth to Bitchy Lady: If you don't like dealing with deadbeats like Todd Langdon and can't be pleasant to other people, change careers. Become a drivers' licence examiner. Otherwise, piss off!
So hopefully, Todd Langdon is out of my life. Now if I could only get rid of Suzanne Robinson, who keeps getting calls at my number from the Mental Health Outpatient Department at one of the local hospitals. I've tried calling there to get the calls to stop (although they only happen a couple times a year), but I think the staff have patients pass the time in the waiting room by answering their phones for them.

Have a good day and a great week. Oh, and one more thing: except to bring something back because I already found out it's the wrong model (boombox for Little Bro's satellite radio), and to go to a bank to get British currency for my niece who's going to England between Christmas and New Year's, I AM FINISHED MY CHRISTMAS SHOPPING! Woo-hoo!

I struck out with the teaching job

"...unfortunately, I don't have good news... strong pool of candidates... yada yada yada."

Crap! Talk about a rude awakening at 10:20 am for a guy working night shift.

But I do hope you have a nice day. Now if you'll pardon me, I'm going to wallow in my self-pity for a while. Feel free to chime in with some "now now, there there" and other ego-stroking words of condolence.

Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa: I need a double-double cyber hug!

Inside my head

Here's what's firing across my brain synapses tonight:

-This is big: I work with a young gay man who doesn't know who David Schwimmer/Ross Geller is/are! -- Says he never watched "Friends". I told him it would be between him and me, because I wouldn't want his citizenship in the Queer Nation to be revoked.

-Okay, so I'm at work, waiting for my supper to heat up in the microwave oven. It should be an atrocity punishable by death, when someone uses a workplace microwave and doesn't let it air out after heating up their stinky slop! I almost lost my appetite. Microwave #1 stunk; Microwave #2 was worse. Why do some people spice their food with bodily fluids?

-Three hours to go until I can go home and so far, so good -- no nutbar phone calls, and the moon is still full! If you don't believe that the full moon brings out the weirdos and/or leads them to their phones, spend a full moon phase working in a radio or TV newsroom. I could tell you stories...

Ohmigawd! My blog's been spammed!

Please see the comments under the posting below "Rangers 2, Titans 0" and join me in letting my new stalker/spammer know what we think of him/her/it/the crud on the bottom of your shoes.

Rangers 6, Raiders 2

A much better effort today. Next game: Saturday against the Valley.

The hockey-related rant I promised last week

As mentioned in earlier posts, my Minor Bantam team was in a tournament last weekend in Syracuse.
On Saturday night, we played against a team from Connecticut that has an abusive, power-hungry maniac for a coach.
From beginning to end of the game, he hollered, and most of it was abusive. Twice, I heard him threaten to kill a kid. Another time towards the end of the game, a kid who said he was hurt wanted to come off the ice, but Coach Idiot said "I don't give a f**k if you're hurt, get out there!"
Now, I'm a very even-tempered guy who caused my own team to crack up a few weeks ago, when they heard me drop the f-bomb for the first time, but it took everything in my power not to climb the divider between our benches and choke the s.o.b. Our coach even noticed how upset I was.
The Connecticut team won the game and secured a later game time for Sunday morning, but there was no joy or jubilation from that bench. One the ice, it's a good team, but motivated only by intimidation and abuse. Those kids do not have fun playing hockey.
After the game, I met the referee in the hallway and asked him if something could be done about the idiot. He said he heard the coach tell the hurt kid to stay on the ice, and would consider noting it on the game sheet.
In Canada, there's no way he would get away with any of that crap. The rules and policies intended to prevent sexual abuse of players include all forms of abuse.
I was part of a discussion with our parents in the lobby after the game. Coach Idiot was so loud, everyone in the rink heard him. Our parents were unanimous: they would not let someone like him coach their kids. You might as well keep them home and abuse them yourself, if that's the way you want them to be treated.
A mother from the Connecticut team overheard our conversation, and actually defended the idiot, calling him a great man! I had to leave, before I heaped some verbal abuse on her.

Sting 2, Rangers 0

It's only our fourth loss in 19 games, so no cause for alarm. It just wasn't our game.

Goalie Chris played an outstanding game. It easily could have been 3-0 in the first four minutes of the game, and he continued to play well. The second goal was on the empty net, as we tried to tie the game 1-1.

The streak starts again tomorrow against Nepean.

On another note, of special interest to CQ:
On my way to the game this morning, I stopped at Tim's on Hawthorne Rd. in Ottawa to pick up coffee for the coaching staff. In line was a deliveryman wearing shorts! It was -3C, kind of breezy, with snow and ice everywhere from yesterday's storm. WHAT IS IT WITH THESE PEOPLE? WHY DO THEY ALL GO TO TIM'S? Personally, I think that's beyond weird -- it's nuckin' futs.

Rangers 2, Titans 0

Awesome effort against our arch-nemesis on Thursday night.
Next stop: Barrett East to blunt the Sting, Saturday morning at 10:30.