Guest Blog

This is a guest blog from my Daughter-in-Law Karen, who blogs at torontogirlwest.com

One year ago today . . . Canada burst into mass elation!

After a nail biting game, the Canadian Men's Hockey team had won the gold medal! It was the magical ending we had all wanted for the Vancouver Olympics. 

But the truth is, the reality far exceeded our expectations - Canada went into the Vancouver 2010 games as the only host nation to have never won a gold medal, and we finished the games as the country with the most gold medals at any Winter Olympics. Ever.

In one word? Magical!

 

And I had a front seat on the festivities that followed Sydney Crosby's winning goal. You see, not only had we (me and the Husband, that is) been fortunate enough to attend one of the men's hockey semi-finals but we were also into town for the gold medal game.

Once the final whistle was called, we got into our car and rushed to downtown Vancouver. As we drove, we passed children on the highway overpasses waving Canadian flags, hastily attached to hockey sticks. For a moment it was as though we forgot that unlike our neighbours to the South we are more reserved in our nationalism. We like to keep it to ourselves.

But this was different! The whole country cast aside all inhibitions and celebrated with joyful abandon.

I will never forget the smiling faces, the honking horns, the strangers hugging each other, and the pure bliss of it all!

In 2010, we hosted the world, we won the coveted gold, there was a party in the street, and I was there.

Question: Where were you one year ago? Did you celebrate the victory? What's your story of that gold medal day?

Click on the pictures for a bigger image

Do you want to be a guest blogger on From the Sidelines.  Well email me and lets set it up
  

Brain teaser contest

Ok something new here on this blog.  A Brain teaser contest.  The first person to leave a comment on the blog with the right answer and their name will be the winner.  The prize.  a $10. Starbucks card.     Ok are you ready

What is greater than God
More evil than the Devil
Poor people have it
Rich people need it
And if you eat it, you die?


Ok whats the answer??????
 

5 seconds of #1 hits

These two audio files are the first 5 seconds of every #1 song from 1956-1992.  They are long files but fun to listen to.   There are two parts ,  have a listen.  The guy obviously had lots of spare time to do this.


Enjoy




Five Seconds Of Every #1 Pop Single Part 1 by mjs538



Five Seconds Of Every #1 Pop Single Part 2 by mjs538

PocketMod

This is an interesting site I ran across.  Its called the PocketMod the free recyclable personal organizer.  Here is the site to check it out.  Try it , its kinda cool.  A bit hard at first but you get the hang of folding it after a bit.  PocketMod  .

Nests???

 Out for a sunday walk this afternoon we came across this tree.  I have seen nests in trees before but this one seems to be the best one yet.  Look at all the nests.  I'm assuming they are nests.  I'm no expert but they sure look like nests to me.


Have you ever seen a tree like this before with so many nests?


If you have an idea about it let me know I'm curious.


Ok till next time

Ironic sign

Well the Vancouver Canucks have been hit with the injury bug lately on the defense corp.  They have 4 key defenseman  injured now and a couple of them just back from injury.  That means they have had to rely heavily on the farm team to send up young guys to fill in.  They have done a great job filling in.

So when I watched the game tonight and then a defenseman seemed to get banged up a bit and the camera showed him on the bench, I got a good laugh.  Take a look at the sign behind the player.   Take me to the hospital.   LOL.

Now was that an ironic sign or what.

ok till next time

UP

This was sent to me from a friend, I thought you might enjoy.

The meaning of Up

Lovers of the English language will enjoy this...  It is an example of why people learning English have so much trouble.  Learning the nuances of English makes it a difficult language.  

This two-letter word in English has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that word is

'UP.'  

It is listed in the dictionary as an [adv], [prep], [adj], [n] or [v].

It's easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP?

At a meeting, why does a topic come UP? Why do we speak UP, and why are the officers UP for election.Why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report? We call UP our friends, brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver, warm  UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen. We lock UP the house and fix UP the old car. At other times this little word has real special meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses...

To be dressed is one thing, but to be dressed UP is special!

And this UP is confusing:  A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP.  We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night. We seem to be pretty mixed UP about the word UP !

To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP, look UP the word UP in the dictionary.. 

In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4 of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions

If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used. It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more.

When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding  UP. When the sun comes out we say it is clearing UP. When it rains, the earth soaks it UP. When it does not rain for awhile, things dry UP. One could go on & on, but I'll wrap this UP for now because my time is UP!

Oh... one more thing:  What is the first thing you do in the morning & the last thing you do at night?

U   P !

Don't mess UP. Send this on to everyone you look UP in your address book...  It's UP to you!  

Now I think I'll shut UP. Whew!!!

Play on

 Play on.........  Hockey Night in Canada's PlayOn 4 on 4 2010 National Championships are being held down in the inner harbour today and tomorrow. 

Yes that's right the famous Victoria inner harbour.  The two main blocks are closed to traffic to allow these teams to play their games.

Playing hockey in front of the Empress Hotel or the Legislative buildings  how cool is that.


The 44 men's teams play in tournaments all year to be able to qualify for these championships.  The two teams in the first picture were the finalist last year. One from Vancouver and the other from Calgary.


The rules are quite normal except the penalties are all penalty shots.  They play 3-15 min. periods. And if tied a shootout.


There is even a small women's division.  The picture of the pink shirts is a woman's team.  


There is teams from all across Canada in both divisions with some local and some as far back as Labrador.


Where was this when I was a kid.  We were too busy playing the next school over and having to carry our heavy nets to the other school.  And I do mean heavy there were made of whatever wood we could find.  Usually 2x4s and 2x6s .   That made for a heavy net.


So if you have time tomorrow check it out, its worth seeing.

I sure miss work

I sure miss work.   Nope !

 Did you think I really missed it.  Today what great weather here in Victoria.  My wife and I went for a nice walk in Sidney.  Spent a hour or so going in and out of a few stores and then had coffee at a nice coffee shop called the Red Brick Cafe.  Then we walked down by the water and then found a nice bench to have our lunch at.  The sun was blazing away , with nice calm seas, and a bunch of wildlife performing for us.   We had a Heron drop by and give us a little show.  Then we had a seal that was catching some kind of small fish and the seagulls trying to get the fish off the seal.  

What a nice day.   No I don't miss work

 

shaving

Came across this video on youtube.  I cant imagine ever being brave enough to try something like this.  I mean what if the blades start to go wrong.  This guy is either really brave or hasn't really thought of what could go wrong.   Enjoy

Email Horseshoes

This month I started a new kind of horseshoe league.  It is called
Tom's email horseshoes.  The concept is that anyone that wants to play horseshoes can wherever or whenever they want.  

Heres how it works.  You play once a week where ever you want, and it can be by yourself or with someone else.  You throw 50 shoes and count all your points.  ringers= 3pts shoes 6in from the pin= 1pt.   you just email me the total points after the 50 shoes.

The first week had 14 people join in.  A good first start.  most from BC but had a couple in Ontario and one from PEI.

Hope to get more people involved as the weeks and months go on.

If you want to see the first results  then check out the web page at

Tom's Email Horseshoes

Ok till then  happy pitching

Odd Shot Feb.07

Well here is my odd shot for the return of the odd shot series. This is an old model cannon that is famous in Victoria's Ross bay.  It is infront of a mexican style house right at the end of Ross Bay.  It is missing the actual cannon which I believe was also made of wood.


If you want to see more odd shot pictures go to
Katney's Kaboodle  .

Suddenly things change

Just updating from my phone but one minute I was working in the yard and the next minute I am lying on the couch with a sore back.

I did a good one lifting a cement block so now its rest for a few days to give the back a rest.

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Top search

Well this is kind of a new thing for my blog.  Someone mentioned it a week or so ago but I checked again today and there it is still.  What am I talking about.  Well if you remember I did a blog about the Fountain diner and well if you do a google search about fountain diner my blog is the number one choice that comes up.  Neat hey.

 

I Think they mean it

Below is a sign I spotted while out on a walk.   I really do believe they are serious about no one parking there.

Ok seen any weird signs.  send them to me I could post them