Dallas Stars

19 days ago I posted a blog about the Dallas Stars and how they could surprise you in this year's NHL playoffs. Tonight they won in overtime, taking a HUGE 3-0 series lead over the San Jose Sharks. Tomorrow night they have the chance to punch their ticket to the Western Conference Semi-Finals. At the onset of the playoffs, the Stars were reeling. They had lost 10 of their last 14 games and didn't look very good. But I said watch out for these guys... They have the right mix of goaltending, scoring, defense and grit to make a run deep into May. No one seemed to share my sentiment.

Now I wasn't ready to annoint them as champs either. In my hockey pool I picked the Rangers to win the cup (they are down 3-0 to the Penguins), but I predicted Dallas would make it through the first round and possibly the second, depending on who they played. Now let's hope they can close out the Sharks tomorrow and move on to face (most likely) Detroit.

The Worst Song Ever!

Have you ever heard a song and said to yourself: "That is the worst song I have ever heard!" Maybe it included bagpipes, or it was opera. Well a group of scientists took a poll, and they used the results to create the worlds worst song. Complete with bagpipes, a rapping opera singer (amazing in itself), children crying and a pile of other ear-piercing sounds it is an uncomfortable listen. The funniest part is they actually tried to put it all together in a way that might sound good. The failed. (Or succeeded depending on how you look at it.)

Take a listen:
http://blog.wired.com/music/files/KomarMelamid_The-Most-UnwantedSong.mp3

She's Back!

I got my car back today! It feels so good to get behind the wheel of my baby again!

I Miss My Baby

About a week and a half ago I parted ways with my baby... my Mazda3. You see I got hit in a parking lot about a month ago, and my car was in need of repairs. So last Monday I dropped it off, picked up my rental car (a Nissan Altima), and was told it would be about 10 business days before I got my baby back. Well Friday will be the promised 10 business days and I'm hoping to get my car back. I miss driving standard. I miss how my baby sticks to the road through the s-turns. I miss the bond I shared with my car. Friday we shall be reunited... I hope.

What I Want To Do This Summer

I was out skimboarding again this morning, and I had an idea. This summer I want to get a stand-up paddleboard, and work my way up to what seems like an attainable goal... Paddle from Centennial Beach in Barrie, out to the end of Kempenfelt Bay. It's a 9 mile (or 14.5km) trip. That doesn't seem like a huge distance to me. Plus the water on the bay is relatively calm, so it shouldn't be too tough. Now I just need to find a stand-up board and paddle, (plus a place to store a 12ft board) and I'm set. Know where I can get one?

Lego

Remember playing with Lego? I know my brother was an avid Lego collector and had his closet filled with everything from Lego castles, to spaceships, to airports. He was the man when it came to Lego. He'd take his sets apart and build something totally new (without instructions!). However, he never took his Lego skills to the next level. With a little more encouragement to follow his Lego dreams, he may have been included in this article. Check it out!

http://www.otbeach.com/news/resorts-and-fun-activities--11/33-of-the-most-intricate-%26-realistic-lego-creations--481.html?id=EvPjInxI

Pre-Emptive Summer

I was checkin' the weather forecast today, and it would appear we're going to get a sample of summer tomorrow. Sunny and 20 degrees sounds so good to me after the winter we had. So what am I doing to take advantage of this beautiful weather? I'm getting up early to go skimboarding of course! I'm going to pack my wetsuit, boots and dog into my car and head out to the beach for some early morning shredding before coming in to work for the day. WHOOP WHOOP! I'll give you a report, along with some pics tomorrow night.

New Music

We heard the new disc from Hello Kelly tonight, their first on 7-Spin Records. Overall, I was super impressed! They haven't lost their signature Hello Kelly sound, but they have improved the quality of their tunes for sure! They sound like a big time band! Joining the likes of Hawk Nelson, Starfield and TFK. Well done fellas! We've got send congrats out to Rylin, Keely, Andrew, Skyler, Jeremy, Braden, Sam, B-Rock, Vincent and Jessie, they all picked up a copy of the new material from our friends from Orangeville.

We Are The Champions!

This past weekend I had the pleasure/honor/privilege of respresenting Estonia in the Baltic Cup Hockey Tournament. I had played one game in the qualifying round, and now I was back for the final. The quality of play isn't that much higher than what I play normally, but the effort put forth by the opposition is crazy! They don't give up, and keep coming after you. Well Team Eesti stepped up and put on a display in the final. (Seriously we looked like the Dallas Stars out there at times, no stoppin' us!) In the end the Blue, Black and White of Estonia prevailed over the Latvians by a 3-2 score. Once again the Baltic Cup belongs to the most northern of the Baltic states. We couldn't have done it without the Esto supporters in the stands, waving their flags and cheering loudly for Eesti. We share this championship with all of our fans!

Here We Go!

And so it begins... 2 months of little sleep, and nervous nights. The Dallas Stars officially begin their pursuit of Lord Stanley's cup... the Holy Grail of hockey. Sure people laugh when I say watch out for my Stars, but I will say it once more here, on the opening night of their run. I'm not ready to say they could win it all, but I think they could make a run. They added Brad Richards at the trade deadline to an already talented team. Brad Richards who just a few years ago put on a clinic in the playoffs, helped the Tampa Bay Lightning win hockey's greatest prize. Did I mention he was the playoff MVP? Yeah, watch out for my Stars this spring... they could surprise you!

Make You Smile

I had a crappy night tonight, but his video (sent to me by Michelle) made me smile.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thejacksons/2346371386/

Sweet Science Fair Project

Picking a science fair project was always a chore for me. Nothing cool was ever do-able, and it seemed like it was the same thing every year, just done by different people. In fact, I was never really into the science fair scene... I'd rather be sweating it out with the jocks than pulling all-nighters with the studious crew. However, if I was asked to be a part of a project like the one in this vid, that might have changed.

Snax The Skimboarder

With the sun and warmer weather, my itch to skimboard is growing stronger. I figure I can pick up my board from my parents house this weekend and be out on the water early next week. And one thing I want to accomplish this year is to have Snax skimboard. "Are you crazy?" you may say, but I don't think I am. Rob Dyrdek got Meaty to skateboard, and watch what pro surfer Dane Reynolds has been able to do with his bulldog. I think it's possible!

Why I Can't Wait...

... for our new house! We get it in the fall of 2009, but I can't wait that long. Why? Here are a couple good reasons:

1 - We can just let Snax out to relieve herself

Right now we have to get dressed and wait for the elevator and take her out back. Once we have a house she can just head out the back door.

2 - Snax will be fit

Right now she is stuck inside our condo, with no real room to run around. Once we have a house we'll have a backyard and a lot more room inside for her to roam.

3 - BBQ's

After church on Sunday we can have friends over and have a BBQ in our backyard. Right now we aren't allowed BBQ's (for good reason) and we don't have room for more than 5 people. Once we get our house we can have a regular Sunday afternoon meal with our friends!

4 - Entertaining

Similar to reason #3, once in a house, we can host get-togethers. Whether it's New Years Eve, Easter, Christmas Dinner with the Fam, etc. we'll be able to entertain. I love having people over, and it will happen a lot more once we have the new digs.

5 - Home Renos

I like projects. I'll be able to build a deck, finish the basement, eventually ugrade the kitchen and bathroom. You know, do typical man stuff.

6 - Storage

I hope it won't turn into a landfill situation where we keep everything that comes into the house, but some more storage space would be nice. I continually find things we got as wedding gifts that I had no clue we owned because we've got stuff stored all over the condo. Plus then we won't have to store stuff at my parents house in the 'Saug.

7 - My Car

Your car? Yes. My car. I'll be able to wash it in the driveway, vacccum out the inside and keep it lookin' hot once we have a garage/driveway.

Don't get me wrong. There are a lot of things I will miss about the condo (Pool? Proximity to downtown? Chasing ducks with the dog?) but the prospect of a house is so exciting! I can get my Tiki Hut in the backyard!

Hawk Nelson Is My Friend

Hawk Nelson's new disc dropped today, and we fed it to ya track by track all night long. Overall, another solid effort from our local boys, not unlike their previous 2 efforts. One thing I did like was the fact they acknowledged their past. On the song "Not The Same" they remember growing up in the Peterpatch. Walking down George St, shows at the Gordon Best, hockey at Northcrest, remember Portage Place... all reminders of their humble beginnings in Peterborough. It's nice to see.