Tuesday, April 24, 2007
the sun is out
I'm looking forward to being on the water tonight... hopefully it'll be warm and nice
pool update
ok, my first kick at the can and i must admit that either i got lucky or i am getting better. I think it's luck, anyways sportsnet.ca round one is over and i am tied for 735 (out of 50000) which is pretty respectable. 69 points (hahaha) top guy had 81 points and i beat all the analysts.
i didn't win the plasma tv though.
i didn't win the plasma tv though.
my head hurts
i've had some really weird dreams in the last few weeks. The ones that stick out the most are as follows
- i'm trying to apply for a universtiy course but i can't find the room. this is a change from the usual being in high school taking a final i didn't study for cos i wasn't in class all yr or trying to explain why at 30 i am still in high shcool
- my skin had these boils on them and other parts of my skin becomes scale-like and then finally into something u find on a roast pig from a chinese butcher shop
- i was trapped in a flood
- i was in twilight and something was following me
what am i afraid of?
who knows... i worry about stuff all the time. That is the reason i keep my life simple so i have less to worry about.
run k run
am i a natural runner? i run naturally when i suspect danger will occur.
my fight vs flight systems is so out of shape that should a real emergency occur, i probably would not be able to out run it. But with the sun run... i ran 10 k on pure adreanline. Ed and I were suppose to meet up but he left me behind... so when i arrived, i snuck into the back wave of the decent runners and managed to finish at a respectable 57mins. I blame not breaking 56mins on the fact that i jogged with John from the 2 k - 3 k leg but i thnk that helped me from over pushing myself so i can't really blame him. i only have my self to blame for not training harder. I still beat last yr's time by 12 mins.
I rather like running in groups. I love to talk and harass and comment as i jog along. I have so many inner demons to fight when i am running by myself. Yes i know running is all about breaking personal walls and limits but running with friends is fun!
i haven't told Sue about me running the vancouver 1/2 yet but running wiht Teresa will be fun. I had lots of fun running with Heidi during last yr's scotia half (minimal traning there too).
I tried to get Sue into running but like the amazing race... she doesn't enjoy it. we're gonna try rollerblading this summer though.
as for Paul... 49 mins... very impressive for a guy at 49... and Ed... 50 mins. what atheletes.
so next yr, should i try to break 53 mins (my all time best)? well, the sun run isn't really a run as it is an event. just too many people and too much zigzagging. a smaller event may b a better guage. but hey... as my lazy ass has shown over the yrs.... i probably will won't train unless something really motivates me.
my fight vs flight systems is so out of shape that should a real emergency occur, i probably would not be able to out run it. But with the sun run... i ran 10 k on pure adreanline. Ed and I were suppose to meet up but he left me behind... so when i arrived, i snuck into the back wave of the decent runners and managed to finish at a respectable 57mins. I blame not breaking 56mins on the fact that i jogged with John from the 2 k - 3 k leg but i thnk that helped me from over pushing myself so i can't really blame him. i only have my self to blame for not training harder. I still beat last yr's time by 12 mins.
I rather like running in groups. I love to talk and harass and comment as i jog along. I have so many inner demons to fight when i am running by myself. Yes i know running is all about breaking personal walls and limits but running with friends is fun!
i haven't told Sue about me running the vancouver 1/2 yet but running wiht Teresa will be fun. I had lots of fun running with Heidi during last yr's scotia half (minimal traning there too).
I tried to get Sue into running but like the amazing race... she doesn't enjoy it. we're gonna try rollerblading this summer though.
as for Paul... 49 mins... very impressive for a guy at 49... and Ed... 50 mins. what atheletes.
so next yr, should i try to break 53 mins (my all time best)? well, the sun run isn't really a run as it is an event. just too many people and too much zigzagging. a smaller event may b a better guage. but hey... as my lazy ass has shown over the yrs.... i probably will won't train unless something really motivates me.
hungry?
Peter D had a b-day recently and Sofia organized a surpise party for him. I love seeing my UBC buddies whenever i get a chance. It's great to see how they've all grown and yet still possess those great qualites i admire since i met them in 95. there's something wonderful about seeing the next generation of my friends in baby form. And then there's the food... hmmmmmmm.... yummy food that comes from someone who made it with love and happiness.
which brings me to the topic of magic kitchen,. A sammi movie all about love and the passion for cooking. when u cook for someone u love and cook it joyously... u can taste it. yes, my culinary skills are woefully inept and i am slowly getting better under's Sue's tutorledge. One day, I may be able too cook her a meal that would melt her taste buds (and not permanently damage them).
Going to cooking for survival to cooking for love... i suppose once i have my own kitchen... i can practice practice practice!
which brings me to the topic of magic kitchen,. A sammi movie all about love and the passion for cooking. when u cook for someone u love and cook it joyously... u can taste it. yes, my culinary skills are woefully inept and i am slowly getting better under's Sue's tutorledge. One day, I may be able too cook her a meal that would melt her taste buds (and not permanently damage them).
Going to cooking for survival to cooking for love... i suppose once i have my own kitchen... i can practice practice practice!
the beard stays
whoo hoo!!!!!!!!! the canucks are in round two... against the ducks. Sue was ready to see the beard go but much to my unbelieving eyes... the team came back furiously and took control. I haven't screamed so loudly and wildly in a long time. Even Sue got into it. After all the guilt trips i gave Ed, he called me so that we could share the last min of the game. Dario called too but only after he decided to leave the house to do errands and missed both goals each time. Although that is pure coincidence and statisically improbable... sometimes you can't help but think!
I tried texting Paul but his phone was down and Len ended up going to a birthing class and miss the end as well.
I expect a more physical series against the ducks and yes, i bet $100 USD in vegas for the canucks to go all the way but the ducks r tough. It will be exciting.. defence vs offence... mentor vs student. will sedin mean swedish for punch me in the head and luongo mean italian for run the goalie? we'll find out on wed!
I tried texting Paul but his phone was down and Len ended up going to a birthing class and miss the end as well.
I expect a more physical series against the ducks and yes, i bet $100 USD in vegas for the canucks to go all the way but the ducks r tough. It will be exciting.. defence vs offence... mentor vs student. will sedin mean swedish for punch me in the head and luongo mean italian for run the goalie? we'll find out on wed!
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
hockey pools are like monkeys writing on typewriters
My grand experiment in seeing if i can outsmart all other hockey fans continues.
My first pool was at supervalue in 97. The staff there got together and I made some decent picks but it really is random. Some players will get hurt and screw u over and some players will go on a streak and excel beyond all expectations.
Well, this yr I joined in the NHL.com fantasy pool. In this pool; one can trade players like stocks! and combined with a valuation system that gets recailbrated once a day decreased the randomness variable that plagues all pools. Once u enter the pool, one gets 25 trades... but one can get more trades up to a max of 300 trades. That is the key to winning the pool. The rules seem simple; pick 3 centres, 4 wingers, 3 defencemen and 2 goalies. points are generated from various stats specific to the position and valuation for trade is based on game by game performance and frequency of trade of the players. Inessence... the stock market. I realized early on that i wanted to see how i would fare by only using the minimum of 25 trades but i noticed that many people were making 12 trades on a daily basis. The strategy was that one would follow the scores and then trade for the players that performed the best. Since the recailbration of value for the players were done the next day; shrewd poolies would b able to pick up players before they would be worth more. This allowed astute poolies to gain value in their budget over the course of 300 trades and once they get to a certain dollar value, they could buy the hot player of the day and gain even more points. All poolies who follwed this strategy ended up with double the points on avg compared to those that did not trade much. Is it cheating? no, they are using the rules and limitiations of the sytem to maximize their potential gains.
y didn't i do this? again, i wanted to see how well i could do based on 25 trades. In the end I finished 173/700 which is pretty respectible. I participated in another version where i ended up as 46/200 and 113/200. My conclusion is that if i am to join this pool again... I would write in my registration instead of paying $20 USD online. 2 stamps is way better than $20USD. If only i can remember to register early! I guess being in a pool allowed me to get to know more players and to have intrest in other games as well.
I did join another pool with my brother and finsihed near the bottom as injuries piled up. I stopped following that pool 1/3 into the season as there was no way i could catch up. I was stuck with so many injured players.
the playoff pool i joined at sportsnet.ca is divided in to segments. These pools last one round so i get a fresh start every round. I will highly consider this one next yr as it is free online and i can compare myself to professional hockey analysts. currently i am tied at 5059 out of 50 000 poolies. But as they all say.... there's stilla lot of hockey to be played!
My first pool was at supervalue in 97. The staff there got together and I made some decent picks but it really is random. Some players will get hurt and screw u over and some players will go on a streak and excel beyond all expectations.
Well, this yr I joined in the NHL.com fantasy pool. In this pool; one can trade players like stocks! and combined with a valuation system that gets recailbrated once a day decreased the randomness variable that plagues all pools. Once u enter the pool, one gets 25 trades... but one can get more trades up to a max of 300 trades. That is the key to winning the pool. The rules seem simple; pick 3 centres, 4 wingers, 3 defencemen and 2 goalies. points are generated from various stats specific to the position and valuation for trade is based on game by game performance and frequency of trade of the players. Inessence... the stock market. I realized early on that i wanted to see how i would fare by only using the minimum of 25 trades but i noticed that many people were making 12 trades on a daily basis. The strategy was that one would follow the scores and then trade for the players that performed the best. Since the recailbration of value for the players were done the next day; shrewd poolies would b able to pick up players before they would be worth more. This allowed astute poolies to gain value in their budget over the course of 300 trades and once they get to a certain dollar value, they could buy the hot player of the day and gain even more points. All poolies who follwed this strategy ended up with double the points on avg compared to those that did not trade much. Is it cheating? no, they are using the rules and limitiations of the sytem to maximize their potential gains.
y didn't i do this? again, i wanted to see how well i could do based on 25 trades. In the end I finished 173/700 which is pretty respectible. I participated in another version where i ended up as 46/200 and 113/200. My conclusion is that if i am to join this pool again... I would write in my registration instead of paying $20 USD online. 2 stamps is way better than $20USD. If only i can remember to register early! I guess being in a pool allowed me to get to know more players and to have intrest in other games as well.
I did join another pool with my brother and finsihed near the bottom as injuries piled up. I stopped following that pool 1/3 into the season as there was no way i could catch up. I was stuck with so many injured players.
the playoff pool i joined at sportsnet.ca is divided in to segments. These pools last one round so i get a fresh start every round. I will highly consider this one next yr as it is free online and i can compare myself to professional hockey analysts. currently i am tied at 5059 out of 50 000 poolies. But as they all say.... there's stilla lot of hockey to be played!
Monday, April 16, 2007
A private little war
It was friday night and I rushed off to ST Paul's Hospital to help make sandwiches for out company charity program. I mistimed the crossing of the bridge as it was game night. imagine 200 000 people rushing home to watch game 2. The result? I was in my car for a good 90mins. By the time I got to SPH, the crew had gone. So I went home to watch the Canucks.
Sue hadn't gone to volleyball yet but we had a nice chat about how the week went and how the anixety of the last few week had affected us. We still have much to plan on the new townhouse but she wanted to express to me how she wanted us to grow closer and the she was as willing as I was to improve our relationship. I was really happy to hear that she felt the same way I did.
I had always known that it would take a little time for us to really break down our walls and to remove the baggage in our lives. We've both had some challenging personal hurdles and it will take some more time and effort form both of us to help us move past them.
She gives me much strength and hope and I believe I provide the same for her. I know we're going to do great things together. It won't be a smooth journey but I am glad to have her beside me.
She needed to leave to play a v-ball so I settled in to watch the game.
I struggled between hope and accepting thereality that Dallas was going to win. the canucks had no jump, and were being outplayed. The canucks were not able to capitalize on power plays as they took themselves right off with offsetting penalties. I became increasing frustrated by the Dallas system as they were able to shut the canucks down.
so I found myself wandering off to the giants game. I was texting Paul but that wouldn't cheer me up. Seeing the Wayan Bros as white chicks only mildly cheered me up. Oggling Jessica Alba in her unispired "honey" role did little to soothe the pain of watching turco stop every shot for his first shut out. the Vancouver giants were more entertaining as they routed the seattle Thunderhawks to clinch the second round. I'm sucha a bandwagon fan. so i struggled to finish watching the beating as any dire fan would.... but i tell ya... i was ready to give up and call the series.
Sue came home and we continued our chat. We both felt much better about where we were headed and I'm very proud of her as she's grown so much. She has also kept me grounded about the important things in life.
Sue hadn't gone to volleyball yet but we had a nice chat about how the week went and how the anixety of the last few week had affected us. We still have much to plan on the new townhouse but she wanted to express to me how she wanted us to grow closer and the she was as willing as I was to improve our relationship. I was really happy to hear that she felt the same way I did.
I had always known that it would take a little time for us to really break down our walls and to remove the baggage in our lives. We've both had some challenging personal hurdles and it will take some more time and effort form both of us to help us move past them.
She gives me much strength and hope and I believe I provide the same for her. I know we're going to do great things together. It won't be a smooth journey but I am glad to have her beside me.
She needed to leave to play a v-ball so I settled in to watch the game.
I struggled between hope and accepting thereality that Dallas was going to win. the canucks had no jump, and were being outplayed. The canucks were not able to capitalize on power plays as they took themselves right off with offsetting penalties. I became increasing frustrated by the Dallas system as they were able to shut the canucks down.
so I found myself wandering off to the giants game. I was texting Paul but that wouldn't cheer me up. Seeing the Wayan Bros as white chicks only mildly cheered me up. Oggling Jessica Alba in her unispired "honey" role did little to soothe the pain of watching turco stop every shot for his first shut out. the Vancouver giants were more entertaining as they routed the seattle Thunderhawks to clinch the second round. I'm sucha a bandwagon fan. so i struggled to finish watching the beating as any dire fan would.... but i tell ya... i was ready to give up and call the series.
Sue came home and we continued our chat. We both felt much better about where we were headed and I'm very proud of her as she's grown so much. She has also kept me grounded about the important things in life.
Friday, April 13, 2007
My playoff beard
My fascination with the vancouver canucks started in 1982. I remember it so clearly as if it was yesterday. The canucks were playing chicago black hawks and stan smyl was in the penalty box. Chicago had intense pressure on the PK team but some how the puck squirted out pas the blue line as smyl got out of the box. He outskated the chicago defensemen and had a break away that led to a goal.
from that moment on, i fell in love with the game, and the team. Such speed and skill on ice; all over a tiny little piece of rubber!
well... i wasn't able to grow a playoff beard in '82 and i wasn't in town for the '94 run; but since '95 I have tried to grow a beard as an homage to the players that struggle through 4 rounds of pain and perserverance to win Lord Stanley's Cup.
Mind u, none of my gfs like my attempts at growing a beard... it turned all of them into canuck haters. But Sue should be ready, i had trial run a few weeks ago and she tolerated it for a week.
I'm hoping for a long run as i've never let the beard last longer than 2 weeks.
Let the fun beign! Game two starts tonight!
from that moment on, i fell in love with the game, and the team. Such speed and skill on ice; all over a tiny little piece of rubber!
well... i wasn't able to grow a playoff beard in '82 and i wasn't in town for the '94 run; but since '95 I have tried to grow a beard as an homage to the players that struggle through 4 rounds of pain and perserverance to win Lord Stanley's Cup.
Mind u, none of my gfs like my attempts at growing a beard... it turned all of them into canuck haters. But Sue should be ready, i had trial run a few weeks ago and she tolerated it for a week.
I'm hoping for a long run as i've never let the beard last longer than 2 weeks.
Let the fun beign! Game two starts tonight!
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