BLOG OFF FOR BREAST CANCER V2.0 -- VICTORY

Being the sports nut that I am, my thoughts immediately went to sports when I received this weeks word in my inbox. Well either that or Stewie from Family Guy who is known for saying "Victory is Mine!" But I realized there was no way I would be able to write a whole post about him so I decided to stick with sports.I have always loved sports (watching, not playing). I remember as a kid when my dad would take me and my brother to Pee Wee and Jr hockey games at the rink near our house. Perhaps that is where it all started. While I love baseball and NFL football, hockey is and always will be my number one favorite sport to watch. I truly am a Canadian at heart and I grew up watching the fast paced and physical game that is hockey and it will always be far and above my favorite. So naturally, being from Edmonton, the word victory holds all sorts of meaning for me as I think about my favorite hockey team and a team that is known for being one of the greatest sports dynasty's of all time. I of course, am talking about the Edmonton Oilers.

To be labeled a dynasty there of course has to be victory to get you to the places that make you just that. The beginning of what would become one of the most storied franchise in all of sports began way back in the 70's when the Oilers were part of the World Hockey Association and then joining NHL in 1979. Perhaps the most important of all was the acquisition of a young phenom by the name of Wayne Gretzky who was signed by Oilers owner Peter Pocklington to a 20 year service contract. You may have heard of Wayne considering he went on to become the greatest player that has ever laced up a pair of skates and played the game.The Oilers built a team of young and talented players around Wayne Gretzky and went on to win 5 Stanley Cups in a span of 7 years. 83-84, 84-85, 86-87,87-88 and 89-90. Most of those cup victories came when I was too young to truly enjoy what was happening. I remember the cup win in 1990. I was 12, but still at an age where even though I loved the Oilers I was still a little too young to really get caught up in all of it. However, the 05-06 season was a little different.
The Oilers didn't have the greatest regular season but with a few trades towards the end of the season to solidify their goal tending and defense they managed to get into the playoffs as the 8th and final seed in their conference. No one gave them a chance in the first round as they would be facing the Detroit Red Wings who finished the regular season with the best record in the league. The Oil went into the series as underdogs but pulled off an amazing upset and beat the mighty Red wings in 6 games They were victorious in round one but still had a long road ahead of them.Next up was the San Jose Sharks. Again no one gave the Oil a fighting chance. Things did look a little questionable when the Sharks took a quick 2-0 lead in the series. But the Oilers fought back and won the next 4 games to win the series in 6 games. Again they were victorious but once again the critics said they didn't have what it took to beat their next opponents in the Anaheim Ducks. Once again the Oilers proved the entire hockey world wrong and defeated the Ducks in 5 games to win the Clarence Campbell Trophy as the Western Conference Champions and were on their way to the Stanley Cup finals. Game 1 of the finals saw the Oilers hit with adversity as their starting goaltender Dwayne Roloson was injured with the game tied 4-4. Backup goalie Ty Conklin came in and immediately fumbled with the puck behind his net and turned it over and allowed the Hurricanes to score the game winning goal. Game 2 saw the Oilers other backup goaltender Jussi Markkanen be named the starter for the rest of the series. Jussi was amazing all the way through to the final buzzer of game 7. The Oilers came up short that season. They lost the clinching game by a score of 3-1 and the Carolina Hurricanes won their first ever Stanley Cup Championship.

While the Oilers didn't win, they achieved victory on many different levels throughout the playoffs that year. As a fan I enjoyed every second of the ride they took us on. With each victory the excitement grew and the excitement that once took over the city of Edmonton in the Oilers glory years had returned. While the Oilers have yet to win another championship it is a victory in itself for them so be able to say they have won 5 Stanley Cups. Lord Stanley's cup is the most cherished trophy in all of sports and there are NHL teams out there who haven't even won it once. So while I wait for my Oilers to return to glory and bring the Stanley Cup back to Edmonton I am still proud to be a fan of a franchise with such a deep tradition and rich history. I am proud to wear the jersey of a team who has so many times defined the word victory.

This was a post for the blog off for breast cancer. If you would like to make a donation to this great cause, please click on the banner below and leave Courtney a few bucks towards her walk for the cure. You can also find the links for all the participants in my side bar if you would like to check out some of the other posts on the word victory.

Doggie Sitting

This past weekend Chris and I took care of a couple of dogs while their owner was out of town. They didn't actually stay with us, we just went to their house at different times to walk them and play with them. Dozer is a boxer and Kodi is mix of something. I am pretty sure Dozer thinks that he is a cat. He does things that I have never seen a dog do. Such as chase a laser pointer. He even tries to bite at the laser when you have it pointed on the wall. Fun times. Every time we came inside from walking he would immediately stand there and look for the laser. Funny boy. They were really good dogs and Chris and I both had a fun time playing with them.

What will it take???

Sadly in this case I think it will take tragedy. I was browsing CNN's website this morning and came across the headline that Lindsey Lohan had once again been arrested for drunk driving. According to the article she has been "charged with two counts of driving under the influence, possession of cocaine, bringing a controlled substance into a jail facility, and driving on a suspended license." I could give a crap about her as an actress or a singer. But as a person this is sad. She is 21 years old and I would bet money that if she continues down this path she will be dead by 25. I know she comes from a messed up family, I am sure that doesn't help matters. But seriously SHE JUST GOT OUT of rehab for the second time. Where is the family? Her friends? The people she works for? Someone needs to get this girl under control or she will just end up another statistic. Sad!!

Ratatouille

Chris and I went to see Ratatouille with our friend Tyrone last night. What a great movie. I have always been a sucker for the animated movies, especially over the last few years. Once again Pixar delivered. The writing was perfect. Patton Oswolt (Spence from King of Queens) was the perfect person for the voice of Remy the main character. Enough humor and dialogue for us adults to enjoy and yet kept on a level that is appropriate for kids of all ages. The theatre that we went to offered it in DLP--DLP shows are projected digitally rather than using conventional film. DLP™ technology is a revolutionary display solution that uses an optical semiconductor to manipulate light digitally. The result is maximum fidelity: a picture with impressive clarity, brilliance and color and a lack of scratches, fading and flutter--It was amazing. The picture quality was unbelievable and it was amazing how everything looked so real. It made the experience of the movie that much better. We really enjoyed it and I highly recommend you head out to a theatre near you and check it out.

Off to the movies

Be back later with a review!!

Arnold Arboretum

The arboretum near our house is a great area full of trails and stuff. We have been meaning to take Belle there for her walks but have never really gotten around to it. We seem to always end up walking in our neighborhood. Earlier this week we decided to finally take her there. One thing that has probably made us a little hesitant in taking her places like that is the fact she does not generally do well in first meetings with other dogs. And we knew a place like this would always be full of dogs. But she has been getting better and we have a new training collar for her that has been working really well and allows us to have a lot more control over her when we are walking. Chris and I were both amazed at how well she did. The first dog we encountered was a rambunctious 6 month old puppy. We allowed the puppy to get right up in her face and surprisingly she did not react bad to him at all. We encountered a good handful of dogs in the hour or so we were there and she was perfectly fine each time. This was a real blessing for us to see as we have had so many issues with her in the past in regards to other dogs and her wanting to fight one that gets anywhere near her if she doesn't know it. She was a very good girl and yes she got herself lots of love and treats afterwards. We also took the camera and went a little picture crazy. You can see all of them by clicking HERE and heading on over to our picture blog.

BLOG OFF FOR BREAST CANCER V2.0 -- BREASTS

That's right, BREASTS! Our word for this week in the blog off is breasts. My thoughts initially turned to the show Scrubs and how Elliot has a hard time using the proper medical terms for certain body parts. For example she substitutes vagina with the word "bajingo" and in one episode she makes it clear that cervical mucus would now be referred to as "icky sticky." I decided however that as humorous as it may be to write about that, I thought it more important that I write about the second thing that came to my mind when I thought about the word breasts--Chicken Breasts, of course!!
Does it seem odd that chicken breasts is what came to my mind when I found out the word for this week was breasts? Perhaps. But the reality is, as much as I could sit here and talk about boobs and how they come in all shapes and sizes I just really didn't see the point when I could be letting you all in on the secret that I am crazy and I have a fear of raw chicken.

When chicken is cooked I LOVE it. So much in fact, that most of the time I will choose chicken over beef almost every time. Unless of course it is a big juicy steak, then it's a toss up. But most of the time I want the chicken. Chicken breasts are my favorite. BBQ me up a nice big chicken breast with a little teryaki sauce and we will be best friends forever. You heard me, BFF you and me, 4-ever!! In all seriousness though, as much as I love a cooked juicy chicken breast, there is a whole dark side to it that chills me to the very bone.
That time of day when it is time to get supper ready and I have to pull the freshly thawed chicken breasts from the fridge, put them on the cutting board and go to work preparing them. The very thought alone sends shivers down my spine. The look, the feel, the very idea makes me want to vomit. Usually if I am cutting up the chicken breasts for something like stir fry I will try and convince Chris to do the cutting so I don't have to spend all that time touching the slimy breasts. When he isn't around to do it I have no choice but to suck it up and do what needs to be done, but it is hard work and it takes a lot of mental toughness and gnashing of teeth on my part.

Then there is the clean up. I am obsessive. The garbage bag that holds the discarded parts of the raw breasts needs to be taken out to the garbage cans and not to be left in the house. Every inch of counter needs to be washed and disinfected. Every dish, knife or anything else that the chicken may have touched needs to be scrubbed clean. And then there is the hand washing and the turning the taps on without touching them with any parts of the hand that may or may not have raw chicken goo on them.

After all that is said and done and the chicken is all cooked and ready to be devoured I still obsess about whether it is cooked enough and check 18 times over to make sure it is not pink. One time at Red Robin when I ordered a chicken burger I asked for it very well done. The waitress looked at me strangely and said "uh yeah, it is always cooked well done, it's chicken!" DUH! My mistake, I felt silly and laughed at myself. Clearly I had a brain fart and asked for my burger well done like I would ordering beef. Or maybe it was my crazy coming out subconsciously. Either way it made for a good laugh for all who were present.

OCD much? Perhaps a little. And now that I have gone public with my private fear of chicken I am certain that some of you will never let me live it down. And I am okay with that, I can take it. Just always know that when I have the chance I will return it, don't ever doubt that.

This was a post for the blog off for breast cancer. If you would like to make a donation to this great cause, please click on the banner below and leave Courtney a few bucks towards her walk for the cure. You can also find the links for all the participants in my side bar if you would like to check out some of the other posts on the word breasts.

Jodi says I rock......so I must...Right?!

My good friend Jodi over at Organized Chaos was gracious enough to include me in her list of 5 bloggers and now I will give my list of 5 bloggers who I think rock. I would include Jodi in this list but since she is the one who nominated me she is not eligible. However, she does get honorary mention for the simple fact that she really does rock. Alright, now down to business.

1. Heather from Especially Heather
I was introduced to Heather's blog a few months ago through Jodi. I have mentioned Heather in my blog before, but those of you who don't know she is a young mother and wife who is currently battling brain cancer. Her blog is raw and honest as she goes through this hard time. Her faith and love for God is something that inspires me every time I read her blog. Amidst all she is going through she holds onto her faith and to the God that loves her and trusts He will take care of her. I have never met Heather but I am so thankful for her and how she has challenged me in my own faith just from the words she writes. I pray every day for her healing and recovery and I encourage you to check out her blog and leave her some words of encouragement.

2. Evette from Spaghetti Junction
Evette is an old old old old friend of mine. We met many years ago through church and camp. We became best friends very quickly. However we both went our different paths in life and we lost touch for many years. We hadn't see each other for 12 and not spoken in 11. But back in January another friend reconnected us and I am so so happy. I missed my friend. Evette and her fiance even came out here to see us in May. She is fairly new to the blogging world. Currently she is taking part in the blog off with me. Her and Smiley love to travel and being in England allows them to go to many many different places. Her most recent post is about their trip this past weekend to Latvia. Check it out.

3. Jamie Dawn from Jamie Dawn's Mindless Blather
Jamie Dawn is a wife and mother of 2 great kids. She lives in some hick town in these great United States and I absolutely love her blog. She never fails to make me laugh and I love that. In the foulest of moods I always know that by going to her blog there is a good chance I will end up laughing or at least with a smile on my face. So go on, check her out.

4. Carly from With A Twist And A Turn She Gets Her Wish
As I have mentioned on here before, Carly and I met at a wedding last year in Seattle. In the time since then we have become great friends and I am very glad for that. Her blog is a little bit of everything. Carly like me is a sports nut and I love that about her. Even if she does hate hockey and has questionable taste in football players;) She is a cool cat and you should really go visit her and see what she is up to on her blog today.

5. Vegas Princess from Life, VEGAS! Style
She has her faults...I mean she IS a Red Sox fan and that alone is enough to not be her friend;)But she is awesome and I have decided to look past that and pretend it is not true. You never know what you will get day to day on her blog. That is why I love it so much. One day it will be about her fave tv show and the next about her gynecologist appointment. She is real and that's why I love her and her blog.

I realize VP and Carly were already tagged for this at some point. But they had to be mentioned. For the rest of you who haven't done this meme and I have tagged you leave me a comment when and if you get around to doing this so I can check out the awesome bloggers you love. Even if I haven't tagged you I challenge you to do this as well. It is a fun way to get to know new blogs.

I realize what a sucky blogger I have been the last few months. I really have no good excuse other than I have been busy. Even then I am sure that I could have squeezed in 10 minutes here and there for all of you who continue to come here amidst my suckiness.

We have been kinda going non stop the last few weeks. At least that is how it feels. Busy busy busy, although we have found some time for fun. A few weeks ago we spent a wonderful Sunday evening with our friends Kristen and Jeremy. They live in the north end and have no car so Chris and I went into the city to meet them. We had drinks at a cute little place called The Sail Loft followed by a great dinner (ribs and prime rib) at Joe's American Bar and Grill on the waterfront. We walked back to their place after supper and spent the rest of the evening having drinks and sitting on the rooftop of their apartment building. We talked the night away, literally. Chris and I didn't get home till 3 am. It was a great night and we look forward to our next night out with them. That is if they would stop going on vacation;)
Last week I went to see the movie Evening with my girlfriend Georgette. We had originally planned to see a different movie but I noticed this was playing at the little community theatre not far from our house. I had never been there before and I wanted to check it out. I also really wanted to see the movie and new Chris would never go to it with me. Super chick flick. I really enjoyed this movie and am glad I convinced Georgette to go to it. The theatre was super cute too.

We can't forget about Belle, she has been up to some stuff as well. Last week we arrived home from Costco with a much needed new doggie bed for her and she totally loves it. It looks like a little couch and is so cute. This past weekend she had a doggie friend over for the weekend. Canela, one of the dogs I walk spent the weekend at our place while her owners were in New York City for a wedding. I am sure both dogs loved having another dog around to go for walks with and to play with. We loved having Canela over for the weekend, she is such a good dog and a very sweet girl

BLOG OFF FOR BREAST CANCER V2.0 -- HOPE

"If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all. And so today I still have a dream"

-- Martin Luther King, Jr

This post is not meant to be a political debate about whether the war in Iraq is just, or whether George W. Bush has any clue what he is doing. It is simply my opinion and my thoughts on these events in the world right now as I ponder the word Hope and it's meaning to me as I sit here today writing this.When Chris and I went to New York City for the first time a couple of years ago one of the first things we did was go to Ground Zero in Manhattan. As I stood there looking at this huge empty space where magnificent buildings once stood I felt sadness. My eyes filled with tears as I thought of all the lives and innocence that was lost that day. But in the midst of that sadness I saw the cross that stood there, the cross that had been found and pulled from the rubble in the aftermath of that tragic day. A cross that became a symbol of hope and renewal. We took pictures of that cross so that we could remember the hope that was there in the midst of all the destruction and despair that was brought to this country and the world on that day almost 7 years ago.

“In all things it is better to hope than to despair”

While I don't necessarily support the war in Iraq for the simple reason I have always believed that there has to be a better way in this world than going to war with each other. I do believe that in the end it will serve a greater purpose. While some people spend so much time protesting to impeach Bush and to bring the troops home, I see a country like Iraq that is in desperate need for help from the outside. For decades Saddam Hussein ran his country in such a way that resulted in the suffering of his people. If there is one positive that this war brings it is the HOPE for the people of Iraq and other countries that are over run by extremists killing their own and leaders who will kill and torture their own people just to better their own position. People criticize Bush for all the troops who have been killed, yet those same people fail to realize that those military men and women have chosen to serve their countries, they have chosen to make the ultimate sacrifice if they had to for the future of the rest of us. They chose to give up the freedoms of a normal life so those of us here can have a chance to live without fear, and so the people in countries like Iraq can have a future where they aren't scared to leave their homes everyday. Chris's younger cousin Alex recently joined The United States Marine Corps. He chose that direction for his life. I don't know where Alex will end up from here on out, but I do know that if he is ever deployed to serve his country that he will do it with honor and do it in such a way to bring HOPE to the people of Iraq and other countries around the world.

"Hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark"

What I hope for is the smiles on the faces of the Iraqi children to be something that will be seen everyday, and that they will be able to do so with the innocence and happiness they truly deserve in this life. I hope that the men and women serving overseas will be brought home safely to their families when it is their time to come home. I have hope that one day our world will be at peace and we won't have to be afraid anymore. Hope is a powerful thing and I pray we all find the hope in our own lives when we need it the most.

"While there's life, there's hope"

This was a post for the blog off for breast cancer. If you would like to make a donation to this great cause, please click on the banner below and leave Courtney a few bucks.

Stuff

So on July 4th we went up to Salem to check out their local stuff they had going on and the fireworks. When it got close to time for the fireworks Chris, Belle and myself wandered out towards the water. We didn't know exactly where the fireworks would be set off from, as it turned out it was not far from where we were standing. Needless to say we had front row seats....literally. When they started they scared the crap out of Belle. I think more so just because she didn't expect it. After that though she sat through the whole thing like a good doggie, there were even times when she was staring up at them. It was pretty funny. There was this older man sitting not too far behind us in a lawn chair. At one point he got up from his chair and walked away from us a little. I saw him lighting something and assumed he was having a cigarette. THINK AGAIN!! I got a whiff right away and looked at Chris and just started to laugh. There is no mistaking the smell of marijuana. Funny, this old guy just lit up and puffed away. Did he really think no one could smell POT? Weird, maybe it was for medicinal purposes, ha! Yeah right.

Yesterday Chris and I decided to haul ALL our laundry to the laundromat. Comforter, dog blankets, EVERYTHING! I think we figured that since it was such a nice day out that not a lot of people would be there. Boy, were we wrong. I think everyone else had the same idea we did. Oh well, we got it all done and I won't have to do another big wash like that for at least another month.

Last night we watched the movie Beerfest. It was pretty funny for the most part but not something I would have ever paid to watch in theatres. We like beer so I guess it was a given we would like the movie at least a little. ha!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!!

BLOG OFF FOR BREAST CANCER V2.0 --SURVIVOR

I am sure we could all come up with our own definitions of the word survivor. Definitions that go beyond what the dictionary says, definitions that we have all formed in our own minds and hearts for various reasons. When I sat here thinking about what the word survivor meant to me on a personal level, over and over again two things kept coming to my mind--cancer and Lance Armstrong. Maybe because cancer means something to me personally. Maybe it is because the whole point of this blog off is to raise money for breast cancer. Or maybe it is because recently I have come across a new friend in the blogging world who is currently fighting her own battle with brain cancer.

Dictionary.com defines the word survivor as this...

1. a person or thing that survives.
2. Law. the one of two or more designated persons, as joint tenants or others having a joint interest, who outlives the other or others.
3. a person who continues to function or prosper in spite of opposition, hardship, or setbacks.

This got me to thinking about the word on some deeper levels. Take my mum for example. She lost her battle with cancer at 49 years old, so does that mean she wasn't a survivor in any way? Cancer took her life but it never took away her desire to beat it. In my definition she WAS a survivor for the simple reason that she so badly wanted to be one. She fought everyday with all she had to overcome it. She never gave up, but her body did. She would have stayed and fought but her body had nothing left to give. She had the heart and the mind of a survivor. Cancer couldn't take that from her. It couldn't take her spirit and it will never take away who she was and all the things so many people learned from her. Those things in my mind make her a survivor. I didn't know Courtney's mom but I would guess that by the same definition she was also a survivor. Is the sole reason Lance Armstrong is considered a survivor because he fought cancer and beat it? Would he be any less of a survivor if he had fought the way he did but still lost the battle? What made him a survivor to me was how he fought the disease. In his heart and mind he was a survivor and he believed that with all he had. He pushed his body to limits most of us could never dream of. To me--that makes him a survivor. If someone competes in the Olympics and falls short of the gold even though they gave it all they had does that make them a loser? They might not have the gold, but I would think in their hearts and the hearts of those around them who loved them and cheered them on they are still a winner because they gave it their all.

Another person that comes to my mind as I write this post is Heather from Especially Heather. Heather is a young mother and wife who is currently battling brain cancer. In my opinion, no matter what happens here on out for Heather and her family she IS a survivor. Her determination to beat her cancer so she can watch her kids grow up and grow old with her husband makes her a survivor to me. Her mindset and her faith in God makes her a survivor. Who are we to take that title away from her or anyone in her position?

Whatever your definition of survivor is I hope that when your face hardships in your own life you find a way to make an example of it and be a survivor. I hope that you will always overcome and that you never let yourself be any less than someone who fought to come out on top no matter what the circumstances.

This was a post for the blog off for breast cancer. If you would like to make a donation to this great cause, please click on the banner below and leave Courtney a few bucks.

Here we go again....BLOG OFF V2.0

Today kicks off the second version of the blog off. This one is being done a little different. 21 bloggers, 4 weeks long. Each week we all post about the same word and then submit our rankings. And the end of the 4 weeks the person with the most points receives the grand prize. Fun times. Here are the list of the bloggers this time around....

Amy from Pancake Batter

Carly from With A Turn & A Twist She Gets Her Wish

Cyndi from Write2B

Diane from Write On Track

EC from Whatever Blows My Skirt

Erin from Blaaahhhg

Evette from Spaghetti Junction

Evey from The Adventures Of Chris & Evey

H from Just Another Week

Jason from Washington Interns Gone Bad

Eternity from A World In A Grain Of Sand

Kelly from The World Of Munson

Lynn from Motivation Motion

Megs from Waangel

Mommy The Maid from Mommy The Maid

Nathan from PhilosYphia

Patti from Perfect Patti

Shari from Open Up

Tara from When Tara Met Blog

Toni from Yellow & Orange

Vegas Princess from Life, Vegas! Style

GOOD LUCK to my fellow bloggers!!

If you get a chance please take the time to stop by some of these blogs and wish them luck and check out the posts over the next few weeks. And as always even if your not part of the blog off and you want to donate some money please contact Courtney HERE or click on the banner below. Instead of Starbucks this morning how about 5 bucks for breast cancer?!

Last weekend Chris and I went to play some mini golf. We have done this MANY times since we have known each other but I have never beat him. I was determined to do so on this day. I was off to a great start, but then things fell apart on 3 straight holes. Terrible. Oh well. I lost by 10 strokes, but my highlight of the day was that I actually hit a hole in one. YIPPEE! However, Chris couldn't let me outdo him so he went ahead and hit his ball in on one stroke to. A hole in one for both of us on the same hole. How about that!? He stole my thunder, but I love him anyways. Here are some pics....

Evey's new homeIs it just me or does this hole have boobs?
My hole in one putt
My date for my next golf outing