Huzzah!

And thus we are ready to go - almost. All we have to do is pack the van and close our eyes and we'll be there! All that U-Haul business is behind us. No hard feelings.

...still waiting

We're still waiting! Apparently, all of the U-Haul trucks within 30 hours of Saskatoon (that's how long we've been waiting for one) appear to be in use or damaged. Hutty gave a plausible explanation: maybe they scrap each truck after one use and build from scratch - that's a delay I can understand. Or maybe someone in town here has deliberately held up all the U-Hauls in the city so as to keep us from leaving - thanks for the sentiment; we'll miss you, too, but Bonnie and I are experiencing major ulcer-related pains. Just in case, if anyone reading this is by chance from Saskatoon and currently in possession of a U-Haul truck, please return ASAP so we can get the heck outta here! I never thought I'd be so anxious to leave Saskatoon! Well, the fight continues...

Still Waiting

We're still waiting for the U-Haul people to get us a truck. We're ready and willing, but someone at U-Haul doesn't seem to think we need a truck that badly. Well, we do. I'm not going to say "don't rent from U-Haul", but if you read between the lines, that's pretty much it.

What a Brouhaulhaul

We were supposed to leave tomorrow morning, but a snafu with U-Haul laft us truckless until (hopefully) tomorrow. Then we can hit the road by tomorrow afternoon, thus keeping to our pre-ordained schedule. We wouldn't have to deviate from our plan if only U-Haul could make good with its promise. It reminds me of the Seinfeld rant: "You have no trouble taking the reservation, but it is the holding of the reservation that is the important part" If all goes well, we will be in Winnipeg tomorrow night. Wish us luck!

Bonnie Hughes, B.A., M.A.

Moments ago, Bonnie successfully defended her Master's thesis. Huzzah! Now we only have a 99 things to worry about!

Preparations in full swing

Our preparations to leave are in full swing. The house is slowly getting packed up; tomorrow will be the big moving day, and then Wednesday morning we are off! We will stop in Winnipeg on Wednesday and stay with my mom and see my sister, and then it's Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie and Ottawa - we will move into our new place on Sunday. What a week! Fortunately, 10 years of student life has left me with little or no material possessions, which is good for packing. The U-Haul will be more than enough to transport our limited possessions. Luckily, we are able to take all our books. And cds. Can't forget music! It will be a stressful couple of days, but all will work out, I'm sure!

Check the SP

Dave Hutton has co-authored, with Jeremy Warren, two fabulous articles in Saturday's StarPhoenix. The first is about Dwayne Harms, a pastor who blogged about his illness until he passed away on August 16th. The final posts are by his wife, who reported his death and the funeral arrangements on the blog. There are only 56 posts, but "well over 500 comments". The second article is about Kate McMillan, a blogger from Delisle whose conservative stance garners "roughly 600 emails a day". In addition to McMillan's blog, smalldeadanimals.com, Hutton and Warren examine blogging as a whole, bringing up some key points such as "citizen journalism" and the growing reliance on blogs by the mainstream media (which, I learned, can be shortened to "MSM"; I also learned the word "blogosphere" - an apt if not trendy way of describing the weblog phenomenon). Check out the articles and the websites, and, as always, Hutty.ca

Ultimate Party Mix

I made six fantastic party mix cds for the party last night and using the best songs from those six, here's the ultimate party disc:

All the Young Dudes - Mott the Hoople
Holla Back Girl - Gwen Stefani
Walk this Way - Aerosmith
Somebody Told Me - The Killers
Island in the Sun - Weezer
Let's Go Crazy - Prince
Slow Ride - Foghat
I Predict a Riot - Kaiser Chiefs
Rock the Casbah - The Clash
D'yer Maker - Led Zeppelin
Alright - Supergrass
We Are All on Drugs - Weezer
Hey Ya - Outkast
New Sensation - INXS
Could You Be Loved - Bob Marley
Courage - The Tragically Hip
Roam - B-52s
Rock and Roll All Nite - Kiss
Back in Black - AC/DC
Werewolves of London - Warren Zevon

You may notice the difference between this list and the one posted a few days ago, but it is all about time and place and these songs rocked the house!

Going Away Party

Last night Bonnie and I had people over for a farewell bbq. It was great to see everyone and we are glad that we got the chance to say goodbye to all our friends. The weather, though I've been critical of late, came through: at about 4 pm the clouds broke and the sun came out just in time. It cooled off a bit later in the evening, but today is a spectacular day, 25 and clear. Beach weather, you say? I'm still recovering from that burn a week ago, but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right? That sounds like something I said last night in reference to the Scotch we drank (see picture).

One Week

It is one week 'til we are on the road! We are getting nervous, of course, but no mad panic - yet. Packing is a slow process and we are still convinced that "we don't have that much stuff." In other news, friends of ours, Deanna and Lee (Happy 22nd btw), are heading to Calgary tomorrow to start new jobs. Good luck you two! Hopefully you'll find better weather! Don't forget to visit the zoo. Can't say enough about the zoo.

Party Mix

Here's a list of songs that are great at parties. Feel free to disagree, but I dare you to listen to any of these songs and not throw your arms in the air like you just don't care!

1999 - Prince
Walk This Way - Aerosmith
Let's Get Retarded - Black Eyed Peas
I Predict a Riot - Kaiser Chiefs
Courage - The Tragically Hip
Alright - Supergrass
Molly's Chambers - Kings of Leon
Feel Like Makin' Love - Bad Company
The Roof is on Fire - Bloodhound Gang
Rock the Casbah - The Clash
Holla Back Girl - Gwen Stefani
So What'cha Want - Beastie Boys
Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand
Jump - Van Halen
Hey Ya - Outkast
Fox on the Run - Sweet
Livin' Lovin' Maid - Led Zeppelin

Manitoba Bronze

Sharon pointed out to me today that I hadn't mentioned her bronze medal at the Canada Games. The Manitoba 4x400 metre relay team won bronze! I am sorry that I did not post it earlier - it does not reflect the achievement, nor my excitement, I assure you. It is an impressive feat to win a medal at Canada Games and these four women ran extremely well in doing so. Huzzah!

Weekend of Sun

On Sunday, the weather was finally nice enough to hit the beach. Unfortunately, my skin was caught off guard and I am now red as a beet. My back feels like tissue paper when I sit down. Nevertheless the beach was fun - not a cloud in the sky. We also remarked that despite the vast empty areas of beach, we managed to be right beside an obnoxious drunk guy and some jerk frisbee throwers, and the a**hole jetskier was not too far, either. The unattractive nude bathers, however, had the courtesy of locating themselves at the other end of the beach. Huzzah for summer! Only 30 days left!

List withdrawal

We haven't had a list in a while, so here's my top five favourite books. I just read a great one (#3), and thus I am excited to update my list (again, in no particular order):

1. The World According to Garp - John Irving
2. Barney's Version - Mordecai Richler
3. Oryx and Crake - Margaret Atwood
4. The Diviners - Margaret Laurence
5. A Complicated Kindness - Miriam Toews

It is overloaded with Canadian authors, you may have noticed, but can I help it that we breed such great writers?

Folkfest in full swing

This weekend is Folkfest weekend. Me, Bonnie, and Bonnie's sister went to the events last night, taking in the Jewish, Ukranian and Hungarian pavilions. Our main destination was the Karpaty Ukranian pavilion, as our mouths watered for pyryhy. If you plan to go, be prepared for a long wait, as the verenyky was scooped up as soon as it arrived; the line for food was substantial. Still, the food was great once we got it and the music is disturbingly catchy. Overall, a winner. The festing continues tonight and tomorrow night. The German pavilion is always a winner, and there are other pavilions that will prove interesting. However, there are two anomalies that are without reason in my mind. First, there is no Scottish pavilion this year. If you remember last year, the place was lined up all three nights! Do the organizers fear popularity? That might explain the second anomaly. In lieu of the Scottish pavilion, there is the Canadian pavilion. What can possibly be at the Canadian pavilion? I live in a Canadian pavilion! I go to FF to experience something different, not more of the same. Disappointed, to be sure. But we will have fun tonight!

Cold week in Regina

I got back from Regina on Wednesday after watching the first two days of the Canada Games track and field meet. My sister ran really well, coming fourth in the 400 and 9th in the 200. She runs the 4x100 and 4x400 today. The Manitoba 4x400 team ran the fastest time in the heats; if they can repeat that performance, they will bring home the gold! Canada Games is an exciting event for the athletes, and usually so for the spectators. However, the recent rash of "Novemberitis" in Saskatchewan left the fans shivering in their seats. I know that the city of Regina cannot be blamed for the weather, but somebody has to be responsible. Bad form, Regina! Bad form!

Canada Games Extravaganza

Today I am heading down to Regina to take in the track and field portion of the Canada Games. Aside from a host of Sask athletes, my sister, running for Manitoba, will also be there. She will run the 400 and 200, as well as both relays. I am excited to watch track and field at this level of competition. Check daily results here:
http://www.2005jeuxducanadagames.ca/english/
I will be gone until Wednesday, and so this blog will take a temporary hiatus.

Painless

Bring on the M*A*S*H theme: I had a dentist appointment today, thus making my post for the day a little lethargic. News of the day: Bonnie's sister Heather celebrated her 19th birthday yesterday. They went to Overdrive ("O.D.? O.F.!") for some reason, and tonight they plan on two-steppin' at the Longbranch. Kids these days! Nevertheless, we all wish Heather a happy birthday.

More lists

I asked my Dad to submit a list. He's a United Church minister in Rapid City, Manitoba ("little city, lotsa heart") who reads regularly. In fact, I turn to him to find out which new books are worth reading; I am, unfortunately, caught in the 20th century. Here's a list of my Dad's top five favourite books in the last ten years:

1. Anita Diamant - The Red Tent
2. Barbara Gowdy - The White Bone
3. Ian McEwan - Atonement
4. Rohinton Mistry - A Fine Balance
5. Mordecai Richler - Barney's Version

To Blog or Not To Blog

Earlier today myself and some fellow bloggers engaged in a debate about blogging with a non-blogger. This fellow maintained that blogging brings down the English language because of its democracy and its generally vernacular tone. Well, the bloggers disagreed vehemently, arguing that blogging is an easy way to enhance communication with fellow citizens of Earth and isn't that what life is all about? Furthermore, most blogs are not mindless nor do they slopify the English language; indeed, some people hone writing skills right here in cyberspace. What do you think? Leave a comment with your thoughts. Are blogs to be praised or razed? Note: remember that by definition participation means affirmation; thus, all comments, even negative ones, prove that blogs are useful and should be encouraged.

Summer Ball Wrap-Up

The Summer Slo-Pitch dream season is dead. Catchers in the Rye, though clearly winning in the cheering category, lost the final game of the season, ending a season-long win-streak. It was a fun time and we fully enjoyed each game; in fact, I would argue that we had the most fun of all the teams. Hopefully the English graduate students can carry that tradition to next season. We set the bar high, that's for sure.

A Biased, Myopic Account of Mundane Events

A Biased, Myopic Account of Mundane Events Here's a blog by our friend and classmate Daniela Machuca. It's pretty funny (though not as funny as mine) and has some interesting points of discussion. There's an active comments table (of which I am jealous) and funny pics, especially the gummi Stonehenge Orgy. Enjoy!

Weekend wrapup

A lot happened over the weekend, so let's start the wrapup:

- Dave Hutton's Saskatoon Jr. Diamondbacks made it to the final of the National Championships only to lose to a team they had beaten the day before. It must have been disappointing for the guys, but they posted an 9-2 record through the tournament, proving that they had an outstanding tournament. Interestingly, the two losses came at the hands of the eventually champs, the Scarborough Wolves. The Wolves are also the defending champions; the Diamondbacks would've liked the championship, but they came damn close and that's something to be proud of.

- Saskatoon's Kelsey Hendry, a former Huskie, competed in the pole vault at the World Track and Field Championships in Helsinki on Sunday, but was unable to get by the qualifying round. Nevertheless, it was a great accomplishment for her to be there. She is just at the beginning of a fantastic international career: look for her in Beijing 2008.

- Wayne Gretzky, coach? That's right, hockey's greatest player took the helm of the Coyotes. He did a fantastic job with Canada's Olympic program and he hopes to do the same in Phoenix. My only complaint is that Rick Tocchet will be one of his assistant coaches; that guy took out many a knee as a player and I'll never forget his dirty play. He's right up there with Brian Marchment or Ulf Samuelsson.

Incommunicado Weekend

So on the weekend I went to Bonnie's parents' farm in Turtleford to max and relax, hence the lack of posts. It was nice to see Bonnie's family again and it was nice to be away from the noise of the city for a while. The noise of cars and trucks was replaced by cows and coyotes. The coyotes are something I don't think I'll ever get used to, being a city boy and all. We also saw the litter of kittens born earlier this year (see picture). The weekend was relaxing, as it was meant to be, but now I'm back to the fast-paced world of blogging! Let the week begin!

IAAF International Association of Athletics Federations - World Championships 2005

Tomorrow the 2005 World Track and Field Championships start in Helsinki. This will be a pretty big competition, since 32 medalist from Athens are competing. There are several Canadians that have a chance for Top 10s, if not medals: Tyler Christopher, Gary Reed, Kevin Sullivan, Carmen Douma-Hussar, Mark Boswell, and Perdita Felicien. For Saskatoon fans, pole vaulter Kelsey Hendry makes her World Championship debut. Hendry won four gold medals in CIS competition for the Huskies. Check out the website below or CBC, which promises extensive nightly coverage.
World Championships 2005

Thinking of my loved ones

I received word today that a friend of my sister's is sick. I am truly saddened to hear this news; things are never what we wish for, is it? I am glad, though, that through difficult times we have others around us for support. I am not sure what I would do without Bonnie, Sharon, my mom and dad - I am not sure. So I extend my support and love to Sharon and Sharon's friend, because I can give it. I guess my advice for today is to think of your loved ones and ask what you can give, and then give it. A sombre weekend ahead.

Rockstar: INXS

I know it seems kinda silly to be so into a show, but I feel like I'm watching Survivor for the first time. The show is Rockstar: INXS. The band has been without a lead singer since Michael Hutchence committed suicide in 1997. They are auditioning new, young talent to record an album and do a tour and it is all on TV! Each week the contestants sing and each week the band decides who stays and who goes. It is great music and good TV. Check it out:
http://rockstar.msn.com/home

Favourite Songs of the Moment

Here's a list of songs that I've been listening to a lot lately:

"Easy Morning Rebel" - My Morning Jacket
"To Be Young" - Ryan Adams
"Malaguena Salerosa" - Chingon
"Lily and Parrots" - Sun Kil Moon
"Sunshower" - Chris Cornell
"Your Time has Come" - Audioslave
"Young Lions" - Constantines
"Theologians" - Wilco
"Liquid Courage" - Pretty Girls Make Graves
"Casimir Pulaski Day" - Sufjan Stevens
"Thinking of a Dream I Had" - The Walkmen
"The Man Who Sold the World" - Nirvana
"New Sensation" - INXS
"Car Wheels on a Gravel Road" - Lucinda Williams
"Such Great Heights" - The Postal Service
"Bruised Broken Beaten" - controller.controller
"My Own True Love (Lost at Sea)" The Decemberists
"Lion's Mane" - Iron & Wine
"Veronica Fever" - The Raveonettes
"E-Pro" - Beck
"The Roof is On Fire" - The Bloodhound Gang
"You Can Have it All" - The Kaiser Chiefs

If you have a chance to listen to any of these songs or bands, I strongly recommend it. Most of these bands have many other great songs, with the exception, perhaps, of The Bloodhound Gang. "The Roof is On Fire" is catchy as hell as ridiculously funny, emphasis on "ridiculous". Have any recommendations? I am always happy to check out new music.

Thursday

Since it is a slow day so far, I do not know what to put as subject line. I guess the biggest news in the Air France crash. I'm glad that there were no fatalities. The second biggest news is the transactions in the NHL. Forsberg signs with the Flyers, Niedermeyer with the Ducks, Foote with Columbus. Plus, the Oilers are going to be a force once again: Peca and Pronger will take that team to playoff certainty. It's looking like a nice day. I'm going to enjoy it, I think.

Hot day at the diamond

Yesterday Bonnie and I checked out Dave Hutton and the Saskatoon Jr. Diamondbacks at the Fast Pitch National Championships. They have a great team - almost everyone contributed offensively, and defensively they are near perfect. Hutty made a great catch at the wall: his glove (and knee and elbow) hit the wall as he caught the ball. It was a high fly and took a long time to come down; everyone was waiting to see if it would go over the wall or if Dave would catch it. But Dave's a defensive wizard and made the catch look easy. He also added 2 RBIs at the plate. The Diamondbacks are 4-0 and look great against the best in the country. I think they have a great chance at winning it all.
The other news from the diamond is the winning streak of Catchers in the Rye, the English grad student Campus Rec slo-pitch team. We have won something like 6 in a row (winning by default is still a win). Yesterday's game turned into a scrub game with 7 a side as the other team was short by a few. Needless to say, it wasn't a pitcher's duel. But we all had fun in the sun and can't wait for next week's game.

Hutty makes the Phoenix

In today's StarPhoenix, "sparkplug" Dave Hutton gets major props from writer Darren Zary. Hutton scored the winning run in a 2-1 victory over the defending champs in this week's Jr. Men's Softball Championships. For the entire article, click here:
http://www.canada.com/saskatoon/starphoenix/news/sports/
The games were delayed last night because of the wicked thunderstorm here. The most spectacular portion was between 9 and 10 pm, when the lightning was flashing literally every second. The rain served to cool the city down a little, and today it is not nearly as hot as yesterday. Bonnie and I are going to watch a couple of softball games today to watch Hutty and the rest of the Jr. Diamondbacks.

100 hits!

So I've made 100 hits! I want to thank everybody for clicking on my blog, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. Keep on keepin' on, everyone!