More fu%kin snow!?!

Just when I thought it was safe to go outside (read: drive up to Richmond Hill in the wife’s standard vehicle) we get dumped on with feet upon feet of snow (closer to 5-10cm) and all hell breaks loose on the roads.

Where are the goddamn ploughs???

Why do they wait until after the snowfall to come out of hiding?  Are they afraid?  Maybe it’s a union thing, like the one that is slowly destroying York University.  Maybe it’s a plan to allow people (not me) to take the day off work…  Who knows, but it’s really fucking annoying.  Can drive on an incline, stopping and starting bite, forget turning and I think I must close my eyes and pray (and I’m not a religious man) every time I look into the rear-view mirror and see a SUV or minivan flying up behind me because crappy driving conditions don’t exist for them…

Not fun.

So after an hour and a bit drive this morning and an hour drive home, I am already dreading the morning drive tomorrow.  If I leave before 7:30, I might get there before 8:30, or if I wait I’ll be there after 9.  It should be interesting considering Stewie is sick (again).  He has an ear infection, and is on meds.  Looking at him now, in the bath with his brother, he is lethargic and his eyes are droopy.  He looks sick.  Poor kid.  Hope he sleeps tonight!  I should plan on being asleep early myself so when he wakes up at 2am again I’ll be ok.

About that 2am wake up…

Monday night I had ball-hockey – we tied the worst team in the league 1-1.  I had a pretty good game, I thought.  I had spent an hour in the gym earlier in the day and I felt great.  Many players on my team were yelling at me to play physical, but when I did, they complained that the guy ran past me… duh!  No shit he did… But he didn’t have the ball…

So after the game I got changed, ran an errand them came home at 1:30am for bed.

Fine.

Tuesday night (last night) I was asleep really early – 10:30pm – but Stewie woke up at 1:50am calling for me.  He had to pee.

Seriously… This is what a child in the midst of toilet-training does… Wakes his daddy up in the middle of the night to pee.  Then grabs his blankie and pillow and announces that he’s sleeping in “mummy’s bed”.

NOT.

I get him back to bed after 30 minutes of him crying and I slide back into bed and back to sleep.

Don’t see much sleep in the plans for tonight…

I’ve got orange pants, I wear them when I dance, but I don’t get out that much…

Today I am asking why.

Why can’t I find the latch that opens the hood on UrbanMummy’s volvo?  It thirsts for windshield washer fluid but I cannot feed it.  I swear I keep looking past the latch, or button, or level and I know it is laughing at me… Fucker.

Why does my former employer think that the lies of a current employee are enough fodder to continue their harassment of me?!?  Yesterday a registered letter arrived and threatened… “disciplinary actions”… yup.  For a job I don’t even work at and probably never will… Really bright.

NHL All-Star Game

The NHL All-Star game skill competition and young star game was yesterday in hockey-mad Montreal and it was, as usual, ok.

Not a big fan of the All-Star game because it interrupts the season, but I really enjoy the showcase that is put on by the players.  End to end, lots of passing and fancy plays.  For someone like me who plays organized ball-hockey (never ice hockey though) I watch and wonder how the heck they do that.

To all that skill and showcasing, there is the down side of hockey, that being fighting and boarding and dirty players.

It’s time for hockey everywhere to smarten up and stop fighting and boarding and turn the attention back to skill and speed.  Who really needs scripted fights between goons.  I’d rather those few minutes per game be used for something hockey-related, like passing, shooting or scoring.  It’s never been part of the game and the thought that Americans watch hockey for fighting is bullshit.  They DON’T watch hockey.  Let’s stop catering to them and bring the game back to it’s roots and back to Canadians.

No more fighting, unless really part of a game.  Reduce the rosters by one spot for the goon, and crack down on the antics of idiot players who are known as “shift disturbers”.  If all they do it run guys and hurt them, they are no longer allowed to play and must either learn to play or do something else. 

I want to see a nifty deke, not a guy laying on the ice bleeding because he got knocked out in a fight and is having a seizure on the ice.  Enough of that crap.

More to come on this issue / post, for sure!

Chinese New Year

Begins Sunday night and is celebrated Monday.  I know very little about it other than the red envelopes with money.  Considering 3/4rs of the staff @ my office are Chinese and 3/4rs of my staff are Chinese – and are working Monday – I feel the need to learn more.

I Googled it, and here is what I found…

Chinese New Year or Spring Festival is one of the most important traditional Chinese holidays.  It is sometimes called the Luner New Year, especially by people outside China.  The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first lunar month in the Chinese calendar and ends on the 15th; this day is called Lantern Festival.

Chinese New Year is considered a major holiday for the Chinese.   In Canada, although Chinese New Year is not an official holiday, many ethnic Chinese hold large celebrations.

The 2009 date for Chinese New Year is January 26th.  The year of the OX.

The Chinese New Year celebrations are marked by visits to kin, relatives and friends, a practice known as “new-year visits”.  New clothings are usually worn to signify a new year. The colour red is liberally used in all decorations.  Red packets are given to juniors and children by the married and elders.

Traditionally, red envelopes, or red packets are passed out during the Chinese New Year’s celebrations, from married couples or the elderly to unmarried juniors.  It is also common for adults or young couples to give red packets to children.  These packets represent ”the money used to suppress or put down the evil spirit”.  In addition to the red envelopes, gifts (usually of food or sweets) are also exchanged between friends / relatives.  Common gifts include fruits (typically oranges, and never pears), cakes, biscuits, chocolates, candies, or some other small gifts.

Clothing mainly featuring the colour red is commonly worn throughout the Chinese New Year because it is believed that red will scare away evil spirits and bad fortune. In addition, people typically wear new clothes from head to toe to symbolize a new beginning in the new year

Flowers

The following are popular floral decorations for the New Year and are available at new year markets.

Floral Decor	Meaning
Peach blossom	symbolizes luck
Kumquat	symbolizes prosperity
Narcissus	symbolizes prosperity
Chrysanthemum	symbolizes longevity
Bamboo	a plant used for any time of year
Sunflower	means to have a good year

Very interesting!

What I am doing right now…

Sitting by the side of the bed with my laptop on typing this post, my work laptop beside me – filling out a risk report, and the TV on watching the Washington Capitals vs. Ottawa Senators.  I’m voting for the Caps.  I like Ovechkin.  He is fun to watch indeed.

I am thinking about getting back to the gym tomorrow – joined the one near my office just before the new year and have been there about 12 times since.  Trying to lose some weight or build some muscle before our cruise in February.  Time is running out. 

I am also thinking a lot about President Obama.  It’s a big deal that he is president of the US, but it shouldn’t be.  This should have happened YEARS ago.  The US can critisize other countries for their foreign policies, but can’t find a way to make groups like the KKK and neo-nazi’s illegal.  Freedom of speech or not.  Hate sucks.

I’m also wondering why it is that my TV is going to turn off the game in 9 minutes when my PVR-happy wife (who is not even here) takes over the TV.  Seriously… For as obsessed I am about having a clean driveway, she is about taping TV shows, and while I am getting used to always watching her TV shows, like Party of 5, Kate and Allie and Felicity, sometimes I like to watch sports or cooking shows on my bedroom TV… Kind of like I am now.

Well… Back to work… OR facebook… I into the top 100 in jedi vs sith… I know… LOSER.    I prefer geek, thank you.

I don’t get it…

What’s the deal with the presidency of the United States.  They start election preamble 2 years prior to the election, then have primaries, secondaries, debates, discussions, oy… It never ends.  They talk to cousins, parents, teachers, Governors, pastors,  and pretty much anyone with the same name as, or lived in the same town, city, state or time zone as the candidates.  It’s too much. 

Then, after the elections (thank G-d), they do it all again with a count-down to the friggin inauguration.  Seriously!  As of today, there are 2 days until the inauguration of new US President Barack Obama.  It will be Tuesday at noon and they’ll be 2 million very cold people listening to music and speeches and other stuff… Why?  Because Americans have a self-importance around them and think this is the most important event in the world?  Possibly.

Look at us Canadians… Prime Minister gets elected, people assume it will be business as usual, and 28 people meet them on their first day.  No wasting money on decorations, rock bands, celebrities or any crap like that.  There is just another change in the figurehead of the country and life goes on.  It’s kind of nice.

When a US official, like a president, completes their term in office, do people other than those on the inside even remember the inaugeration???   Nope.  Do taxpayers?  Probably.

Seriously, though, this US election crap is out of hand.  It’s just a political position…  Is there nothing more important to talk about?  I wonder how the poorest areas of the US look at this event?  The cost of this event would probably be enough to open enough schools in the poorest regions to make a difference… And start this reign on the right foot.

Give striking York TA’s a raise… NOT.

Stupid left-wing York University has been on strike for 11 weeks.  TA’s and contract staff want a raise over 2 years.  The rest of the world is in a recession – Nortel for example, filed for bankruptcy possibly costing 36,000 jobs, but fucking York TA’s and contract staff are deserving of a raise… Yeah, NO.  I went to York.  I’m sorry.  I was also accepted to University of Toronto.  York is, well, how to put this… Very left-wing.   Too left-wing.  Good luck with that guys.

So tell me… You are entering university next year, or your kids are, and the application date was yesterday (it was).  Do you (or your kid) apply to York?  Especially knowing that they are going back on strike in 2010?  Seriously?

Me?  No fucking way!!!

Urban Daddy’s coffee-shop rankings 2009

Here are my 2009 coffee shop rankings.  This ranking is based on the following criteria; taste, price, freshness and a few other smaller things.

1. Tim Horton’s

2. Starbucks

3. Second Cup

4. Timothy’s

5. Coffee Time

So how did I come to this conclusion???  Easily.

For the value, taste and freshness, Timmy’s wins out.  Their roll up the rim contest rocks and the staff friendly.  You can get yogurt, bagels, and yummy chili and good soups.  Wont break the bank, and seem to be at every block.  Sure the staff rarely stir the coffee, but for $1.49 for a large… You can’t go wrong.  And where else would I be able to say, I’ll have a large double double, please”, and get a smile and a “yes sir”.

Starbucks, while pricey, and serves very strong coffee, does have great Cafe Americano’s for slightly more than the price of a regular coffee.  Plus, their give you a coupon for a free anything if you don’t like your drink, or waiting too long for it AND, often offer free samples.  Their oatmeal is the perfect treat for a toddler as is their cheese plate (although really pricey).  My kids love the wooden stir sticks “sticks” and the automatic doors.  It’s nice to be able to sit at Starbucks and be noticed.  My wife and I have a term – a Guterman – which means, sitting at S’Bux looking busy but doing sweet fuck all… Ahhh, the life.  Especially in the summer.

Second Cup would normally rank behind Timothy’s because I hate their old, bitter coffee and stupidly high prices for this crap – but I had a coffee there today (first in months) that was half Butter Pecan (their best flavour) and half Holiday Blend.  Sure I needed 4 sugars but it was actually quite good.  They need to find a way to keep their coffee fresher – I doubt they would have the traffic to keep making new pots every 15 minutes like Tim Horton’s but they could try picking a flavour and for that specialty flavour, they will make a fresh post every 15 minutes and see what the responses from their customers are.  The other main issue Second Cup needs to address is their choice of coffees.  Normally they have 5 or 6 different types.  One decaf, one is a medium and one is a strong.  There is a mild – something like a Paradiso (whatever the heck that means) and then the flavour… I hate Irish Cream!!!  Detest it!  That is usually their one flavoured coffee and when asked why, I was told, it is because it is popular… No shit!  It’s the one fucking flavour, and people don’t like stale, overpriced swill, so they get the flavour that needs lots of cream and sugar to cover the bitterness.  I’d recommend they keep Butter Pecan and Caramelo in high rotation – already sweet coffees need less sugar and cream which means less cost. 

Another advantage the Second Cup is not taking advantage of is the space they have in most of their shops which they could totally utilize to capitalize on families by offering a safe environment for kids and snacks under 5000 calories – something healthy, possibly?!?  Seriously, a place for parents to take their kids after dinner to hang out and buy… Better than being empty, eh?

Timothy’s… Poor, poor Timothy’s.  I thought they were already out of business, but there is one near my place and I wont step foot into it.  The large is HUGE, the coffee is watered down and terrible and most of the locations need to bring it “other” items in order to make money – like my local one sells handmade jewellery… The only coffee I can drink there is the toasted coconut because it’s toasted taste covers the fact that the pot has been sitting there all day.   Brutal.  I always feel like I’m wasting money once I leave one.  They seriously need to merge with a US company and re-brand all their stores… That would bring them back from the dead.  I should Google “Seattle’s Best Coffee” and see if they have any extra cash.  Shouldn’t cost that much…  Then again… Seattle’s best aint that great.

Coffee Time… A very fringe coffee shop, usually open 24 hours, filled with riff raff and in that hidious orange colour (although some newer ones are brown).  It’s never a place to take a family at night – even creepy during the day.  It’s that place you like to run into if you really need coffee, but don’t intend on staying – or… Go, but don’t flash any money or look like you have anything of value on you.

What are your thoughts on my rankings??

What pisses me off…

Stupid neighbours!

Stupid neighbours who think its ok to have a ploughing company shovel their snow onto our lawns, and even to block part of our driveways.  When confronted, these stupid neighbours agree to have their driveways cleared with shovels instead – and agree to dump the snow onto their lawns instead.

So what pisses me off about them???

2:45am – plough drives into their driveway – man gets out to shovel their steps – driver of plough scrapes driveway clean then puts snow up on our lawn – across the street.  Not only did the scraping disrupt the sleep of my son but the stupid plough left a bunch of snow in the street in front of my house, plus a huge pile blocking my view when I back out of the driveway.  If it wasn’t -20 with the windchill this morning, I’d go out and shovel it all back… Yes I would!

Fuckers!!! 

So why was I up so early in the morning??? Because Stewie was coughing all night and I left him and UM (also coughing into her 2 week) to sleep in our bed and went to sleep on the couch.  I figure I got a good 3 hours sleep last night to go with the 3 hours the night before… yawn.  I feel and look like a zombie.  Anyone for more children?!?  Yikes!  That would kill me!!!

What is the coalition up to?

Vive la coalition libre.  LOL.

NOT.

Here is what the losers are doing, starting with Michael Ignatief aka Iggy. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/GAM.20090105.COMART05/TPStory/TPComment
While he’s not speaking out about that lose cannon Anti-semite Sid Ryan, here is what Jack Layton is doing besides losing ground and credability - http://www.calgaryherald.com/Layton+biggest+loser+coalition+folly/1146656/story.html
… and Gilles Duiceppe… Besides being totally out of the news - he is still trying to find ways to separate anything he can to prove to himself he still has it in him, considering he has been unable to seperate Quebec from Canada.