This Just In...

Okay, just a quick update today... I've got a million things on my mind, but not an ounce of desire to put them into fancy prose. So, hold onto your hats because here we go!

First of all, for those of you wondering how my Great Decaffeination went, I am happy to report that I not only made it through the seven days, but today marks my 11th day without coffee. Actually, I haven't had tea or cola either... I thought those might be considered cheating. Anyway, it looks as if I'm going to try for a full two-weeks with this little java-free gig. Kinda makes the name of this blog a little inappropriate...

And there is great rejoicing in the land! The NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs are in full swing! The hiss of sharpened blades on white ice... The crack of wood meeting frozen rubber... The lights... The horns... This is the time of year that every Canadian lives for! I'm once again glued to the TV every night as teams battle for hockey's ultimate prize. And this year is a little sweeter still... For the first time in 8 years, the Calgary Flames (my home team) have made it to the post-season! Now, all of us fair-weather fans who have been avoiding them for the better part of a disappointing decade are back on the band wagon, baby! Windows are filled with "Go Flames Go!" signs, Flaming C flags are flying from the tops of cars, and the Saddledome (our appropriately named arena) is packed to the rafters.

However, I am a little worried... The Flames are trailing the Vancouver Canucks 2 games to 1 in this opening 7 game series so far. Usually not much to worry about with a team as hot as the Flames have been of late, but a couple strange things happened on the weekend that have me doubting... First, I was watching the sports highlights and they were talking about the Flames. All of a sudden, the picture changed to a shot of a couple guys competing in the Master's at Augusta (golf). It lasted all of a second, most likely someone setting up the tape for the next story, but I saw it. Now, for those of you who don't know, it is often said when a hockey team is eliminated from the playoffs that they are "gone golfing". Eerie... Later, I was watching a documentary about the explosion of the Mont Blanc in Halifax Harbour in 1917. The narrator was telling about the families out for a stroll that day that never knew what hit them, and they showed a stock-clip of some families out for a walk. Now, for some reason, this particular clip was modern, not set in the period as every other one was. Again, it was only on the screen briefly, but a little boy walking at the front of the soon-to-be-dead oblivious people was wearing a Calgary Flames sweatshirt! Spooky... You know what they say: If it sounds like an omen and feels like an omen...

In other news... I have been checking out my regularly read blogs, well, regularly, and I've noticed a drop in the frequency of posts on most of them (though there are a few exceptions). It got me to thinking that I don't sit down at the old Blogger nearly often enough, so... Even though I am a firm believer that one should stay silent when one has nothing good to say, I'm going to make an attempt to get on here once a day for the next little while. I may not have anything of great entertainment to share, but I figure I can at least come up with a two- or three-sentence thought for the day, right? Well, we'll see how it goes.

Well, I'm off for now... Gonna go grab a beer and settle in for some hockey.