It's My Life

Before I type up another post to keep you informed about all the excitment going on in my life, I need to clear something up. Some of you are confused with my blog layout, and think that my latest post is blank. It isn't, I just don't really know how the text dropped to below all my links to the right of this page, and don't feel like trying to move it back up. There is no post missing, this is my latest post.

Now, here's an update on what I've been doing since my last post a couple weeks ago:
- Last weekend I went to Edmonton to visit Tara, and my family. Tara treated me to a free Oilers game. I can't complain because I got to see NHL action free of charge, but its too bad Colorado beat them 7-1. Good news to Oilers fans, they snapped a seven-game losing steak by beating Dallas 5-3 last night.
- I got to visit and catch up with my mom, who was staying with her sister in Sherwood Park.
- While I was in the City of Champions, I also went for a drink on Whyte Ave., and watched the 40-Year-Old Virgin. I enjoyed this movie, and found it quit humorous. Setting low expectations is a good rule-of-thumb for movie watching. I didn't expect much for this movie, and I was pleasantly surprised.
- Last Monday, I went to Red Deer for a night with my friend (and Dani's cousin) Marce. We checked out a couple watering holes and just had a social night.
- On Wednesday, I watched the Chicago White Sox win game four in Houston and sweep the Astros to win the World Series. It's the first time since 1917 that they've captured the title. Unfortunately, I didn't have anyone to celebrate this wonderful occassion with, which would've made the situation more exciting.
- I got a photography gig for Lacombe Minor Hockey to make some money on the side. It'll be nice having more money around, as many of us journalists know Bowes employees don't exactly rake in the thick cash. The woman involved with the modeling photography agency hasn't called me back, so I don't know what's going on there.

I'm stuck in Lacombe this weekend, as its my weekend of work. I've got some high school volleyball, a junior hockey game, and a couple other events to cover, so I should be fairly busy. I have no plans yet tonight, I'm thinking of maybe just getting a movie.

DISAPPOINTMENT LAST NIGHT

Vinny, member of the Lacombe Fire Dept (to me at Boston Pizza last night): I used to be a Leaf fan until I was about 5, but I was too young and stupid to know any better then.

What was supposed to be a big hockey pool last night turned out to be a social gathering between me and two others, Vinny and Tyler of the Lacombe Fire Department.

It's frustrating to organize something only to have it fall apart. I'm not the organizer type usually, I'm a spur of the moment guy, so when I do put in the effort in holding something, it's disappointing when it doesn't go according to plan.

Last night was one of those times. Over three weeks ago, I had planned on holding a Lacombe hockey pool. Now I'm a pretty lazy and unmotivated person at the best of times, but this pool is something I worked at. I faxed information forms around town, spread the word around to people I know, and even phoned the local Boston Pizza to get them to set aside a space and try and include some BP prizes or something.

It turns out that not only was the manager at BP not around last night, but there was some sort of stag going on instead, and 30 seats in the middle of the sports lounge reserved. And only a couple of the 20 people I were expecting to see there let me know in advance they couldn't make it. Perhaps I gave people too much time to think about it, maybe if I set it up the week of the pool that would've worked better. One thing I've noticed about Lacombe is although its a tight-knit town, people don't stick to their word. Like other places, it's a last minute town where people don't make a big deal out of anything. It's just too laid back here.

Also, competitive sports are normally popular in the smaller towns, but not so much here. Sure, there's lots of sports going on, but people don't care. I've heard complaints from the few people that actually do keep in touch with the media on a regular basis about how bad there's so much potential here, but people aren't committed to improving the local sports scene. It's the old fashioned attitude of "let's keep things the way they are, we like it here" that bothers me.

For years Lacombe has been trying to land a skatepark and still hasn't. While this town is trying to get one complete, smaller towns in the county have their own, towns 1/10th the size of Lacombe. On top of that, Lacombe is in danger of losing its Junior 'B' hockey team because of poor fan turnout. They're playing five games in Sylvan Lake this year. There's towns smaller than this one with Junior 'A' teams, and they have no problem filling the stands.

It's harder to try and commit myself as a sports journalist in a town like this. Oh well, I'm just putting in my time I guess.

Getting back to last night, it turned out to be okay after a few schooners, some pizza and hockey talk. This Vinny guy is the biggest Boston Bruin fan in the world, Silv would just love this guy. His Bruin memorabilia includes something like 20 different shirts and 30 different hats. He went on to tell me while he lived in between Niagara Falls and Toronto, he'd go to Buffalo to watch games and cause trouble every time for cheering on the Bruins when they were in town.

THE WHITE SOX ARE ON A ROLL

I'll admit I'm a little superstitious myself with regards to sports. Using the current White Sox run as an example, I haven't worn my White Sox hat since the playoffs began. In fact, I've been leaving it on my TV set in my room here. They keep winning, and if they can capture their first World Series victory since 1917, I'll be sporting that hat in a heartbeat. After so much controversy over what was obviously a wrong call leading to a 2-1 White Sox victory in game #2, it's nice to see the Sox winning the last two games by clean margins. I hope they can take the title for all the lifelong fans. In game two, sports commentators were in the stands talking to a 95-year-old lifelong White Sox fan. He was seven the last time they won the World Series, and he's stuck with the team through it all. Now that's a true fan.

CALGARY, SMALL TOWNS AND STRAIGHT-EDGED CHRISTIANS

After enjoying a weekend in Calgary, I'm spending Thanksgiving in Lacombe. Unfortunately my weekend of work fell on the long weekend so I won't be having a turkey dinner with family this year. Oh well.

After spending another weekend in the bigger city, there is no doubt about it that I'm a bigger city person. I can't handle the laid back atmosphere of the small town, and the people are way too friendly. In Lacombe, they're so friendly it scares me. Growing up in PG, I got used to people treating each other like shit from time to time. It didn't bother me, it was actually kind of refreshing to have a nice mix of friendly people and assholes. It must be the Christian influence here in Lacombe. I don't even know exactly how many churches there are in this town, but there is a lot.

I should appreciate the fact everybody is so friendly in this town, but I like living on the edge and I just find that everyone here is so straight-edged. Seventh adventist church goers aren't exactly the partying type, and I'm living in that neck of the woods. Sigh. I've never been very religious, so I feel a little out of place here. And I don't want to show any sort of a rebellious side in this town because I'd be too much of an outcast I save that for trips to other places.

Nobody does anything in Lacombe, which would explain why I'm spending a Saturday night in my place watching Hockey Night in Canada by myself. If I was in Kamloops, I'd likely be with a bunch of friends drinking beers to the exciting hockey action.

I am trying to make the most out of my situation though, and I like the people here, but it's just too boring. There definetely isn't enough for young people to do. I'm guilty for having not looked further into the details of the town beforehand, I was just looking for close proximity to bigger centres, and being an hour from Edmonton and 1 1/2 from Calgary isn't a bad location. The worst part about working in Lacombe over the weekend is I can't leave the county because I'm carrying around the police scanner. That means I can't even go to Red Deer, which is like 20 km away! Ah well, tough break.

I did go to Calgary though. Highlights of that trip were:
- seeing Dani and her brother Jason.
- going to Cowboys and getting drunk.
- catching up with my good friend John, who I originally met in PG.
- eating, drinking and partying.

Other highlights lately include:
- getting invited to two different turkey dinners this weekend.
- watching my favorite Major League Baseball team, the Chicago White Sox, sweep the Boston Red Sox to win their first playoff series since 1917! Yah, it's been a little while. It's nice to see one of my teams coming around. The Maple Leafs are next! Well, that might be pushing it.
- joining a recreational volleyball league in Lacombe. I played volleyball for the first time since high school on Tuesday, and it feels good to get exercise again.
- getting offered to take Lacombe Minor Hockey pictures. They're letting me set the rate as long as its reasonable. It'll be nice to make some extra cash on the side.

As far as what lies ahead, I have no idea. I'm thinking maybe Red Deer next weekend, because its close and I'm already holding my own Lacombe hockey pool at the local Boston Pizza next Saturday.

I could rant about hockey, but I'll save that for the hockey blog.