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Tuesday night I picked up Erin after work because Amber is away again working so I get to do all the cool every day things with Erin like dropping her off and picking her up from school, putting her bed, making dinner…so we went to McDonalds Tuesday night. It’s cool in the way that I know she is a little 6 year old girl but when we go out it is more like we are just friends. We were sitting in the playland there and this Mom just went nuts on her kid for taking off his socks and having a fit when she told him to put them back on. Erin was watching this and then when she looked at she just smiled and kept on eating. We talk about everything just like I would to my other friends and she is not afraid to tell me things that are kinda weird for her too. In the tub on Tuesday she told me that one of the girls in her class was in the bathroom and accidentally pee’d on the floor. She told me this in extreme confidence because it was not something you tell boys.⁽¹⁾

Last night I got home late after going to the arena to work on some logos and Mike popped by to take me for a spin in his brand new Acura RSX.⁽²⁾ Gorgeous car and brand new. Smelled like a shoebox in there with all that leather. After he left I put on a tape I had of the last Winnipeg Jets home game. I was at that game and watching it and listening to the crowd brought back big memories. Then after one of the Jets goals the Safeway Score and Win contest winner came on and it was my Grandpa (who is no longer with us). I remember him telling me about how he won some dish set or something. His name popped up on the screen and the announcer was like “Congratulations Jim Phillips of Winnipeg…” and it was so weird that he wasn’t around anymore. I called my Mom and my Grandma and played it back for them.

Tonight is Survivor night. Early predictions are for Peter the eater to get voted off.

(1) – I feel like my girls have been pretty good at being able to talk to me about most things. I often go on drives with Ashlyn where she spills all the tea and it’s some of the most quality time we spend together now that she is a teenager.

(2) – Mike has always had really cool vehicles to be honest. He is in his Lexus phase of life.

Whoa has it been a week already. Most importantly we lost another one of the guys to another worthy female. Mike and Tara’s wedding was October 6th and I intend to make a tribute page as soon as I get some pics scanned. Also on the 6th last week was Erin’s 6th birthday. Pretty amazing that I have been a friend to her for 5 years now. With so many things going on Amber (Erin’s mom) decided to have her party this weekend instead of last. It was a great party and she was overwhelmed with friends bearing gifts. She cashed in big time. We played a mean game of duck, duck, goose. I remember being a lot quicker! I promised the winner a slurpee and seeing as everyone is a winner in duck, duck, goose I bought a round for all the kids there.

This week was a big Saturday hockey. I was pretty stressed that I was scoreless in 2 games and I had been talking to Denise about it and she figured I had the wrong hockey card in my equipment bag⁽¹⁾ so although I was tempted to swap K Todd for a Sandy McCarthy I stuck to my guns and K Todd prevailed just like in 94. On my very first shift George scored after Gould hit the post notching his first of the season and upping the pressure. My first came shortly after on a gorgeous drop pass from Marc the dentist roofing it top corner on the far side. Ratty and I still have yet to play together but he was moving the puck today like only he can. He was shining and even though I wasn’t on his team I was loving every minute of it.

Also want to thank Nolan for the Moose tickets for Saturday night. I really enjoyed the AHL action. I don’t know if I noticed so much of a difference out there from the IHL but it is only my first one so we will see. Later that night George, Vern, Gould and I closed down Manhattan’s and a perfect day. Today Gould and I went to see “Bandits” and then I went to my folks for dinner. I have Erin again next week so I am looking forward to that and I think I am now up to date. Laundry is calling.

(1) – I still do this and right now I have a Jamie Bettens Goldeyes card in there.

Seems I am a little behind on a few things. First off, big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Denise in Calgary.⁽¹⁾ Also a belated HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to Paul and Melissa in Thunder Bay on the 26th. Yikes, sorry guys. Melissa has been updating Eastons site quite often now so make sure you are checking that out, the writing is impeccable.

And now I would like to share a letter from JD (Shan’s Dad). In conversation at dinner the other night JD brought up a story about a time when he used to work in “Men’s Furnishings” and someone returned a sweater that looked to be 10 years old. My response was “what is men’s furnishings, and why would someone return a sweater there?” There was subtle mention of “men’s furnishings” in my entry yesterday and today I received this:

Hey Tom,

You know, you’ve gotta be the luckiest guy in town. Not only do you date a little fiery redhead with a very high IQ, enjoy the admiration of the fiery little redhead’s mother (and father), but now you have an even greater advantage over any other guy on the block, in that you too, can now learn to appreciate the art of dressing up for any and all occasions. You just happen to know the fiery little redhead’s dad who spent almost 7 years of his business career in MEN’S FURNISHINGS. What a enviable position to be in. Now you’ll be able to know when to tuck and when not to tuck.⁽²⁾ You’ll be able to learn what generally acceptable occasions there are for wearing a pyjama niteshirt ⁽³⁾ (not many). Better yet, you’ll determine whether the layered look is fashionably in, or not. Now knowing someone with the expertise in MEN’S FURNISHINGS will allow you to explore the entire spectrum of Knit shirts, Hats for little or large heads⁽⁴⁾, Sweaters for all occasions, Fleece wear, both for sporting and casual outings, Dress Shirting’s⁽⁵⁾ for that more formal time in your life, and how to tie a tie, and best of all what’s really cool in undergarments like socks and underwear. (SEMPER UBI SUB UBI, Latin for Always Wear Under Wear). Yes, I can only conclude that you are in the right spot at the right time and what a chance to capitalize as you prepare for your debut in GQ magazine.⁽⁶⁾

Respectfully, JD (from Men’s Furnishings)⁽⁷⁾

(1) – Denise was someone I met in Calgary online when I first started doing website stuff and putting it out there. We actually became really good friends from just writing back and forth. I have visited her in Calgary and she has visited me here in Winnipeg and we had a blast each time. Super good person. Her son Ryzon came here for a job interview and I took hhim out for a burger at Five Guys while he was in town. Missy my old neighbour actually went to school with her back in the day in Calgary and we made that connection as well. Small world indeed.

(2) – Never tuck.

(3) – One of the greatest shirts I ever had was a pajama shirt and I wore it out all the time. Big old buttons, pocket, the works. I need to find me another great pajama shirt.

(4) – This one felt like a shot.

(5) – Only JD can say something like “Dress Shirting’s” plural.

(6) – Sarcasm.

(7) – Man do I miss this guy.

It’s been a crazy week at work and I have been leaving early to pick Erin up at the school bus stop so I haven’t updated in nearly a week. Amber came home Friday night after being stranded in Calgary as a result of the World Trade tragedy. I haven’t talked much about that because it was such a shock last week that I was truly speechless on the subject. Being with Erin made me look at things a little differently than I might have otherwise. The most important thing in the world to Erin last week was that I was there when she got off the school bus after school. She was almost in tears when she asked me over and over just before she got on the bus. I had tears in my eyes that morning thinking of all the parents who could not be there for their kids thanks to the cowardice actions of those terrorists.

On a brighter note, Erin and I had a great week together and I miss her already.⁽¹⁾

This weekend was good. Nice to have Vern in town. On Friday night G, Vern and I went to a social for Puncher’s cousin Brenda. I wasn’t planning on getting to liquored but in true G fashion we made it a time. I was still pulling pretzels out of my pockets Saturday morning.

On Saturday I went and saw Rockstar (great movie) and Saturday night Ratty and I went and played some roller hockey at the Coverall building. It was a great skate. Cass invited us for a few beers after so we sat and talked for a bit after the game. It was nice to hang out and chat with everyone in the off season. We stopped for a bite to eat on the way home and G called and asked us to go to Danelles party. At first we said yes but after a nice hearty meal we were both pretty beat and declined. I took Ratty home and went to bed shortly after. Man we’re old.

Sunday Al and I watched Easton for a bit and then Vern picked me up for dinner at Mike and Tara’s. I haven’t eaten so good in quite some time. We had an amazing dinner (thank you both very much) and then recovered for a bit afterward. Felt like Thanksgiving. Home and in bed early. Man we’re old.

(1) – I can’t remember the last time I saw Erin. I think it was when her Grandma was in the hospital and it was a hard time, and it felt weird to see her. Not in a bad way but it was like I don’t really know her anymore. I feel lucky to have had that time with her when she was little as it prepared me for so much with my own girls, but it seems like a different life. I still chat with her from time to time but it’s crazy how much has changed.

Anna Kournikova is back on the cover of the Winnipeg Sun so I can only assume that 9/11 was event free. The anniversary of last years terrorist attack neatly dubbed 911 was in the back of everyones mind I think but the only real tragedy on Wednesday was the cancellation of BB3.⁽¹⁾ I read Shan’s entry on her site and it really made me think about where I wanted to be if something like that ever went down here. How helpless you can feel when disaster strikes and you are not with the people you care about and how immediately your thoughts are with them. Looking back on those events it doesn’t seem like that long ago. A picture like that is painted in your mind in the sharpest colors and although it fades it never really goes away, I talk about it in pretty dramatic fashion for a guy sitting at his desk in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Looks like a pretty great weekend shaping up. Tonight I am not going to the Bomber game with my uncle Ralph (that’s next weekend), who I don’t get to hang out with very often. Saturday Nolan asked me to help him out at the arena skating with Andrew and some kids his age. I get a really special feeling being out on the ice with Nolan and Andrew. A big part of it is envy, just the thought of skating with my own kids someday.⁽²⁾ The rest is just knowing that one day Andrew will be running Nolan’s hockey and I will be one of the old dudes out there.⁽³⁾ Saturday night is dinner at the ranch (can’t wait) and Sunday I will be hanging out with Erin.

(1) – Big Brother 3. You know Big Brother is on it’s 28th season now. That is crazy.

(2) – Well I have skated with my kids, but not at Nolans. It’s always something special when a guy gets to bring his kid to Nolan’s hockey for the first time.

(3) – I am officially one of the old guys out there now. I don’t think Andrew has any interest in taking over the game but who knows how long Nolan can keep this up. I hope to be able to play as long as he has.

This week I get to play dad with Erin. Amber is out of town this week and Erin and I are roomies. This morning when we were waiting for the bus she kept reassuring herself that I would be there when she got off the bus. It was so sad. Tonight I think we are going to go for a bike ride (well she is) and then have dinner, do bath time, have a snack, play fish, and then bed time.

Last night I watched the 1996 skills competition where Messier dominated the accuracy competition and the shoot out. Potvin held the West with back to back saves against Jagr followed by Lemieux to hold onto the tie. Sakic went first for the West and scored a beauty and the East followed up with their best pressure man Messier. If he missed this, the game was over…he picks up speed at the red line and comes in hard and fast and releases a quick snap shot over the right shoulder of the goalie to keep his team in the competition. It was brilliant to watch.

A big happy birthday Al means another September long at Tulabi. This year was a little different because I had to work the Saturday which means we didn’t get out there until 8 Saturday night and also because out of our group of buds that usually makes this trip has dwindled down to Al and myself. Tyler and Amanda are becoming regulars now and we have a blast with them but I still found myself missing George’s 3 hour cooking lessons, and his grumpy drunken banter. I missed Gould’s motivational poking to get me going and his September long getup. I missed Ponch and Jessie running around naked and without Timmy G nobody was the first to pass out.

This year Shan and I had a site to ourselves. Shan hasn’t been feeling good all week so she was in bed pretty early on Saturday night and I stayed over at Al’s fire to hang out for a bit. Ironically, this being the tamest year we’ve ever had down there it didn’t stop the night rangers from paying us a visit. He asked us to turn off the music so we did right away. Then he asked who was registered to the site and then told me I would have to return to my registered site across the way. I laughed at first and then realized he was serious. Al asked if we could have another 20 mins seeing as it was only 11PM and he declined. Finally I had to get technical with him and let him know that the other site was in Shan’s name and that I belonged on this site, so thanks or coming by. He told us if he had to come back “there would be paperwork!”

Sunday Shan and I got up early and went to all the big Tulabi hot spots like the rapids, the lookout, the beach and then Al, Mandy, and Tyler came to our site for breakfast. After breakfast I wanted to go jump off the rock but no takers so Shan and I slept most of the afternoon. At this point I was starting to feel Shan’s sore throat and whatnot. We got up and played a few games of BANG (this game Shan and I found)⁽¹⁾ before dinner and then we cooked up some wicked steak dinners. We had a couple beers in honor of Al’s birthday and just hung out by the fire and talked the night away. It was awesome.

We ended up taking my dad’s van for the extra room and we left him Shan’s car for the weekend. My dad is the guy who gives you his umbrella in the rain and then tells you that the rain doesn’t bother him.⁽²⁾ When we arrived home Shan’s car was clean from top to bottom and even under the hood. Big thanks to my folks for another weekend with the van.

(1) – I think this is me poking Ratte because I think he introduced us to BANG some time ago.

(2) – This was his way with everything.

Back from another great time at Tulabi. Al and I left Thursday night and made it to the campground at about 8:30PM. We were in the campground office for about 10 mins where the ranger informed us that all the sites had been booked for the weekend but we were welcome to set up in the overflow at Bird Lake. In that time frame the sun had gone down and it was raining. We set up camp for the night, one tent and a tarp for shelter. We used a hatchet to string rope over branches for the tarp and Al nearly took one between the eyes when it swung back. In no time at all we were setup and sheltered and already into the burgers.

Friday the ranger informed us that there was a cancellation in the group area at Tulabi and was ours if we wanted. It was perfect so we spent most of the day setting down and setting back up. Tyler and Amanda were the first to arrive on Friday, followed closely by the Dancer⁽¹⁾ and Haley. We were well into the Moosehead by the time Shan and Nat arrived and saw George driving in just as we were loading up on wood at the store. Was glad to see George and Rachelle made it after all. Shan orchestrated a few games⁽²⁾ and we burnt Melissa’s philosophy text books before hitting the sack pretty early.

Saturday was a big Happy Birthday Shan morning. We had some loops for breakfast and watched George cook breakfast for about 3 hours. We decided to rent a couple canoe’s for the afternoon. Amanda, Tyler and Nat took one and Shan, Al, and I in another. IT WAS HELL. If I never see another canoe in my life I will die happy.⁽³⁾ It had it’s moments, like at the bottom of the rapids where I never would have ventured otherwise and cutting through the reeds. For the most part it was too much energy spent for not enough gain. Al sat out the battle back against the wind and Shan and I ended up passing the other canoe who had a 20 min lead on us. Shan likes the canoe and we seem to do well together there. It felt like we accomplished something when it was all over.

Saturday night we had a great dinner with everyone. We broke out the Red Bull and Vodka treats and never looked back. Shan and I went to the lookout and watched the sun go down on August 30/2003 and if she was a smidge as content at that moment as I was there is no place on this earth I would have rather been. It was dark when we got back to the site and we all drank and shared stories across the fire. Al broke out the beer bong and eventually the combination of beer, baby duck, and ribs was more than he could handle. Most were already in bed when Al looked up at me with one eye and said those three magic words…”I’m gonna puke”. That sparked a couple good dry heaves from Amanda who jumped from her chair and I could here George laughing from inside his his tent. I quickly took control of the situation as any good friend would…”NATALIE, Al needs you” I yelled.

Sunday was Happy Birthday George morning. Funny how September long was advertised as Al’s birthday celebration when in fact it’s not his birthday until September 6 and there is no mention of the other two birthdays this weekend?

(1) – I worked with the Dancer for a short time at Intrinsix. I haven’t heard from her in forever, but I miss her.

(2) – Shan will tell you she hates organizing games but she has been doing it constantly since 2003.

(3) – This is one of the things I will do just for Shan. I think the last time I canoed was in Sioux Narrows.