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People Props

It’s a big year for 50’s and what better way to start things off than with Scott Vernon!

I started hanging out with “Vern” in grade 11 or 12. We had a couple of classes together that we often skipped to go driving around in his Mom’s Nissan Pulsar NX. He showed me how to “bang shift” in that little red chick magnet with the T-Tops off. Shifting gears without the clutch for all you perverts reading this. We listened to Bootsauce full blast and drank slurpees (go figure).

Hanging with Vern came with all kinds of perks like afternoons by the pool and talking to girls way out of my league. After highschool he got a job at the Canad Inns and was literally our ticket to U4IA. I remember we would be getting to the bar late and seeing lineups out the door. We would ask for “Mr. Vernon” at the front desk and soon after Scott would be leading through the kitchen and into the club. He always took care of his friends and still does.

In fact, Scott’s parent’s used to own a Sooters Photography and it wasn’t uncommon for him to come in with friends for some professional portraits. This was a little before my time but it’s a pretty good indicator that Scott takes his friendships quite seriously.

One of the original members of the Three Pistols Vern might be one of the best hockey players I have ever played with. Hands all day and it often looks like he isn’t even trying. My favourite is waching him double tap the puck with the toe of his stick before unleashing a howitzer slapshot. Classic!!

It was actually at one of Scott’s birthdays (maybe his 28th?) that I was first seduced by my wife at the Tiajuana Yacht Club.

It’s been 36 years of friendship and now we share Dad stories and meet up for the occassional plate of wings when life permits us. Some might even say we work together.

January 12th, 2024 – Happy 50th Vern, it was a pleasure and an honour to celebrate with you.

2024. We got this.

January 3, 2024

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Chistmas has come and gone and it’s time to open our arms and welcome in 2024.

My new years resolution as always is to write more and wash my legs below the knee. To stretch more, harness patience with my people, and give less f*cks about the things I can’t control.

We had an awesome holiday break and Christmas morning was awesome. It was the first time for this family that we opened presents in daylight. The kids slept in until almost 9AM. This year Ashlyn is back on the gecko train so after some thoughtful considerations we decided to open that door…again. It was hard to conceal a big terrarium so I did my best to convince her the big present under the tree was Mom’s (just like last year). Lexi had her heart set on some kind of insoles that make you jump higher that cost way too much so we said “Noooooope”. Actually we kind of talked her out of it by letting her know that we could satisfy much more of her PowerPoint presentation if we went without the gimmicky insoles.

It was also fun to shop for a Gecko after Christmas with Ashlyn. We ended up connecting with the person who bought Ashlyn’s gecko (Charlotte) who works at a pet store. She sent me a couple pictures that peaked Ashlyn’s interest and we went down to pick him up. Everyone, this is “Cricket”…

Winter Anxiety

November 6, 2023

Sometimes you’re sitting at a beach and you have no idea how lucky you are to just be sitting on a beach.

Winter comes with a darkness for me in both the literal and physical sense. Going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark 5 days a week seems to take it’s toll on me. Ironically it’s this darkness that brings the troubles of the world into the light. A certain vulnerability washes over me in the cold months that I find hard to justify but it turns on like survival mode. Let’s call it “winter anxiety” because I usually don’t feel like this.

Others around me have it too. They wear it on their faces and they speak it with every deep breath they take in when you ask them how it’s going. It’s days without hearing from them and wondering what you can do to help. Can you do more? Do you have more?

Reaching out feels good. Getting out feels good. New socks feel good.

Looking forward to the beach already.

OG Dinner

January 9, 2023

People Props, Yada, Yada, Yada

Just before the holidays I met a couple of the “OG” (original Glenwood) crew for a nice dinner and drinks at the Brazen Hall. I saw a picture last year of them out for dinner on the Facebook and remember thinking “man, I would love to get together with those guys and catch up” and this year I got the invite.

It was Corrine, Kelly, Melanie, and Dave. All people from the neighbourhood where I grew up. If you are doing the math I would have introduced Corrine and Kelly as my friends over the last 42 years. Dave and Mel I met when I moved to Glenwood from Varennes in 1985. Here we all are in 2022, sitting in the Brazen Hall sharing a gender-neutral bathroom and reminiscing about old times.

It was so cool to learn about who everyone still had contact with especially since we all kind of went our own way for high school. We all went to Glenlawn but up until grade 9, we were like family. I would see these people for 8 hours a day. We would funnel down Des Meurons and walk to school together. We hung out on the weekends and after school at the rink, or at someone’s house. Once we hit high school we all branched out on different paths but those formative years at Glenwood would connect us forever. Not just those who could make it this night, all of us I think.

Corrine lived on my street so I was hanging out with her the earliest. I would get in trouble for crossing Des Meurons by myself to get to her place. I was fascinated by her Smurf collection (she had all 100+) and we (I) would play Air Sea Battle on her Atari. My first exposure to video games, thank you very much! I am sure my wife thanks you as well.

Kelly, I met through Corrine I think and we all started hanging out after school in the same circles. She was the one I talked to the most about stuff. She lived a street up from me so I would often catch up to her on the way to school, or the way home, and have good talks.

Melanie, we met at Glenwood when we started there and she and I shared some good times out in Rushing River over a couple of summers. One of my most vivid memories of Melanie was the time I was “doubling” her home on the handlebars of my gold Kuwahara and thought I could go “no hands”. Needless to say, that didn’t end well and I don’t think Melanie got on too many handlebars after that.

Dave and I played ball together and for me, that was some of the best times of my life as a kid. I was never an athlete in school but in baseball, I could hang with these guys and Dave was a big part of that time in my life. His brother Ray coached us for one year and he could really motivate me. I went to my first concert ever with Dave and Ray in 1986 at the Winnipeg Arena. It was AC/DC, the “Who made Who” tour and I remember it was so LOUD my ears were still adjusting the next day.

So there we all sit 40 years later talking about our families and our kids. People I haven’t spoken to outside of social media coming together after all these years just to appreciate that time in our lives when we couldn’t have known we were making friendships that would last a lifetime.

Already looking forward to the next one. Glenlawn 100 maybe?

2023. Bring it.

January 2, 2023

Obviously, my NY resolution is to write more. Also, yoga. I need more flexibility in my life.

In 2022 I moved peever.org over to a new secure host because I had all kinds of issues with GoDaddy and vowed I would write more. The end result was 3 posts. The positive spin on that is in 2023 I really only need 4 posts to achieve my new goal.

For my mental and physical health this year my intention is to take up yoga. Not any of that extreme hot yoga but the kind where you get down to your underwear in the basement and do some Yoga with Adriene.

Back in October, I suffered a hamstring injury playing hockey and it was a nothing play. I was just skating backward trying to keep the puck inside the blueline and “POP”. The guys had to push me off the ice and roll me out of the gate. Some yoga will prevent some of these injuries, and I think making some time in the evening or a Saturday morning will be good for mental health too.

I was all healed up just in time for the Hockey Helps the Homeless tournament in December. This would be our second year as a team and for me, it was a little harder to raise the money. Timmy G and Bry did an amazing job putting on a fundraiser and without them, I may not have made it! Once again the tournament was top-notch. We drafted Russ Romaniuk this year and he proved to be a class act on and off the ice. Unlike Garbutt who was out there playing like he was hoping to get another chance to play with the Ducks. Once again we won best dressing room.

Next thing you know it’s Christmas and WTF, we are all healthy! Last year I spent 10 days in the basement over Christmas with the “vid” and watched the kids open gifts from a distance. This year it was nice to have some normalcy over the holidays. It was nice to get my mom over for dinner and around the kids as well without worrying about her getting sick from us.

NYE we ordered up some 4 Seasons (damn the ginger beef is good) and spent the evening with the Grants and Morrisons. Fun Shan got some games going, we watched some hockey, had a few slurpees. Again, it was nice just to be together and have the kids together.

Lexi and Ashlyn head back to school on Thursday for 2 days. Ashlyn is into horseback riding and Lexi will be starting Volleyball later this month. Lexi is still playing soccer as well so we are busy during the week with activities and such.

I will do better with updates in 2023 so that I am less overwhelmed with summarizing an entire Peever year. It hardly does it justice.

HHTH 2022

October 24, 2022

Lexi & Ashlyn, Yada, Yada, Yada

Fundraising time!

The reality is that each player MUST raise $500 to take part in the tournament. You donate on my behalf and I get to have all the fun. I get to spend the better part of a working day playing hockey with my friends and whooping it up in the dressing room. It sounds pretty selfish when I hear myself say it out loud. But…

Last year our team alone raised over $10,000 for Winnipeg homeless and this year we are hoping to top that. The tournament provided over $150,000 of resources to support local shelters and is back to do the same in 2022. Our team raised well over the required amount and each player made a personal donation as well. We also collected 3 bags of clothing including 8 winter jackets along with another box of daily essentials. We do not take the cause lightly.

On December 16th, I hope to be participating in the 3rd Annual Hockey Helps the Homeless Winnipeg Tournament, raising awareness and funding for 3 very deserving local homelessness support agencies. To do so I need your support.

Tax receipts will be issued upon receipt of the donation for all gifts $25 and above.

Greta Van Fleet

August 24, 2022

peever

I first learned about Greta Van Fleet in 2019 while listening to the Fighter & The Kid Podcast. Will Sasso came on and was talking about this Band from Michigan who sounds a heckuva lot like Led Zepplin. I don’t think he was bad-mouthing them but talking more about how an artist emulates their influences. Strangely, I have never considered myself a Zepplin fan but I have come to love this band. So much in fact that they are now a staple in my car and at home. The kids love their music too so when I saw that they were coming to Winnipeg I wasted little time securing tickets.

This is also the first REAL concert that the kids have been to so I wanted it to be something they would never forget. I remember my first concert and I think I was about Lexi’s age. It was the “Who Made Who” tour in 1986 at the Winnipeg Arena. I was 12 and I went with Dave Clarke and his older brother Ray. It was unbelievable. After the concert, I remember thinking that I might be deaf for the rest of my life, and at the time…I didn’t even care!

When we arrived we went straight for the merch table. Lexi picked up a GVF sweater and Ashlyn picked out this cool chain that we would later see around the neck of lead vocalist Josh Kiszka. When she first saw him on the big screen next to our seats wearing the chain her eyes got all big and she pointed it out to me. It was a really cool find for her and “the most expensive piece of jewelry in her collection”!

We made it to our seats in time for “The Pretty Reckless” who we knew very little about. We found out quickly that Taylor Momsen the lead singer rocks it out pretty hard and has a dirty mouth. The girls liked it and they are actually getting some air time at our place now. It was Ashlyn who pointed out after the show that GVF was all about love and peace and it was funny that their opener dropped a bunch of F-Bombs and hated on men!

GVF was amazing from start to finish. It had great energy, there was pyro, and the band really left it all out on stage. I mean there was 10 min drum solo to end the 2nd song. I have no idea how the drummer finished the show, to be honest. If there was one thing I would have changed it might have been less riffing and more songs. Regardless, the vocals were amazing and when I describe this band I am always telling people that the lead vocals are like another instrument the way he riffs with the band throwing in little quips and yells. It was amazing to see up close and I can’t not see it when I am listening to their music now.

GVF Gallery

Shout out to Gary and Gavin who helped me get some tickets in advance. Couldn’t have asked for a better show.

Summer 2022

August 15, 2022

peever

Lexi & Ashlyn, Travel, Yada, Yada, Yada

People Props, Yada, Yada, Yada

Ask one and it’s the summer of Pineapple and Bacon pizza. To the other, it’s night binging BTVS (Buffy The Vampire Slayer) and going to bed later than dad. Either way, summer has changed for all of us and this year is rushing past in a blur.

Here is a little recap of what I can remember…

Canada Day at Joel’s kicked the summer off as it usually does except this year there was no Lexi! She busted out of school a day early with Kaelyn on a trip to Regina. Gone are the days of our little Blueberry Girls cartwheeling and dancing around Massey park much to the enjoyment of our Windsor Park neighbours. It’s all about the fireworks now and this year’s display tasted just a little bit sweeter on the other side of Covid19. Plus we helped pay for them this year too!

Next in July, I booked off a week for our annual trip to Blue Lake. Five families this year, 8 kids out, one neighbour child, and one Easton, who still counts as a Ratte kid in my books. The only Ratte kid this time sadly. Highlights this year include a rainy Tent City, Play Nine, Mandy’s wings, sunset swimming, multiple bug zappers, an impromptu trip to Rushing River, boat rides with Uncle Paul, wrap slap, getting of the wood, Charski’s 50th and of course the highly anticipated “Jiffy Off”. Congratulations to Shannon “Forearms-on-fire” Peever who took home the honours.

This trip I look forward to all year. I don’t care if I have to sleep on the ground for 6 nights, or if the bathrooms are always closed, or if the bugs are eating my legs to the bone in the first 10 minutes of set-up. It’s the people who make it great. Some of the best people.

View Photos >

Home for a week of BTVS and then Shan took the girls to Toronto to visit her mom and Pad for a couple of weeks. This trip wasn’t in the books for me and to be completely honest I was looking forward to some quiet time at home. Just me, the dogs, and time. It took about 3 days and a few pictures sent my way before I was really missing my family. Of course, they had a blast and Gerrie and Pad went all out to show the girls all over Toronto and the surrounding area. They went to Ottawa to see family, and Collingwood to see Anne & Bill, before rounding out the trip at Casa Quint.

It was really cool to see Pad hitting all the rides with Lexi at Canada’s Wonderland. It should have been me but I thought it was pretty cool how much he seemed to embrace their visit. Two weeks is a long time to host people in your home and show them around town. Hearing about the little surprises he had lined up for them each day made them feel so welcome and at home. I am sure having Gerrie there helped a little too!

What about me you ask? Well, Paul was able to come in on the weekend and we feasted with Joel, Al, Puncher, and Brey at Carnaval. We hit a few pubs, and had some late-night nachos…you know the drill! I got some chores done, saw the dentist, and all that fun stuff.

Regardless I am glad to have them home or had them home. Home for a week and now off to Echo Bay for some Spicy Banditos weekend at Pat and Carla’s. Little travellers this summer. When they get home Shan is back to work and it’s only two weeks before school starts.

Hardly any top-down days left.

– insert photo of Jeep here –

Hockey Helps the Homeless

November 16, 2021

peever