05 January 2014
Thanks and Sports Talk
05/01/14 16:45
Thanks and Sports Talk
Friday was my birthday. Now normally I don’t make a big deal about it. It’s just another day. This year though somebody (Edit: HeHeHe, Marsha) decided to let it slip on FaceBook. Thanks to everyone for all the cards and well wishes. Yes I’m doing much better thank you. This round of chemo is going better than the last one. The biggest question/wish I got in everyone's cards was to get well. As you can see from these two pictures I am doing much better.
First the one from last September. I was just out of the hospital, literally that day if I remember correctly, and I was at around 170lb.
This was taken on the second of January, two days after chemo round four. I’m now running between 190 and 195 lb. and felt good enough for Marsha to take me out to breakfast.
As you can see I’m looking much better. Also, now that I’ve learned to manage my treatments I’m having only a bit of discomfort. I’ve learned a few things, like now I take the day after my IV chemo off, a couple if possible, like how diet is really important, and all the Christmas treats are OK as long as I only have a little bit at a time. I’ve also realized how lucky I’ve been.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8xnLkyKgsE
As most of you are NOW aware Friday was my birthday. Oddly enough it was also Michael Schumacher’s birthday. Michael Schumacher, for those who don’t follow European motor sports, is a legendary Formula 1 driver. He retired in 2010 and has spent his time crashing motorcycles and, in December having a massive accident while skiing. This is a bit ironic because he was not only known for his wins, he was known for avoiding accidents on the track. This was likely not unconnected to his winning so many championships. Now he wasn’t able to celebrate his birthday at all this year because he’s in a French hospital in a coma from the skiing accident.
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/michael-schumacher-in-coma-after-ski-accident-1.2478473
For the moment his prognosis is unknown but I kept thinking of the Dutch Prince that passed away in 2013 from injuries also resulting from a 2012 skiing accident.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/12/dutch-prince-johan-friso-dies
I also think of my exploits on skis. I am a terrible skier. I’ve only gone cross country skiing, and that only three times. Once in Oregon with my sister and some people from work and twice in Minnesota at the Apple Valley Zoo. I remember it being cold and wet but mostly the thing I remember was my last outing. Going down a steep slope, (I mean it was like maybe a 1% grade), when my ski tips crossed. The next thing I know I was flat on my back unable to move. Imagine if you will, a cross-section of the scene. At the bottom was the snow and rocks and tree parts. On top of that were both of my ski poles crossed over each other and tangled in the tree parts below so they could not be moved. On top of those were both my skis, crossed as well, and finally on top of that was I, on my back, spread eagled. My arms could not move because they were looped to the ski poles I was laying on. My legs were utterly unable to move because the ski bindings had failed to let loose. I was staked out to the snow as well as if I’d been staked out over an anthill in an old spaghetti western movie. Just then the wolves in the enclosure next to us started to howl. I guess they saw an easy meal, and I would have been too if Marsha had not been able to stop laughing at my predicament long enough to release the bindings on my skis. I’d have either been wolf lunch, or they’d have found me frozen to the trail the following April. Either way this was when I realized that sliding down an icy slope on narrow boards really wasn't for me. Michael Schumacher’s accident and the Dutch Princes accident only amplified my desire to stay inside with a cup of hot cocoa and a Formula 1 race on the tele.
Actually the biggest sports news up here has been that the NHL has signed a contract with Rogers Communication. Rogers is getting total Canadian broadcast rights to all NHL games for the next 12 years. The CBC has had the rights to NHL games and Hockey Night in Canada for decades so it’s a huge change for Hockey fans up here.
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=693152
My reaction was “Oh good, the game I’m not interested in is being broadcast by a company I won’t do business with, Win-Win.” Actually I discovered a game I think looks like much more fun than Hockey. It’s called Bandy. Its hockey played on a rink the size of a soccer field. There’s eleven players per side and it’s played more along the lines of soccer, with more emphasis in skill and playing the game rather than checking and taking out the opposing player. It looks much more interesting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUaxDB0ea3M&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DKUaxDB0ea3M&app=desktop
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwttEMCM-Y8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Bl9bVN4hOc
I’m hoping that the CBC will pick up Bandy to replace the NHL. I’d watch it.
Of course one of the biggest sports all around the world is complaining about the weather. There’s been a lot of coverage of this week’s big storm on the East Coast.
http://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/articles/winter-storm-targets-us-northeast-thousands-of-flights-cancelled/18806/
The storm in question hit New York and New Jersey, with snow reported as far south as Atlanta. Emergencies have been declared all up and down the coast, thousands of flights were cancelled, and people are stranded.
On the back side of this storm, Minnesota has also been in a really bad cold spell. The worst since 1997 and the Governor closed the schools
http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_24839862/dayton-closes-minnesota-schools-monday-ahead-cold
While all the mess was happening there the storm traveled up the coast to hit Nova Scotia and Newfoundland with another one coming from Ontario to hit on Monday or so.
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/ontario-told-to-prepare-for-snow-storm-widespread-power-outages-in-newfoundland-1.1617706
This is after the big storm that hit Toronto, Montreal, and the Maritimes just before Christmas. It knocked out power to thousands of customers for over a week.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ice-storm-means-dark-christmas-for-thousands-of-canadians-1.2475190
In Winnipeg its even colder than Minnesota
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/deep-freeze-extends-from-winnipeg-east-to-newfoundland-1.2481456
and Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories is even colder
http://www.cbc.ca/north/weather/s0000366.html
But of course it’s business as usual for us up here. Just one more storm to us Canadians though some may comment on it being a bit nippy. We’re used to it. Now mind you, I’m writing from the one place in Canada where an inch of snow and a degree below freezing is “a blizzard”. I just checked the forecast for the next few days and the low tonight will be 6C (that’s ~42F) Tomorrow the high will be 6C, the low tomorrow night will be 6C, and the high Tuesday will be 6C. Yet we Vancouver Islanders still complain about the weather. We are the worlds biggest wimps.
We’re number one, we’re number one…
Friday was my birthday. Now normally I don’t make a big deal about it. It’s just another day. This year though somebody (Edit: HeHeHe, Marsha) decided to let it slip on FaceBook. Thanks to everyone for all the cards and well wishes. Yes I’m doing much better thank you. This round of chemo is going better than the last one. The biggest question/wish I got in everyone's cards was to get well. As you can see from these two pictures I am doing much better.
First the one from last September. I was just out of the hospital, literally that day if I remember correctly, and I was at around 170lb.
This was taken on the second of January, two days after chemo round four. I’m now running between 190 and 195 lb. and felt good enough for Marsha to take me out to breakfast.
As you can see I’m looking much better. Also, now that I’ve learned to manage my treatments I’m having only a bit of discomfort. I’ve learned a few things, like now I take the day after my IV chemo off, a couple if possible, like how diet is really important, and all the Christmas treats are OK as long as I only have a little bit at a time. I’ve also realized how lucky I’ve been.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8xnLkyKgsE
As most of you are NOW aware Friday was my birthday. Oddly enough it was also Michael Schumacher’s birthday. Michael Schumacher, for those who don’t follow European motor sports, is a legendary Formula 1 driver. He retired in 2010 and has spent his time crashing motorcycles and, in December having a massive accident while skiing. This is a bit ironic because he was not only known for his wins, he was known for avoiding accidents on the track. This was likely not unconnected to his winning so many championships. Now he wasn’t able to celebrate his birthday at all this year because he’s in a French hospital in a coma from the skiing accident.
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/michael-schumacher-in-coma-after-ski-accident-1.2478473
For the moment his prognosis is unknown but I kept thinking of the Dutch Prince that passed away in 2013 from injuries also resulting from a 2012 skiing accident.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/12/dutch-prince-johan-friso-dies
I also think of my exploits on skis. I am a terrible skier. I’ve only gone cross country skiing, and that only three times. Once in Oregon with my sister and some people from work and twice in Minnesota at the Apple Valley Zoo. I remember it being cold and wet but mostly the thing I remember was my last outing. Going down a steep slope, (I mean it was like maybe a 1% grade), when my ski tips crossed. The next thing I know I was flat on my back unable to move. Imagine if you will, a cross-section of the scene. At the bottom was the snow and rocks and tree parts. On top of that were both of my ski poles crossed over each other and tangled in the tree parts below so they could not be moved. On top of those were both my skis, crossed as well, and finally on top of that was I, on my back, spread eagled. My arms could not move because they were looped to the ski poles I was laying on. My legs were utterly unable to move because the ski bindings had failed to let loose. I was staked out to the snow as well as if I’d been staked out over an anthill in an old spaghetti western movie. Just then the wolves in the enclosure next to us started to howl. I guess they saw an easy meal, and I would have been too if Marsha had not been able to stop laughing at my predicament long enough to release the bindings on my skis. I’d have either been wolf lunch, or they’d have found me frozen to the trail the following April. Either way this was when I realized that sliding down an icy slope on narrow boards really wasn't for me. Michael Schumacher’s accident and the Dutch Princes accident only amplified my desire to stay inside with a cup of hot cocoa and a Formula 1 race on the tele.
Actually the biggest sports news up here has been that the NHL has signed a contract with Rogers Communication. Rogers is getting total Canadian broadcast rights to all NHL games for the next 12 years. The CBC has had the rights to NHL games and Hockey Night in Canada for decades so it’s a huge change for Hockey fans up here.
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=693152
My reaction was “Oh good, the game I’m not interested in is being broadcast by a company I won’t do business with, Win-Win.” Actually I discovered a game I think looks like much more fun than Hockey. It’s called Bandy. Its hockey played on a rink the size of a soccer field. There’s eleven players per side and it’s played more along the lines of soccer, with more emphasis in skill and playing the game rather than checking and taking out the opposing player. It looks much more interesting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUaxDB0ea3M&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DKUaxDB0ea3M&app=desktop
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwttEMCM-Y8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Bl9bVN4hOc
I’m hoping that the CBC will pick up Bandy to replace the NHL. I’d watch it.
Of course one of the biggest sports all around the world is complaining about the weather. There’s been a lot of coverage of this week’s big storm on the East Coast.
http://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/articles/winter-storm-targets-us-northeast-thousands-of-flights-cancelled/18806/
The storm in question hit New York and New Jersey, with snow reported as far south as Atlanta. Emergencies have been declared all up and down the coast, thousands of flights were cancelled, and people are stranded.
On the back side of this storm, Minnesota has also been in a really bad cold spell. The worst since 1997 and the Governor closed the schools
http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_24839862/dayton-closes-minnesota-schools-monday-ahead-cold
While all the mess was happening there the storm traveled up the coast to hit Nova Scotia and Newfoundland with another one coming from Ontario to hit on Monday or so.
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/ontario-told-to-prepare-for-snow-storm-widespread-power-outages-in-newfoundland-1.1617706
This is after the big storm that hit Toronto, Montreal, and the Maritimes just before Christmas. It knocked out power to thousands of customers for over a week.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ice-storm-means-dark-christmas-for-thousands-of-canadians-1.2475190
In Winnipeg its even colder than Minnesota
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/deep-freeze-extends-from-winnipeg-east-to-newfoundland-1.2481456
and Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories is even colder
http://www.cbc.ca/north/weather/s0000366.html
But of course it’s business as usual for us up here. Just one more storm to us Canadians though some may comment on it being a bit nippy. We’re used to it. Now mind you, I’m writing from the one place in Canada where an inch of snow and a degree below freezing is “a blizzard”. I just checked the forecast for the next few days and the low tonight will be 6C (that’s ~42F) Tomorrow the high will be 6C, the low tomorrow night will be 6C, and the high Tuesday will be 6C. Yet we Vancouver Islanders still complain about the weather. We are the worlds biggest wimps.
We’re number one, we’re number one…