Kobo

For my birthday, I received a Kobo e-reader...I love it!

(Now my romance novel addiction isn't so noticeable and the print versions aren't lying around the house!)

All about Kobo (and how you can get one!)

Guns N' Roses

Henry and I are off to see Guns N' Roses...it won't be the same without Slash, but a night out is a night out!

They better come on stage and be done before midnight...this girl has to get up for work tomorrow!

We won't wear our Slash t-shirts and top hats though...read this post:

National Post

vote for Marisa!

I am asking for everyone to vote for Marisa's Jeans at http://ca.lge.com/denimdiy/ . It only takes 3 clicks - Click on the the jeans for "Marisa Crandell". Only a couple days left and she needs all the votes she can get! THANKS!

(Marisa was our awesome babysitter years ago, and is now in the Fashion Program at Fanshawe)

Technology and all that I don't know...

I wish that I had more time to become a techno geek.

There is so much that I would like to learn how to do in order to add to my blog and add to the school library web site (oh man, that one is so much fun, but such a huge task!)

I think I need to go back to school again...

Of course, I only need a money tree, time, and a brain (and ruby red slippers)

mmm....maybe I'll go shoe shopping instead!

OHL Showcase Cup Championship game

In today's London Fress Press... Marlies stun Chiefs with blitz in second period Mon, March 23, 2009 Elgin Middlesex surrendered four goals in six minutes on the way to a 5-1 loss in the OHL Cup final
By SUN MEDIA STAFF

The stingy Elgin Middlesex Chiefs allowed just five goals in a six-game march to the OHL Cup final.

But in the minor midget hockey showcase championship game, they surrendered five more.

The Toronto Marlies stunned the Chiefs with a four-goal blitz in a six-minute span early in the second period and rode it to a 5-1 win yesterday at Mississauga's Hershey Centre.

Toronto's Zach Mitchell, Evan Rodrigues, Michael Curtis, Justin Rasmussen and Brett Richie each scored singles on Elgin Middlesex goalie Taylor Speed. Forward Jordan Drury was the only Chief to beat Marlies keeper Malcolm Subban, whose older brother PK is a star defenceman with the OHL's Belleville Bulls.

Elgin Middlesex went 0-for-4 on the power play. The Marlies were 0-for-1.

It's the second straight season Elgin Middlesex fell to the Toronto club at the Cup. Last year a Chiefs team that included Erie Otters forward Greg McKegg and Steve Shipley of the Owen Sound Attack lost in double overtime to the Marlies in the semifinals.

The Marlies organization lost the previous two finals. They last captured the Cup in 2004-05 when Sam Gagner and John Tavares topped Drew Doughty and the London Junior Knights 5-0 in the final.

The Matt Jenner-coached Chiefs qualified for the final yesterday by beating the Quinte Red Devils 2-1 in the semis for their sixth straight win. After falling behind in the second, Elgin Middlesex rallied for a pair of third-period goals, including Drury's winner with five minutes left.

Chiefs goalie Michael Roefs, the semifinal MVP, finished 3-0 with a shutout and allowed two goals in the tournament. Before facing the Marlies, Speed went 3-0 with a shutout and just three goals surrendered, including a 3-2 double-overtime win over the Mississauga Senators.

Jon Sims bagged the dramatic winner.

Elgin Middlesex forward Boone Jenner finished second in tourny scoring with six goals and 11 points in seven games. He was shut out in the final.

Quinte's Nick Cousins ended up scoring champ with five goals and 13 points in six games. He was held scoreless by the Chiefs.

The London Junior Knights finished 1-2-1 in the tournament featuring the top 20 minor midget teams in Ontario and the United States.

OHL Showcase Cup (Day 3)

Michael's team OHL write-up going into the Cup:

Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs (3)
Qualified: ALLIANCE Champions
Record: 51-14-3
Head Coach: Matt Jenner
Players to watch: Boone Jenner (F), Jake Worrad (D), Luke Hietkamp (F)
Road to the Cup: Defeated Lambton, Kitchener, and London to win the ALLIANCE Playdown Playoffs.
What to Expect: A team that could be the most balanced in the tournament in all facets.

For all updates, go to OHL Cup website

Michael's team is off to a great start, winning all three games so far against the Toronto Nationals, Burlington Eagles, and Ottawa Senators. They play again this afternoon and then we have the OHL dinner.

Tomorrow, Jenny plays London for her hockey league playdowns/playoffs (not sure which), and then she has provincials coming up in Toronto.
Another game is on the roster for Michael and then we have Nicole and Chris's buck and doe...

Sunday is just as busy...will have to try to rest when I go back to work on Monday!

OHL Cup

Game One last night for Michael's team was a success!

Chiefs beat the Toronto Nationals 3 - 1.

There are two games for the Elgin Middlesex Chiefs on the roster for today at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga.

Michael should be in net this morning against Burlington.

There was a nice write up on Michael and the team by Morris Dalla Costa in yesterday's London Free Press (sports section D1 and D4)

OHL Cup website

Rest in Peace Aunt Pauline..

Pauline Goodwin (Walker) ~ my Aunt


December 24, 1936 - March 6, 2009

Death Notice

Peacefully at Bluewater Health-Norman Site on Friday March 6th, 2009 PAULINE (WALKER) GOODWIN age 72 of Sarnia.
Beloved Mother of Karen Royce, John Goodwin and Karl Goodwin all of Sarnia. Loving Grandma to Ryan and A.J. Sister to Stanley, Lawrence and Keith. Pauline was born in Chester, England; she immigrated to Canada with her family in 1974. Her passion was spending time with her children and grandchildren. She will be greatly missed by her family and all those who knew her.
Cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held at the SMITH FUNERAL HOME (1576 London Line, Sarnia) on Tuesday March 10th, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. A private family interment to follow the service.
Sympathy may be expressed through memorial donations to the Canadian Cancer Society.
Memories and condolences may be sent online at www.smithfuneralhome.ca

Service

Cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held at the SMITH FUNERAL HOME (1576 London Line, Sarnia) on Tuesday March 10th, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. A private family interment to follow the service.

Donations

Sympathy may be expressed through memorial donations to the Canadian Cancer Society.

This post is especially for Uncle Keith in Malaysia.

God Bless!

and so it begins...

I'm thinking of my mother today, as I take Michael to take his G1 drivers test.

I still remember going with my mother.

Michael takes after his mother, passing his written test with flying colors!

Look out everyone, another Roefs is on the road!

Christmas Party Poop-Out

Look past the model above and take a good look at the beautiful dress...MY DRESS (I even had MATCHING shoes for goodness sake).

Not that anyone really got to see it, other than my grand entrance into the ball room. Unfortunately, I exited the ballroom in a more spectacular fashion...but I am getting ahead of myself. I am actually quite angry after all the trouble I went to to find this wonder, that I never got to dance in it! No, the only action this dress saw was the carpeted floor of the reception hall, the inside of the ambulance and the inside of the hospital doggie bag for clothes and items while you get to wear their breezy garb.

As some of you now know, in mid-December at Henry's company Christmas party, I collapsed during dinner. No, not before sitting down in a banquet hall of around 200 people; no, not after enjoying a five-star numerous course cuisine; and no, not while dancing in my fantastic new gown.

No, I collapsed on plate two of dinner. Well, not exactly ON plate two...I did have sufficient time before kissing the table to move my plate a little. Henry moved it the rest of the way once he realized I had checked out.

Once I came to, Henry and his brother, Will (thank God we were at a table mostly comprised of family who closed ranks amidst those who thought they were helping but well...I trust my family more to give me CPR ~ not that it came to that, mind you, but in my fog, I could hear everyone stating they could save me...great; at that moment, it was more embarrassment than anything else!) carried me out to the lobby in the hopes of having 'fresh, cool' air revive me. Well, apparently, my body wasn't quite ready for this trip, and I signed out again. Ambulance came to take me to hospital. All I could think of was,

• thank God my dress was long
• thank goodness I wore sexy thigh highs that came off quick for sticky electrode placement for heart monitor testing (always want to look good at times like this ~ yes, I didn't know they were stuck on the legs as well as the chest either!)
  
• phew, we had already won a door prize during dinner plate #1 (it better not be scooped off our table ~ you know what happens to the centerpieces at functions like these!)
  
• At least I had enjoyed the roast beef and most of plate #2
• thank goodness plate #2 wasn't soup!
• I get to ride in an ambulance for the first time!
  

Instead of staying at the fabulous Hilton, with the soft feather beds,

I stayed the night at the Etobicoke General Emergency Room hooked up to all kinds of wires and monitors that kept poor Henry awake until the wee hours of the morning (you know not much stops ME from sleeping ~ even on a rock hard stretcher without a pillow)

I'll continue with the rest of the story tomorrow.

Michael and Jenny's tournaments

Jenny is in Connecticut at the Polar Bear Tournament (December 26 - 30)
Click here, Polar Bear Tournament, for her team (Bluewater 14AA Hawks) updates.

Michael is in Toronto at the Marlboros Holiday Classic tournament (December 26 -30)
Click here, Marlboros Holiday Classic, for his team (Elgin Middlesex Chiefs Minor Midget) updates.

You may need to refresh the internet page when opened for the updated scores. Both web pages require a bit of scrolling down, as there are many many teams playing. Jenny played a team from Colorado this afternoon!

Big tournaments for them both, and so far, both of them have won all their games so far.

watching paint dry...

After Henry's spontaneous bout with a crow bar, I am now looking at repainting the rec room after he completes the replacement of the water line in the ceiling and hanging the new suspended ceiling.

The rec room is now adorned with paint chips randomly taped to the walls. This 'new colour' decision will be made by all of us (Bailey not included for the most obvious reason - dogs can't see in colour can they?). The paint chips move around daily as we create a 'yes' area and a 'goodness NO' area.

So far, the choices sound good enough to eat...biscotti, tiramisu, and french toast.


Apparently, a few of these are the popular favorites of home stagers... who knew? (you CAN find anything on the Internet!)

Update...

Not much going on other than hockey and reading for me.

I am currently reading 'New Moon', the second book in the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer.

I am gearing up for Christmas and will start Christmas cards and baking soon.

One thing I always look forward to is Secret Santa at work. I love giving little gifts to someone a couple of days a week for a few weeks. Covert operations make me sweat as I try to deposit my gifts in the staff mailbox without ANYONE of the 80ish staff seeing me. Let me tell you...it's an art to manage this secret gift giving without having someone let the cat out of the bag!

never gonna happen...

I have tried to get our family together for a family photo (for the Christmas cards) for the past 3 weeks. It pretty much has to be the weekend for good lighting now that the time change has brought a blanket of darkness upon us by supper time.

However, with one child at one end of Ontario for one game, and the other at the other end for another...well, I decided today that we are getting individual photos done and will somehow put them together.

I told everyone when they think that they are having a good 'hair' day (or good day in general) tell me to take their photo.

Here is mine...

Books

Twilight has been put back on the shelf in the library for quick check out, and The Shack has been donated to the high school library (I am going to make it my first book club set in the library)

Now that I've read Twilight, I can go see the movie when it comes out (I hate seeing the movie before reading the book)

The Shack was a completely different novel from others I have read (and you know I read alot)

It is about a man's journey after tragedy strikes his family.

Not sure what title is next on the list...

It's time...

The time has come...

• flannel sheets are coming out of the linen closet today and going on to the bed!
• the thermostat went from 'off' to 'heat'
• the patio door remains closed much to Bailey's dismay as she now has to bark to get one of us to open the door to let her out!
• to think about Halloween
  
• to prepare the trailer for storage
• to think about starting Christmas cards (yes, these suckers take forever to get done!)
• to switch out the closets from 'summer' to 'winter' woolies

• to constantly hear refrains of, "I'm so cold!"

Fall is here with Winter close behind

Tournament Champions (again!)

Jenny, receiving her award from her coach...
The TEAM...


Stoney Creek Tournament Champions (September 26, 2008 weekend)

Way to go Jen!

Bluewater Midget Tournament Champions

Jenny in net in her first tournament as a Hawk.
The Bantam AA played up a level in the Midget tournament...and won the whole thing!
Waiting for the other game to finish...

Tournament Champions
Jenny and Kayla...very talented goalies.

Before...during...after to follow in about a year!

Jenny before braces this morning...
Braces are on...she is not so happy now (and I quote here..."But Mom, I didn't think it was going to actually HURT" ) Out we go grocery shopping to appease the princess. (She's definitely my girl; she went straight to the freezer section and picked out Hagen Daas ~ and proceeded to hide them in the cardboard chicken box in the freezer at home ~ damn that was MY hiding spot for chocolate...is nothing sacred in this house?)
You too, could have a lovely opaque bag filled with fancy rechargeable toothbrushes, a travel toothbrush (with toothpaste in the end of the container ~ how handy is that?), and various tooth cleaning attachments all for the price of hmmm...let's say a family winter vacation down sunny south.

sigh...sob!

Braces

Today is the day that Jenny gets her braces put on (hopefully pics to follow if she can open her mouth for me at the end of the day!)

I am sending Henry with her for this momentous event for two reasons:

One: I prefer she not be with me IF she freaks out
Two: He delivers the cheque to the orthodontist so he later doesn't have to ask me why our bank account is empty!