Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Is there anything BUT hockey?

There's an old country song that twangs, "Well, life on the farm is kinda laid back..."  Ha!  He ain't been on this farm!

Went to three hockey games in the last four days, one of which was nearly in Manitoba, and I swear my butt, while never terribly attractive anyway, is now permanently conformed to the shape of a bleacher.  I guess I'm just lucky I take my own padding wherever I go, since we have four more games to watch before Adam, Stephen and I get on a plane to Rome.

The Pee Wees easily handled Conquest (7 - 2) last night in Elrose in game one of the Provincial finals.   I heard one of our cheering grandmas comment that this series isn't going to be a cakewalk like the others have been.  I want some of what she is on.  I am predicting a bit of a massacre on Friday when Conquest returns.

The Midgets finally lost a game this year.  Unfortunately it was game one of their Provincial finals!  That was in Redvers - an 8 hour one-way trip, folks.  And that's only if your bus doesn't break down in Regina on the way.  Long, expensive story, but we did get to Redvers and back.  Redvers is here on Saturday, and the boys are certain they can overcome the 2 goal deficit and become Provincial champs. Should be a good game if you're in the area!  Or you could take in one of the league final games, in Wilkie tonight and back in Kerrobert on Monday!  Hockey, hockey, hockey!

For a bit of a diversion, we had Music Festival in Luseland in the middle of all the hockey.  I have been playing piano for the Community Choir there (my flat butt fits so well on the piano bench!) and was hurrying to my beloved hometown for their performance in the festival, when I decided to slow down and pull over.  Actually, that decision was quite easy to make when I saw the red and blue flashing lights in the rear-view mirror.  At any rate, I met the Luseland police officer, who was very polite and who asked me if I was in a hurry.  I replied that yes, indeed, I was, for there was a group of old people waiting for me to accompany them.   After inspecting my license, he asked if I was Adam Schraefel's mother.  I got a sinking feeling in my gut, and figured I was pretty much hooped at that point.  But no, he just said he hadn't seen Adam around much lately (good thing), and that he would let me go with a warning (really good thing!)  After a little chitchat about the moose in and around Luseland (didn't he hear me when I said I was late???), I continued on my way.  And the choir performed wonderfully at the festival.

So that's about it for now.  I likely won't be back here until after we return home for Europe, so take care and thanks for checking in!
Chandra

Sunday, March 07, 2010

Sunshine! We have sunshine!

We have been enveloped in fog so often lately, everyone is just a little grumpy.  It's amazing how moods change for the better when the sun peeks out!  Just makes you feel good, and that perhaps the snow will be gone soon.

But not too soon, for we have hockey to finish!  The Midgets won round three of Provincials with a really good game against Wilkie on Friday night.  We are still waiting to hear where they go next.  It's either Drake or Arborfield, where we went last year in the same round.  Those two games will take place next weekend.
The Pee Wees are off to Lake Lenore on Friday, and will play host on Sunday here in Kerrobert.  Here's hoping for a little competition this round.  It is also round three for the Pee Wees, and they will be off to the finals if they win.

We had a bit of excitement, so to speak, last Saturday, beginning with an early morning phone call from my cousin in New Brunswick who had heard about the earthquake in Chile, and who was wondering if we had heard from my sister, Lisa, who lives in Santiago.  Well, we hadn't, and when my heart started beating again, we turned on the TV to follow the devastating news and pictures, until I thought I was going to be sick.  Then I got on the internet to see if there was any way to contact her and get news about her.  Most of my calls to her cell phone didn't get through, and the one that did went unanswered.  She is a free spirit, and had just moved to a new apartment, address unknown to us, and as far as we knew hadn't yet registered with the Canadian consulate there.   After a few stressful hours, Mom received a phone call from a friend of Lisa's saying she was fine.  It turns out Lisa had been away for the weekend, at a beach town farther away from the earthquake's epicentre, and wasn't in any danger.  They made it safely back to Santiago Saturday night, and had power and water again already on Sunday.  I think the aftershocks are still giving them some grief, but for the most part, all is well. Thank goodness!

The Kerrobert Senior Tigers hosted a Deon Volk Memorial game and event yesterday.  The Montreal Canadiens Fan Club came from Saskatoon to take on the Tigers in a very entertaining game.  The Initiation team joined them on the ice, as well, making for lots of laughs.  The game was followed by a banquet, program and silent auction, with all the proceeds of the day going to a trust fund for Deon's son, Avery.  Clem and I played for the cocktails before the banquet, and were there ever a lot of people there!  We were pleasantly surprised to see Tim and Jan Helle here.  Tim used to play bass in our old band, Stillwater.  Any of you readers remember that?  Do you realize how long ago that was?  My goodness!  Anyway, Tim and Jan still look exactly the same (how do people do that? maybe it's because they didn't have any boys, just girls!), and it was great to see them and catch up for a bit.  Clem and I didn't stay for the evening's entertainment, since Derek was at his first babysitting job ever, and his mom was just a little nervous. The other mom was just relieved to actually have a babysitter.  I think you have to be just a little desperate to agree to an eleven-year-old boy who has never babysat before and has never even met you or your kids, but that's just me!  Turns out he did fine - the first time I called, he was making the kids grilled cheese sandwiches, which of course conjured up all sorts of disastrous scenarios in my mind, none of which occurred.  He arrived home about one o'clock in the morning, just pumped, and with a pocket full of cash that he will spend at his earliest convenience, I'm sure.  In fact, I'm guessing it will probably be gone just before he needs spending money next weekend for his big hockey trip!   Ah, life with kids...

Well, I'm going to quit now and settle in for a relaxing, non-hockey day at home.
Thanks for stopping by!
Chandra