Well, in case you don't know already, November 11th was my birthday. I was intending to make this a quiet birthday that would quietly slip by. I took 4 days off work hoping to skip the office rituals that birthdays seem to initiate along with the dreaded question " so ... how many years young are you today?" UGGGGGG! I suppose you can understand why I would want to skip that lovely discussion.
My birthday weekend (a long one) started Thursday afternoon when Arnie returned from a 10 day business trip to Brazil. I was clever enough to come up with a good cover story so he would not call me at work BECAUSE ... I would be in meetings all morning therefore, ensuring that he would not be informed by co-workers that I was off for the day. Then, to explain why my car was parked at home, I told him that I had to take the tram to work that morning because my car would not start. Plan was that I would yell "SURPRISE" after he walked in the door. STUPID ME ... forgot the bloody chain on the door so my cover was TOTALLY blown. It was a quiet day because Arnie needed to catch up on sleep after such a long flight.
Friday he went to work for the morning & returned in the afternoon (allowing me to sleep in). He surprised me with a 10 year old bottle of port, the latest CD from Madonna (just released on that day), 2 DVDs & the promise of something exciting on Saturday. We enjoyed a lovely dinner for 2, caught up on the events of our lives from the last 10 days & then watched The Terminal.
Saturday was a treat because Arnie's parents drove down for the day. Arnie went shopping with Dad and I went to the Amstelveen mall with Mom. When Mom and I returned from the mall there were presents sitting on the table. Arnie explained that they went to Mediamarkt to find me the digital camera I fancied (IXUS 50 from Canon, of course). Unfortunately, they were sold out so they had to find me something else. So I started to open my new packages, cuz my inner child demanded that I MUST and gifts must NEVER go unopened! Earlier, I received a box with different green tea blends (since I quit drinking coffee) and some popcorn (my favourite junkfood). One gift box contained a very special designer silver teapot which keeps tea warm for many hours because of its double layer construction - excellent. The second box contained a multi-memory PC card which left me slightly confused - what do I do with this? After my confusion cleared up I started to thank everyone for my gifts, Arnold walked over & mentioned that there was one more gift. SURPRISE ... it was my shiny new Canon IXUS 50. We enjoyed a dinner of Spanish tapas which was, at times, somewhat experimental.
Eerst, wil ik Ma & Pa bedanken voor en super leuk dag. Ook wil ik en groot bedanken voor alle mijn leuk cadeaus. Ik wil heel veel mooi photos in de toekomst nemen. Ik hoop dat jullie en mooi dag gehad - winkelen bij de centrum & lekker eten.
Sunday, we discoverd a new sports channel NASN (North American Sport Network) in our channel selection (which changes every 3 months). Imagine my "out-of-this-world" excitement to see that they were just about to air an NHL game between the Montreal Canadians and the Toronto Maple Leafs (my favourite team on the planet). For those who know me well, you know that ice hockey, but in particular NHL hockey, is one of my greatest passions. Killer bees and giant spiders could not take me away from my TV - this was the best game EVER! These 2 teams have been rivals for years and the pressure was on. Using my new IXUS 50, I took some photos so I would remember this moment at a later date.
It was an excitement-filled game, one penalty after another, one power play after another & one goal after another. By the second period, Toronto was leading by 2 goals - but this lead did not last.
For those who truly love NHL action, you have to have an appreciation for DON CHERRY - obnoxious, opinionated but entertaining. He is still as excentric as ever in his red plaid suit - quite an individualist.
Finally, during overtime Toronto won 5 - 4. GO LEAFS GO!!! I was ecstatic, in theme of the moment, and feeling a tad patriotic - I suppose, would be an accurate observation. Here is a clear example of a picture saying a 1000 words - so I will let the picture do its job.
But I gotta know, which one is cooler? I have asked this question to NHL fans around the world. Who do you love the most? I need to know your answer so please share your feedback in the comments at the bottom of my posting.
1) Don Cherry: Appears on CBC sports with sidekick Ron McLean. He tells it like it is and does not hold back. Aside from a few politicians, Don Cherry is a recognized figure amongst Canadians. Unlike the politicians, Cherry will not lie.
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2) Peter Puck: the talking, wise-cracking hockey puck cartoon whose complex hockey knowledge is shared with viewers. I loved this puck when I was a little girl watching hockey with my father. Especially, when my Dad screamed ouch everytime Peter Puck would get slapped by a hockey stick - it just cracked me up!
Well, that is all for my birthday weekend. I also have Monday off to continue doing whatever birthday "stuff" is left to do.
OR
Well, that is all for my birthday weekend. I also have Monday off to continue doing whatever birthday "stuff" is left to do.
Happy Birthday to Kevin, my nephew, who celebrated his 25th birthday on October 14th. I wasn't able to announce your birthday because my site went live after your "special day". Thankfully, Julie sent me this photo today so I uploaded it straight away. I know I am late but this birthday was just too important to wait till next year. Happy birthday Kevin - you are officially 1/4 of a century in years - an amazing age isn't it!!