We'll Get By

My favourite day of the NHL season - trade deadline day! Long gone are the days when I was able to dedicate an entire day to "scooping" the big guys, but new Corporate Rick has set his cell phone for TSN updates so I should keep up to date in meetings all day. I know some feel it messes with the integrity of the league, but I just find it entertaining to see so many players move from place to place, especially in rental deals. Brings back fond memories of my doing it with Paul Kariya in ECHL1 before it was a popular course of action.

That brings me to the promised Sundin talk. I'm actually pleasantly surprised that the vocal outrage to Sundin's refusal to waive his no-trade clause has been limited, with most seeming to agree that he doesn't owe the team anything and is perfectly within his rights to do what he wishes. The no-trade clause was negotiated in good faith between the player and the club - he earned it, and he has the right to use it. That said, however, I do hope this is the end of Sundin in Toronto. I've been a fan far longer than most but his time has now served, and with his refusal to do what would have helped the team, I believe it's time to close the Sundin chapter and begin fresh. Hopefully McCabe goes today, along with a few role players-for-picks deals, enough to get us started on the path. When I "gave up" on Toronto two deadlines ago it was solely because they refused to make the hard decisions in rebuilding, although it seems that corner is turned, and perhaps better days are ahead.

The Joker (That's What They Call Me)

See, it works every day! Perhaps I should just launch a new Blogspot blog for these and see if I can get on The Hour, like the paperclip guy.

The Joker

I'm thinking of a new daily feature here at OA. One meant to inject humour and good times into the lives of all my loyal visitors. We all work long, hard hours and require a little laughter to mix it up. So with that, enjoy after the jump! If you like it I can do it every single day!

Ain't Hurtin' Nobody

Apparently I wasn't the only old-school NHL fan taken back a bit watching the horrific injury to Richard Zednik over the weekend. That link will take you to a fairly gentle version of the play, with a closer look around the 2:00 mark. It's odd because, as the play moves on, it's hard to tell anything particularly harsh has happened; until you see the almost immediate splash of blood land on the ice. The end result appears to be a severing of the cartoid artery - just missing the jugular - and Zednik now finds himself upgraded to good condition and resting outside the emergency room.

March 22, 1989 was a Wednesday night and I happened to be a Buffalo Sabres fan, and thus found myself watching the Blues v Sabres tilt that night. As the play moved quickly into the Buffalo end a pass across the mouth of the goal prefaced a collision between the Sabres' Uwe Kruup and the Blues' Steve Tuttle. Tuttle flipped head over heels into the Sabres goaltender, Clint Malarchuk, once again in a seemingly relatively innocent hit. As this video shows, it was even more horrifying than Zednik's recent injury. This blade did hit the jugular, and the ice instantly filled with blood; Malarchuk somehow found the strength to get off the ice under his own power, later noting "My mother was watching the game on TV, and I didn't want her to see me die." Nine witnesses to the incident fainted in the stands, while three players vomited on the ice. 300 stitches closed the wound, and perhaps the most stunning news of all, was four days later Malarchuk was in uniform and on the ice at the Sabres' practice facility, and seeing game action within one week.

Strange memories and I was amazed that after this much time I could play the Malarchuk incident back instantly in my mind. I only hope Richard Zednik is able to return and compete quickly and effectively, putting the incident behind him and allowing his unfortunate teammate, Olli Jokinen, to do the same.

Why Should the Fire Die?

So yesterday was, indeed, my 34th birthday. I believe the first birthday that went by without mention on the Zonk, which is fine by me of course. I got about 35 well-wishes on Facebook to make up for it.. haha! I can happily report my parents provided some money to buy myself something nice, and the leading candidates are books and/or instruments. I'll keep you posted. Kim and Jeff offered up a gift card for Running Room, which will help me in outfitting myself for my upcoming 5k, and my wife chipped in two new harmonicas and a guitar/bottle opener keychain! Mary mentioned she'd never heard me play harmonica so I busted them both out and gave them a run-through, and she seemed happy with it. Of all the natural skills people can be born with why, oh why, was harmonica mine?!

For dinner it was Allegro, an incredible Italian restaurant here in Bolton. I'd been a number of years back for my birthday when the owner, Tony Viola, provided me and the table with free sambuca shots lit afire. Circumstances well inside my control led to the new famous "fire" incident in which I lit the table and my entire arm on fire with blue flames. Thanks to sugar in alcohol I lived to tell the tale, but it's been a story handed down ever since. So yesterday, sure enough, out comes Tony at meal end with a tray of sambuca shots and groans from my family. I jokingly put my hands behind me to keep them as far away from the flames as possible, but it didn't matter. Tony's arm shook as he lowered the glass and sent fire onto his finger and two drops of flaming sambuca to the floor; one landing in my gift bag. So, thus began the comedy of errors as he tried to get his hand and table clear of flame, and I did the same for my gift and his floor. All was well that ended well but I'm quite certain next time it'll be shots of non-flaming cognac making the rounds.

Finally, Cliff has noted that the item that brought him to us in the first place - a web search for 'Just Like Mom' - will be reairing on GameTV starting this coming Monday. I've issued a subscription to the PVR and should my television debut make the cut, y'all will be the first to know!

Today's Random Links
Diamond Shreddies.. what's next, Limited Edition M&M's with W's?
Bert & Ernie go BRUTAL!!!!!!!111omg

Jewel of the Seas: At Sea

Friday, January 25th: At Sea
Mostly Sunny, 82°F/28°C

RCI had begun to learn how to leave the glass half full by restating their usual "Partly Cloudy" as "Mostly Sunny", a brilliant piece of marketing that would distract most of us from the fact that the day was simply too cloudy, cold, and breezy to spend time by the pool. This worked for me as I hate the pool area anyways, but as someone who'd claimed an early seat in the covered Solarium, I must note the pool area was as empty as I'd ever seen it on a cruise in my life. And now, for the story of the most boring day of anyone's cruise.

An at sea day is generally a day to relax and do absolutely nothing, and that's essentially what Mary and I did. We barely saw any of our travel mates all day long as we rose early to track down a rare seat in the Solarium where we, no joke, sat for about six hours. I motored through One Red Paperclip, the story of Kyle MacDonald and his 14 trades from one red paperclip to a house, and it was an entertaining read. I launched from there into Schulz, the big fat biography of Peanuts founder Charles Schulz.

Before dinner we were treated to a highly entertaining show by a world champion juggler, Scotty Cavanaugh. This show competed with Gary Mule Deer for the most fun of the cruise with Cavanaugh highly talented and offering up some unique humour as well. Everyone enjoyed themselves and we were off for dinner. I started the last night off with Creamed Wild Mushrooms in Puff pastry, Roasted Peach Soup, and everyone was treated to Caesar Salad by our waiter. A Thai BBQ Chicken Breast made way into a "Desert Sampler" and we began saying our goodbyes to the friends we'd made amongst our servers.

All told an entertaining cruise on a great ship, and an incredible time with eight awesome touring companions. Can't wait for the next!

Jewel of the Seas: Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Thursday, January 24th: Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Partly Cloudy, 88°F/31°C

Located directly across the water from Cozumel on the mainland, Playa del Carmen (or simply Playa) was a small fishing town until not too long ago when people began to realize it's beauty. It has now become a rare look at an un-Americanized Mexican destination, almost completely filled with local shops that offer change in pesos rather than USD and non-English speaking shop owners. The water is crystal clear and it was one of the highlights of the trip for all of us as we'd expected so little and received so much. Had one listened to the Port and Shopping Guide aboard the Jewel one would believe Playa was a nothing town with three shops, but it soon became obvious just how much of a cruise ship's recommendations are based on who is paying them and how much are honest-to-goodness advice.

I started this venture off with my parents, Kim, and Jeff as we exited shortly after 10:00 AM and decided to sample our second breakfast beer of the trip, stopping off at the local Senor Frog's where I enjoyed (!) a Bohemia. The rest of the morning became a gentle walk along the main strip of Playa with my parents while Kim and Jeff took advantage of the rare sunshine to relax on the beach with some cervezas in hand. The shops were great, and the restaurants looked so inviting we found ourselves wishing we had more time to spend trying some out. The more we walked the more we fell in love with the little coastal stop.

We eventually curved back towards the shore and walked back on the beach, a top-optional beach that featured beautiful blue waters, fishing boats, and plenty of freshly caught barracuda. I was told they would have taken me out for two hours for only $7 and I once again found myself cursing the useless Port and Shopping Guide for not having this as an excursion, or at least helpful information.

Once back I headed back to the ship to track down Rob and Joe, then headed back out to show them the fine city. We didn't spend too much more time before re-boarding and preparing for our second last night. Dinner was up first with Fired Roasted Red Pepper Hummus and Onion Soup to start, a Grilled NY Strip Steak with Bearnaise sauce, fried potato wedges and zucchini for my main, and "Brownie Madness" for dessert. Our entertainment for the night was another RCI production show, City of Dreams. Significantly better than the previous show, but still lacking in production quality and delivering a cohesive message of some kind. Just seemed to be a bunch of songs rather than a story.

Jewel of the Seas: Belize City

Wednesday, January 23rd: Belize City, Belize
Partly Cloudy, 85°F/31°C

The temperature was rising at long last, offering what promised to be some warm sunshine to those that seek it. Too bad most of the day would feature a rude coating of rainfall, but I was surprised that most of my fellow passengers were taking it in stride and enjoying themselves regardless. Today was a trip to Belize City, a rough little port town in a country situated between Mexico and Guatemala. Mary and I - along with Carrie, Rob, and Joe - had booked "The City & Sanctuary" tour, an excursion that would feature tours of the north and south city and an hour or so in the Belize Zoo. I'd read conflicting reports of Belize, most of them at least acknowledging the poverty and crime to one degree or another, and the reports were true.

It should be noted first and foremost that what most people will believe is Belize City is actually an isolated port area protected by a large wall and a handful of armed guards keeping the locals out; to return, should one venture outside, would require your cruise pass card. Inside the protected area is the same series of shops you'll find in any port and an assortment of restaurants and bars to pass the hours away, but largely this is an area that requires taking an excursion of some kind, or can become simply another "day at sea" in ship speak.

Rob, Carrie, and Joe missed the first tender ashore and it would cost us all the opportunity to head out together, much to the chagrin of Mary and I. We'd booked the tour because of Carrie but didn't know there were two tours, not one, and we ended up on the first. It was a bus ride through the countryside and a look at the deep poverty of Belize, a country currently embroiled in an election that has seemingly split the locals. It's eye-opening and disconcerting to be one of the "haves" and experience the life of the "have-nots" in this way, but it was easy to see some people have money. Our tour guide was consistent in noting Belize has no organized crime, but it wasn't hard to tell that crime was there. From spraypainted gang symbols to her eventual acknowledgement that Belize's location makes it a popular place to traffic drugs, I was happy to be in the confines of a protected bus rather than venturing off on my own or in a local cab, as my family did.

The Belize Zoo was interesting and fun with lots of great species to see, most of them up close and personal. Some of the animals we got to see: Jaguar, Margay, Ocelot, Black Howler Monkey, Spider Monkey, Tapir, Toucan, Scarlet Macaw, Harpy Eagle, Iguana, Crocodile, and everyone's favourite, the Boa Constrictor. The rain was drenching us and we were quickly back to the bus, touring through Belize, and let off at the Smoky Mermaid for a free drink. Of our entire bus Mary and I were the only ones NOT to beeline back to the protected port, taking advantage of our free drinks. I tried my first Belikin Beer, a locally brewed lager available everywhere. Back on the pier I'd sample the Belikin Lighthouse Lager, Belikin Stout, and one of the greatest things I've ever tasted, a locally-brewed 7.5% Guinness Foreign Extra Stout. Nabbed a quick Geocache and headed back on the tenders to the ship.

Back on the ship we got changed and headed out to see the entertainment for the day, magician Charles Bach. It was a reasonable enough magic show but the audience seemed a bit stand-offish, and I felt bad for Mr. Bach as he waited in the hallway to sell some DVDs as most people pushed through to get to dinner. I must have been hungry tonight because I was back to three appetizers with an Antipasti offering of cured Italian ham, canteloupe, grilled vegetables, marinated Portobello mushrooms, and baked caramelized garlic; Creamy Roasted Garlic Soup with rye bread croutons; and my favourite, Chilled Strawberry Bisque. A Lamb Shank with Rosemary was my main selection, and I closed the night off with Warm Chocolate Cake. Rob, Joe, and myself met to play some mini-golf and shoot some hoops and it was off to bed before Playa del Carmen!

Jewel of the Seas: Cozumel

Tuesday, January 22nd: Cozumel, Mexico
Partly Cloudy, 84°F/29°C

My favourite Caribbean port and my single most anticipated stop would come today: Cozumel, Mexico. Found on an island only 20km from the Yucatan peninsula this popular stop for cruise ships is actually a town of 70,000+ people called San Miguel, and is a highly Catholic region of Mexico known for it's low crime rate, and a popular escape for those who've tired of life on the mainland. Most ships will stop at the International Pier and offer a short cab ride to the main drag of San Miguel that ends at Los Cinco Soles, an incredible shoppers paradise that houses my single favourite restaurant in the world, Pancho's Backyard. I'd be off the ship fairly close to the 9:00AM arrival with Rob and Joe in tow and a plan to knock off a multi-stage Geocache in the heart of downtown.

Fresh off the boat we were downtown and the GPS was on, ready to guide us to the multi-stager. It took almost no time at all with all three stages being in rapid succession and the finale bringing us to a tall flagpole on the shoreline surrounded by two large birds. We continued on our way with a trip down the tourist strip and a stop at Del Sol where Rob and Joe would treat their ladies to some colour changing nail polish. As we had an hour until lunch we ventured a street off the strip and saw a bit of the more unpolished side of San Miguel, and it was great. Almost no foot traffic and a look at the real side of things, although I did notice the vendors have become a lot more aggressive since I was last here four years ago.

Our next stop was Pancho's Backyard where all of us except Carrie caught up for lunch and margaritas. Rob and Joe discovered they don't enjoy margaritas but the rest of us were on it. I had the Tamales Yucatecos (steamed tamales served on banana leaf) and the Tacos de Pescado (tacos with beer battered Mahi-Mahi, shredded cabbage, mayo, and chile sauce). Served with a couple margaritas it was a perfect lunch and well worth the four-year wait. The gang headed down to Tequileria International to sample some nectar at the bar before separating for the day, with Joe and I seeking some Mexican beers to sample and Rob picking up some streetside art for the homestead. Which beers did I get to try? Leon Negra, Montejo, Modelo Especial, and Estrella. Most were not good; all were made by Corona, aka Grupo Modelo.

Back on the ship after our day we took in a show by the extremely funny musician and comedian, Gary Mule Deer, and bounded off for dinner #3. Tonight I started with Chilled Cranberry and Mango soup, enjoyed a Cornmeal Dusted Tilapia with Japanese ratatouille and garlic wasabi aioli for my main, and finished with the Choco-Chino Trilogy. Mary and I enjoyed a game of mini golf in the late hours and it was back to bed, and another day in the can.

Jewel of the Seas: Key West

Monday, January 21st: Key West, Florida
Partly Cloudy, 75°F/24°C

I had done a fair bit of port researching before leaving, and had announced my intentions to be off the ship early enough to hit breakfast at a place I'd read about called Blue Heaven. Said to have a great breakfast that seemed to be enough to convince Kim and Jeff to join me in an 8:00 AM-ish journey off the ship and into a remote residential area en route to the southernmost point of Key West. It took a bit, and it seemed impossible, but we eventually tracked down the home of, they promise, "Breakfast with the Roosters". Incredible atmosphere awaited as we made our way into the backyard and took a seat amongst, yes, the roosters and tried to decide what to try. Kim and I settled on Sausage Benedict with Lime Hollandaise, and Jeff took the same with Lobster, a special for the day, and a side order of their homemade Banana Bread, which we'd caught a scent of on the way in. It was incredible, the best meal of the trip, and an ideal start to the day.

Full and happy we began our walk back towards Duval to see the main drag back into Key West's tourist traps. On the way would be the Southermost Point in the contiguous 48 states, and two Geocaches for me. Nabbed them both and Kim and Jeff decided it was time to get back a bit quicker, and we agreed to meet with the rest of the group at Sloppy Joe's for lunch. I hit another Geocache on the way and stumbled into Kim and Jeff again on my way back, so we snatched a 10:30 Key West Sunset Ale from a roadside shack and headed for Peppers of Key West, a favourite of ours. Home to a veritable plethora so spices and sauces they also boast a tasting bar, and invite you to bring a beer with you to sample their many sauces. We obliged and enjoyed ourselves a bit too much, quickly paid for our goods and headed a door away to Sloppy Joe's. I tried a Rolling Rock (OVERRATED!) and split the Conch Fritters with Mary, still full from my breakfast and beers.

Rob, Carrie, Joe, and Mary then joined me for a walk down to Kermit's Key West Key Lime Shoppe, the definitive key lime place in the city, and a dream stop for me to bring Rob for years. We eventually all snatched up a chocolate dipped slice of Key Lime Pie on a stick and dropped it down our pie holes on the walk to yet another Geocache down by the water. This one was particularly entertaining as it brought us inside a bar where our blank stares drew the attention of an older gentleman who asked if we were "on a scavenger hunt". We noted we were and he pointed up to a hanging capsized canoe with a small tupperware container we signed and replaced before heading back out. Everyone but me was ready to call it a day, whereas I wanted to at least see the Pirate Soul Museum and accompanying Rum Barrel restaurant, where I made quick work of a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and booted it out to see a bit more of Key West and knock off one last Geocache.

My GPS brought me to the Key West Historic Memorial Sculpture Garden where I received a text by Kim begging me back to the ship, and I made it in the nick of time. The family met up for drinks and Captain Thore Thorolvsen's Welcome Aboard Reception, and then headed to the dining room at 8:00 for dinner. This time I started with Orange Carpaccio (orange slices, red onions, watercress, feta cheese and cumin mint yogurt), Escargots Bourguignonne, and Chilled Golden Pear soup with dried cranberries. My main was Golden Sea Bass, pan seared with Spanish sofrito, black olive polenta and fried capers, and my dessert was the Grand Marnier Soufflé.

We ended our day with an RCI production titled West End to Broadway, and it was not good. I've always found the shows corny but enjoyable but something's missing on this cruise, both in the talent performing and the quality of the material they've got to work with. The show struggled to be cohesive in any way, and the production quality was dismal. Too bad, because I know they're trying, and we were certainly willing to show some gratitude.

Jewel of the Seas: Setting Sail

Sunday, January 20th: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Partly Cloudy, 70°F/21°C

So let's start off with the fact that the Image Gallery now contains the pics from this last vacation, and then I shall delve into the trip outside the horrible trip there.

Once on the ship we ventured to our tiny cabin and rapidly unpacked all our belongings, then just as quickly ventured on to the ship to check it out. Two of our previous three cruises together (Mary and I) were on fairly large ships, and while the Jewel isn't small by any means, it was about 20% smaller than the other two. It was exceedingly well kept and quite elegant, quite apparently a bridge between Celebrity and Royal Caribbean's ships and target audiences. I knew quickly I'd miss the Promenade, a strip of shops and restaurants that can be found on some other RCI ships, but what missing from here.

We'd made plans to meet a lot of people at 3:00 PM, including the other seven in our party, and found the Cruise Critic crew and my family in quick time. We got some sail away drinks and, after some conversation, made our way around to take some more pics and check things out. After the ship was on her way we got ready for dinner, but first was the Welcome Aboard Showtime hosted by Cruise Director Bobby Brown and comedian Jeff Jena. Brown seemed adequate but bored for most of the trip, although he seemed to come to life as the week wore on. I've heard rumours we were a less than exciting crew on this vacation, and that seemed obvious, so perhaps it's not all his fault. Jena was funny enough, albeit in a brief set. Once the festivities were behind us we headed down to meet our waiter - Nigel - and assistant waitress - Merry Chris. I started off in style with THREE appetizers: Melon and Proscuitto, Vidalia Onion Tart (sweet onions and gruyere cheese baked in pastry with red pepper), and Chilled Watermelon Gazpacho. My main would be Herb Crusted Filet of Atlantic Cod with light cream saffron champagne sauce, red skinned mashed potatoes, and scallions, and my dessert was Ivory Chocolate Fondue. After some aimless roaming and a show it was off to bed to rest up for the first full day of shore-side excursions.