Friday, February 24, 2006

Must Be Watching Too Much Olympic Curling

Here's the latest from the curling rink...

Last week we lost our first game of the third round. I didn't post about it... 'nuff said.

However, this week is post-worthy. The scoreboard looked like it belonged professional game. The other team started the game with the hammer, and for the first six ends we alternated scoring single points. They scored one, we scored one, they scored one, we scored one, they scored one, and then we scored one. At the end of six ends we were tied 3-3 and they had the hammer. We knew if we were going to have a chance at winning this one, we'd have to break the cycle. So in the seventh, we were able to steal a point to lead 4-3 with one end to go. The likelyhood of a blank end was low, so we would have to steal again to come out with a win... which we did. Final score 5-3.

Most of the games in our leagues have big scoring ends quite frequently. This game reminded me of the games I've been watching on TV this past week and a half (in low-definition, for those wondering). However both teams were playing very well last night, which is a rarity indeed.

The Canadian men are playing for gold right now. They're down 2-0 after one end. Hopefully they can pull it out.

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

The Mythical U of W Tunnels

So, I haven't had anything to post about recently... at least anything that wouldn't make me really really bitter, so here's a non-current event post that I've been thinking of posting for a while.

I recently found a website that was written by someone that was able to get into the underground tunnels that connect all the buildings at the University of Waterloo. Now, the existence of the tunnels was a kind of myth. Well, not all the tunnels (for example, one can get from the Math & Computer building through the Davis Centre into Engineering Buildings without having to go outside), but there were no usable tunnels to the Student Life Centre or the Villages. Legend had it that there used to be tunnels but they were sealed off years ago because of crimes that were committed during late hours, etc, etc. Well, thanks to the website, I now know what was actally there were service tunnels that carried utilities and the like.

I still wish I could have explored them while I was there. Things like this really interest me. I find things that are built for people to use, but for some reason aren't used anymore, like the tunnels. Ghost towns are another good example of what I'm talking about. I even scoped out old Boblo Island, an amusement park that I went to when I was a kid, when I was doing some traffic work down in Amherstburg, but just the old parking lot and dock. Apparently Boblo is now luxury homes and the only thing that still exists is the tower from the observation "ride". One of the best example is the Rifle Range in the basement of SCITS, my old highschool. I always regret never getting into the Rifle Range at SCITS. It was such a cool old building; there were lots of these places there.

One of these days I'm going to do some exploring.

Monday, February 06, 2006

Curling... Apparently It's Not For Dinner

So, the schedule for the third round of the curling season went up on the KW Granite Club website. It seems that, contrary to my last curling post, we didn't get the bump up the the 'A' Division. Apparently, I have no idea how the rules work. Also, I notice on the new schedule, that there are three weeks slotted in there for playoffs. So, it would seem that more than the top 2 teams in each division make the playoffs. Well, I'm not terribly disappointed with sticking around in 'B' Division... I'm getting to know some of the guys we play against, and I know we can compete against them. And while it's a rec league, and not about winning... winning makes it just that bit more fun.

My Weeks Would Start Out Fine If It Weren't For Sunday Nights

So, here I am yet again, sleepless on Sunday night. It happens every week. I always have grand ambitions to get some good sleep and then be able to wake up early for work the next day, therefore able to stop a bit earlier and therefore have more time. However, those plans are always squashed before they even get started. It's a quarter after two Monday morning, and I'm not the least bit tired. Sure, I layed wide awake in bed for a while, but that just seems to make it worse. I will now spend the rest of the week trying to get back the lost sleep because of tonight, which in turn will cause me to stay in bed for every possible moment in the mornings. This will be followed by next weekend, where I can sleep as much as I want, but the excessive sleeping in will cause me to be wide awake come next Sunday night. And the cycle continues...

Sunday, February 05, 2006

Curling... It's What's For Dinner

This week was the last week of the second season (of three) of Thursday Night Curling. Our team found itself in an interesting position. If we won, we most likely would get bumped up to the 'A' Division... If we lost, we got to stay in the easier 'B' Divison. "Well that's easy," you say. "You go for the win and move up the ladder!" Not so fast there, Buckeroo. You see, at the end of the season there are two playoff games... The top two teams in each division play for their respective championship. So, if we were in the 'A' Division, we'd have virtually no shot of making the playoff. However, if we were still in the 'B' Division, we'd have an excellent shot at making the playoff. So, what do we do now, Smart Guy? "Well, you throw the game, of course. Go for the half-glory of being in the 'B' final instead of finishing in elitist obscurity." No! We go for the win! You ALWAYS GO FOR THE WIN!

And so we won. It was another funny game in which we went up by 5 points then gave back two in the second-last end, then barely survived the other team stealing 3. But it doesn't matter how we won... we won. So, now it looks like we're probably up to the 'A' Division. I say probably because there's still the outside shot that I still have no idea how the league rules work. I'll find out for sure next week, and let all of you, my passionatly rabid fans, know the word on the street.

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Yippie Ya Ya, Yippie Yippie Ya

Well, last night I went to see this year's installment of the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival at the Princess Cinema (click here for my post from last year). I have to say I was disappointed with this years commercials as compared to years past. But none the less, there were a few which were chuckle worthy. The one I remembered the most was a series of four commercials done for German Home Improvement Store, Hornbach. I found them on the web, and here they are (I think they're best viewed in order, and with a highspeed connection):
- Mosquito Killer
- Paving Stones
- Power Drill
- Paint