Cheeseburgers, Grace and Possibility Goggles...

I have been inspired lately, all the cool things going on in the world – I’ve decided that this will be forum that I share some of them with anyone interested in donning a pair of goggles and exploring the world with me.
A colleague of mine introduced me to the idea of possibility goggles a few months ago – I’ve been applying them to my life daily, sometimes I forget to put them on, sometimes they work too well, but most times they provide a fresh perspective on a situation or event.

I think that the old Adidas ad refers to “Impossible is nothing” - which would lead me to think that “Possibility is Everything” – That’s the story on the goggles.

As for the “Grace” – I see grace as a calm acceptance of the things that have happened, and how we deal with those things, good or bad, it’s a attitude that whatever happened was supposed to happen, and that everything is unfolding the way it should.

As for Cheeseburgers – I can’t say enough good things about those tasty bastards, although unlike Possibility Goggles and Grace you shouldn’t try to make them a part of your everyday life…here the reprise –

I always find that if you dwell on an idea, you are usually able to see more than a few ways to look at it – try these on for size. I started thinking about Cheeseburgers (Something that is always so good, but temporary) Grace (how you handle the bad times) and Possibility Goggles (always looking for the best in everything) – or more simply put: Deal with the past, be hopeful for the future and enjoy the now – Just Eat The Cheeseburger, use two hands...

Stuck in My Head...

At least I enjoy these tunes, better than Jingle Cats...

Have a good Friday

Third Time was a Charm...

This is a great typical Picture of Si - He never looks at the camera - why - I don't know, makes me laugh though - anyways that is the hardware (Atlantic Championship) that we won on Saturday. That is the Third Atlantic Championship in a Row for the Loyalists.

After I handed Si the trophy - he said "I'd like to thank the little people" at which point he grabbed Jackman and Rowney by the shoulders and said "Here they are now" Funny Stuff...

Things Will Get Worse, Before They Get Better...

This is an old saying - and very topical at the moment - I'm not talking about the enviroment, or the economy or even the weather - today I'm talking about my face.

Yesterday I had my Nose re-broken and set to that I wouldn't look like a 1970's Philedelphia Flyers hockey player. Anyways that was a painful experience, almost as much as looking at myself in the mirror this morning - just kidding.

It seems stange to me that something that looks worse (than it did yesterday) can feel better (Than it did yesterday)- which is the opposite of Fernando Lamas' take on life (see below)

This is a funny video and worth a laugh, on a return to work Tuesday.

Have a Marvellous Day...

Apple Picking, Turkey Day and Leading with My Face...

Sophie Loves Apples

We had a great Weekend - Saturday we went Apple Picking, had the Family over for a BBQ and to watch the upset of France beating New Zealand - then Sunday we played the Swilers and beat them 26-13 - it was going exactly as planned until the final two minutes when I made a tackle at the same time as my teammate - I got the worst of the encounter and added a whole new level of grossness to Thanksgiving Dinner - which Louise and Rick Hosted wonderfully. I'll let the pictures tell the story.

Right after the gameAfter the DECH

Happy Birthday Mom...

This year Mom had the great fortune to celebrate her Birthday in France - Bonne Anniversaire!!!

Hope you had a great Birthday and here's looking forward to another awesome year.

Love,
your #1 Son...

At Last...

At last My love has come along
My lonely days are over
And life is like a song

Ohh yeah yeah
At last
The skies above are blue
My heart was wrapped up in clover
The night I looked at you
I found a dream, that I could speak to
A dream that I can call my own
I found a dream to press my cheek to
A thrill that I have never known

Ohh yeah yeah?
You smiled, you smiled

Oh and then the spell was cast
And here we are in heaven
for you are mine....At Last

Today was our 4th wedding anniversary - I feel so lucky to wake up with you every morning and spend all my days with you. Last Sunday Sophie was a year and a half old - Time sure flies when you are having fun - I Love you Baby...

Peees and Couu...

Sophie is learning her manners. she now says "mo peees", and "couu" - here are sme recent pics of our little darling.

It Was ( Is ) Awesome...

This Picture was taken on our way into the Opening match of Rugby World Cup 1991 - It was Awesome

This Picture was taken on top of the Eifel Tower in Paris during Rugby World Cup 1999 - It was awesome

This Picture was Taken in Melbourne Australia after Canada had Played Wales in the 2003 Rugby World Cup - It was awesome - This week another group of Loyalists has headed off to France to take in the glory of RWC 2007 - have a great time, we'll be watching on TV.

Never Drive Too Fast Through Small Towns…

Dad had told me this one day on a Drive to Gagetown – I think we were going through Burton, or one of the other small “villages” that you pass through on the way to visit the Breens. His point was that you should slow down as you travel the roads and not be in too much of a hurry to get where you are going – firstly because things move more slowly in these places, and we should respect (and enjoy) that and secondly you never know when some kid will come running out onto the road chasing a ball or dog or whatever. So yesterday I was slowly driving through some small towns on my way to the middle of nowhere – I started to think about this lesson that dad had taught me many years ago, and how I hadn’t had a Malcolm moment in awhile (or at least not one that I hadn’t blogged on already) – Then I started to think about all the things that were going on recently in my life. I started to think of these little communities as Milestones, which can be defined as “An important event, a turning point.”

Some people in my life had some big milestones recently – LBR turned 30 (he got a long pined for kayak), Grammy Lou had a birthday last Sunday which was celebrated at Erinn and Mike’s (BTW Erinn did a great job with Sunday dinner) – Red and Vic celebrated a 10th Wedding Anniversary with a Apple at Cow Throwing party out on Keswick Ridge (hosted by Jen and Gerry) – Wally Wallcott got back safe from Afghanistan and Steven O made the long trek home from the Arizona heat.

Milestones are like little destinations on your way to the ultimate destination - they are the life in the years that make up the years of our lives. They fly by with the blink of an eye or they can be celebrated wholeheartedly, celebrate them.

“Advance and never halt, for advancing is perfection. Advance and do not fear the thorns in the path, for they draw only corrupt blood.”
-Kahlil Gibran

I guess that we all have a destination in our minds, that provides us with a direction – these destinations can change as can out path to reach them – things and people can come into our lives (on the way to their own destinations) altering ours – what is important to remember is that when you are headed somewhere, take it slowly – celebrate the milestones – the most fulfilling part of having somewhere to go is getting there, constantly moving towards something, going down the road, enjoying the scenery, seeing the vistas, meeting the people, having adventures. It’s really nice to be able to share our “small towns” with those that we hold dear. Always remember that not everyone has the same destination, or even the same road map - we have to share the trip with those we love and hope everyone arrives where they want to go safe, sound and with all their luggage.

It seems to me that Sophie has these milestones all the time – I’m glad we're there to celebrate every last little adventure with her…

VaCa...

This was our first official family "Roadtrip" Vacation - it was alot of fun - Sophie was a great tourist - we went from the Aquarium of Quebec to the Granby Zoo, through the White Mountains to North Conway's Outlet heaven, then onto Portland, Freeport, Bangor and Home - 1900 kms in 5 days.

We also ate at alot of good restaurants (Ruby Tuesday's, Appleby's, Friendly's) and one particularily bad one (Old Country Buffet) - Next year we'll do it again - I can't hardly wait...

Into the Mystic...

We were born before the wind
Also younger than the sun
Ere the bonnie boat was won as we sailed into the mystic

Hark, now hear the sailors cry

Smell the sea and feel the sky

Let your soul and spirit fly into the mystic

And when that fog horn blows I

will be coming home

And when the fog horn blows

I want to hear itI don't have to fear it
And I want to rock your gypsy soul

Just like way back in the days of old

And magnificently we will flow into the mystic

When that fog horn blows you know

I will be coming home

And when that fog horn whistle blows

I got to hear itI don't have to fear it
And I want to rock your gypsy soul

Just like way back in the days of old

And together we will flow into the mystic

Come on girl...
Too late to stop now...

Well it's Friday and We start our Vacation tomorrow - I'm Psyched, our first family road trip, afterall we're just doing what Van The Man told us to do - out on the highways looking for a little Mystic, hope you all find yours this weekend...

One Last Tour...

When I was 20 I attended an open tryout in St. Stephen for the New Brunswick Senior Men's Rugby team - One of my rugby mentors George Walls hauled me asisde that day to tell me "today you're playing against a Rugby Legend" (Tommy Knox), he was telling me the truth, what he didn't tell me was that 16 years later I would have played alongside so many more

Rugby has always been a very personal thing to me, close to my heart, tied to it with family, friends and love- So much so, that it is just as much a lifestyle to me as it is ever was a sport.The same was true for playing for my Province - I was honoured to put on the Blue and Yellow(1991- 1992), the Green and Maroon(1993-1997), and the White and Black (1998 - last Sunday) - we've had lots of jersey changes, but it is always a special thing to pull one on, no matter the colour or design

Back when I was 20 - I wasn't the player, nor the person I have become today, - I was full of selfish ambition - I wanted to play for Canada, I set my sights high, and aimed to play every game as though I was playing for Canada, they just didn't know it yet - I remember my first Tier II Championship in Saint John - playing alongside Jon Gould, with the Ageless Ronnie Barry - we beat Manitoba 31-21 and lost to Quebec by 4 points in the final - It was a Trojan dominated team with a new Scottish head coach - Keith McAlpine - There was three Moncton Players (The Alien, Scharnberg and Mouland), two UNB players (Guest and Johnstone) two Wildmen from Woodstock (Harpers) and one young Loyalist. There was a big contingent of Trojans (Gabes, Ronnie Vair, Sean MacDonald, Chuck Landers, Aiden, Ian Wilson, Barry, Gould, Cassidy etc...) That summer cemented itself in my memory - we were a good team, with alot of possibility (of potential greatness)- This has always been the story for New Brunswick Rugby it seems.

The Black Spruce has always been very personal to me – as I was there when the name was conceived Christmas Eve 1997 at Jay McKay’s house over beer in the dance hall, I designed the Logo and most of the Jerseys over the years, My father was the first Coach/ Manager/ Financier of the Spruce – he wanted a place where his boys would have the opportunity to play Rugby at a level that they deserved to be playing at. I have also played alongside many fine men over the past 10 years – Players like Aaen, Jackman, Simon, Hunter, Jonesy, Cougle, Murch, JB, Slippy, Stewie, Calvin Nash, Malcolm Reeves, Fudge, MJ, Lika, Wally Walcott, Chuck, Johnny W, Sonny, Fitzy, Jake Smith, Eagars, Steve Aaen, Chuck Bulloch, Jesse The Body, Wade Yeo, The Scharnberg’s, The Henry’s and so many more.

I hate when things end…

This past weekend I had the honour and pleasure of taking the field for one last game with the Black Spruce - I knew it was my last game going in, I would have shared this fact with my team mates, I was brimming with emotion all day, but we needed focus and as much as the 20 year old version of myself thought firstly about himself, the 36 year old version places the team first - we were playing the two time National Champions and we needed all our attention to be focused on them. This time we were coached by an older Scottish coach (McAlpine) and a Rugby institution (Beckingham) - The provincial team has shifted since the early 1990's we are now a Loyalist heavy team - with four UNB Players (Cass, Weaver , Cameo and Hugh), Two Trojans (Stewie and Justin), two Rovers (Chauncey and Angus) one Moncton Black Tide (Ali) and a good crew of Loyalists (JB, Hunter, Blake, Jebbidiah, Farm Dideley,Chizz-Bizz, Rowney, Pacey, Greeley, Dunu, Furlong, RJ and Myself. We lost the game, but fought valiantly in defeat – 6-0 Spruce after 20 minutes, we had the old Newfies at the bar concerned as they admitted later on that evening. I was glad to be able to finish off my provincial career (70 games as far as I can count on my fingers) surrounded by my lovely wife, my best friend, a bunch of really great players, a great management team and the next generation of great players (The Nasonworth Mafia and Chintzy I’m looking at you) that will grace rugby pitches, both Provincially, Nationally and most likely internationally in a couple cases for many years.

I feel/know that I can still play at this level, and to be truthful somewhere in the far back reaches of my mind, nestled deep in my wildest dreams - I’m still waiting for a last minute call from Sluggo (National Team Coach) letting me know that there was an injury and they needed me to play for Canada. I will enjoy watching next year’s version of the Spruce challenge the conventional powerhouses of our sport, and delight in the fact that on a good day we can even make the national champions concerned. I will take my leave with the team in great hands and under the supervision of Keith, Grant, Scott, Jodi and Allison who enable the players to concentrate on the game and having as much fun as humanly possible.

It was a great weekend…Thank You!