Night Out

The best way to follow up a night in is obviously with a night out =)

We're continuing the goodbye parade with yet another party tonight for the Princess Crew to say bye to Brad as it's his last day of work and leaving for PEI next week.

It's hard to believe that summer is almost over since it took so long to really get started.  Off to enjoy some of this amazing weather before tonight's festivities begin.

Happy weekend everyone!

Night In

Early release from work + late meeting = lots of time to kill


Cue You Tube and enjoy =)

First Times

The first time you try something new can be tricky sometimes.  The best advice I can give you is to do some research beforehand and buddy up with someone who is more knowledgeable about the subject than you are.  Tonight was my first time and it wasn't as painful as I thought it was going to be - it was actually pretty fun =)

It's hard to believe I grew up in Vancouver and have never been to a Vancouver Canadians baseball game.  Baseball's never really been a sport I was interested in unless you count being enthralled by the Toronto Blue Jays back to back World Series Championships.  Other than that, I always felt that the games took too long and weren't all that exciting.  Tonight, I put that all aside to watch my first live game.

I had been hoping to bring a bunch of friends, but eventually everyone bailed (or failed to respond) and it ended up being just me and Brad which was lucky since he's actually played ball and is easily amused by my lack of knowledge.  Here are a few things I learned early on in the game:

1. Anything at or above a 30% hit rate is pretty good (we saw ranges between 11-32% tonight)
2. Never come to a game alone unless you're a die hard fan cause you need someone to talk to
3. Sit along the 3rd base line, not the 1st, because the sun sets behind the 1st baseline
4. People will still try to catch the ball even if they're sitting in fenced off seats
5. Only sit in open (unfenced) seats if you or the people you are with are comfortable with catching balls with their hands, not your face =p

All in all it was a pretty good night.  Highlights included:

• An in-stadium home run caused when the centre fielder of the Everett Aquasox ran into the wall trying to catch the ball (he eventually shook it off to continue playing but I thought it was kind of embarrassing)
• A 70 year old regular (even the beer guy knew his name!) got into it with another fan who spent a fair part of the game heckling the players.  Eventually it got into name calling, with the old guy calling the other guy ugly, and then moved into fight potential when the old guy said his son would kick this dude's ass.
• The 7th inning stretch tradition



Ms. BC Roll, Kappa Maki, and
Chef Wasabi!

• The sushi mascot race (tip for 'Chef Wasabi' maybe focus on actually running the race instead of doing random rolls, then you might actually break your 27 race losing streak) and the fact they have 4 different mascots (a bear and the three sushi ones)
• Random Footloose routine performed during the game by some of the ground crew
• Finishing in 2.5 hours

Would I go again?  Probably next summer since the season is almost over, but at least it's another thing checked off my summer list =)

Past (Work) Lives

Sometimes, all you have to do is stop and look around to see just how far you have (or have not as the case may be sometimes) come.  I had a great dinner tonight with some girls from my retail days and it was amazing just how much we remembered about those days especially since they were all out before I was and I quit about two and a half years ago.

I consider myself lucky that I've always been able to look back on past jobs and remember so many great moments.  I've never been fired, and it's only been lately that I've worked at jobs for less than a year because they've been contract positions.  It really speaks to the types of companies I've worked for and the quality of co-workers I've been with over the years.  I'm happy that this trend seem to be continuing and hopefully will continue for many more years to come.

Distraction Day

Just a quick tip tonight - be careful when texting (or doing anything that requires divided focus) while you walk.  You don't want to end up like this lady!

Bad Saddies

'Bad Saddies' is a term I first heard during my time in Florida.  Every time we had to say goodbye to our friends and the tears would start to flow, we would tell each other 'no bad saddies' because we would see each other again eventually.  It was a reminder not to dwell on the sad goodbye, but the great times we had together and all those to come.  I couldn't tell you who came up with the term, but it's one of those things that has stuck with me even though the years have passed and most people in my everyday life have no idea what it means.

It's one of the things that came to mind tonight as I read reports about the sudden death of Rick Rypien.  Through six years with the Vancouver Canucks, Rick had his share of ups and downs on the ice, but it was his struggles off the ice that really caught people's attention.  Extended leaves of absence from the team, an altercation with a fan in Minnesota, and his battles with personal demons seemed to be behind Rypien as he returned to hockey this past spring with the Manitoba Moose.

Even though he signed on to play with the Winnipeg Jets next season, many fans wished him well and he seemed genuinely excited to continue his career in Manitoba.  With things looking up for Rick, his death comes as a shock, and the rumors of suicide have already begun to swirl especially with his history, and the fact that another NHLer was lost this year with the death of Derek Boogaard, after an accidental overdose of alcohol and oxycodone. 

I won't pretend to understand what it's like to battle a mental illness like depression.  There is no way of knowing how difficult it is to go through the simple motions of getting through the days with the oppressive weight of hopelessness pressing down on you at every moment.  Mental illness is best understood by those who have suffered through and overcome them.

I haven't been there, so I can't say how it feels or what you go through.  What I do know is what it feels like to see someone struggle with depression.  I've felt the helplessness of being unable to do anything but offer support when you can.  I know the pain of losing a friend who wasn't able to overcome depression.  I've experienced the bitterness of thinking I should've done more.

In the end, we can look at the reasons why someone may have chosen to end their life, but what we should really be looking at are ways we can prevent others from making that same choice.  There are organizations you can support on local, national, and even global levels; from suicide prevention hot lines, to mental health advocacy groups.  All it takes is a bit of time, something the Rypien family probably wishes they had more of with Rick. 

Memorial outside Rogers Arena
(Photo from the Vancouver Sun)

***UPDATE

I just wanted to share some links to great articles written about Rick and the issues we should be focusing on in light of his death.

RIP Ryp by Dan Murphy
Vancouver Won't Forget You by Head to the Net
Rick Rypien will be Missed and Mourned by Pass it to Bulis
Hockey Realities by Jason Gregor
Rypien Never Easy to Read by Tony Gallagher
The Elephant in the Room by Trevor Presiloski

Irony Sucks

Dying after winning the lottery, rain on your wedding day, hitting a traffic jam when you're running late, overcoming your fear of flying only to have the plane crash; all examples of the universe kicking your ass just because it can.

I'm in a bit of a funny mood today - alternating between irritable, lonesome, amused, and worried.  It's a strange combination that could possibly be the result of too much downtime this weekend.  Apparently I've become one of those workaholics that can't function on relax mode properly unless I'm actually out of town.  However, my vacation plans can only come to fruition by working hard to secure the necessary funds and time off.

Fine irony...you win again =p