Not dead, merely curling

The absence the last couple of days haven't had anything to do with writer's block or boredom. I've simply been very busy trying to organize the Canadian North Bonspiel at the curling club. Liquor licences, picking up orders, getting the club ready, revising the schedule when last minute teams want to enter, or drop out, picking up food and all the other things that go into making a successful bonspiel.

I think it was a pretty successful one...and I'm not just saying that because the team I was on won, although that was pretty nice. I have once again provided for my family with my winnings. In this case, a $75 gift certificate for Baffin Gas. Hey, I never said I was going to become a professional curler any time soon.

Alas, I didn't win any of the five plane tickets. However, one of my teammates won two. He won the frozen foot draw - a fund raiser for the Iqaluit Food Bank where you had to get your rock closest to the button, all the while keeping your sliding food bare and on the ice - and one of the door prize tickets. No, there was not a lynching, but I think people considered it. It's also the second year in a row this has happened. Ye gods...

But I think people were happy with the way things went. They all the food, drank lots of booze and seemed to have lots of fun. We also raised more than $700 for the food bank, plus a lot of food donations. It was the last open club event for the season, so we had people coming up thanking us for all the work this season and the bonspiel. That was nice, actually. I'm glad to see people appreciate the work the small group of volunteers put into making the club successful.

Oh, and I got reelected the the executive of the curling club. I'm the vice president for another year.

So I've been sitting in the house today mostly spaced out just because it was a busy few days. The Brain is not working at anything approaching 100% capacity and there are a few aches and pains from the weekend. Normally I wouldn't complain (much), however this is just the beginning. On Thursday I have the league championship final. That ought to be fun. The team I'm playing against went undefeated and, oh yes, three-quarters of that team were the guys I curled with last night. The other quarter is the skip of the team we beat last night.

I am, to be blunt, fucked sideways. However, this is the last kick at glory for my team as I'm losing Stephanie, my third, at the end of the season. So I'd like to send her out on a high note.

And then next weekend I have the Dominion, which is going to be anywhere from five to six more games over three days. If we win that, then we're off to Charlottetown in November for the national championship.

I suspect I'm going to be very sore, very tired and very done with curling by the end of next weekend. Hell, the Women's World Championships are going on right now and I don't want to watch.

Anyway, for those of you bored with curling posts, they'll be easing back soon enough. And I do have ideas for the next couple of days. So tune in tomorrow for something other than curling, I promise.

Last Five
1.Like a hitman, like a dancer - A.C. Newman
2. The devil's in the details (live) - Matthew Good
3. Seven nation army - The White Stripes*
4. Magical mystery tour - The Beatles
5. The island - The Decemberist