Easter update

Happy Easter everyone.

Let's see...my last post was on February 26th. That's awhile ago. I have been writing since then, working on a fun little essay here and there that I'll finish one of these days. "Fun" and "essay"...two words I never thought I'd pair. Adding "little" in between makes me think of a tweedy academic sitting in his dusty office, drumming fingers together in anticipation of a date with his typewriter and Foucault.

Otherwise, life carries on. Soot the bunny is getting bigger but no less cute. She's getting close to Blossom in size, but not in aggression. The older bunny is still territorial, and does her best to inflict injury any time Soot comes near. And Soot just wants to be friends. Bru put on a few pounds over the winter, but with the weather change we've started fetch at the park again. He's no less ferocious than last summer and I'm sure he'll be slim and trim in no time. However, right now he's being ignored because while we were out he climbed up on the table to pilfer some twizzlers Shauna had left there. Not only did he eat the licorice and most of the plastic bag, he scratched the nice table to which Shauna's Dad once applied seven layers of varnish. Bad dog. Bad, bad dog.

And the weather has definitely changed here. There's not a trace of snow left, most of the grass is green, flowers are blooming, and it's sunny and +10 to +15 everyday. Today, in the middle of Easter weekend, I put my winter clothes in a box and barbequed a steak for supper...and ate it at the picnic table in the backyard in a t-shirt and jeans. On Easter weekend! On most of the Easters I remember from home, there were still at least a few tenacious snowbanks, the grass and sun were the same pale, thin yellow and any outdoor activities at family gatherings and the like were always a little too optimistic, with good cheer having to make up for the chills. The people around here don't seem too bowled over by the weather, so I guess it's just southern Ontario. It's only 3 lines of latitude south of Charlottetown, but apparently that's enough to make a noticeable difference. Maybe that's a lot, what do I look like, a geographer?

In addition to generally improving my mood, this weather has meant that the transition between indoor and outdoor soccer was very brief. We've had a few practices now and the season starts in early May. It looks like I'll be playing for two teams this summer, and I might play goalkeeper for one of them, which is a bit of throwback...to my more nimble days. I can still make saves, but the slight softness around my middle slows me down somewhat.

In other news...Shauna, Steve and I saw the Raptors play the Suns at the ACC on the 31st. Steve Nash dominated in his usual unselfish way. Of course it's not that hard to dominate the Raptors, especially with Chris Bosh injured. On the same trip to Toronto I finally made it to Sonic Boom, much-rumoured Mecca for the used-CD junkie. It lived up to the rumours. I laid down a lot of cash. Shauna won a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC, pronouced 'shirk') grant worth $17,500 for next year's studies. I think I'll quit my job and eat bonbons all day.

As I write this I'm watching the Canadiens vs. Sabres on French CBC, and checking tsn.ca periodically to get the score in the Leafs vs. Senators game. The Habs need only one point tonight or in their final game on Tuesday to secure a playoff spot. Right now, however, they're losing 1-0 after a first period in which they had lots of good chances but were frustrated by the Buffalo goalie. As for the Leafs, they are currently 10th, and even if they won their remaining games they can't catch the Canadiens. However, if they win and the 8th and 9th place teams don't maximize their points, the Leafs could squeak in to the playoffs (the top 8 make it). TSN tells me that they're currently winning 1-0 over Ottawa, a team that has spanked them several times this season and hopefully will redden their fannies again tonight. Oh my. Anyway, yes, I despise the Leafs almost as much as I love the Habs. Their missing the playoffs would provide me with great schadenfreude.

The second period has begun, so I bid you adieu and Joyeux Pacques. And a special message for the Leafs...

Seeya...