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One Week in Quebec

One week in Quebec for the hubby and Mayor. Meanwhile in Florida, the freezer and an AC unit have gone done. I definitely picked the sort straw in this equation. Truly, I’m just happy it’s Friday. It’s been a long week.

As for my Mayor, he and his team had a scrimmage against the Flyers AAA team. It was a completely one-sided game. Until the coaches decided to do mix the teams and do a split squad game. Honestly, these are some of the best game experiences. It’s super cool to have the opportunity to play with new kids in this environment. Also, instead of a blowout game, you get a more even and entertaining game for everyone involved. The kids loved it!  Plus, my boy got a nice goal.

Between the games and in the small amount of downtime the kids have, they spend it hanging out in the hotel. Apparently, my boy even does wake up calls. You can see how the kids are getting progressively more tired as the week has progressed. They follow a pretty rigorous schedule day in and day out. Needless to say, I think they’re sleeping pretty soundly.

My Mayor was so excited today to try sushi for the first time. Consequently, post game my Hubby took him to pick up sushi to go. He grabbed his sushi and headed to the Patro with the rest of his team for dinner. The Hubby meanwhile went out for Mongolian with some of the dads. We can only hope there was no Canadian Whiskey involved.

Here at the homestead, I attempted to flush the AC line. It didn’t work and I got water everywhere. Clearly, I’ll be waiting for my Hubby to fix it upon his return to Florida. Goalielocks set up Doordash, so we had Sushi Yama delivered. I’m far too tired to cook. This weekend I’ll be doing nothing, but relaxing.

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Thursday in Quebec

It’s Thursday in Quebec and that meant game two of the tournament. Unfortunately, the squad didn’t have a good morning and was knocked out of the tournament. Fortunately that doesn’t mean the hockey is done for them as they’ll likely have more exhibition games tomorrow and maybe Saturday.

It’s incredibly hard not to be there because it’s such an amazing experience for the kids. Tonight they went out to the skate park in Shannon, Quebec. This place is magnificent. It has hockey rinks, a skating trail and a ice slide. The trail through the woods is beautiful. It could hardly get more picturesque.

As for the hockey, there’s nothing better than watching these Florida kids enjoy hockey as it’s supposed to be. Outside and without all the equipment just like The Hubby and I grew up playing in Minnesota. Incidentally, neither of us had played hockey inside or in full gear until we moved to Florida.

When Goalielocks and I went in 2016, we got some snow. They, however, have mountains of snow. I’m watching the winter storms carefully in case they’re delayed in getting out Sunday. Although I’m sure none of the kids would mind spending more time in Quebec. Lastly, I’m happy to report that the hockey dads have survived the Canadian whiskey and the bromance continues!

Meanwhile in Florida, our AC unit died!

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On The Fifth Day

On the fifth day, there was more hockey at Peewee Quebec.  I had a much better opening, but had to change the title around, so there went that idea.  It was a play on the guess what day it is joke, but I digress.  I’m happy to report that Canadian Whiskey did not win today. Rather, hockey and lot’s of it won the day. The boys got an early start today with an exhibition game against another French team.

 

This game had a lot of offense with twelve goals between the two teams. Unfortunately, we were on the wrong side of the equation. My Mayor did score on a penalty shot and had a nice check in the defensive zone. Not sure if he got called for this check or something else, but he definitely spent some time in the box.

In their second exhibition game of the day, they played another team from Switzerland. They’ve now played five teams from Europe and some Canadian teams. What an incredible opportunity. Game two didn’t go there way either, but thankfully it was only an exhibition game.

The Mayor clearly didn’t have enough hockey today as he spent his night doing play by play on Facebook Live during the other team’s game. It was absolutely priceless and I loved hearing him and his buddies talk about the game. There’s truly no better tournament and no better game. I love these kids passion for it.

Meanwhile in Florida, we got to work and school. #boring I’m still in an adjustment period with my thyroid. My body is a bit beat up, so instead of running today I chose to rest. Fortunately, Goalielocks stepped up and made dinner for us both. We had yummy breaded chicken and broccoli.

I had a bit of a fever when I got home, so I didn’t want to press my luck. When you’re living with thyroid issues, fevers are one of those things that you’re unsure if the cause is illness or too much thyroid fun. Nonetheless, it pretty much ruled out a trip to the gym. I’m keeping and eye on it and if it continues, I’ll follow-up with my endo.

My boys are on their fifth day of Peewee Quebec, which means the Mayor’s probably at the stage where he walks into the room and falls asleep. I remember vividly how tired Goalielocks was by this time in the tournament. The trip is so well-organized. There’s a lot of hockey and a lot of activity, so these kids are exhausted. All worth it to enjoy the trip of a lifetime with your hockey buddies. These are the trips and the memories that truly make paying for travel hockey worth it.

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Peewee Quebec Day 4

Peewee Quebec Day 4 was full of hockey and Canadian whiskey. Officially, our boys went 1-1 today in their exhibition games. In their first game versus LSA France, they lost a tough one. It wasn’t even close.

The second game, they played a French team and won handily. It really was the first time this trip, they were able to get their offense going. Of course, my updates ceased in the second period, but that’s a whole different story my Hubby probably doesn’t remember. I love the team picture from the second game. My Mayor has his arm around one of the French players like they’ve been friends for years. This is why Peewee Quebec is the best experience for these kids.

Now back to my Hubby and the lack of updates in game two. One of the beauties of Peewee Quebec is that the kids are with the coach from morning tonight, so the parents are free to do as they please. This is even true if it includes drinking copious amounts of Canadian whiskey early in the morning.

Today has been bizarre. The moon is full and the weirdos have come out of the woodwork. I should have know how the day would track when leaving Dunkin’ this morning there was a man out of his gourd high. I mean, high! He was talking to himself like he was in the midst of a video game and acting it out. It was surreal. It reminded me of my childhood neighbor, who when he was five would pretend to be Yoshi from Mario Kart. Only difference is about 30 years and total lack of sobriety. This man was so out of it, he didn’t even notice me or the other customers leaving the store.

The day’s trajectory continued upon this bizarro path. When I didn’t think anything else could go sideways, I got a call from my friend in Quebec. My first reaction was panicked as I thought maybe one of my boys got hurt. Alas, my Mayor was fine and my Hubby has passed out after a tangle with Canadian whiskey. Oh boy….. In case you’re wondering the final score on that fight: Canadian Whiskey 1 Hockey Dads 0

To be clear, the caller was also far from sober. My friend was insistent that I give him the hubby’s phone code, so he could update his lock screen to gay porn. At 5:30 in the afternoon, this was just the call I needed. I asked if Hubby was okay and positioned, so he wouldn’t aspirate his vomit. To which my friend responded, I put him face down, you’re missing the point I need to update his lock screen. When I suggested he used My Hubby’s finger to open up the phone, I could literally hear the lightbulb going off in his head.

Shortly thereafter, I ended up speaking with his wife and my dear friend. She’s clearly a saint for a number of reasons (including last night’s recreation photo,) it today for checking in on my hubby while babysitting her’s. I’m pretty sure that’s not how she envisioned her Peewee Quebec trip. Nonetheless, she kept a watchful eye on my hubby and got some golden pictures. As for me, I was laughing so hard I was crying and that was exactly what I needed today.

Tonight My Mayor is taking in the QMJHL Ramparts game with his team at the Videotron Center. Meanwhile, back at the hotel my Hubby is “undrinking” the whiskey. Once my Mayor is back to the hotel, he’ll call home. He’ll tell me he had a fun day, but wants to go to bed and I’m preventing him from doing that. Tomorrow brings the second game of the tournament and a must win game. Perhaps I’ll even get updates through all three periods tomorrow.

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Peewee Quebec 2019

IMG_7363.jpegIt’s time for Peewee Quebec 2019! For the uninitiated, Peewee Quebec is the penultimate youth hockey tournament in the world. Goalielocks was fortunate to go in 2016, so we’re thrilled that the Mayor has the opportunity to go.

They flew out yesterday, flying to Montreal and then driving to Quebec City. Fortunately for my hubby, his booking faux pas paid off. It turns out they wouldn’t have made their connecting flight to Quebec City due to flight delays. Thankfully, it also meant our friend’s who missed their connecting flight were able to catch a ride to Quebec City. My Mayor called me from the road to let me know they had made it to Montreal and were headed to QC.

Their night ended late last night, while today started bright and early. The Mayor’s team had their first exhibition game of the trip against the Les Esclairuers. It wasn’t a pretty game, but the Mayor had two assists and a good time. After the game, they headed to the Patro to eat.

I can’t wait to hear the Mayor’s impression of the Patro. When we were there the cashier looked like Sloth from Goonies, but with a French accent. It was super cool to see the teams from all over the globe. On our first day there with Goalielocks, his team met the teams from Calgary, Ukraine, Austria, and Minnesota. It’s a pretty unique experience.

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Tomorrow the Mayor’s squad will take on a Czech team before hitting the slopes at Val Cartier. We had an absolute blast at Val Cartier, so I can’t wait to see how my hubby and my Mayor enjoy it. It’s an amazing tubing park and absolutely beautiful. While they’re in Quebec over the next eight days, I’ll be sharing pictures from their trip and our first trip in 2016

Meanwhile in Florida, Goalielocks and I made pan friend ribeye steaks last night. He wanted an appetizer, so we kept it classy with pigs in a blanket (puff pastry since we’re fancy.) Tonight we made home made pizza and French bread pizza with the leftover bread from last night. Goalielocks made the pizza crust for our pie from scratch. We fancy!

I also hit the gym, which felt good. Unfortunately, my joints did not tolerate my treadmill at all. I’ve got a lot of pain and swelling in my knees and other joints. My doc said the pain should abate as my thyroid levels normalize in the coming weeks. I hope she’s right. In the interim, I’m sticking to the elliptical and bike to ensure I’m getting the joints movement with minimal impact. Also taking shots of fresh squeezed ginger and turmeric post workout to help mitigate against the inflammation.

Here’s the video of their entrance this morning, be sure to watch to the end.

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Exploring The World

There’s nothing I enjoy more than exploring the world with my family and friends.  Last month, we were in the Bahamas for a fun and relaxing trip with family.  This weekend the Hubby is headed West for an adult hockey tournament with Goalielocks, while the Mayor will head to Epcot with school.  Jake will be working, which means I’ll have an entire Saturday to myself!  (Say what!?!?!)  If I didn’t have all these blisters on my feet from starting to run again, I’d probably go get a long over due pedicure.  I’m just a little concerned about picking up an infection with the blisters, so I’ll probably go shoe shopping instead.

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Before I get to my super Saturday, I have a 5K on Thursday night.  It’s all about the preparation with these races, which means I’m facing an uphill battle.   I’ve trained pretty steadily for the past two weeks, but it isn’t going to be sufficient to yield favorable results.  My goal is to get back under 30 minutes, but I don’t think this will be that race.  Nevertheless, it feels great to be running again.  To be clear, it feels good after I’m done running not while I’m running.

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Next weekend I’m headed to the islands for a well deserved momcation.  I can’t wait to be on a beautiful island with incredible women and incredible beaches.  Its been a hell of a first quarter and this is the perfect way to recharge my battery for the second quarter.   Honestly, I cannot wait to disconnect for a few days while in the company of great people.   Plus, you cannot beat the beaches in Turks and Caicos!

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One of my goals has always been to travel more and see different places.  The trips don’t have to be long, but just enough to get away for a bit and explore a new city.  Consequently, I’ve been thinking that for the boys’ birthdays, it would be better to take them on a weekend getaway than buy them something.   I love the idea of shared experiences over material goods.  I’ll let you know how that goes.  Lastly, Goalielocks hit the ice for the first time in earnest since his injury almost two months ago!

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Another Day In Paradise

Another day in paradise, here in the Bahamas. I started my day with a grueling run along the beach. To be clear, it was grueling since it was my first run since November. The scenery, however, more than made up for the difficulty of the run. Truly, it felt great to be able to run against. Although I have serious work to do before running in the Corporate Run.

After an awesome breakfast, we headed over to the cabana to setup shop. It’s a lot easier navigating this place when you have a singular meeting point for the entire day. Not too mention ample seating and areas out of the sun.

After getting setup at the cabana, A, the Mayor and myself headed to the lagoon to snorkel. I don’t know what the current water temperature is only that it is far too cold to be swimming it. It took me a long time to get acclimated to the water. Once I did, however, the snorkeling was fun and we saw a lot of fish.

After awhile we tired of the lagoon and headed for the beach. The beach is absolutely stunning, but there are street vendors on the beach that are a bit obnoxious. I have no patience for them. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a ton of fish in close to the beach and the jet skis were already all over the place. While there is reef off of the beach it’s a little too far from shore and too close to where the novice jet skiers are riding.

The rest of our day was filled with sun, sand and water. I enjoyed the rapids ride with H. We had a blast in our double tube. Meanwhile, the boys were all over the the place having a great time. We finally headed back to the room around 5:00, so I could get ready for an adults only dinner. Don’t worry the kids got fed! Moreover, I’m pretty sure they enjoyed their Dominoes as much as we enjoyed Nobu.

Nobu was fantastic albeit the last fish was slow to come out. I had left early since Goalielocks was needing to go lay down in our room due to a headache. J ordered the food for all of us and I’m so glad she did. I tried dishes tonight that I never would have tried if she hadn’t ordered them. All of the dishes were absolutely fantastic. I left full and satisfied, but not stuffed.

After a brief and very unsuccessful run in the casino tonight, I’m ready for bed. We have another action packed day on tap, so I’ll definitely need my beauty sleep! Good night all!

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Sleepy Saturday night

It was a welcomed and overdue sleepy Saturday for the first time since August. We did nothing today, but relax, grocery shop and put a dent in the laundry. It couldn’t have been a better day for it as the afternoon and evening hours were cool and rainy.

The Mayor and Hubby went down to Fort Lauderdale to fish and hangout on our friends’ sailboat. It’s a tough life. I wasn’t feeling 100% and desperately needed to get the grocery shopping and laundry done, so I stayed North. Not to worry, however, as I’ll be headed down that way tomorrow morning to collect the Mayor and enjoy a nice brunch.

Goalielocks and I hit up Kohl’s before hitting up the aquarium store. We picked up a new led light for the coral tank. Of course, it would have been foolish to think I could get out of there with just the light. We picked up another snail and a coral frag. Suddenly, we have a real nano coral tank going on. Goalielocks has done a phenomenal job setting up and managing the tank.

While Goalielocks worked to acclimate our tank’s new inhabitants, the Mayor was busy fishing up a storm in Lauderdale. After fishing they enjoyed a nice dinner inclusive of mermaids, king crab and stone crab. Meanwhile back home, we enjoyed a tasty frozen pizza. Based on the pictures and videos, it would appear he and his buddies are having an amazing time. We’re heading to bed early since we’ll be losing an hour of sleep tonight and we’re heading to an early brunch in Fort Lauderdale. Have a wonderful evening!

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Milestones

Last year was full of major milestones for our family with Jake’s graduation, start of college and the Mayors’ completion of elementary school.  It was a lot of big changes for our family, so much so that I completely forgot about this year’s forthcoming milestones.  Yep, this year Goalielocks will finish middle school and get his learner’s permit.  Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!  Can somebody stop time?

Last month, we completed the choice program application for his high school program.  Like his middle school program, he’s looking to continue in the medical choice program.  I still can’t believe that he’ll be starting high school.  It’s absolutely insane, but the scarier part is that he’ll be driving.

Its scary enough having one teen driver in the house.  Honestly, I’m not sure my heart, stomach and pocket book can handle another teen driver.  I hope my neighbors are prepared as well.  I have a new respect for what my brothers and I put my parents through when we were first driving.  Moreover, in South Florida you have the added worry of your teen driver having to contend with elderly driving and other crazy South Florida drivers.  In good news, once you learn to drive here, I’m pretty sure you could drive anywhere and feel comfortable.

Meanwhile, I started my 14 day vegan meal program that I purchased off of Groupon.   The meal plan from the Vegan Garden comes with 14 breakfast and 14 dinners.  Tonight’s breakfast was a chocolate muffin, which was very yummy.  If I hadn’t bought it as a part of a vegan meal plan, I wouldn’t have known it was vegan.  My dinner was a great dish of spaghetti and “meatballs.”  Fortunately, the spaghetti and meatballs were absolutely yummy.  In addition to being flavorful, the dish was filled with protein.   I complimented these meals with a vegan protein shake for lunch.    After my two-week meal plan is over, I’ll give you a full review and run down on the Vegan Garden meal plans.

Tonight’s song performed by Simon and Garfunkel is “Mrs. Robinson.”  I had to choose a song with the legendary Paul Simon as he announced his farewell tour today.   P..S. The pics are some of my favorites of the boys and my dad from our trip to Norway.  My dad taught my brothers and I how to drive as well as Jake.  I hope he’s ready for his new student Goalielocks!

 

 

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We Made It

After two flights and a pit stop at MacDonald’s in Detroit, we finally made it to Chicago! This was my first time back in O’Hare since middle school. I remember the terminal walkways looked much bigger and much newer back then. Now it’s not so big and fancy compared to some of the newly remodeled airports.

Admittedly, I don’t eat MacDonald’s often. If I’m eating MacDonald’s, it’s either a desperation play or vodka made me do it. Today it was a desperation play as we didn’t have too much time between flights.

What a freaking mistake that was! I’m still feeling it! I ordered the artisan grilled chicken sandwich because calorie wise it was semi reasonable and it looked more gratifying than a single cheese burger. Wrong!

I was so hungry having totally forgotten to eat breakfast as we rushed to the airport. Despite this crazy level of hungry bordering on hangry, I couldn’t finish the sandwich. It was truly the one of the most vile things I have ever eaten.

Honestly, I would have been better off eating the soles of my shoes because they would have been less rubbery. As a matter of fact, I’m pretty sure they stole the rubber chicken from Carrot Top’s prop box and made into my sandwich. If I were him, I’d be mad that his prop was sacrificed for a subpar imitation chicken sandwich.

Now here we are in the Marriott seven hours later and my stomach is still angry with that sandwich. This is why I’m not going to be eating at Macdonald’s again sober. My sandwich today evoked memories of the horrific school lunches they served in elementary.

Meanwhile, my boys feel that the current Chicago weather is nice and comfortable. It’s been a battle since we landed to get them to put on jackets, pants, gloves, etc. “It’s not cold mom.” Yeah, my arse it isn’t cold. I’m looking forward to rehashing this argument tomorrow as we leave for the rink bright and early.

Tomorrow will be a busy day with three games and two team functions. Fortunately, the games are all at the same arena tomorrow. Sunday on the other hand will be a complete disaster. It should be an interesting day as I attempt to make all games in different arenas across town! I’m heading to bed hoping that the nausea caused by that blasted rubber chicken sandwich will be gone tomorrow. Over and out from Chicago!