Speaking Greek in English

While attending the BCBC 40th Anniversary celebration this past week-end, I got to spend some time with my good buddy Riker. Riker is turning 8 years old this year (I hope I've got that right; I can barely keep my own age straight), and is growing up fast! He is quickly becoming schooled in the art of trash talking; he challenged me to a game of torpedo ball and then promptly called me "old man". My former name of "JayBoaz" (as the Westman kids usually call me) has been replaced with "old man". I perhaps made the mistake of asking Riker if that meant Sarah is the old lady...

Anyway, while sharing lunch together, Riker and I were quizzing each other on Transformers. I have fond memories of the Transformers cartoon from my childhood, and actually have it on DVD. Riker has borrowed my Beast Wars DVDs before, and now he and his dad are working through their own set of the Transformers cartoon. Riker also spends time reading about the Transformers on-line.

So Riker would ask me "Who do you think my favourite Predacon is?" I would proceed to rattle off several Predacons from the Beast Wars series. Waspinator. Inferno. Rampage. Finally I guessed Quickstrike and was right.

So we went back and forth, me guessing Riker's favourites, then Riker guessing mine. At one point, when discussing Decepticons, Sarah tried to participate in the Decepticon debate by suggesting Optimus Prime. Riker and I looked at each other, partially amused and partially shocked. We informed Sarah that Optimus Prime is an Autobot, not a Decepticon.

I then thought about it for a moment, and asked her, "It sounds like we're speaking another language, doesn't it?" She confirmed that yes, the nuances of Cybertronian lifeforms were an alien language to her.

Clearly our schools need to spend more time on the important things in life, like the difference between an Autobot Headmaster and a Predacon Transmetal.

Is it a Good Idea to Microwave Pipecleaners?

I just discovered the "Is it a Good Idea to Microwave This?" series on Youtube while waiting for Sarah's car to be fixed...I definitely want to check out more of these videos. If you ever wondered what would happen if you microwaved pipecleaners, check this out. I am so tempted to try this myself because it was so awesome! (disclaimer: I won't do this Sarah)

Answers to True or False

I'm assuming Sarah would get all of these right, so I won't wait for her to answer the questions. I will post the false statement and a little blurb about each category.

#1 - I am not a certified basketball official. I have actually refereed basketball once, and I hated every minute of it. The girls team at the school was stuck and begged me to referee; I know enough of the rules of basketball to play a pick-up game, and can follow a game on television, but in no way am I qualified to referee a game. I still remember the other coach screaming at me for a timeout (I thought it had to be called at a stoppage in play).

#2 - I curl on a mixed curling team. No big secret that I curl in a ladies league and a men's league; I curled in a mixed bonspiel last year, but not in a league. With Sarah curling this year we might have to put together a family team of myself, Sarah, her dad, and, well, somebody (my brother curls, or used to, but he lives in Alberta now).

#3 - I have hosted a "The Matrix" marathon - Back when I lived in Winnipeg I hosted a Lord of the Rings (Extended edition) marathon. It took about 11 hours to do, including a break, and was a ton of fun. I had friends living in the same apartment building as me so we hauled their couch up to my apartment for more seating and we had about 10-12 people watching the movie. Everyone brought food, and good food too. And this past fall Sarah and I did a Harry Potter marathon with her brother and his wife; the food was good, we had way more seating room, but just the four of us. :)

#4 - I was once t-boned on a gravel road. I wrote off a car when I was rear ended on #8 highway, and in Winnipeg an on-coming car had encroached too far into my lane while waiting to turn across the intersection and I ran into him. I wasn't at fault in either accident, the other guy caused it both times.

#5 - I had a short story published in an anthology collection. I actually used to be a student reporter for the Interlake Spectator when I was in high school. I didn't get paid, but I got experience in journalism. One time the paper called and asked me to cover an event in town because the regular guy was busy, and they were going to pay me! I called in to work to see if I was scheduled and the guy I talked to said I was. Turned out there was a Jason scheduled to work, not me, so I could have done the story! And I used to maintain my own website with stories I wrote; I'd like to get back into writing (I have some ideas kicking around in my head for either a series of short stories or maybe a short novel) but I'd have to find the time. Good luck with that!

True or False?

We did this as an icebreaker game at Care Group the other night, so I thought for fun I'd do it here. I'm going to post a few series of 3 sentences; 2 sentences will be the truth, 1 will be a lie. See if you can identify the false statement and in a day or two I'll post the answers.

1. I am a certified volleyball official.
2. I am a certified soccer official.
3. I am a certified basketball official.

Which is the false statement?

1. I curl on a ladies' curling team.
2. I curl on a mixed curling team.
3. I curl on a men's curling team.

Which is the false statement?

1. I have hosted a "The Matrix" marathon.
2. I have hosted a "Lord of the Rings" marathon.
3. I have hosted a "Harry Potter" marathon.

Which is the false statement?

1. I was once rear-ended on the highway.
2. I was once t-boned on a gravel road.
3. I once hit someone head-on at a traffic-light controlled intersection.

Which is the false statement?

1. I had a short story published in an anthology collection.
2. I used to be a reporter for the Interlake Spectator.
3. I used to have my own website archiving stories I've written.

Which is the false statement?

I'll leave it at that. I could have gone for much more obscure questions, but I think there are people out there who should be able to get all 5.