Mystery Puddle

We have a small puddle that keeps appearing on our basement floor in the laundry room. It seems to appear for no particular reason.

It's at least 3 feet away from our freezer and at least 4 or 5 feet away from our washing machine. There's no visible trail from any water source to where the puddle usually appears.

The first time it appeared a couple of years ago, I thought it might be condensation from the furnace ducts above, where they join. I wrapped a small towel around it and checked on it periodically. It was never wet. And the puddle stopped appearing.

I thought that perhaps there was a leak in the kitchen floor. Our kitchen is above the laundry room. However, the laundry room ceiling is unfinished and the wood is dry as a bone.

The copper pipes in the ceiling are all dry. No leaks.

I'm puzzled.

The fat lady has sung

A topsy turvy season, and another exit from the playoffs for the Ottawa Senators. I'm still convinced that the puck touched a stick after Vermette's "kicking motion" goal was disallowed, but that's a moot point now.

I expect some big changes. Despite the talent on the team, it's not running on all cylinders at all times. As much as I like to see most of the team remain the same... a shakeup is needed and I think some fresh rookie faces need a chance, even if it means taking a season or two to get there.

I think Gerber has earned himself another chance. With a rookie as a backup, I think Gerber will play very well next season. I've always said he doesn't play well with competition breathing down his neck (i.e. Emery), and since he was made the #1, that's been pretty evident. I've always liked Emery as well, but it's time for him to move on.

In some ways, I'm glad it's over. Playoffs for me are stressful as hell. Now I can relax and enjoy the games that I do manage to watch without popping a blood vessel when things don't go the way I'd like them to.

We've got a few Habs fans at work, so I'll be following the Habs from here on. Not as close as I did with the Sens, of course, but if there's any team other than the Sens that I'd like to see bring the cup back to Canada, it would be the Habs. Hell, I spent about 16 years of my life there, and the first hockey game I went to was the Habs vs the Blackhawks (Habs lost).

Sooo.... GO HABS GO... until next season. :)

(p.s. I certainly hope the officiating improves next year, for ALL teams. This season has been the most inconsistent I've ever seen)

Eeuauaughhhuauaahh

A friend sent this link to me. It's stupid funny. The longer you watch and listen to it, the funnier it seems.

Inside the head of a fairweather fan

I think I finally figured out what makes a fairweather fan tick.

They are what they are because:

1. They can't stand being wrong.
2. They can't stand people taking jabs at them for supporting their team, despite their losses.
   

So, what do they do?

They abandon the team before it's over so they can take comfort in saying "Yeh, I knew that was gonna happen."

That's their gratification.

Good god people... grow a spine!

Who the cares if you were wrong? Who cares if you supported your team and they lost?

Take some pride in sticking with the team every year, despite the outcomes, because when our time finally comes -- and it will -- it's going to be fuckin' amazing. A hell of a lot better than what you get from cowering every year to a little ribbing from rival fans and naysayers.

On a different note... Lindy Ruff tried to motivate his Buffalo Sabres last year:

"Approximately every 33 years something great happens in this league, and we're at about that 33-year range where something great is bound to happen. So we've told (Buffalo players) we're on the verge of greatness."

He's referring to the Leafs in 1942 and the Islanders in 1975. Unfortunately for Lindy and the Sabres, last year was year 32. This is year 33.

The last time a team came back from 3-0 to win a series was in 1975 when the Pittsburgh Penguins were up 3-0 over the Islanders. Only to lose the series 4-3.

Is it a long shot for the Sens? Sure is. I'll bet the Islanders were thinking the same thing back in 1975.

All it takes is a little hope and a little faith.

(Yeh... this is a double post... I mixed up the "bandwagon" and "fairweather" terms -- too much beering. So I killed the old, and posted the new.)

Haute Cuisine

Dinner in the Sky is hosted at a table suspended at a height of 50 metres, by a team of professionals.

You have to check it out. Gives new meaning to "Haute Cuisine".

Medical mumbo jumbo

I got the results from the MRI I had done on my shoulder a few weeks ago.

Here's a summary of my MRI, quoted from a copy my doctor he gave me. I cut out all the stuff that ISN'T wrong.

There is a small bursal sided partial thickness tear involving the midsubstance of the conjoint tendon. The tear measures about 12mm in short axis and 10mm in long axis. Rest of the supraspinatus tendon shows evidence of mild tendinosis.

The biceps tendon shows circumferential fluid around in its extra-articular aspect and appearances suggest tenosynovitis. No tendon tear is identified.

IMPRESSION:

1. A small bursal-sided partial thickness supraspinatus tear with associated supraspinatus tendinosis.
2. Tenosynovitis of the biceps tendon.

I had to Google some of the terms.

"Bursal-sided" refers to the bursa: "A small serous sac between a tendon and a bone".

I also found some info from the Mayo Clinic web site (really good web site, by the way). After further searching, I found more detailed information on Wikipedia about the Supraspinatus Muscle.

The bottom line is that I am now waiting to get an appointment to see a orthopaedic surgeon so he can decide if I need surgery. :-\

The lights are on, and nobody is home

For the Earth Hour complainers, this clearly was the case.

The whole point of Earth Hour seems to have gone way over some people's heads. I think there would have been less whining and complaining if they had been asked to cut off their left arm.

It's awareness, for crying out loud. Nobody is saying that the world is going to change overnight simply because you turned off your lights and non-essential appliances for one hour.

If you don't want to do it, THEN DON'T. But don't say "it's stupid" or say that you're going to turn on all your damned lights in protest of the idea.

Yes, that's what one poster in a forum I regularly read said he was going to do. I guess we won't know if he actually did it. I suspect he didn't.

What's the big fuckin' deal? ONE HOUR of your precious time to sit in darkness is all that was asked of you, so that maybe the next time you reach to turn on a light you'll stop and think, "Do I really need this light on?" Chances are, you don't. And over the long term, you save yourself a few bucks and help the environment.

Is that so wrong?

Good grief.