More

When I look back on my life I realize how lucky I am, but I wish there was more I could do. I grew up in a middle class family where I always had more than enough. I still live at home. My parents are paying for my schooling. I have never not had enough. But I wish I could do more.

I am in education and I took a course called the History of Inner City Education. It was a course that you learned through discussion. I took almost no notes and left it wondering if I was doing the right thing. How could I help all the people that needed it? Was teaching them really going to help? I came out of that class with my eyes wide open but also with a growing sense of frustration because the resources you had access to was dictated by your geography. There is different levels of support for kids in the Inner City than there is for kids that live in poorer areas outside of the Inner City. I want to help, but I don't know how.

I take the bus everywhere. I have access to a car (sometimes) and I am a busy student. So I do what I can. I donate food to Winnipeg Harvest and the Christmas Cheer Board. I try to retweet anything that will help organizations that help people in need but I feel like I should do more. But I don't know what more is. So I do a little and hopes it helps a lot.

Baking for Newbies

Last night on Twitter there was a discussion over a bad experience someone had making cookies in their oven. The week before someone was bemoaning the fact that Christmas shopping sucks without a list (I have one with stored mapped out on it already). I suggested baking for everyone for Christmas (cheap and everybody like it), and if you are a non-baker to stick to easy stove-top stuff. Being a nice person, here are two easy and delicious stove-top recipes.

1. Chocolate Frogs (makes about 36)

Ingrediants

1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup flaked coconut

3 cups quick rising oats

Steps

1. Line 2 cookie sheets with wax paper

2. In a large pot stir together cocoa, sugar, milk, and butter

3. Boil for 5 minutes, then remove from heat

4. Stir in vanilla extract, coconut, and oats. Combine well.

5. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets. Refrigerate for one hour or until set. Keep in the fridge until needed.

These also freeze well.

Rice Krispie Cake (http://www.ricekrispies.com/recipes/the-original-treats)

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 package (10 oz., about 40) regular marshmallows
• — OR —
• 4 cups miniature marshmallows
• 6 cups Kellogg's® Rice Krispies® cereal

DIRECTIONS

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

2. Add KELLOGG'S RICE KRISPIES cereal. Stir until well coated.

3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool. Cut into 2-inch squares. Best if served the same day.

If you want to make them fancy, put some sprinkles on top :)

My Definitive Ranking of Christmas Movies

I love Christmas movies and because of this I have decided to rank my favourite movies. Warning: this is cartoon heavy.

1. Miracle on 34th Street (original)
I love this movie because it is about rediscovering youth and imagination. It is not just about Santa being real, but about how Christmas is as magical as we want it to be. And the original is just awesome in black and white.

2. Love Actually
One of my favourite movies, the idea that we fall in love so easily is sweet. I have watched the movie over 20 times since it was released and it gets me every time. The intertwining story lines are beautiful and the airport scenes are the best.

3. It's a Wonderful Life
This is where it gets hard for me but this timeless movie does it for me. The realization that you do matter no matter how useless you think you are is something that should be mentioned more than it is.

4. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (animated)
The movie is short, sweet, and simple. The message is "even the coldest heart can warm when taught love". And the original is better than the remake of course.

5. Charlie Brown
My favourite screw up is one of my favourite movies. He can't do anything right and for that he finds the spirit of Christmas.

6. A Christmas Carol (original)
Timeless and great, this movie features ghosts and regrets. And the realization that it is never too late to change your outlook.

7. Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too
Winnie the Pooh is still my favourite Disney character and I have watched this movie every year on CBC, even as a teenager. Pooh screws up and tries to bring Christmas to his friends anyways. Silly old bear.

The More Things Change...

For the first time since my mom was six Christmas morning will not be at the house she grew up in. It will not be at the house where my Baba died, where we spent time as a big family. The house hasn't left our family as my older cousin and her husband bought it. But the most important part of our Christmas, waffles, ice cream and berries will still be around but in a different place. And it is not the same.

My Grandpa's old house is huge. An addition was built on to it so that eight people could comfortably live there. My mom has stories of her holding up heavy boards on a ladder as a teenager. But it is in capable hands now with my cousin. Christmas Eve dinner is too, though our Grandpa is going over to help. But breakfast has changed and that feels weird.

Christmas morning is when we exchange gifts but much more importantly we are all together. WE rarely ever are all together anymore with one aunt in Singapore, an aunt and uncle in Australia, and and aunt, uncle, and cousins in Vermont. But every once in a while we would all come together in the big family room at my Grandpa's on Christmas morning and laugh. Sure, we would open presents but we would also laugh.

There is a joke in our family that when all the Chaboyer women get together and laugh, it is a wall of laughter that you cannot escape even if you try. When my sister and I were young we would be kept awake by this laughter. It will never go away, but things change and it will not be in the same place again.

The kitchen was perfect for big meals. It was a kitchen that people would want to put an island in now. My Grandpa had this big table, way too big for one person but excellent for family gatherings. Christmas morning we would all sit around and eat waffles as my mom cooked. My parents even got my Grandpa a new waffle iron to speed up the cooking process. Everyone fit around the table and would have a good time together. We won't all fit anymore, the kitchen is too small for the table to be as big as it once was. The living room at his apartment will mean that we will have to squish to all fit. But we will be together and we will have a good time. 

It will not be the same. As much as I wish it would have never changed, everything changes. But the people who make it Christmas will be there. The food that makes it special will still be there. The quiet moments where my Grandpa struggles with the time of year when he lost his wife will still be there. But the setting won't be and that means that times are changing and that is hard to accept when the changes mean you are getting older and soon nothing will be the same.

What to Get the Book Lovers on Your List-Part One

I realize that I have finished exams but due to some other stuff haven't written for a bit. So here are my recommendations for the reader on your Holiday list. I realize I am late for Chanukah but I was busy.

Sports Lover- numerous books fit in this category but I'll stick with the two I've been able to read.

The Game-Ken Dryden
The Game is the quintessential hockey book written by Canadiens great Ken Dryden. It is about his last year. Reading it you realize how smart Dryden is and why he is a go to guy for the media whenever something controversial happens. This is a must read even if you are a Bruins fan.

The Greatest Game-Todd Denault

This book is also Habs centric, but it is fabulous for telling the history of hockey in the Soviet Union as well as how the last Habs dynasty was built. Talks about the rise of Philly and Boston through physicality. It cumulates with the historic 1975 game between the Habs and the Soviets.

Gretzky's Ghost-Stephen Brunt

This book is a collection of stories from Brunt; titled from the time he acted as Gretzky's ghost writer. It features some really neat stories (like the rise of Lafleur) and is an easy read.

The Hockey Sweater-Roch Carrier

How can I leave out this classic. Perfect for any Canadian of any age because it is awesome. It is Canadiens centric but you should read it even you you love the Leafs.

There are defiantly more awesome sports books but I chose to feature three I have really enjoyed.

For the Canadian War history lover. This is totally up my ally and it was because of books that I am a history lover today.

Vimy- Pierre Berton

Vimy is an amazing book about the preparation and battle at Vimy Ridge. The details are vivid and there are parts that are shocking and very real. It is not super gory though so anyone should be able to handle it.

Unlikely Soldiers-Jonathan Vance

Tales that you have never heard before about Canadian spies in France during WWII. I devoured it in about two days because it is so engaging. It is the tale of two young men who never should have been involved in the war effort.

Finally for the person who is hard to buy for.

These books are all easy reads and are really cool ideas for anyone on your list.

PostSecret Books-Frank Warren

These books are compilations of anonymous secrets sent to Frank and then published in book form. I read them and then my dad did too. Everyone will enjoy them. There are currently 5 books published.

The Book of Awesome and The Book of Even More Awesome-Neil Pasricha

Short quips about everyday things that are awesome. Really fast sections to read. Best book I've travelled with because long periods of concentration are not needed.

Hockey Markets and Ownership

I don't really watch any sports other than hockey and international sports, including the Olympics. I ask people questions about other sports because I like to learn things and frankly if nothing else is on TV basketball is an entertaining option. But I know the most (read very little) about hockey and I am from Winnipeg. Meaning I followed the Phoenix Coyotes saga closely and new about the Atlanta Thrashers problems with ownership well. Fans of those teams always say (or said) when we get a new owner it will all be better. But rarely does it work.

Not to say that new ownership doesn't help a fan base. Look at the Chicago Blackhawks, after their owner, Bill Wirtz, died and his son Rocky took over the team returned to TV, fans came back. But Chicago was an Original Six team whose had been frozen out of developing a relationship with their local team. That is not happening in places like Phoenix and Florida. They have access to their team. A family of four can go to a game without it costing an arm and a leg. But yet it doesn't happen. Even with stable ownership, fans don't come to games. At some point it has to be said that places are either A) not hockey markets (Florida or Phoenix)
B) too close to major hockey markets (Ottawa)
and that a hockey team in the area doesn't make sense. At some point the arena being in the middle of nowhere and requiring driving starts sounding like whining. 7:30 starts for all then. At some point you have to show you deserve a team.

Winnipeg lost a team because they couldn't afford it anymore due to the dollar and a sinking Manitoban economy that left little money for a NHL team and the NHL moved the Jets from Winnipeg. But after patiently building up the city, Manitoba rebuilt its economy, brought in the AHL, ran them well and showed the NHL that they could be a successful hockey market. Winnipeg showed they cared about hockey and had to earn a team back by selling of season tickets BEFORE the sale went through. This was unprecedented and is not required in other markets. Winnipeg won a team back. Other cities were gifted them and those markets are struggling. Maybe the NHL was onto something but how long can they stand by a sinking ship.

A hockey market is a hockey market no matter the ownership. If the economy doesn't allow for the NHL to be viable than the NHL should leave because market viability AND stable ownership should be priority not one or the other.

Why I Love the Habs, Subban, and Pacioretty

There are times when the unexplainable happens and you fall in love with a team for no reason. I was in grade 12  and just starting to watch Hockey Night in Canada. Analytics were a foreign concept to me and all I knew was I hated Toronto. I guess I first started watching the Habs during their run that was fuelled by Halak but I can't really say I was a fan. I liked Price and Subban from the World Juniors but did not know how great Markov really is and why Plekanec is awesome. I know this now though don't worry.

I was won over by a really bad event. I was won over when Pacioretty had his neck fractured and was knocked unconscious by Zdeno Chara. I remember coming home and TSN being on. They warned about the disturbing scene and I watched it and was shocked. What I didn't know was how callus the media in Boston was towards Pacioretty. I didn't like how he was blamed for something he did nothing in. I hated how the Bruins accused Pacioretty of faking his concussion to get Chara suspended when a quick Google search showed that being unconscious for the amount of time he was unconscious for meant he had a severe concussion. I liked how Pacioretty reached out and talked to the media, making Bob McKenzie change his mind. And Geoff Molson promising to try to change things. Molson holds little power but cares about his players deeply.

From that I was a fan. That summer I spent six weeks in Montreal to work on my French and I stumbled upon the Centennial Plaza where statues of the Canadiens greats watch over Le Centre Bell. I spent a long time there, taking it all in. I should have gone into the Montreal Canadiens Hall of Fame but that will happen in good time. The next year the Habs sucked and the Jets were back but my heart was with the Habs. I still watch the Jets but I don't care as much. The Habs are the team that can frustrate me to no end and can lift me up for no reason. The Jets just confuse me.

A couple games later Subban scored a hat trick against Minnesota and was asked about Pacioretty. Subban admitted to texting him a lot, worried that he was giving Pacioretty headaches. Thoughtful one that Subban is. Subban seemed to be the friend that is always there for his teammates, even though he annoys them from time to time. Subban fell out of love with the media when he was in negotiations with the Habs over an RFA deal. The Habs wanted short term for falling cap reasons and Subban wanted long term because he loves the Habs. He was painted as greedy and selfish. The media couldn't separate their own biased opinions on the player from the actual player and they made one of the great personalities of the game freeze them out. And I like that.

I remember one game in particular in that horrible 2011-2012 season for the Habs. They were the late game on HNiC and Markov was playing his first game in over a year and Pacioretty had just scored 30 goals a year after that incident with Chara (of course PK set him up for his 30th into an empty net exactly one year after that dastardly day). Markov set up PK for a goal and looked like he had won the lottery. After the game Scott Oake interviewed Pacioretty in an interview that can only be described as awkward. Oake promised Pacioretty to not talk about "the hit" and that was all Oake asked him about for 15 minutes. Not only did Pacioretty graciously answer every question, he never complained about it. He went on to win the Masterton Trophy and seemed happy to not have to talk about "the hit" anymore.

Recently Pacioretty has all but told the media that they don't understand the game they watch. And he's right. He doesn't care what the media thinks about him because he's smart (he could have gone to an Ivy League school but the hockey wasn't as good as University of Michigan) and articulate. And almost always right.

Sure Subban is awesome and we don't deserve to inhabit the same planet as him most nights and Plekanec may be the most underrated player because no one ever even talks about him but Pacioretty may be the player that is the least thought of scoring winger. He's not a lock of the US Olympic team even though he is the second highest even strength scorer next to Kane for Americans in the past 2 years. Subban is the star that radiates so brightly you can see it in space but Pacioretty is the one who will speak his mind and not worry about the waves he causes. He is awesome and between him and Subban I learned to love the Habs.

Why Do We Care?

The Jets are a big deal in town. The NHL came back and we were no longer a minor league city. But why do we care about them anymore? Have they given the city have of what the fans have given them? In the famous words of Daniel Alfredsson "probably not". The fans care, almost too much and complacency seems to have set in.

I remember when I was in grade 12, the year before the Jets returned my entire family came home for Christmas. One aunt from Jakarta, Indonesia, an aunt and uncle from Australia, and cousins from Vermont. We were able to go to a Manitoba Moose game. When I was in grade 11 we had our pen pal, who is from Australia but was attending school in Guelph visit and we took her to a Moose game as well. That would not have been possible, either financially or ticket availability wise with the Jets. My family is a middle class family and the Jets are expensive. My parents have been to one game, so why do people care so blindly.

Two years ago the Montreal Canadiens were struggling. They fired a good, French coach for a bad English one. Their GM ran from the media and their best veteran defenseman seemingly couldn't recover from an ACL injury. But yet they are now one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. Why? Their owner cared. He hired a GM (who made mistakes this summer and will hopefully learn from them) and the GM hired a coach who seemingly learns from his mistakes quickly. Why does this matter to Jets fans? It doesn't because all the long term contracts are tied up in young players. Those young players seem to like playing in Montreal. There is no constant criticism of the coach from those players. Subban likes playing for Therrien for crying out loud. What's the difference? Caring ownership it seems.

When things went bad in Montreal, Geoff Molson stepped in and made changes. He is on Twitter (seriously) and interacts with fans on there. The Canadiens were embarrassed by the failure of that season and vowed to be better. That was after one bad year. They have many good, young players now. Their team is strong and their fan base is as loyal as ever. What about their Jets? Chevy is muddling along, not showing any real knowledge of what the needs are and Noel seems to know nothing about the players he has. He ran Burmistrov out of town (someone who liked the cold weather) and seems to be well on the way to doing that with Kane.

All is not rosy in Montreal. Losing happens and the tension is palatable. But their owner cares and makes sure everyone else cares. The media is addressed by the GM when needed. Molson is the majority owner and talks to the players regularly. He cares because he's a fan. There is little argument that Chipman doesn't care, but does he care in the right ways. Does he care about performance or the bottom line. Does he care about the play of the team or keeping his friends employed. Noel was not spectacular in the AHL and his NHL results leave a lot to be desired. Chevy hasn't accomplished anything in the three years he's been GM. He's handed out questionable contracts to players that didn't deserve the long term, big money commitment, and were on the wrong side of 25. It seems like the only trade that may happen is Kane being shipped out of town. Not a struggling vet but Kane; a good young player who doesn't have consistently good line mates. Of course him and Burmistrov were good together but that ship has seemingly sailed.

Will someone up top stand up for the fans and get the people in place that the fans deserve or will the Jets forever be the Thrashers in a new location? If nothing changes I propose renaming the team to the Thrashets.

Questions About Helping

My stream of thought is going crazy at 12:30 am about helping people and the Christmas Cheer Board. First of all the Christmas Cheer Board needs a lot of help right now and you should try to help if you can. Even if that means helping fill hampers, they need you. But a course I took also makes me question how we help people and if we are empowering them to help themselves too.

The course was the History of Inner City Education (Winnipeg). I learned a lot, but mostly about capacity perspective or the glass half full approach. Which brings me back to helping people. What really helps someone living in constant need? Is it a once a year handout which lasts maybe a week or is it something sustainable that comes from the community? What about summer when breakfast programs are no longer available at school for the students? Why don't we focus on the entire year rather than just the winter holidays? What do people feel when they receive a hamper? Grateful? Embarrassed? Earlier today I wrote two posts about Christmas traditions and how they perfect my holidays, not the stuff I receive but yet every year I receive stuff. My mind wouldn't change about Christmas if I didn't receive that stuff. It's the season of snowmen and snowflakes, watching Christmas movies and being around family, does that change when you need help?

I can't answer any of these questions because I grew up in a nice area in a middle class family where both parents have good jobs. Someone has always been there for me, encouraging me when I need it. But I wonder if circumstances were different and I needed the help some people need how would I feel about it. I remember a boy I went to school with grew up poor. I haven't heard from him since grade eight but I remember that year we went to fill hampers at the Christmas Cheer Board and he was one of the students who came and he loved it. Maybe helping is about doing what you can to help everyone, even if one of those people is yourself.

Memories, Sadness, and Christmas

This is going to be hard because sometimes things are. My family loves Christmas, especially my mom's side. We get together on Christmas Eve for a big dinner and again on Christmas Day for waffles, ice cream and presents. But it has never been the same since that year. Christmas 2004, the year my Baba died.

I remember the day well, it was Christmas Eve morning and I heard voices from my parents room. My mom came to get me and my sister from out rooms to tell us. Our Baba had died in the wee hours of the morning and we were still having a family dinner that night. The news hit me harder than I thought it would. You see my Baba had numerous health problems including two strokes, one that was debilitating when I was quiet young. She was little more than a ghost, someone who couldn't remember much but was a lovely lady. My grandpa loved her and cared for her even though she was a burden sometimes. She couldn't drive or move very well meaning that my grandpa was responsible for all the house work, cooking, and driving. This was a huge change for my grandpa who had never cooked a day in his life before.

Back to that morning. I was devastated. How could she have died? I knew the answer but it was tough to stomach. I was 12. All of a sudden I had 2 grandparents and one of them was in poor health. It also resulted in the most acquired Christmas I can remember. We still had Christmas Eve dinner but there was the pink elephant that wouldn't go away. What do you say? What do you do? We hugged but the laughs that usually come so easily wouldn't come. There was my aunt's birthday the next day that we celebrated, but it wasn't happy, it was sad and uncomfortable.

My family came from Vermont. I got to see my cousins for the first time in a few years and we made it fun to be together, but it hurt and still hurts sometimes. How could it not. My Grandpa has tried to keep everything the same. Pyjamas on Christmas Eve; waffles, ice cream, and berries on Christmas morning but something is different, not right. It's like there is a different feeling now. One of sadness whenever we have the toast before digging in to another delicious meal. Sadness for all. We lost someone we loved almost nine years ago. Time heals but doesn't mend a broken heart.

I still love Christmas. With all the smells and the tastes how could I not. But it's different as I grow older. My grandpa moved into an apartment this summer. My cousin and her husband bought his house and are hosting dinner for the first time ever; Grandpa is going over to help them though. My sister and I have long been responsible for decorating his place for the price of a meal. We created new traditions and the laughter is back after that devastating Christmas Eve in 2004. The saying "the more things change, the more they remain the same" is true. But life is not static and everything changes but it's the moments that devastate us that remain with us forever.

Christmas Cookies and the Ties that Bind

I see my mom's family frequently. My Grandfather comes over every Sunday and I see my family that lives in Winnipeg on a semi-regular basis. This is not true for my dad's family. I have one grandparent left (my grandpa) and it has been this way for four years since I was 16. I remember lamenting the fact to my dad's cousin because it was too unbelievable then and it still is today.

But somethings can never die and should never die, no matter who does die. Family traditions. And my Grandma (and Grandpa before he died when I was 3) had a great one. Baking and decorating Christmas Cookies. It was the only time of the year that all the grandkids were guaranteed to be together. Boyfriends and girlfriends came and went but the same four people were always there and it seemed as though that would be lost.

It couldn't have been lost though. When else could we eat gobs of sugar cookie and put too much icing on cookies as we entered adulthood? No where. We needed cookies to keep us together and allow us to share our lives which are spread out and busy. I decided to organize them because we had the space and I (in grade 11) had the time. We did them after Christmas because my cousin had moved to Halifax, just gotten married and was really busy. Never mind that school had everyone else busy as well. That was a memorable one because my cousin told us she was pregnant with her and her husbands first daughter. The next year my parents and aunt became the babysitters while they decorated cookies.

The last two years have made is so my cousin's daughter has been the life of the party without knowing it. My dad and aunt seem to go back to their childhood entertaining her. Last year her socks ended up on my dad's ears. My parents were never allowed to stay at my grandma's, they usually went to Polo Park while we baked because they weren't allowed to stay. It was are time as cousins and no one could take that away from us. But times change and this year there will be two little ones at cookies. My cousin had a second girl this spring (also first told to us at Christmas Cookies) meaning more babysitting for the "adults".

Christmas Cookies is an exclusive group, allowing those who enter intimate access into our lives and our special place. Egg salad must be made and served. The "kids" have to come to make cookies. Phone calls aren't used anymore though, Facebook is. We don't arrive in the same order as we used to. I organize it, not Grandma. We have a better kitchen for the cookies now, one with an island perfect for rolling out cookie dough. But it's not the same, it will never be the same without a grandparent to be there for you. The small, musky old house has been replaced by a big, newer house that smells of anything but musk. Times change. What started when we were the same age as our cousins oldest (2) has continued to now. We are all adults. We range in age from 20-31. And the only thing guaranteed to bring us together every year is Christmas cookies. Christmas doesn't work anymore, there are too many other commitments to add another one. Our Christmas dinner is our cookie making because we all have out own lives now. That's okay because for one day a year we will get together at a house and make something better than cookies: memories.

Do Better, Media

I read a lot of news on twitter mostly about the Montreal Canadiens (Habs) or the Winnipeg Jets. Lately there have been numerous comments from players on the Habs about how to watch the game. The latest one was Subban saying that if you think he is bad on defence you that you are not watching enough or not paying attention. The Habs players have been on the media for over a week about how the game is reported upon and what should actually be watched for.

The jest of all the comments the Habs players have made boil down to watch for this and you will get what we are doing. It lines up with what analytics are saying teams should do to win, down to their starting goalie not starting on back to backs. It is really fascinating to listen to because it makes so much sense. The best part is there are people in the media in Montreal who are defending the players and explaining what they have said in layman's terms.

This brings me to the Jets. They are the opposite of the Habs; they are bad. And their players don't say things like "Offensive defence men are good defensively because they have the puck" they talk about hitting guys and blocking shots. The most praised player in Winnipeg most nights seems to be Mark Stuart, a bad defence man. In Montreal it is Subban and Markov with a side of Price, Plekanec, Pacioretty/whoever is hot that particular night. The media, though they struggle with it sometimes typically pick good players to praise. In Winnipeg they praise bad players regularly.

Never mind that they TSN Jets broadcast today talked about Mason going to the Olympics because a 21 game sample size is how you want to pick an Olympic team, not seasons of evidence that he is not a good goalie. Broadcasters have a job, as do reporters, to know the game they cover and they do not do that very well because they play into narratives and do not listen to the analytics that can tell them otherwise.

Players are starting to hold the media accountable in Montreal and the media is responding somewhat receptively (it depends on the member) but will this happen in Winnipeg or will good players like Kane and Burmistrov continue to get run out of town with no defenders except for knowledgable fans.

Letter Writing and Learning

Yesterday I participated in my first ever parent/teacher/student conferences and I learned a lot. Most of it is the students are generally aware of where they struggle and can help find strategies that will help them. One of the students talked about writing letters to people to help her write more and this made me think of how I learned to write in grade four, a pen pal.

My grade four teacher did a lot of work centred around the north and every year she set up pen pals for her students to send letters to. I believe I had two in fact but I cannot remember correctly. I remember how exciting it was when we got the letters and got to write responses, we had so many questions for them. We sent pictures and shared about our lives in an entirely different environment. We studied the communities that our pen pals lived in. We learned about Canada in a way we would have not learned if it wasn't for our pen pals.

I do not still have these letters from them but I really enjoyed it in grade four. It was probably a disaster writing wise and a lot of work to set up but was it worth it to me as a student? Yes and I bet it was worth it for my teacher (Mrs. Gartrell who was awesome and had so many unique lessons) because she was able to teach us about Northern Canada by us asking other kids. Students were engaged, practiced penmanship and writing. We learned about an area of the country we knew very little about. I still remember where my pen pal lived too. She lived in Inuvik.

A Day in the Life of Chevy

Kevin Cheveldayoff is the GM of the Winnipeg Jets. He also has a love of claiming players off waivers and not doing much else. The only time he traded away a soon-to-be unrestricted free agent was in his first year when he traded Johnny Oduya to Chicago for a second round pick. Because of all that Chevy does all day to improve the Jets there is a question on Twitter #WhatDidChevyDoToday and so I give you a day in the life of Chevy. This is a non game day in Winnipeg

7:00 am- Wake up
7:05- Shower
7:15- Get dressed
7:20- Make coffee
7:25- Pour a bowl of milk and Cherrios
7:45- Shovel his driveway
8:00- Drive to his office
8:30-8:45 Arrive at office
8:45-9:00 Get ready for his day
9:00- Call Mark Stuart's agent to see what his contract demands are, talk for over an hour about how valuable Stuart is to the team
10:30- call James Wright's agent to see what his contract demands are, tells him how Wright is the perfect bottom six player and can fill in on a top six line when injuries hit, talk for over an hour
11:45- Decides to go eat lunch, goes out to McDonald's for the Filet-o-Fish when Stella's is closer with a tastier and healthier fish burger
12:15- Heads back to his office calls Chris Thorburn's agent to learn his contract demands, they talk about how his fighting sparks the team for over an hour
1:45- Decides he needs a nap
3:15- Wakes up and logs onto his computer to read Allan Walsh's Twitter account about how Pavelectric Pavelec is
3:45- Decides he's done enough work for the day and heads home
4:15-4:30 Arrives home, helps his kids with homework
5:30- Eats supper with his family
6:00- Watches CTV News
7:00 Finds and Watches a Two and a Half Men marathon
8:30 Puts his kids to bed
9:00 Goes back to watching Two and a Half Men
10:00 Turns to TSN to watch That's Hockey 2Night
11:00 Goes to bed to rest up for another busy day

And that is what a day in the life of Chevy looks like
(this was fiction and is by no means real in any way, shape, or form)

The Young and the Marginalized

Canadian Conservative MP Dean Del Mastro tweeted last night that only 30% of eligible voters took part in the Federal by-election yesterday. This is an alarming number but instead of saying that something is wrong with voters in Canada maybe politicians should ask themselves how to engage those who are not as likely to vote. The two groups I think they should target is the young vote and the marginalized members of society, specifically the FNMI (First Nations, Metis, Inuit) community. This article in the Winniprg Free Press touches on voter turn out quite nicely (http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/special/democracy-project/only-band-politics-matters-on-reserve-113752239.html?device=mobile).

To not engage people who are less likely to vote is a bad idea. New voters are ready to be painted by a party and to ignore them is irresponsible. Being unengaging to the unengaged is a good way to leave them out of the political spectrum forever, but all is not lost because there is a way to get the young vote and the FNMI vote to start (this is not fool proof and I may be wrong but hey, I'm young).

1. Go to them- Instead of holding debates and information nights that require them to come to you go to where they are. This means engaging them at their homes, community centres and other gathering places.

2. Engage them in meaningful discourse.- This means using your listening ears and actually understanding what would make these voters vote. Better mental health, accessible post-secondary education, better student loans, proper housing solution? Whatever they say is a concern for them note it and use the ones most frequently mentioned in your platform.

3. Make polling accessible and easy. -Not everyone has the type of id needed to vote. Make voting as easy as possible. Besides offering rides to voting sites offer childcare while there to make the parents life easy. This will make going with parents to the polls a fun experience for kids and make them want to engage in voting when they get older.

4. Have debates in schools. -Have debates in schools during school hours. Many teachers would take their students to listen to part of the democratic process. Schools are also opened to the community and so those who work nights or have a day off can come by and listen to the debate as well.

These ideas aren't perfect and I am not saying do all of them at once, but people are less likely to vote if they feel like they are not being heard. Engage in the young and the marginalized and listen to them. If this doesn't change anything be better and things may change. Alienation and blaming the voter cannot be the way to go anymore.

The Awesomeness of Princesses (Part 1)

So some people like to call men princesses to insult them. This is unacceptable and therefore deserves shaming in the best way possible, them learning how awesome princesses can be. By using both real and Disney "Princesses" (including those who are not princesses but considered to be in "princess movies" like Mulan). This is no ranking but a reminder of how awesome princesses can be and why that is a bad insult.

Mulan

Mulan is the quintessential badass. She lies that she's a boy so her father, who was permanently disabled while in combat for the Chinese Imperial Army. She not only puts herself in danger by going in place of her father, but she also causes the chance of dishonour to her family if she is discovered. Of course she is discovered to be female after saving her comrades from the Huns and is sent home, only to realize the Huns were not killed off and they were going to the Imperial City. She gets there just in time to battle the Huns one last time, saving the Emperor and bringing honour to her family. Never mind she was clever throughout, using her brain to help her overcome her physical limitations.

Queen Elizabeth II

She is now the Queen of England but when she was a mere princess in 1944 and just 18 years of age she convinced her father to let her serve as a mechanic and truck driver in London. No one would have let the future Queen of England go to war but she is the only female monarch to serve in the British Forces to any degree.

Belle

Belle is awesome and usually accused of being otherwise. She sees beauty in an animal that no one else can see beauty in and she sees how horrible Gaston is when no one else can. Unique and smart, Belle kills 'em with kindness. She refuses to see the Beast as he sees himself and eventually he realizes that he can be nice and they fall in love. This love story is all about seeing what is underneath the looks and not what everyone else thinks.

Esmeralda

The last princess tonight is Esmeralda from Hunchback of Notre Dame. She is sweet and kind to Quasimodo, protecting him from the evil crowds and saving his life. She leaves him in the end but she is not there to be his lover but instead his beautiful friend and there is nothing wrong with that.

Why I'll Never Melt Sugar (or the Dangers of Glue Guns)

I am somewhat klutzy. My knees are perpetually bruised at the ripe old age of 20 and I can never tell you how they have become bruised. I am also a pre-service teacher in an integrated education program meaning I take education classes from my first year on instead of doing a post-bach. Because of this I am in a grade 4/5 classroom this year and sometimes do those annoying jobs that teachers don't have time for like hanging art on the wall. Except this is harder when you are 5'3", a klutz, and using a glue gun.

I was quietly hanging up show boxes while math was being corrected doing the seemingly easy job of hot gluing shoe boxes on the wall over computers. Again this is an easy job except I am terrible with hot glue guns and it showed. Though everything stuck to the wall I managed to track glue strings over the computers and get some on the counter-top. Then I struck and managed to a) get a large amount of glue on my thumb, and b) not remove it quickly.

This incident led to me having to leave the classroom three times. Twice to run my finger under water and the last time to get ice. I blame that on me trying to "tough it out" and not take care of the burn immediately (smart move Cara). Finally I was given Polysporm and sent was okay. But it is embarrassing when you have to go to the office to get an ice pack for yourself. But they will let me teach one day and I will be avoiding glue guns because they poise a danger to me.

Vimy, Reading, and Teaching Myself

I have a bizarre love of history from around WWI to present. The modern conflicts that have made the world we live in today the way it is engross me. My Dad has always talked about the Battle of Vimy Ridge because his Great-Grandfather died there. Him and I are planning to visit there together in a couple years because it is a place that I would really like to see.

Grade 7 was when I realized that i loved history. I read a book that I did not fully understand and it impacted me for the rest of my life. That book was Vimy by Pierre Berton. Reading it at a young age was painful, but I inflicted myself with the pain and finished it, becoming fascinated with WWI history in the process. How could this happen? How could the world fall into such turmoil? I have learned some of those answers at university but the lingering question still remains to me, who were the people who fought and what are their stories?

I have learned more of those stories through reading books like Unlikely Soldiers by Jonathan Vance and Fighting in Hell (about WWII on the Eastern Front). These books helped paint a picture of the people who fought. I cannot understand why we do not learn about the Eastern Front in history because without the Soviet Red Army, the world would probably look a lot different today.

I have also learned about many atrocities that have occurred without little public education: The Armenian Genocide (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/headline/article15530249/), the Night of the Broken Glass in Germany and Austria, the rapping of women by Japanese Soldiers during the war in the Pacific and numerous other brutalities that have occurred (hopefully the Canadian Museum of Human Rights will feature these). This is why reading history is important to me. I cannot say that I know the whole story, ever. The idea that educating everything to make Canada look good is a bad one. You have to see the world through someone else's eyes at some point. The Boy in the Stripped Pyjamas is an excellent story for this reason, you see through the enemies eyes.

I do not know if I would have fallen in love with history to the same extent that I did if I hadn't read Vimy in grade 7. I'm glad that I will never know because I have a stack of books to read and most of them are historical non-fiction.

Max Pacioretty is Smart and Defence in Water Polo

I played water polo, refereed water polo, minor officiated water polo, and coached water polo for year. Only the past two years have I not spent at least four days a week at the pool. This leads me to a series of smart comments from Max Pacioretty of the Montreal Canadiens.

All I know about hockey analytics comes from reading people who write about them and asking questions. These questions range from how important face-offs are (not very) to how bad Douglas Murray is (very). This leads me to Max Pacioretty. He is a consistently underrated forward for the Montreal Canadiens who has made a habit out of saying smart things this year. The first smart thing he said this year was that the Habs would struggle if they tried to play a tougher game because they are meant to be a fast team and not one that fights (http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/Emphasis+toughness+might+hurt+Habs/8999114/story.html) .

He also said that he was playing a different role this year, one that forced him to focus more on defence ( http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=690962). He is again right. If you are thinking he knows what he is talking about, you are thinking correctly.

Yesterday he said something that was really smart and not just self-aware but something that coaches should listen to (http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/hearsay-pacioretty-downplays-canadiens-defence/). The comments about offensive defence men not having to be as good defensively is important. You need the puck to score. If PK Subban or Dustin Byfulglien have the puck the other team cannot score.

He also talks about passive defence. Passive defence was the death of me when I was coaching water polo. Movement creates everything in water polo and passive defence allowed the other team to move freely and get shots on net. Shots are really important in water polo as you only have 30 seconds to get a shot in net but you get a new shot clock once you get a shot on net. Anyways, passive defence lets shots happen easier. Shots don't get interrupted. Also if you are blocking a shot you are not pressuring the ball (or the puck in hockey) and letting people have easy shots on your goalie.

Water polo is different in hockey because blocking in a valid technique because the nets are so large that the goalie needs help against a good passing team, especially when killing a penalty. But that is where pressure comes in. When the passer is pressured they are forced into more difficult passes and it allows for movement from the defender to continuously pressure the ball or the puck. He gets it. It's better to have the puck (or ball in my example) than to not. And it is better to aggressively pressure the opposition for the puck (or ball) than respect them. It seems so simple but yet human instinct is to protect yourself instead of being aggressive. You are not safer backing up towards your own net than you are challenger the player who has possession or taking away their options. You are making life harder on your goalie than easier. The game is more aggressive and pleasing to the eye. Fans love it even if they don't understand everything. Shot blocking and passive play is what's making hockey harder to watch not goalies making great saves. Max Pacioretty gets a lot of subtle things about hockey that fans don't realize are really simple but his thoughts on defence seem to be spot on and should be listened to.

How the Atlanta Thrashers Created the Winnipeg Jets

Before reading this refer to this post about goalie trade value and what it means to the return for Kari Lehtonen. http://www.habseyesontheprize.com/2010/11/1/1779550/goaltender-trade-value

I got bored about a week ago and tried to figure out the players that the Thrashets still have in their system from three trades: Lehtonen, Hossa, and Kovalchuk. The reason for was a picture of Lehtonen sitting on top of his net.

The Atlanta Thrasher had two young goalies at one point. One who showed promise but got injured often (Lehtonen) and one who had barely played in the NHL at the point of the trade of Lehtonen. Furthermore, Lehtonen had just back surgery and Atlanta had no real need to rush Pavelec as he was not setting the world on fire in the AHL. But Don Waddell went through with the deal and got back a former first round pick Ivan Vishnevskiy who played part of one year for the Chicago Blackhawks before leaving for the KHL where he still plays. The fourth round pick turned into Ivan Telegin who has no stats for this year listed online and struggled with a hand infection last year in St. John's playing for the IceCaps. In all the return for Lehtonen does not deserve much criticism but the timing of the trade (Lehtonen eventually had to have another surgery before being healthy except for the odd groin injury) should draw criticism because Waddell sold low and lowered his potential return as a result.

After Lehtonen I looked at Marion Hossa. Hossa came to the Thrashers in an excellent deal for Waddell by trading a disgruntled Dany Heatley to the Ottawa Senators. When it became apparent in 2008 that Hossa was not going to re-sign with the Thrashers Waddell set forth to trade Hossa. there was a bidding war between two teams in the end; the Montreal Canadiens and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Waddell ultimately went with the Penguins and received Angelo Esposito who has since torn his ACL twice never had a season that measured up to his rookie season in the QMJHL where he played on a line with the now exhaled Radulov. If Waddell had instead chosen Montreal instead he would have received something along the lines of Alexei Emelin, a solid top four defence man, and Chris Higgins, a respectable top nine player, but alas it was not meant to be. The first round pick that was received in the trade turned into noted bust Dalton Leveille who is playing badly in the ECHL. And than there is injury prone Colby Armstrong who suffered from "Crosby can make anyone look good"Syndrome. He put up decent possession numbers in his role on the Canadiens fourth line last year and is now playing in Sweden. Of course Pascal Dupuis was also involved in that trade and is still with the Penguins even if Hossa is not.

The final trade I looked at was Kovalchuk to the New Jersey Devils. Note that Rick Dudley was the GM and made this trade. I am not going to include what the Devils had to give up due to penalties from the league for the illegal contract they tried to sign him to so there are fewer picks involved than if you look at it that way. The actual return was Johnny Oduya (who plays for Chicago and returned Winnipeg a second and third round pick), Niclas Bergfors (who was traded to the florida Panthers for Radek Dvorak in the Thrashers last season of existence), Patrice Cormier (who looks more suspect than prospect at this time), a first round pick that will be addressed later and a second round pick. Both these picks went to Chicago and were used on players who are not yet playing pro. Those picks are not of much matter though because the first round pick was used to acquire Byfuglien in a massive trade that the Thrashets did well in because Byfuglien is good. The Thrashers also traded for Andrew Ladd from Chicago the same year for Vishnevskiy and a second round pick the next year. That pick was Adam Clendening, a good defence man currently playing in the AHL.

As you can see if Don Waddell was never the GM of the Thrasher, there may have been more in the cupboards for the Jets when they came to Winnipeg. We do not know if Emelin would have some over like he did for the Canadiens if he was traded but Dudley's work ensured the Jets had a good captain and a good if not sometimes frustrating defence man.