Goodness I haven't written since Canada Day
And now it's Christmas Eve's eve's eve (actually it's Christmas Eve's Eve now)

So what has 2013 been like?
I finished my first year of Culinary school.
Somehow survived my Co-op thanks to the most wonderful people I know
I explored America, during a government shut-down at that
I being the maniac I am decided to just jump on the Boston Public transit system even though I have never been on a public bus ever especially not a subway.  I was also wearing a Habs t-shirt so it's surprising I am still breathing.
Boston was gorgeous, absolutely loved it, even when I go lost.
Now I'm back at school, and it's absolutely great, I want to stay in culinary school forever.
I made my school's culinary team, with some of my favourite people and we are going to rock it so hard.

Now it's Christmas!
And I already received gorgeous dishes and a jar of goose fat so it's going fabulous.  ( I was way too excited about the goose fat)

Maybe in 2014 I'll blog more, probably not because my January and February are going to be crazy but I'll try.

Christmas Eve is tomorrow!
Juniors day is in 3 days!
Olympic Roster comes out in 2 weeks!

But time has no beginnings and the history has no bounds

What would Canada Day be without a post by me.

When I was a kid I was always annoyed b the fact that Americans celebrated the birth of their nation more than Canadians celebrated theirs.  This may also have stemmed from the fact that I read far more American cooking and gardening magazines than Canadian...  So I think it was in that moment that I decided I was going to be the torch bearer for Canadian Nationalism, so from the age on 8 I decided to be crazy in love with this country.  Not that being infatuated with this beautiful wonderful country is hard.

That's basically all I've got for today.

I'm going to listen to Canadian Railroad Trilogy 1867 times today.

I'm not perfect, I went to Public School.

I need to write this because sometimes I read arguments about homeschooling on Facebook and they make me mad.
I was homeschooled for kindergarden (ratio 1:1) I then went to a private christian school (1:4-7) grades 1through 4.  I went to public school after that and graduated from a public government high school (1:20-27 ish).  I sometimes consider myself a bit of an education maverick because I've covered everything.  And I've also done university and college.
Let me preface this whole post with I am talking about Christians that homeschool so kids in the church.
Some arguments I've heard about why homeschooling is better are:

1.  The student doesn't get a very good teacher to student ratio.  I never in my public school education felt like I was a number.  There was only one instance where I felt the teacher had no time for me and that was my grade 11 physics class and this wasn't a huge class it was just the teacher was insane and would never help me, and couldn't teach properly.  So this argument is now out the window.

2.  The public government schools brainwash kids and create them into politically correct zombies.  See this is the one that gets me.  This argument requires the parents of said child to have not taught the child a single thing and send them off into the realm of public schooling with no prior education.  I know that since the time I was an infant my parents have read the Bible to me, and discussed things with me, and worked on the catechism with me, family worship was always a staple after supper on weekdays, we went to church every sunday, I went to children's club. Maybe not everyone does this maybe the people who homeschool don't do this with their children maybe my parents are just awesome, I don't know.  I know that I filtered everything through my biblical world view.  Do people not instil this in their children?  Is this why homeschooling is better because then your children don't have to filter, they don't have to think what is right and wrong? (I'm sorry I get angry on this subject because I don't see the other side.)

3.  Homescooled children make friends across a wider age range than children in public school thus making them more socialized.  While this is true I was in a room full of 24 other people born in 1993 I also went to church.  But even when I was young most of my friends were basically around my age because I was in a Sunday school class with that age group.  My early teen years one of my best friends was 3 year older than me, because I went to public school and church.  Church opens you up to different age groups  the crew I roll out with are people ages 12- 19

4.  Homeschooled children have a better sense of family.  I know that if my family hung out 24 hours of the day all day every day we would go crazy.  But my family hangs out a lot, a lot more than other families.  We eat supper together all the time, we talk we laugh a lot, we watch TV together, we shop together, we go adventuring together, we hang out together with other families at a certain pond and drive in a big red van to camp where we hang out as a family.  We just don't school together.  Both sides of my family are fairly close though and family was always an important part of my life.

5.  Homeschooled children are taught better in a broader range of subjects, sure this might be true.  I can't spell, I'm awful at grammar but so are tons of other people.  This comes down to the teacher for me, you can have a really terrible teacher teach a good course and make it suck or you can have a really amazing teacher teach a terrible course and make it rock.  I loved my public school education, I liked it a lot so I can't really argue this.  There is one thing though, my public government school education taught me a thing, compassion.  I used to be full of a lot of hate, a bunch of hate.  My global history course changed this and I did a lot of searching to wade through a lot of crap that was holding me back.

6.  Homeschooling is more organic and the kids are not cooped up in a room all day.  True.  Do you know what?  Sitting in a class room in late May is the absolute worst thing in the entire world, absolute worst.  But you know what else?  The real world is like that, you cannot shirk all your responsibility to go run the sun everyday.  Sometimes you need to stand in a straight line and be quiet, this is a life skill.

Maybe what I'm saying is that Public schooling+ a solid healthy church is the balance needed?  I don't know all I can say is I'm normal, I have friends, I believe in God, I was educated etc. You could also say that I am the most homeschooler like public schooled kid to ever exist, but I think this stems from y solid diet of turn of the century literature and TV drama as a kid. Conclusion: I am in no stretch of the imagination saying that I am perfect.

Does anyone actually still read this?  I know I dropped off sufficiently a while ago but I'm trying to come back

Hate the team, not the city

Sometimes I forget kind intelligent people live in Boston.  Why?  I'm a Habs fan (and a Yankees fan) and my brain has convinced me that I hate that city, my deep seeded hatred for the Bruins has made me hate the entire place.  It's not like I hate every guy on that team or the city they call home, but hate is always harder than love.
The Bell Centre had a moment of silence last night, because rivalry doesn't matter.

And here I've spent 24 hours crying over a place I thought I hated.   Even Andrew Ference, a Bruin I absolutely detest.

Every human is an incredibly flawed sinner but there is more good loving people in this world than bad.

News just came out that Westboro is picketing the funeral because and I quote their Twitter "God sent the bombs in a fury over fag marriage."  A time when Boston, when the world needs love, awful people are pushing their hateful agenda.  But there are more good people than that.

Pray For Boston.

Am I Shane Koyczan yet?

I love Canada, I love Canada a lot. I'm not sure how or why. No one in my family of social circle is particularly Canadian.  But I am.  I'm in love with this country coast to coast, our history, our food, our quirks, our hockey our stupidity, how I refer to this country as we and our.   It began I guess in 2002, with the Olympics I was finally old enough to remember Olympics ( I was 8) and double gold happened.  And I know something special was happening.  I had a mental breakdown when we lost in 2006.  Then the joyous redemption of 2010 and our overtime win on our soil after 17 days of national pride.  Iggy to Sid to defeat our greatest enemy, the Americans.  My nationalism can be tied to hockey I suppose.  But then finding out about Canadian history and how insane it is only solidified it , how we became  country and our quirks and peace and greatness.  Our connection to the Underground railroad.  And the war of 1812.  And how our stupid country is founded because of a Railway!  A TRAIN BROUGHT US TOGETHER! and our stupid mounties and their stupid red coats and horses! And the Wars and how Canadians have this never ending duty to help other, our never ending quest for that.  And Romeo Dellaire in Rwanda and going to Bosnia and into Afghanistan and staying our of the stupid wars.  And all our bad decisions and racism along the way but always pretending we never did that. Our constitution and our crazy prime ministers. How we still idiotically hold on to the idea of a constitutional monarchy, and how no one will even question the idea of separating,  I love that we're not in your face nationalism all the time scream and yelling about our country but how strong and proud our love comes forth sometimes.  I love the Canadian attitude.  I love Sorry and how we always say it, how we apologize, we're peacekeepers. How our greatest defining feature as a Canadian is that we are NOT American.  I love our accents and our quirky chit chat. I love Canada and I can't describe why or how and anything.  But I know I love the Rockies and the prairies and this craggy coast I call home, and Vancouver and Quebec City and even stupid Toronto even though I hate that city more than anything. And Timmies our dedication to this coffee, to this brand and product.  How it became our national symbol and something we protect.  And Atwood, and Montgomery and Cohen and Downie and Copeland, Classified and Drake, Buble, and Hedley and all the poets and writers and artists we've given to this earth.  Our words bind this world. Our scientist, our inventions,  the Canada arm and the zipper, and insulin.  Our athletes, our curlers, our runners, our lugers, our figure skaters, our speed skaters, and our hockey players.  All those boys who played on frozen ponds and cold streets and drafty barns across this country.  How we've changed this great game.  The superstars who were drafted and played with skill and finesse and grit.  And the boys who slugged it through crap leagues never giving up until they made the show.  How I love those boys.  Howe, Richard, Gretzky, Orr, Roy, Bourque, Sakic, Brodeur, Lafleur, Yzerman, Beliveau, Linden, Messier, Taylor, Lemieux, MacDonald, Crosby. It does come down to hockey, my undying passion for this country.  But it's bigger now so much bigger. I don't get it, how someone can't have national pride, because my pride has become me.  Because when you look, when you really look you know Canada is the best country in the world, you know you wouldn't want to live anywhere else.  Because this country takes your breath away.

"Hard to believe it was so long ago, And I know we got a long, long way to go"

"One question I have is, Why are the Habs doing so good"

I really don't know.  I can't comprehend it, because last season was so awful.  Last season made no sense.

Here is a list of reasons why we're good this year,

-Markov is back and healthy, his production early in the season really helped us

-Prust, Prust brings a huge amount of energy to the team and he wants to play here.  Also he scores                        here, which he didn't really do in New York or Calgary (or Phoenix, yes apparently he played 11 games with them...)

-Diaz finally grew into himself. (and is now out with a concussion)

-Bourque finally grew into himself (and is now out with a concussion)

-Gionta is back, not having a captain hurts a team, a lot, and now Gio is back and producing

-Campoli and Kaberle aren't the top defensemen anymore.  They are really, really awful.

-Our penalty kill is still absolutely dynamite

-Carey isn't left out to dry every single game

-Budaj is actually given responsibility and is winning games for us (he got a shutout! what!? and we gave him a Boston game...?)

-Ryan White matured!  Prime example, tonight there was a Panther trying to start a really stupid fight and White just let the guy punch him and draw an interference call.  Very unlike Ryan White, he can still destroy you in a fight but he's not as yappy

-I would say Erik Cole but we traded his dead weight, Cole was absolutely amazing last year but he just couldn't get it together this season

-Plekanec actually has wingers that work.

-Pacioretty caught his stride, it took him a long while this season.

-New Coach, New GM.

-Therrien has brought in a new system that everyone has to commit to.  The Boys know they have a real coach this year who isn't leaving and is committed to them.
-Bergevin cut off Scott Gomez and his insane contract and brought in some really good pieces this summer.
 And finally, the Gallys.
 -Alex Galchenyuk, drafted him 3rd over all in the spring.  We got him because we were so bad.  And Man has he helped this team.  It's nice having a good shot of youth, I can say this because I'm older than him right?
-Brendan Gallagher,  you might remember Gallagher from the 2012 WJC.  Drafted incredibly low because he's "too small" (those words mean nothing in Montreal)  Gallagher is the spunk we needed.  Gallagher grinds and skates around aggravating everyone and he scores.  He replaced Cole in the line with Desharnais and Pacioretty and is doing wonders there.

In October/ January everyone was projecting Montreal would finish 13th or 12th in the east.  They said we were the same team, the same bodies.  We're not the Habs are not the same as last year, it's not that we've added a whole lot to our line up (Prust, Boullion, Gallagher, Galchenyuk, Ryder) But our whole mentality has changed.  The Habs last season were in shambles, interim coach, Cammalleri traded mid-game,  depending fully on Price to win every single game, Gill one of our heart and soul guys traded for some crap pieces even though he wanted to stay, people playing bigger than the team, not playing a full 60 minutes, giving up, practically every single person was injured.  All of this is gone.  New team.  The team slogan for this year is, No Excuses and that is exactly what is happening.
I knew we were going to have a playoff spot this year, did I think 1st in the east, 3rd in the league? In no way did I even try to dream that.  Every source completely underestimated us, the fan bases underestimated us.  Of course we've had horrible games and we'll have more but every team does.

And this season more than ever the team motto rings clear, "To you from failing hands we throw the torch, be yours to hold it high"

p.s It will be 20 years this June since the Habs won the cup and I cannot think of a more perfect time to win it again

I don't want Maurice tonight! I want the Rocket!

So the Oscars were last Sunday night and with that comes the thought I have every single year,
Roy Dupuis doesn't have an Oscar.
It irritates me to no end that Roy Dupuis hasn't earned an Oscar.  No, let me rephrase that, he has earned an Oscar he deserves one but he has not won an Oscar.

Roy has at least 2 movies for which he should have been nominated, The Rocket in 2006 and again for Shake Hands with the Devil in 2008.
I watch The Rocket with very biased eyes but Roy in that movie is magic.  Maurice is revered, not only in the Habs circle but in the whole NHL.  Maurice was a French Canadian star, he broke the 50 goals in 50 games barrier, there is a trophy named after him, he won...cups He brought a voice and respect to the French of Canada.  And Roy enlightens every aspect of this man during his glory, he fire, his passion, his weakness, his humanity, the torch he bore, his pain and joy .   Worthy of an Oscar in my opinion, people have won for less, people have been nominated for less. (and the fact that he also played Maurice in a heritage minute commercial is just too Canadian)
The other movie that he is even more deserving of an Oscar for is, Shake Hands With the Devil where he portrays Romeo Dallaire.  Shake Hands With the Devil received no Oscar nominations, nothing, no mention was made of it.  You need to watch Shake Hands with the Devil, it will destroy you.

I'll never understand why Roy Dupuis  is never honoured at the Oscars.  Never.  It's because he's a Canadian, who acts in Canada.  Maybe someday in the future he'll get a pity win like Scorsese



ps. There was no hope he could have won in 2008 because Daniel Day-Lewis was up.  Could have won best adapted though, then 2 Canadians in the category