Utterly Useless Knowledge

Ahhh, the game of Jenga. Sweet, innocent Jenga. I never had the game growing up. It appears that it's made a bit of a renaissance comeback in recent years. As a family, my side rediscovered it this past Christmas, as we gave the game to our niece Ashleigh as a present. Soon after the gift was opened, it was full-fledged Jenga war playing itself out on the kitchen table. I'm pretty certain that the adults had more fun with it than the game's new rightful owner....a 6 year-old. For something to hold this 67 year-old's concentration like this is a feat that even '60 Minutes' cannot do. Remarkable. After at least three rounds and many hoots & hollers later, the game of Jenga had been deemed a new holiday tradition, to be on the same list of traditions such as the annual viewing of Christmas Vacation, Ida's cookie & candy trays, deviled eggs, and the ham & cheese ball. Lofty company, indeed. I had heard about the Jones version of Jenga. Sure, there we...

This post goes out to Jason, by request. I mentioned that buying cigarettes in Canada (if you're so inclined) could be a financial adventure, with tobacco taxes at their highest in Alberta. I don't normally smoke heaters, but with a few beverages in me, I've been known to bum a few from time to time. Such an occasion arose at the wedding after hours party down at the Drake Inn in Canmore, AB . My buddy Jason had long since run out of Parliaments that he bootlegged in from the States. He wasn't able to hold out a 2nd night without scoring some nicotine. He hit me up to go in with him on a pack. So we made our way downstairs from the main bar and dance floor of the Drake to a set of double doors. I walked through the doors and exclaimed, "What. Is. THIS!?" It was the bar I was looking for. Not some club with a fairly shitty reggae band (which did fit the bill nicely for a group of mostly drunk wedding-goers, including the bride and groom). I only say shitty regg...

Back after a much-needed vacation, or "holidays" as they say in Canada. We just got back from a week in the Canadian Rockies for the highly anticipated Hertz-Screpnek wedding in Canmore, AB. Many more thoughts to come on this week of good times, but here's a few quick highlights..... First of all, not sure if you knew this or not, but the Canadian Rockies really need to be seen to believe. Someone told us that the Colorado or Wyoming Rockies are beautiful, but the Canadian Rockies are majestic. I think that sums it up. Every new direction you looked driving up the highway towards the Columbia Ice Fields, you couldn't help but say, "Gooooo!"(For you Canucks, that's a good thing.), or "Oh, Duuuude...". ((Also, for clarification, is use of the term "Canuck" a bad slang term for Canadians? Clarification, please. For now, I'll keep using it.)) Canadians. Beautiful people. I say that first because here's where I get into discussion...