Top 10 Things to Do With a Backyard Ice Rink in a Warm Winter

Global Warming?  Na … I prefer the easier and more likely answer that God is pissed that I built a backyard ice rink this winter.  So as atonement for my sin against nature, I offer the top 10 Things One Can Do With a Backyard Ice Rink in a Unusually Warm Winter …

10.  Start a Neighborhood Polar Swim Club

9.  Contact the local religous sect that you have a birthing pool; can handle large numbers of pregant women

8.  Add ice and show off your new redneck beer cooler to all your redneck friends

7.  Improve your marksmanship skills: target shoot the multitude of birds taking baths in it

6.  Have Fish & Game plant Rainbow Trout in your rink/pond and practice your fly casting

5.  Take a swim … NAKED!

4.  Can you say, “Slip & Slide”

3.  Take pictures and send to Al Gore with attached apology letter for your naive lack of faith

2.  Complain relentlessly until your wife is sorry she ever suggested you build it

And the top thing to do with a bank yard ice rink in an unusually warm winter ….

1.  [reply with your suggestions: I’ll post some of the funnier ones!]

 

The Pistol

 

Post New Years Resolutions AKA … (Lies to self)

I’m not one for going with the flow but reading all my fellow bloggers New Years Resolutions did get me to thinking a bit.  Reaching the ripe age of 40 seems to get a person thinking about “stuff” anyways.

I gave up “losing weight” for lent a couple of years ago, so that one is out.  I’d go with the cliche, “spend more time with family”, but I have two kids in hockey … we spend A LOT of time together.  So that’s out.

Give up tobacco? … why?  That’s out!

Drink less Beer?  Umm … no …

Ease up on the swearing in the professional setting? …  That would be F*#% stupid … why in the F*#& would I do that????  Nope!

Increase my knowledge of the Sports Card & Collectible Industry

How about some card collection goals.  I’ve been collecting sports cards since I was a young’n.  Back in 70’s and 80’s I was a cardboard nut!  Then came playing college football, getting married, starting a career, and having kids.  Collecting went by the wayside.  Over the last couple of years, the cardboard addiction came-a-roaring back.  Lots of things have changed since I was “knee-deep” in it.  Hell, I let up on collecting before Al Gore invented the internet, before you could download free music, before eBay, Bill Clinton had not yet reinvented cigar use, and Bill Gates was still just a Geek!   So I guess focusing this year on educating myself about the industry, all the different manufacturer’s, and the plethora of cards out there. (I always love using the word, “plethora” in sentences!  Makes me look at a lot smarter than I am and super popular at parties).

Focus on my primary player collections

I tend to get a little ADHD with my player collections.  The “maybe I should’s” and “oh, that would be good’s” get me everytime. So this year, I’m going to concentrate on attacking my primary Player Collections:

Hockey

P.K. Subban

Taylor Hall

Jordan Eberle

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Football

Von Miller

As you can see, 1) I’m an Oiler Fan, and 2) I gravitated towards the less expensive Players!  (sarcasm intended!)

Learn about making custom cards

I had no idea that people were making custom cards out there.  A couple of my fellow bloggers are doing some really neat work.  BadWax ,  Jaybarkerfan’s Junk and Card Boarded have made some really amazing cards!  I want to learn how they do it!  Hell, maybe even go as far as attempting to create my own.

Well, I think that is enough as far as goals go.  Good luck to everyone out there still under a New Years Resolution Delusion of weight loss, exercise, and anything else good for you!  My next beer, chew and F-bomb is in your honor!

Sincerely,

The Pistol

Life Ranting: First Home Ice Sheet .. DONE!

Somewhere in the last month or so, my wife decided that we should build a home ice rink.  For all you youngsters out there … this translated into man-speak means: You build a hockey rink.  We are a hockey family.  From the months of November thru March, we live at the hockey rink.  We have an 11 year old (pee-wee) and a 5 year old (mite) playing.  They love it … we love it!

As luck would have it, we are experiencing one of the warmest winters on record … global warming???  No chance Gore baby … I’m driving the diesel till I die!  This carbon footprint is a WAFFLE-STOMP!  But I digress…

It has actually been kind of fun putting this thing together.  Had some great opportunities for, “notes to self” for next year: the slope of the ground is something that should be considered before hand, blue tarp retains a little bit of heat, wood can get expensive, by a lot more nails than you think you need.

I’ll throw a couple pictures up when I get home from this weekend’s …. HOCKEY TOURNAMENT!