This is a picture of Steven Penner's new rooster. The rooster's name is Chavez, presumably after Hugo Chavez. Given Steve's political leanings this is probably meant as a weird tribute of some kind; he isn't saying Hugo Chavez is a cock. Steve built an elabourate-ish chicken coop called "Le Chateau D'oeuf" at his parents' house on the Sunshine coast a while back. Why? Why not? That's why.

My mom came back from Spain or wherever she was. I kind of thought she might just decide to live in Europe for a few years, because that would have been appropriately eccentric and fun. Eccentric in the good way mom, don't worry.

Today is municipal elections day in BC, so go vote for my dad if you live in Hun City. Or at least go to 7-11 and drink 3 red Slurpees and push over a magazine rack.

Yesterday I rocked Roxanne at the Punch Buggy game. The score was 3-0, for me. I only mention this because we play that game driving up to UNBC about 3 or 4 times a week, and I hardly ever win. Roxanne has mad VW Beetle recognition skills.

I like Ottawa Senators this season. If they were to play against Vancouver I would still wish for them to all spontaneously combust if that would help Vancouver win the game. But I still enjoy the ridiculous goodness of the Heatley-Spezza-Alfredsson line. And if they keep it up Spezza and Heatley will probably play together for Team Canada in February, which would be cool. I'd like to see them with Simon Gagne.

I am also enthused by the 2 great new rookies this year (the #1 picks from 2005 and 2004). Sidney Crosby is doing amazingly well all things considered, but I am even more impressed by Alexander Ovechkin. It's true that Crosby has more points, but Ovechkin has almost twice as many goals, and he's done that on a bad team, without the help of offensively-gifted veterans around him. Mostly I like the spectacularness of his goals, and he's 3 for 3 in shootouts this year, which is the best in the whole NHL. It will be interesting to see who wins rookie of the year, my early vote definitely goes to Ovechkin though.