The Countdown Starts

Less than 1 year until the Saskatchewan Roughriders host Grey Cup! November 24, 2013 here we come!

Clicketty, Clacketty

Look what I can do!

I made this with my own 2 little hands, a 40 year old pattern, & 2 sticks!





Check out the fab detail!  I.  Am.  Awesome!

I was taught the basics of knitting when I was 5, but this Roughrider scarf was my first project EVAH following an actual pattern.   I'm all domesticated & stuff.  Look out, I may make a casserole & wax the kitchen floor next!

You Don't Even Have To Be Having Fun

Yeah, so, you may have noticed my absence & such.  This may have something to do with:

• working every single day.
• rehearsing 3 nights a week.
• knitting a 10 foot long Rider scarf {it's AWESOME!}
• bookwork
• living
• sleeping
• packing
• computer problems FROM HELL
• time flying
• & a severe case of the lay-zay.

I'm off to festivus tomorrow morning ~ shall be back to Casa Wilma Sunday sometime, most likely terribly hungover & extremely sleep-deprived.









If all goes well.

Insert Title Here

I can't write a blog post without first thinking of a title.




There.  I've said it.  That's my issue.  


This is why I have been so infrequently hanging out here at DBM ~ I've got my own, crazay version of writer's block happening.  


It's the same when I write plays - have to have a "catchy" title first, then the story flows from there.


How OCD.  How embarrassing {you know, if I were the type of person to get embarrassed}.


In other news.... 


The Rider plate will be mine!   After jumping through 12 hoops, bribing 6 officials, talking with 2 SGI reps & a partridge in a pear tree, the plate will be mine.
I must:

1. first replace the FLINT plate on Puffy's car with a Rider plate. 
2. cancel the FLINT plate.
3. submit a letter signed by Puffy authorizing the transfer of the FLINT plate to me!  MY PLATE!!  This frosts my considerable behind.
4. reapply for the FLINT plate under my name on The Bullet.
5. order the FLINT Rider plate for The Bullet.
6. wait patiently for the plate to come in the mail.
7. put FLINT Rider plate on The Bullet & put this whole mess behind me.  

And we shall never speak of it again.

It's NOT Just A Name

I was at the SGI office today inquiring about getting a Rider licence plate {cuz that's the way I wanna role, boys & girls}.  Those of you who know me are aware that I have had personalized plates for years ~ literally YEARS, like over 10!  Those FLINT plates have been on 4 vehicles & counting...


The FLINT plates started on my first car, a nice reliant automobile.  When I sold the car, we put the plates on our first SUV. I wanted to keep the plates active so no one else could get them ~ you understand?  But the vehicle was only registered in Puffy's name.  What a gong show!  After a flurry of faxes {yes, this was before the advent & universal spread of email} explaining that I wanted to transfer the plates over to Puffy, we finally sorted it all out & life was good again. 


Okay, so that was the back story, all right?  Everyone up to speed?  Then we will continue.


I went down to find out about getting the FLINT plates as a Rider plate {I like the Riders a teeny, tiny, wee, little bit.  FYI.}  Turns out, not as easy as cutting a cheque ~ that's olden days speak for payin' up.  I want to get the plate, plus I want to put the plate on The Bullet, which I am slowly turning into a RiderMobile.  This is where the difficulty lies, as the plate is now officially "Puffy's" and The Bullet is officially "mine".  I don't understand why we just can't switch plates, but whatever.  SGI & the stoopid lady that works there are just being bitches.  Stoopid bitches.


As I am standing there, we start to fill out the form for the new personalized plate that I'll need, & she says, whilst looking at Puffy's info on her computer, "Oh, well the last name is the same," & starts to write "Kracker" on the form.  I say, "Uh, no it's not.  It is Flintstone, thank you very much.  There are enough Krackers in the world, without me becoming one, too."


There are, boys & girls.  At last count, over 80 in just HIS IMMEDIATE FAMILY!  Granted, not all of them have the Kracker last name, but still....


That's when this stoopid, stoopid man waiting his turn pipes up & lets this intellectual little gem flow out his piehole, "Why not?  It's just a name."




It's at this point in my story that my head spun around & my mouth got all pinched like Carol Burnett's Eunice ~ it was The Exorcist of Momma's Family.  True story.




I whipped my head around at him, eyes narrowed like a gunslinger & said, "Just a name?!?!?!  So, when you get married, you will be taking your wife's name then?"


"NO!" he blurted out.


"Why not?" I said sweetly.  "It's just a name."


"Well,  well... that's just not the way it's done," he blustered.


"Uh huh.  Well, that's not the way I do things," I said, dismissively & turned back to the counter.


Here's what I WANTED to say ~
"Listen up, fucker!  You obviously have been wandering around deaf, dumb, & blind cuz you've completely & utterly missed the 21st century & a crazy little movement called "Women's Lib".  You're over 50 and never had a girlfriend that anyone has ever seen {that wasn't made of rubber},  and if, IF by some strange weird alignment of the stars a miraculous thing happens & some poor, desperate woman agrees to marry you, you better thank those lucky stars & bow down before her sporting a new last name whilst cleaning her feet in a loving manner."


I married at 35, with a fully developed identity of my own. My name is not only linked to my identity & vice versa, but it is my brand.  I AM Wilma Flintstone {or reasonable facsimile thereof}.  Everyone knows me as Wilma Flintstone.  Everyone will keep calling me Wilma Flintstone.  Why the hell would I want to go through the myriad hassle of changing my name?  Just cuz it is tradition?  Screw that!  


Traditions can be comforting, but also constricting.  If we cling hard to tradition, we may miss other wonderful opportunities.  We miss a chance for growth, for learning, for personal development.  There is reassurance in tradition, but we should not allow tradition to take over for common sense.  We should not blindly accept things & situations because tradition dictates it without first understanding where the tradition comes from & why things are done that way.  We need to insist on being informed traditionalists {if that's the way you want to roll}; otherwise we are just sheep following the rest of the flock without independent thought.  "That's the way it's always been done" is, IMHO, the worst excuse/reason for doing anything.


Let us not forget, segregation was a tradition, as was women not being allowed to vote or patronize bars.& let's face it, we all know a few bars that need, nay DESERVE patronizing!

Puffy's cousin has been married 3 times.  She has had 4 last names.  



That's one tradition that I can ~ & did ~ do without. 

Hitler Says It All

UGH!

Now I know how Hamilton felt in '89.

I'm giving myself a time-out until I cool down. Then I'll come back & discuss this like an adult.

See you in a week! HA!

It's Grey Cup Day!!

GO RIDERS!

RIDERS GOING TO THE GREY CUP!

I'm HOW Old?!?!?!

Despite my recent boastful ways, I am painfully aware of my real age. However, my deal-with-the-debil youthful good looks often cause me to push that nugget of information to the back-burner of my morphine addled brain. I often prefer a Scarlet O'Hara attitude ~ I'll think about that tomorrow! ~ when dealing with things that are unpleasant, like aging, surgery, The Riders losing, packing...

20 years ago in June, 20 bright-eyed {semi-drunk & semi-literate} youth graduated from the Dodge High School. 20 years ago in June, Wilma & the gang left for the bright blue yonder. 20 years ago in June was the last time the 7 of us who were close & did stuffs together {some legal, some not} were together.

Since December, I have tried to get 6 other women to pick a)a time & b)a place for us all to be together again, sans hubbies or kidlets, just us gals, carefree & wild. Have you ever tried to get 7 busy women with jobs & kids & husbands & volunteer positions who live hours & hours away from each other together? It's been a session in herding cats, let me tell ya!

Finally, FINALLY, the 20 Year Friend Fun-Time Reunion & Drunkfest 2009 is finalized & it's a go starting tomorrow. Despite the last-minute venue change THIS MORNING it's a go. I'm looking forward to it. I've got my grad dress packed {okay, it's on the list of things to pack}, my grad jacket dusted off, my photos & yearbooks ready to go. All I need is my WHAM! CD & an 80s mixed tape & I'm ready to rock &/or roll.

I have to tell ya, if it's even HALF as much fun as the last week of phone calls has been, I'm gonna have a helluva good time.

& I'm not going to think about the fact that it's been 20 years since high school until later. Tomorrow is another day!

48 Days

...til the Riders first pre-season game of 2009!!!

I Hear The Train A'Leavin'

That's it. That's it. I've had it. I'm done.

Maurice Lloyd has been signed by Edmonton. Another fav player gone. Another little piece of my heart is gone from Riderville.

I am partial to defence players, I admit. I am partial to the guys who sack & attack the quarterback {see what I did there? Nice, huh?}. I prefer to watch games when our defence is smokin' hot & running over the receivers like shit through a goose. Wait. I'm kinda mixing my metaphors.

Aw, get over it!

Mo Lloyd ~ or as I like to call him, The Freight Train, since he just runs over/through the offence & hits them HARD! ~ is gone!

& there was much wailing & gnashing of teeth. A pallor of gloom descends upon Chez Wilma, only to be broken by a Lotto 649 win.

That's it. I am done. I refuse to pick another player as my favourite. I will not do it. I will not yell out, "He's my fav!" anymore. First Jurasin, then Narcisse, then Hunt, now Lloyd.

I just can't handle the pain.

Goodbye, Freight Train. Goodbye.

Good News, Bad News ~ Rider Style

The Good ~ Jason Clermont was signed this week to the Riders. This Regina native has been coveted by the Green 'n' White for years, & is a fabulous edition to the roster. "Clermont, 30, spent his entire seven-year CFL career in B.C., winning rookie-of-the-year honours after a breakout 2002 season. He was twice chosen the most outstanding Canadian in the league, earned two selections to the West Division all-star team, and was chosen the best Canadian in the 2004 Grey Cup game."

The Bad ~ Richie Hall, the genius behind our amazing defence, has left us to become head coach of the Edmonton Eskimoes. I never thought I'd live to see the day where Richie would be anywhere but Regina. He played with the club from 88-91, winning the Tom Pate Award for outstanding community service in 1990, & has coached the defence since 1994. He has lived in Regina for 20 years.

I will miss you most of all.

Plays, Pals, & Pottery

TheatreOne 2008. November 6-8th, Strasbourg, Saskatchewan. What a fab time!

I travelled down the lonesome highways & byways of our fair province, taking 6 hours to get in the big town {slight detour for shopping}. Shirley Rice & The Maiden graciously hosted me for the weekend ~ okay, 5 days ~ & treated me like a queen. Literally! I found out through super-sneaky-spy snooping {I Lurve Alliteration!} that The Maiden, in preparation for my arrival, ironed my sheets. For reals. They were so smooth I slid right out the bed!

So, we drank when I got there. Then we had a drink. Then we went to the bar for a drink. Good thing I went a day early so I could get my liver into fighting shape!

It was a fun, fun weekend. 6 plays, 3 green room nights, 1 football game {my poor Roughies lost}, many many friends, 2 presents, & a partridge in a pear tree!

Whilst there, we managed to squeeze in an adventure WITHIN an adventure, taking a trip to a Potter. A real, live potter who throws pots & stuff, like on a wheel. Behold!

The Kiln

Throwing Pots

Pots Thrown Whilst We Ooooo'd & Aaaaaaah'd

The Finished Products

Click on any of the photos to go to his website & check out his other work. He is also an amazing photographer! Special thanks to Miss Shirley Rice for arranging a field trip for us.

I splurged & treated myself to two of his pieces, since I had extra cash to throw around after winning $350.00 on a Nevada ticket the afternoon before in the, ahem, licenced establishment in town. The best part? I thought I'd won $3.50. Yup. I see decimals where there are none.

So, yeah, fesival was a great time ~ perma-headache notwithstanding ~ & it felt really good to connect with friends again. It was also good to break away from my hermiting ways for a few days.

Hours To Go...

The Riders aren't in, but I'll be glued to the TV in 4 1/2 hours.

Go Allouettes!

I Still Lurve You

Following a disastrous less-than-stellar performance in the West Semi-Final {losing to B.C. BOOOO! 33-12} the Roughriders wasted no time in getting to the bottom of the problem & placed quarterback Michael Bishop on waivers. Now, I don't know that all the issues can be put at the feet of Bishop, in fact, I don't believe they can. 50% of the blame lays with the coaching decisions to keep Bishop in when he was cold.

& he was cold on Saturday, throwing 3 interceptions & losing possession of the ball through a fumble. The man has the best arm I've seen since I started faithfully watching football, & when he's hot no one can touch him. But he's either hot or cold. There is no happy medium. It's unfortunate, cuz I think he's a talent, but he needs some time with a hypnotist to settle himself down so he can fully achieve what he's capable of.

That being said, I DO NOT agree with the Rider fans booing one of our own players off the field. That's not right. That's not kosher. That's not acceptable. It was the one thing that I could boast about, the one thing that nevah, evah happened at Taylor Field/Mosaic Stadium. Can't say that anymore & I'm ashamed & disappointed in those who participated. You ALWAYS support your team. ALWAYS. That's what being a fan is about.

So, the season is over for the Green 'n' White. By the numbers:

12 wins
6 loses
8 broken legs {word has it, Szarka broke his leg during the playoff game}
18 consecutive sell-outs
5 quarterbacks
1 sad Wilma, but proud of the ability of the team to overcome set-backs

Go, Buddy, Go!

The Roughriders {YAY!} are playing the Lions {BOO! HISS!} today in the CFL West Semi-Final. After securing a home-playoff game ~ & the boys in green sure do like playing at home {18th straight sell-out: Rider Fans Rawk!} ~ here's to keeping the faith & knowing they are going all the way again!

There will not be another 18 year wait to bring the Grey Cup back to Saskatchewan. I believe ~ do you?

Taylor Field at Mosaic Stadium in Regina. 30,945 fans full!

Turkey & Touchdowns

Have a fabulous Thanksgiving, boys & girls, & don't forget to cheer on the Riders today as they face their arch rivals, Calgary {BOOOO Calgary!} in the 2nd of their home-on-home games.

50% CFL Happiness

Big football weekend. Big games. Big hopes. Big dreams.

I may have mentioned a time or 7 how much I enjoy the CFL. How much I enjoy {& prefer} Canadian Football to those other guys south of us. They may steal recruit all the excessively talented players & coaches by offering them buckets of money, but our game seems faster, bigger, & better to me. TO ME ~ for anyone south of the border, I'm not knocking your game. It's a perfectly acceptable game. But I prefer ours.

Plus, the season is much shorter, & there are only 8 teams to keep track of. Much more conducive to my poor, Alzheimer addled brain.

So, like I said. Big football weekend. The standings are so close right now, especially in the west, that any & all maneuvering to get my beloved Roughriders in a better spot is what I'm hoping for now.

• The Green & White ended a 3 game losing streak with a big win over rivals Calgary. 25% happiness.
• BC beats Toronto. 25% unhappiness.
• Hamilton, the underdogs in the league, fight their way to a big win over Montreal after losing 6 in a row. 25% happiness.
• Edmonton beats Winnipeg. 25% unhappiness.

There is now a 4-way tie for first place in the league ~ of which 3 teams are from the west, 1 team being the Good Guys in Green!

I do lurve my football. So much so that I had the games on yesterday, while Puffy was busy playing on his computer. He forgot. He FORGOT the games were on.

I'm now officially the man of the house.

UPDATE:
some other blogs who describe games better than me:

RiderPrider

Bleedin' Green in Ontario

Rider Prophet

Faces Of Faith

What does the word "faith" say to you?

Most people think of religious views, of a blind belief in something bigger than all of us.

But here in Saskatchewan, where hearts pump faster on a double-header night, & blood runs green in support of the Roughriders, faith means something completely different. Faith in the Green & White is tested every single time the boys take the field. Faith is telling yourself, over & over, that they will prevail somehow, even if down by 17 points with 15 minutes of regulation play left in the game. Faith is drinking beer during a game despite an upset stomach, just cuz that's what you always do & they always win, so you must not change your routine or the delicate balance of Karma & Chance may be destroyed. Faith is most definitely blind. Faith in the Riders is a harsh mistress, no doubt must be allowed to creep in or the wrath of Fate will step in & stomp them.

I am very faithful with my faith. I don't lose it, even under the most strenuous circumstances. Puffy loses faith all the time ~ just last week, in fact. He often gets quiet, then fidgets in his seat, then throws his hands up in disgust & leaves the room to check his emails. {P.S. ~ that's when the boys usually score.}

Tonight, another test of faith. The Riders meet the B.C. Lions {Boooooo! We don't like them! They are mean, nasty, dirty players & they smell.} in The Lions' Den.

Keep the faith.

VS.