The joys of fatherhood...and golf.

This could easily be the greatest week of the year for me. Not just this year, but EVERY year. You see, this is the time of the year where I get to experience the "perfect storm" of joy. Three independant avenues of celebration and happiness all converging in a 7-day window creating a swirling dirvish of euphoria and bliss. I really should take this week off every year so that work doesn't drag me down. Not that it could, my job could be a hell of a lot worse and I could get paid a lot less to do it and besides, this week is far too amazing to have a mere job have any kind of negative effect.

Coming in from the South is a warm wave of sunshine and smiles in the form of Father's Day. For three years this has been a wonderful day for me and I fully expect that this year will not disappoint either. Being a father is the single most difficult job I've ever had. If you have kids you know what I'm talking about and if you don't just take my word for it. It's hard. At least it's hard if you're doing it properly. If it's not hard than you're either in the 0.000000001% of the population with a perfect child or you just not doing it right. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

As it turns out my daughter is related to Father's Day in more than one way. Yes, I have a daughter and therefore quailfy for the Father's Day bonus every year, but I'm in a relatively rare situation; Avery was born the Friday before Father's Day. So I got to celebrate that special occasion with a 2 day old baby. Not even, in fact. This picture was taken on Father's Day 2002. My daughter was not even 2 days old at this point.

I also got to bathe Avery for the first time on Father's Day, bring her home from the hospital, and show her to my father who came in from out of town (and not 2 weeks before leaving the country for a trip). This picture is my father on Father's Day after we just got home from the hospital with my 2 day old daughter:

Now, related to the front from the South and rolling in from the West is a sugar-high pressure, high intensity, whilrlwind of giggles and screams that is my daughter's birthday. As mentioned before, she was born two days before Father's Day 2002 on June 14th. This past weekend we took Avery and two of her gymnastics friends to the splash park for a picnic. It was a blast and as soon as I get my film developed I'll post pictures (the "normal" SLR camera takes better pictures so that's why I don't have any digital ones from that day). Tomorrow I'll get to celebrate her 3rd birthday with Jodi and we'll have a big cake and presents and stuff. Then this weekend (if not then, shortly thereafter) we'll get to celebrate her birthday again with my family and then Jodi's family (both out of town - in different towns).

Every year around this time there's always the Eastern flow of sports fanatics that converge on the USGA's course of choice to take in the thrill that is the U.S. Open of Golf. The second major championship of the season and one of the most exciting to watch. This golf tournament holds special significance to me not just for its prestige, or the fact that it's a major OPEN championship (that is to say, anyone can qualify and anyone can win - even me), but because on Avery's birth video when Jodi first started to go into labour at the hospital you can hear the U.S. Open on the TV in the background. Now, I turned it off for the birth portion of the evening but Saturday and Sunday were spent watching the U.S. Open on TV with my wife and baby daughter. Needless to say I was in complete heaven and every year since then this golf tournament has held a special place in my heart. It's Avery's tournament as much as it is Tiger Woods' or Ernie Els' or Vijay Singh's. After her showing at minigolf last night she just might be winning the damn thing some day.

Now that is it for this year, but every OTHER year there is one more thing; a cold snap that creeps down from the North that is the Stanley Cup Playoffs! Because of the stupid labour strife issues between the NHL and the Players Association there were no playoffs this year, but every year since 2002 and hopefully every year after this one will bring with it the greatest sports playoffs ever. 16 teams fighting over four rounds to win the greatest sporting trophy in the world. Growing up I would pretend to win the Stanley Cup over and over and over again. To just hold it above my head like Mr. Steve Yzerman here in 2002 would be the greatest thrill in the world for me.



In 2002, because of the Olympics, the NHL playoffs were delayed and they were handing out the Cup later than usual. In fact, I was watching the final game on Thursday June 13th and when it was all over and Detriot had paraded the Cup all around the ice I turned to my wife in bed and said, "OK, you can give birth now". Which was funny at the time because she was still 3 weeks away from her due date. The next morning at 5:15 my wife's water broke and she woke me up with, "Andrew.... Andrew..... We're going to have a baby". I was completely asleep and was only able to mutter, "I know". Jodi then says, "No, we're having one today. My water just broke". Well if I didn't jump out of bed like my ass was on fire and start backing the bags... The rest as they say, is history, but suffice it to say that if I wasn't already completely nuts for the hockey playoffs that I certainly am now.

Hockey playoffs, and more importantly the Stanley Cup being handed out signify the start of a wonderful period for me every year. One where the Three Fronts Of Happiness converge and turn my world into one of hope, renewal, amazement and love. Yup, it is indeed a wonderful time of year, and I'm leaving work early.