Olympics have now started while the NHL is on their all star break

Canada’s national sport of hockey is now what is at stake

The women’s team is powerful, they’ll bring some hardware back

As far as our men’s team goes, they have to get things on track

The ladies will come home with a silver at worse

Their only competitors are the Americans of  course

These two nations dominate all other countries year in and year out

It seems the third place finisher is the only thing that’s in doubt

Last Olympics their male counterparts finished off in third

It would be nice to see this team move up in the awards

Once again no NHL players are on this hockey crew

It will be interesting to see what they can do

Basically, they have ten days to try to accomplish this feat

Hopefully they will have the talent to be able to compete

This benefits the weaker teams that have kept their squads the same

In two thousand and eighteen Germany lost to Russia in the gold medal game

The women have already played a couple and outscored their opponents twenty three to two

Having to beat the Americans is the only obstacle that they have to get through

Last Olympics it took a shootout and United States won the gold

Here’s hoping a better fate for them will unfold

They won’t be happy with silver in this year’s quest

They won’t be satisfied once again for finishing second best

These two dynasties are the cream of the crop

It will be a hard fought battle to finish off on top

Last edition of the Olympics, Canada’s medal total was the highest they ever attained

The team sport of hockey for us is something that has been engrained

This year there is one hundred and nine medals left to be presented

I have been concentrating on the sport that our Country invented

Last Olympics, hockey gave us two medals out of a total of twenty nine

This year, don’t worry, I’m sure we will do fine

Eleven gold, eight silver and ten bronze we won along the way

So far this year we have two and it’s only Saturday

There was so many elite athletes that contributed to that record haul

I’m sorry I didn’t take the time to mention them all

So many heroes, and I haven’t uttered even one name

Instead I chose to concentrate on our national game

Each one of them are responsible for these numbers that were attained

What are the chances of us winning that many again?

Every one of them contributed and played their own role

Doing the best that they can is their ultimate goal

Our Country will be behind them and will watch them compete

We will all stand proud of their achievement in triumph or defeat

The events can be viewed throughout the night and the day

Us Canadians will be cheering for them all the way

I just finished watching the “Blackhawks” losing another one

Their season now is officially halfway done

They have only managed to have a winning streak of four games in a row

It has happened twice this year and they still have a long ways to go

They have been in every game and only have been blown out once or twice

Most games they have been competitive and have looked good on the ice

They got out of the rebuild mode when they signed some stars this year

Where things go from here isn’t exactly crystal clear

The rumours are that “Fleury” will be gone before the year is through

Once he departs this team, I don’t know what they will do?

“Fleury” is the reason that they are allowed to kick it up a gear

Without him in the net, the confidence is sure to disappear

I always thought he was overated and didn’t deserve the praise

He got off to a slow start but now he continues to amaze

This team never seemed to buy into “Jeremy Colliton’s” master plan

It has been so hard to endure and I’m a lifelong fan!

This team is now more exciting to watch and they seem to be having fun

It will be interesting to see if “Derek King ” is there when the season’s done

Once “Fleury” is traded, things will go from bad to worse

This franchise has to stick to their so-called rebuilding course

They do have some young players that are exciting to watch

This team needs some fine tuning to kick it up a notch

I’m glad they finally traded “Alex Nylander”, they had to let him go

Why they held on to him so long, I guess we’ll never know?

“Sam Lafferty” came in and has looked good from the start

Unlike “Nylander”, he plays with a lot of heart

I have been listening to all this hype and talk

I don’t see the reason they believe in “Kirby Dach”

I think they need to send him down and fine tune his game

He is not as good as these hockey experts seem to claim

In his head I believe he thinks he’s here to stay

Maybe shipping him down to “Rockford” will improve his play

Goaltending has to be a priority for this team to gain success

Who they will get to replace “Fleury” is anybody’s guess

“Kevin Lankinen” has potential, but he’s not ready now

You aren’t going to find a goalie as good as “Fleury” anyhow

The “Hawks” still have to hire a “General Manager” and he will have a plan

For some reason, I think “Eddie Olczyk” is going to be their man

It’s the same scenario when “Dale Tallon” took the seat

This is a successful formula that I think they should repeat

With “Pat Foley” retiring from doing the play by play

He might be losing some interest in doing this anyway

Sure he does the network broadcasting but he is always flying back and forth

When he assumes this new found role he will be paid what he’s worth

He is very knowledgeable and knows what this team requires

He is also a “Chicago” native that everyone admires

He would be an ideal candidate to occupy that vacant space

It can’t be good for his health having to travel from place to place

What they tried to do this year is turning out all wrong

Most of us fans are getting tired of the same old song

Set a plan and stick to it is all we ask of you

Jumping the gun is something you always seem to do

Get Eddie in the driver’s seat and let him be our guide

He will steer this ship and once again restore our pride

Last time it took fifty years to finally right this wrong

It’s time to nip it in the bud, I won’t last near that long

These past few weeks have been cold I think we can all agree

Up until this past Friday I wasn’t letting it bother me

Didn’t make any plans to venture out in this deep freeze

It was officially fourty one below zero when you factored in the breeze

Naturally the dog was stirring early on this particular day

His actions told me that he had to get out right away

So I proceeded to walk him across our kitchen floor

Then quickly let him out and shut the back door

While he was outside doing his thing

I was totally unaware of what this new day would bring

After finishing the first business that we know we all do

I went to wash my hands now that I was through

Turned on the tap but there was no water flow

Used some Lysol wipes and down the basement I did go

This was after I brought the dog in and filled his bowl

Trying to correct this lack of water situation would be my goal

I called my neighbour and things for him were just fine

Now I knew this problem was entirely mine

The pipes are frozen? Isn’t that a treat!

It was now time for me to find some source of heat

All I had was a couple of hair dryers but I tried my best

This didn’t even come close to fulfilling my quest

The first one I burned out beyond repair

The second one I used didn’t get me anywhere

The next step I called Reliance to send a plumber here

It didn’t take all that long for this man to appear

He determined that the line was frozen before it reached our place

Calling the city seemed to be the only option I had in this case

This put me in rather difficult spot

I would have to shell out money and it could be a lot!

They may have to dig up my front yard to get to the source

That’s the only way of finding the answer of course

Then you have to hope that the line is frozen on the city’s side

Either of these scenarios indicated that I was in for a bumpy ride

Two men arrived and then explained what they had to do

Told us to be patient and said they would send another crew

These two first employees tried their best and gave it their all

Said if the water flows before the next men arrive to give them a call

The next crew arrived at our house once their other job was done

They weren’t here all that long when we finally heard the water run         

It never turned out being a free job for us of course

Then again it could have turned out a whole lot worse

It would be the minimum charge that we would have to pay

It certainly turned out to be quite an eventful day

My daughter has decided to watch some tv shows dated close to the day she arrived

I thought I would follow her example but was unsure if any of them survived

She is now down to the last two seasons of “Cheers”

 I would have to go back quite a few more years

So I googled to see what popular shows were on the air

These are some of the titles I found that I would like to share

Unfortunately I will really be exposing my old age

Back then, “Perry Mason” and “Wagon Train” were the latest rage

These shows debuted all in the same year

Here’s a couple of others that also did appear

“Have Gun Will Travel” and “Leave It To Beaver” are some you may recall

These also started in nineteen fifty seven, later in the fall

This is showing my age, the more titles that I write

None of these shows are in colour, they all appear in black and white

The next example is one that you should probably know

It featured Walter Lantz on “The Woody Woodpecker Show”

So needless to say, I have no desire to watch these former hits

I might just decide to move the years up a little bit

I thought there would be more of a selection of shows for me to see

Then I remembered back then, TV networks totaled three

Here in Canada, CBC and CTV got episodes from the United States

They would choose our shows from the Americans and pay a special rate

Then you would need to pick up the signal out of the air

That’s why every house top had an aerial set up there

It was a two person operation with one on the roof and one in front of the screen

You just hollered out the window when the best picture could be seen

They shared in the programming and never ran the same show

Once you found what you liked, you knew just where to go

So between these networks you had quite a variety to choose

The only competition seemed to be for their own late night news

It’s time to get back to the main topic, I’m sorry for the deflect

The sixties and the seventies decade is the era I will select

“The Addams Family”, “The Munsters” as well

“The Beverly Hillbillies” and “The Dick Van Dyke Show” were funny as hell

“Gilligan’s Island”, “F Troop”, “Get Smart” would be fun

“Green Acres”, “Hogan’s Heroes”, “I Dream Of Jeannie” and now my sixties are done

As you can see I like the comedies and they are all a half hour show

If you are going to do some serious binging, that’s the way to go

Now as for the seventies, you have to start with “M.A.S.H.”, a comedy set during the Korean war

That’s the top rated program by far and now to name some more

“Sanford and Son”, “Rockford Files”, “All In The Family”

“Taxi”, “The Muppet Show” and “W.K.R.P. In Cincinnati”

“The Odd Couple”, “Barney Miller” and “The Bob Newhart Show

All of these choices are ones that everyone should know

“Starsky And Hutch” needs to be added, I really liked those guys

Come to think of it, I should give “Charlie’s Angels” another try

That was a program that I truly never forgot

I don’t know what captivated me? I guess it was their plot

All the commercials about products to wax your tiled floor

Oh I just remembered another that I don’t see anymore

It was aimed at the geriatric group, a product call “Geritol”

I guess I should get myself a bottle if I want to watch them all

Already we are into the second week of the new year

Still haven’t been able to get myself into gear

The temperatures have been changing from high to low

Don’t seem to have much get up and go

Extreme cold the one day, freezing rain forecast the next

A choice between frostbite or breaking your neck

I haven’t been able to pile up many steps needless to say

With more foul weather, I can’t get out there today

I’ve now gotten myself into a rut of playing games on my tablet

It’s evolved to an obsession and has become a very bad habit

My goal was to finish the last level of a game and finally be done

But just when I think I have accomplished it they add another one

Yesterday I sat on my couch and played on it the whole day through

We binge watched a season of “Cobra Kai” and I played the game too!

Then I watched my team’s hockey match which started at ten

While viewing my “Blackhawks” I was playing the game once again

When the post game show was finished it was well after one

Continuing on that infernal game and I still wasn’t done

Just finish this level and I will let it be

When I finally convinced myself it was now after three

So I got woken up by my dog before it was eight

I wanted to sleep but he couldn’t wait

Put him out the door and then fixed him some food

Once again it was raining, meaning our walk was screwed

So I am not going to venture out anytime soon

The forecast says it should continue at least until noon

So I decided to write this entry instead

The pooch is now sleeping since he’s already been fed

I can’t venture out and be on my way

Once again I will be a shut in today

So adventuring out will get another pass

I can’t afford to slip and fall on my ass

Taking a chance has somehow lost its appeal

It would take a long time for these old bones to heal

I just had another birthday and am closing in on another stage

Boxing day this year I will reach the “Golden Age”

I have never broken a bone and have no intentions of starting now

I only had some heart issues and am still around somehow

Playing these online word games intent was to exercise my brain

Putting in all this valuable time for it is getting insane

This morning I left my tablet on the night stand

It feels kind of weird without it being in my hand

I’m going to give it my best to leave it alone

Force myself to finally get out of this zone

Maybe I can get myself on a different streak

I will slowly wean myself off for the rest of the week

Perhaps it’s my new year’s resolution ten days too late

Forgive me for being so slow getting out of the gate

Twenty twenty one is history, we can officially say it’s done

Although I don’t like the way this new one has begun

This pandemic is clinging to us no matter what we do

Chances are it will still be with us when this calendar is through

I have decided to go through events that were in the news

Trying to do it month to month during these reviews

Most likely I have mentioned them in poems I wrote before

These are events that I have chosen and cannot ignore

Of course Trump’s insurrection on January sixth is where we will begin

The one that the election was rigged because he didn’t win

Four people dead and many injured on this horrendous day

Many have been convicted and have their sentences to pay

A lot of big names have  been exposed that were involved in this plot

With all the evidence they have, tempers are getting hot

So much information they have for all of us to share

Starting later on this month they will be live and on the air

In February, nations joined together for the Paris climate accord

This is something that all the nations should all get on board

The Americans signed back up to right this wrong

It was so nice to see all the nations getting along

In March the Suez Canal was blocked by a huge container ship along the way

Almost a week in all and we still haven’t caught up to this day

So much freight was backed up that everything is now in short supply

So now when you are paying a fortune for things, that’s the reason why

In April, Derek Chauvin was found guilty for George Floyd’s death

He was the cop who knelt on his neck until he took his final breath

Twenty two and a half years was the sentence he will receive

This marks a milestone in Police reform is what we are led to believe

In May the biggest story was a billionaire’s race

Three of them competing to have the first rocket into space

Elon Musk did it first and has this claim to fame

The amount of money wasted is a total shame

June saw a condominium collapse on a Florida shore

It would take over a week before all the people were accounted for

July, the Olympics were held in Tokyo despite the Covid ban

All the athletes competed without a single fan

In August, the Americans got out of Afghanistan after a two decade fight

The Republicans complaining that the Democrats didn’t do it right

They were in a war that never would be won

Biden was the man who finally got it done

In September, us Canadians  were sent to the polls

Justin didn’t get to achieve his farfetched goals

His plan was to get a majority and to lead the way

Needless to say he was better off than he is today

In October the World Health Organization approved a malaria vaccine

Something that the world thought never would be seen

This will help prevent deaths from that mosquito pest

Here’s hoping they are successful in this mighty quest

In November rain washed out the British Columbia coast

The southern parts of this region were affected the most

The flooding closed every road to the mainland and Vancouver Island likewise

It would take quite a while before they would finally see blue skies

December came in and gave the west a temperature drop

Not the way you would want all the flooding to stop

Alberta was part of this unbearable cold

However there was another story that would unfold

The world junior championships was Alberta bound

Now there is not one team left that can be found

The Omicron virus came and wiped this event out

That is what this holiday season is all about

The NHL is now losing ground because so many teams are now affected

So many games cancelled because so many players are infected

Now I tried to cover almost every category

There is no denying, Covid 19 is still the top story

It was the week before Christmas when the government would announce

Due to the Omicron virus, no more than ten at your house

This new version was now spreading fast everywhere

Something that everyone should be well aware

Did you adhere to everything that was said?

Or did you just continue to do your own thing instead?

Just when we were easing on this “Pandemic” crap

Reality hit us again and delivered a sharp slap

To some this would make them feel even sadder

Others would be more incensed and get even madder

The stock market is humming nowhere close to a crash

Amazon and Walmart are continuing to rake in the cash

Now we have restrictions wherever we go

While the number of cases continue to grow

So this certainly screws plans for the new year

Seems we can’t get things out of first gear

This new variant is spreading quite quick

It’s mainly the anti vaxers that are getting sick

More people dying is such a shame

They only have themselves to blame

They continue to gamble and have all their chips in

In hopes they will be dealt a hand that they can finally win

Then when the danger rate begins to fall

Everyone will rush out to their local mall

Another mutation and the numbers will get high

Then we will all have to give it another try

We all know this cycle that’s very true

We just continue to do the thing that we do

No more stadiums packed to the roof

You can’t get through the door without showing proof

Put this in a safe place where it can be found

You are going  to need it if you want to get around

So many rules out there being pushed

We never did start on the right foot

It’s time to get everyone on the same track

Just to get back to our normal we lack

We aren’t on the same page, our opinions do vary

To some people this situation is very scary

Is there some middle ground, I really don’t know?

We have been doing this now for two years in a row

It would be nice to see a smile or even some teeth

Instead of a mask and wondering what’s underneath

Get ourselves on a course that is consistent and steady

All  of us have had enough of this already

The “mom and pop” stores are closing, the rich are gaining more wealth

We have to band together in insure our own health

What has to be done? What has to be said?

Do we just continue living this life of dread?

So many people sick and now out of  work

Yet this disease continues to  lurk

I’m tired of living with all these highs and lows

We won’t be happy until this menace finally goes

I’m tired of second guessing each time I have a sniffle

I want an end to this scourge and to make it official

So the resolution you promise this Friday night

Is for all of us to band together and finally get this done right

I just arrived at home from our local mall after receiving inoculation number three

The line that was formed was as far as you could see

It was the booster shot that all the experts recommend

Will this Covid merry go round ever come to an end?

The vast majority of us are all trying in vain

To eliminate this virus and finally get off this train

Even though most of us have done what we should do    

We are now experiencing another case of deja vu

All because some people just refuse to get their shot

While the rest of us are giving it all that we got

We have transitioned from Delta now to Omicron

How many more mutations before we can finally say it’s gone?

More unvaccinated people will be affected as a result

This ounce of prevention to them is considered an insult

This new virus is more contagious than the previous version

These anti vaxers will continue on with their aversions

Refusing to cooperate and not giving in

Seems we are in a battle that we may never win

This plague will feast on those ones that continue to abstain

This group continues to be whittled down, but they will never gain

The emergency rooms will be flooded by those affected once more

The casualties will be tabulated and added to the score

Schools will be closed and our freedoms will be affected

It’s happened so often now, we all know what is to be expected

The reset button is once again pressed to repeat

Time to get our hopes amped up and then fall in defeat

How many more cycles will we have to experience along the way?

Will this be a lifestyle that we will be forced to play?

The theory is that when we get the percentages up we will be in the clear

Reaching this targeted goal has been harder than it would appear

With all the kids now on board, are we getting close?

We have to persuade this no needle group to take their dose

The idea that this could happen, to me, seems totally absurd

How are we going to convince them to take the second and third?

Restrictions are now being put in place, we all know the drill

A few may give in, but not that many will

We are on opposite ends of this issue, there can be no debate

The only thing we can agree on is that we are tired of the wait

It’s late on a Saturday afternoon and I am trying to put a poem to pen

My deadline for creating one is coming even closer again

I want to watch the “Blackhawks and “Leafs” game tonight

Which only affords me only a couple of hours to get it done right

I want to be able to watch it all from the opening faceoff and through

Procrastinating all week is something I am in the habit to do

Not that this past seven days is any different from the ones before

When I finish a poem, I always plan to write even more

I never seem to accomplish this and I only have myself to blame

Now I’m trying to rush this one out before they start tonight’s game

Tomorrow there are two  football games that I plan to see

After the hockey game finishes who knows how well I will be?

The “Leafs” are the superior team and are playing great once again this year

If my “Hawks” want to be competitive, they’ll have to step it up another gear

The status of these two franchises has taken quite a turn

If my team wins tonight it will certainly be earned

Tomorrow the “Buffalo Bills” play “Brady” in Tampa Bay

Then I’ll watch the “Grey Cup” championship to finish off my day

I am picking the eastern “Ticats” to win in this final quest

They should beat the “Blue Bombers” who are representing the west

The fact that they get to  play at home should help them in this way

Even though there will lots of western supporters to watch the “Bombers” play

The CFL will be done but the NFL has five weeks to go

I thought the “Bills” were “shoe ins” but now I don’t know

They haven’t been consistent and dominating as they were

They have a tough schedule so now I’m not sure

They’ll have to play their best games in order to stay in this race

It’s going to be hard for them to retain second place

These next five games they will have to prove who they really are

If they want to succeed they will have to raise the bar

They looked like they could be a dynasty with a little tweak

Their running backs lately have looked a little weak

The way they have been playing lately is causing some alarm

This team has become dependent on “Josh Allen’s” arm

Tomorrow, “Tom Brady” is the man they have to beat

They can’t afford to leave Florida with another defeat

I figured they had this division and it wouldn’t be hard

Now they are fighting to get into the “wild card”

Tomorrow will show if they have their “mojo” back

Hopefully it’s not too late to get this team back on track

I managed to finish this poem before the hockey game somehow

Now it’s all set to go on Monday morning now

Next week for sure, I will start to write some more in advance

Who am I kidding? There isn’t a chance

Last night ended with my team going down in defeat

I am just happy that they are showing that they can compete

Their season is starting to turn around has they have won seven of their last ten

Hopefully they won’t fall back into another terrible slump once again

Watched some you tube videos later into the night

Then decided to call it a day and then turned off my light

Got up early this morning just before the sun

Then proceeded to go on my ritual dog run

Put on a reflective vest in order to be seen

Then walked  around our town in my fluorescent green

Last night I had no intentions of taking the walk this morning

Figured it was going to be impossible due to the heavy snowfall warning

Turns out this storm starts later on today

So I hooked the pooch to his leash and we proceeded on our way

My dog has issues with snowballs clinging to his feet

This morning I changed my route to be close to the city streets

So now we were on the sidewalks because they are usually clear

Will get back to our old trails when spring returns next year

Eventually I got back to Memorial Drive and continued on our stroll

The path I took however, was a kilometer short of my goal

The whole idea is to get all my ten thousand steps in before I reach home

So I will have to add on another few blocks next time I get out to roam

Once inside I turned on my computer and it went into a crash

Hopefully I will be able to fix it without having to spend any cash

I am now at the crossroads of having to upgrade to windows eleven

When I purchased this one, it was using number seven

Do I tinker more with this and try to get it to run?

Or upgrade to windows eleven and purchase another one?

It’s much too close to Christmas for me to have to decide

I’ll just stick to the laptop and for now let it ride

I have no time right now to try to get it to go

I have to save all my energy for shoveling snow

I’m looking out the window and see the flakes starting to fall

Could this weather warning prove to be right after all?

We could get twenty five centimeters before it’s finally through

It certainly isn’t something that I am looking forward to

So in the morning it’s looking like we will be covered all in white

Hopefully the snow we have to move will prove nice and light

I’m hoping before tomorrow morning when we have to begin

My team’s fortune will be better tonight and will end with a win