EPL Club Misspells The Great One's Name

(Exhibit A)

I understand hockey is not big in the UK. There is a growing presence, which is awesome, but I have a feeling its much like the MLS is here. Its big in some places and others people could not care less. I get it. I am not one of those people from Hockey Twitter that thinks unless you know every player on every team you're not a "real" fan (which I will get to that infuriating trend in a future post). But we live in this great age of technology where the knowledge of the world is accessible through a computer you keep in your pocket and you still can't spell someone's name correctly?!

Wayne Gretzky or not, how is this possible? I bet the conversation went like this:

Limey #1: "Oy James, how do you spell this Canadian bloke's name?"

Limey #2: "I dunno Oliver, look it up!"

Limey #1: "Nah, I'll just guess. Lets get a steak and kidney pie and a pint then!"

It takes less than five seconds to Google something! If my boss told me there was a hotshot Field Hockey player coming in from the UK and we were making a custom shirt with their name on it, I would Google their name and "Field Hockey UK" to make sure I spelled it correctly. It would take all of one minute, conversation included. So way to go Spurs, you can't even use Google.

Trailer Park Boys Do It Again! (Assume Every Link is NSFW)

(Julian, Bubbles and Ricky)

If you are unaware of who the Trailer Park Boys you can see a few amazing moments right here. I am a huge hockey fan, but in my opinion they are by far Canada's best export. Just three good Canadian boys looking to strike it rich in the trailer park. Its some of the funniest stuff I have seen in my life. They tried to get re-arrested because they were paroled before the big convicts vs guards roller hockey game, intentionally of course, so the guards had a better chance of winning.  

And now they have another title to add to their growing number of accolades: the most F-Bombs in a movie. Apparently their latest offering, Swearnet, takes the title, which if you've ever seen even just one episode its not shocking. Ricky alone could probably take the crown, and gets almost poetic with the use. Bubbles and Julian usually have some great uses of it as well. Its not just the three main characters either, pretty much all of the supporting cast is amazing too. Just more proof how awesome they are. 

Meet the Father of the Century

(Travis Nielsen)

Travis Nielsen and family were just chilling in their backyard on Vancouver Island when a freaking cougar decided his two-year-old looked delicious and decided to take a bite. This guy sees his daughter in the jaws of a cougar and what does he do? He goes after it with his fists. He doesn't look for a shovel or any type of weapon, just hauls off and punches the thing. Ok, a father sees their child in distress and acts right away, that makes sense, but the chilling part is the cougar stuck around. It even tried to get around him to get his daughter again. He just stood his ground and shouted it down until it ran and hid. 

Now I know the cougar was acting on its instinct, its a wild animal. But as Joe Rogan likes to say "I'm on team people." Especially when team people doesn't even have to use a weapon. Travis Nielsen also acted on instinct and is a certified bad ass. 

Rollin' Down Highway 41

(Sydney from The Gap)

I have mentioned in previous posts my long history with road trips, which will play a part in this, but this is more about travel in general. By the time I was 14 I had been to quite a few states, and into Canada a few times. Although a foreign country, Canada is very similar to the US. I like to say the only difference between southern Ontario and northern Michigan are the license plates. However, when you're younger its pretty cool to go to a place with different money and everything is posted in English and French. However, it wasn't until the summer of 1998 that I truly experienced a unique travel experience. 

When I was in middle school we had a new student one year: Yotaro Mori. He was from Japan and his father had been transferred over for work. I was lucky enough to become friends with Yotaro and we spent a lot of time golfing and showing him around Michigan. Unfortunately after one year, Yotaro and his parents moved back to Japan. The next summer, he invited myself and another friend of ours to Japan. So, at 14 I got on a flight to Tokyo and it was incredible.

Everything was different. Sure there were similar companies and I recognized the shape of signs, but the wording was completely foreign. This was so far from everything I had ever seen in my life, and I loved it. Each meal was new, each location was new, they even drove on the other side of the road. 

I will say this was all made possible because of our hosts. Yotaro and his parents took us out to a spa-resort in the region of Mt Fuji, which in itself was amazing. Mrs. Mori was a trained chef and created some amazing homemade meals, as well as took us on a bus tour of downtown Tokyo. I still remember a lot of what I did on that trip, and will carry it with me always. 

Ever since that trip though, I have always approached each trip with a want to explore. Whenever I travel I rarely schedule anything. I have places I want to see and things I want to try, but my main goal is exploring. I would rather spend a day wandering around the city finding restaurants, cafes, bars and shops on my own. If I am going to Paris I am definitely seeing the Eiffel Tower, but I am not scheduling out my day. I have enough schedules to keep track of when I am not on vacation.

Some of my best times were had just wandering around (similar to a Walkabout, but with more purpose). I found my favorite pub in Sydney and Cairns Australia that way, and some of the best places I have eaten in Vancouver and New Zealand. But travel also energizes and inspires me.  When I travel somewhere I am constantly looking at things, especially when I travel overseas.

A good example is Australia and New Zealand. A lot of what they have is familiar, whether its the exact same or very similar. However, when you look closer you realize the differences, some good, some bad. Either way, discovering the methods and thought-processes used across the globe always makes me more creative and more open to trying new approaches to my day-to-day tasks, both in my professional and personal life.  

Trippin All Over North America

(northern Nevada, I-80 East)

In November 2012 I drove from St Paul, Minnesota to Los Angeles and back...in 10 days. This was an ambitious road trip to begin with, but I never realized how ambitious until it was 7:30 p.m. on a Sunday night and I was two hours south of the Twin Cities, barely able to stay awake. I have gotten tired driving before, but nothing like this. My morning began in a Walmart parking lot, at 4 a.m. in Rock Springs, Wyoming, and 980 miles later I was almost home. Well 120 miles away from home. I will say, nothing is quite like having all four windows down, in Minnesota in early December, radio on full volume and slapping oneself.

I wouldn't have done anything differently though. I loved every second of those 10 days, whether I loved some more than others is irrelevant. I left 20 degree (F) weather and 5 days later I was putting my feet in the Pacific Ocean. I once tried to track my road trips on Google Maps, but it cut me off at 10, apparently they're not equipped to keep up with the Alexanders, because road trips are definitely a hereditary trait in my family.

My father has never been a fan of flying. Every trip we took as kids was in a van (Party Van 1, Party Van 2 as they were christened), and a lot of times did not include hotels on the way to our destinations. I know, the first question you probably have is: "Are your parents insane????" Well it was no honeymoon for my brother and I either. It was constant back and forth, but for the most part nuclear war was averted, barring one incident in Wyoming I believe it was.

I may have not enjoyed every bit of those road trips at the time, but looking back I am so happy we did it that way. I got to experience Banff and Lake Louise, Alberta, six National Parks, Daytona Beach, Disney World, Charleston, SC, and countless other places. However, some of the best memories are of the places in between home and the destinations. Places like Cadillac Ranch in Texas, I saw The Osborne Brothers play Rocky Top at the Ryman Auditorium (you know how many people are jealous of me for that? I know a lot of hillbilly's), and Custer's Last Stand to name a few. 

I would say the biggest result from these road trips (other than family bonding), was learning how not everywhere in North America was like Michigan. Now you're probably thinking "Yeah, no kidding," but a 7-13 year old doesn't understand that concept, because they've never experienced. But there me and my brother were, seeing people in Arizona who thought a Canadian quarter was counterfeit, meeting people who had never seen snow in person before, or learning what poutine is (its freaking awesome is what it is). 

I also think its a great way to get to know the History of this country and continent. Now this is not a flag-waving, glossed over version of it. When you go to Custer's Last Stand you learn the whole story, from both sides. When you visit the Grand Canyon you learn how it formed. When you visit Calgary you see the 1988 Olympic Park and learn about the athletes. This is glossing over all the local and state parks and recreation areas. 

I look back on those road trips as some of the best times of my life, and that is why I continue them today. My road trip in 2012 was amazing, I hit Denver, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles and was able to stay with friends in all three locations. Since then I have done three more, all of which I have really enjoyed, and can't wait for my next one.