Monday musings

Your weekly dispatch from the frozen flatlands:

• It's getting a little challenging to keep a positive outlook about this place with windchills in the -40's. Definitely not an "I heart Regina" scenario!
• Team Canada is practicing in Regina for the World Junior tournament. The J-man and I will check out Canada vs the Czech Republic in pre-tournament action on the 23rd. It's an early Christmas present for my young associate.
• Nothing against the Pats, but it's going to be tough to go back to watching regular season WHL games after the World Junior tournament. Really tough.
• Hopefully the Pats re-tooled lineup can start posting some wins. They've been outscored 21-8 in their last three games, and visit Red Deer tomorrow night.
• Don't look now, but the Toronto Maple Leafs have won 7 of their last 10 games. Go figure.
• If all it took was for me to dump the Leafs for another team (Hawks), I should have bailed out years ago!
• I wonder if the Riders will announce any more player re-signings before Christmas? The list of potential Rider free agents is down to 14, and you have to expect at least 3-4 of those players won't be back in 2010.
• I can't stop watching Criminal Minds on A&E. It's becoming a borderline obsession.
• I can't wait until Wednesday night, and the annual St. Gregory school Christmas (not holiday, Christmas!) concert. It's one of the highlights of the December social calendar.
• Do you know how long it takes to load almost 200 pictures onto a digital photo frame? Did I mention about half of them had to be scanned first? And then most of the 200 had to be cropped afterwards? Mom better be lovin' her Christmas present this year!
• Is it just me, or is it really tough to get out of bed in the morning when it's minus 2 zillion outside? Bloody hell!