Hi everyone! After a few weeks away, we’re back and better than ever! One would think that now that the summer is here, free time should be had by all, but that certainly isn’t the case around here. With the kids off, that means a full slate of activities, most of which involve weekend days. There’s also the usual barbecue invitations, last-minute day trips, and afternoons spent swimming and enjoying the company of others. I hope to be able to keep the site up to date fairly frequently, but don’t worry, I don’t plan on being away for too long.

I’m not sure if I’ve ever mentioned this, but I absolutely love yard sales. It’s probably my favourite summer activity. I love the feeling of handing over a very small sum of cash (sometimes even just coins!) and walking away with something cool, interesting, or practical. I still get excited about the day I picked up my external CD burner for a buck three years ago. What I love even more than making the rounds when my neighbourhood has a community rummage sale is having my very own yard sale where I can get the opportunity to get rid of all the crap I keep tripping over in my house. All of a sudden I become a 235-lb. Marie Kondo. I get a thrill just sitting outside in the shade in my drive way, sipping my coffee, chit-chatting with neighbours and strangers, and making a few bucks at the same time. And my shelves and floors are less cluttered in the process. It’s win-win! I’ve had a family yard sale on the docket for weeks now, and if the weekend weather ever cooperates with us, it will be a go next weekend.

Yard sales remind me of the summer of 1971 when the Seals decided to clean house, get rid of their veterans, and look for great deals that would hopefully yield big dividends. The Seals really had no choice but to burn the whole structure to the ground and rebuild. This week, I’ve posted a nice article from John Porter of the Oakland Tribune. It was published August 20, 1971, a few weeks before training camps were scheduled to open, and the Seals — perhaps more than any other team — had nothing but question marks in front of them. With the exception of a few key players, most players were completely unfamiliar with the guy sitting next to them in the dressing room. To read up on how training camp was shaping up that year, head on over to the articles.

Hope you all enjoyed the NHL’s customary hectic June. Stanley Cup finals, free agent sweepstakes day, the entry draft… I absolutely love ’em all! I’m already looking forward to next season! If you need your hockey fix until then, you know where to go. Until next time, stay gold!