3-2-1 Hockey: Peppers Dry Faster Than The NHL Can Approve One Stupid Contract

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3-2-1 Hockey: Peppers Dry Faster Than The NHL Can Approve One Stupid Contract

August 30, 2010 by Pookie

1-2-3 Hockey: 7 of 45

We’re drying some of the black hungarian peppers to grind into chili powder. Here they are basking in the sun in a glass bowl.

Posted in 3-2-1/1-2-3 Hockey | 40 Comments

40 Responses

on August 30, 2010 at 9:30 am Schnookie

Good morning, everybody! Happy Monday!
on August 30, 2010 at 10:27 am Myra

A good morning indeed! I love your pictures over the weekend. I had no idea that okra had such pretty flowers. I don’t remember that at all from my dad’s garden. I can only eat okra if it has been breaded and fried into oblivion. One can eat almost anything if it is breaded and fried into oblivion.

BTW, I had a crappy weekend. Late Friday, our owner announced he was selling the company to our major vendor (in Calgary). Which would mean, no jobs for those of us in the office here since they have all that already. I was in a state of shock. No income for us??? Luckily, my boss is very wishie-washie and changed his mind when everyone in the company (sales force) threatened to quit.

I’m glad I didn’t have a stroke.

And yes, I am totally looking for sympathy.
on August 30, 2010 at 10:30 am Pookie

You have my utmost sympathy, Myra! What a scary situation! I hope it’s all settled for the time being, though!
on August 30, 2010 at 10:40 am Schnookie

Oh my god, Myra, that’s AWFUL! I’m so glad to hear that the office isn’t moving to Calgary without you, but man, what a terrible thing to hear on Friday and have to stress out about all weekend. I would have spent the weekend throwing up if I’d been in your shoes.
on August 30, 2010 at 10:42 am Schnookie

One can eat almost anything if it is breaded and fried into oblivion.

I wanted to add that this is VERY true. Heh.
on August 30, 2010 at 10:59 am Myra

Thanks guys. I cleaned out my closet to distract myself.

Two giant garbage bags full.

I think it needed it.
on August 30, 2010 at 11:08 am Schnookie

I’ve been dragging my feet on cleaning out my closet for almost a year now. I was totally committed to cleaning it at the end of last summer, and now it remains untouched from then, but now with more leftover boxes and packaging from the Christmas presents that were stored in there. From last Christmas. Nine months ago. Heh. (I’m a slob.)
on August 30, 2010 at 11:53 am SueNJ97

I am trying to get the house ready to sell, so I have cleaned all the closets. It wasn’t fun. Unfortunately, I have now been told that in order to sell the place I would have to put $15-20K that I don’t have into it. So, there doesn’t seem to be any point in trying any more. It needs a new master bath, a new ceiling in the room in the basement, new paint, carpeting and I have to replace 3 of the windows.

My father likes to tell me that you get back whatever money you put into a haouse but if you don’t have the money to put into it, there isn’t any point. I bought a house I could afford when I bought it 13 years ago, but I’ve had to take significant pay cuts just to stay employed since then. There’s no way to do upkeep on the place. So, it can’t be sold. But I can’t afford to keep it.
on August 30, 2010 at 12:22 pm Amy

Holy moly, Myra. I would have been shaking and livid had that happened to me.
on August 30, 2010 at 12:32 pm Myra

Oh, Sue, that is awful. I hope things can get turned around for you. We were about to start updating our house because Dave and I were finally both employed when Dave got laid off. I hate to think what all we will need to do to sell it.
on August 30, 2010 at 12:38 pm Schnookie

Wow, I’m so sorry, Sue. Is there any hope of selling the house without the repairs/updates in place?
on August 30, 2010 at 12:45 pm SueNJ97

Thanks, Myra. I would have hated to have your weekend – at least it sounds like you are safe for now but that was a terrible, terrible thing to have happen. Especially with Dave out.

I’ve been looking for something that pays better than what I have since April (I know, really great time to be looking) and I know that I’ve actually been lucky. I have had 4 phone interviews and one set of multiple interviews that I was in until the end but they chose someone else. I’m told that’s very, very good for this economy, 5 responses in about 5 months. So I have some hope.
on August 30, 2010 at 12:55 pm SueNJ97

Is there any hope of selling the house without the repairs/updates in place?

The realtors I have spoken to, who do most of the selling of the units in this place, are not willing to do what I suggested, which is put it on the market for significantly less than what other people are selling at.

What I want to do is do the carpeting and the painting and one of the windows (the one that’s in very bad shape) and then have the house cleaned by professionals. I might be able to (somehow) get the money for this, you can take out loans on your credit cards and not have to pay back for a year.

I bought the house before prices went through the roof, and so I have about $80K left on the mortgage. Units like mine are selling for $369K. I want to do less than they suggest and price it at $300K. I would still make a significant amount of money. The bathroom and the ceiling in the room downstairs would cost someone about $10-12K, so it’s not a bad deal.

The agents don’t want me to do this because it makes it more difficult for them to sell the other units at the higher prices, so they won’t help me. They are insisting that I do all the work and that I price it at $369K. They are telling me it won’t sell without all the work and that it must be priced that way.
on August 30, 2010 at 1:16 pm Schnookie

What a headache, Sue! When Boomer was selling her place in AZ to move back here, she did exactly what you’re suggesting. She didn’t upgrade or do any drastic spiffing-up of the house, and put it on the market for about $80K less than the realtor suggested. She figured her neighbors would hate her for it, but she just wanted to sell the property. And it worked — it was sold within a month. I say, stick to your guns! You’re offering a bargain, and plenty of people are willing to buy a house that needs a bit of TLC.
on August 30, 2010 at 1:19 pm Pookie

Sue, that’s awful! I wish I knew what to say. Boomer undersold all the other houses in the neighborhood when she left AZ because she didn’t have the time to do any repairs, but that was well before the real estate bust.
on August 30, 2010 at 2:31 pm andrew

Myra and Sue, my condolences to you both. Crappy weekends all around.

(Sue, I really do feel for ya. We paid $497k for our home in 2006. Worth about $250k right now. So, yeah…)

ANYWAYS, news to brighten up everyone’s Monday morning: Fantasy hockey is here! Woot! I am, as we speak, setting up the Amazing and Super Leagues for this coming season.
on August 30, 2010 at 2:37 pm Meg

Hockey! Yay!

Myra, I’m glad you still have a job but what a scare.

Sue, that totally sucks. Maybe a realtor that doesn’t do a lot of listings in the area will take your place on with a lower list price? It sounds like that’s definitely the way to go. Failing that, can you sell it yourself?
on August 30, 2010 at 2:42 pm Schnookie

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! for fantasy hockey! Thanks a million, billion times over for being such a great commish, andrew! (The hookers and blow are on their way as I type this…)
on August 30, 2010 at 2:57 pm Pookie

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Super/Amazingleague!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks, andrew, for setting that up again this year! The Billys Peoplesoxers are going to kick major ass this year! The only sad thing is I’m going to really miss the Craig Andersoxers. I will never, ever come up with a better team name than that.
on August 30, 2010 at 2:59 pm andrew

(The hookers and blow are on their way as I type this…)

Word.

Thanks a million, billion times over for being such a great commish, andrew!

It’s nothing! No, really. I don’t do hardly anything, it’s a great job.

Speaking of…I’m thinking of making a few tweaks to the set up this year, but I want to make sure everyone is happy with them. It’s nothing crazy, just a few things to make the league a bit more entertaining and, dare I say it, competitive.

The biggest changes:

3 goalie starts per week. This will keep everyone from calling me a cheater for sitting on one shutout for the week. Also, it will reward you for having more than one good goalie.

8 teams make it to the playoffs. The more the merrier, right?

3 IR slots. Because we all get beat up and want more IR spots.

The minor changes:

Just added a few more scoring categories. Aside from the normal (goals, assists, +/-, PIM, powerplay points, and shots), we’ve added shorthanded points and shooting percentage.

Also added a few more goaltending stats. We were counting wins, saves, GAA, and shutouts. We’ve added save percentage and games started. (This way, the more goalies ou play, the better. Should balance things out there.)

Any of these rub you guys the wrong way? Let me know. Not that I’ll change any of them. This is not a Cheerocracy, it’s a Cheertatorship.
on August 30, 2010 at 3:03 pm Amy

Ooh, time to start brainstorming team names!

This is not a Cheerocracy, it’s a Cheertatorship.

Is that a reference to Bring It On?

I’m ok with everything except the minimum goalie start rule. Maybe that’s just because I took a page from andrew’s book last year and rode a shutout goalie. Whichever way we go just forces everyone to play a different strategy.
on August 30, 2010 at 3:05 pm Schnookie

I, for one, think a Cheertatorship is the way to run things, but far be it from me to try to change things. I also think those changes to the A/S Leagues sound perfect. (I foresee many a week when I don’t meet the minimum start requirements for the goalies, but that’s because the Orange Cymballs don’t put a premium on goaltending. They very much admire the management approach of their favorite real-life team, the Flyers. :P)
on August 30, 2010 at 3:06 pm andrew

Is that a reference to Bring It On?

Not Another Teen Movie…which was lampooning Bring It On.

I’m ok with everything except the minimum goalie start rule. Maybe that’s just because I took a page from andrew’s book last year and rode a shutout goalie.

Ha! I still laugh about that, Amy. Glad my cheating ways wore off on someone.
on August 30, 2010 at 3:06 pm Pookie

The rule changes sound good to me. I’m all in favor of the third IR slot. I’ll probably end the season wishing I had four or five IR slots. I… don’t hire the best team doctors and trainers. Heh heh heh.

My one quibble is this:

Also, it will reward you for having more than one good goalie.

Has anyone here ever had more than one good goalie? I’m not sure I’ve ever even had one good goalie, let alone more than one. I’ve never been able to play the “bench the guy after a shutout” game because I don’t think I’ve ever had a goalie play a game without letting in five or six goals. This is not an exaggeration!
on August 30, 2010 at 3:08 pm andrew

I foresee many a week when I don’t meet the minimum start requirements for the goalies, but that’s because the Orange Cymballs don’t put a premium on goaltending.

Ha! Nice. You two always come up with great names.

I can change the minimum starts to 2 (or ditch it all together) if everyone wants. 3 is just the Yahoo default…which is actually pretty easy to meet.
on August 30, 2010 at 3:10 pm andrew

Has anyone here ever had more than one good goalie? I’m not sure I’ve ever even had one good goalie, let alone more than one.

Well, you can always pile on 4 shitty goalies and win the “games started” category every week.

I’ve never been able to play the “bench the guy after a shutout” game because I don’t think I’ve ever had a goalie play a game without letting in five or six goals.

So you’re saying you’re screwed either way?
on August 30, 2010 at 3:11 pm Schnookie

Don’t let my whining sway you, andrew. I’m sure the three starts rule will work out fine! (Also, as I mentioned, my goaltending always blows, so what’s the worst that happens? I lose by default on the goalie stats rather than losing by [de]merit? Heh.)
on August 30, 2010 at 3:17 pm Schnookie

I think I need to admit that the Too Oranges were Too Champions last year, so I don’t know what I’m complaining about. :P
on August 30, 2010 at 3:25 pm andrew

so I don’t know what I’m complaining about.

I wasn’t gonna say anything….but yeah.
on August 30, 2010 at 3:27 pm andrew

The Too Oranges pretty much led the league wire to wire.

This year, they go down!

Ookies, do you guys have a preference for which league you each want to be in? I’m assuming you still want to be able to see each league, for blog post purposes?
on August 30, 2010 at 3:32 pm Schnookie

The Orange Cymballs are just like the Too Oranges but now with more celebratory percussion. In other words, UNSTOPPABLE!

As for the leagues, I’m cool to stay where I was. I mean, I own that league — why would I want to change things up? And I wouldn’t want to be any league that would accept Pookie, so it’s best if we’re separated.
on August 30, 2010 at 3:32 pm Pookie

Well, you can always pile on 4 shitty goalies and win the “games started” category every week.

Innnnnteresting… I call dibs on… uh… I can’t think of 4 WC goalies.

Ookies, do you guys have a preference for which league you each want to be in?

The Billys Peoplesoxers can win no matter who they play, so either league works for me! (I frequently forget which one I’m in. I think I was in the Amazingleague last year?)
on August 30, 2010 at 3:34 pm Pookie

And I wouldn’t want to be any league that would accept Pookie, so it’s best if we’re separated.

Yeah, you don’t meet the strict requirements of my league. We require white tiesoxers at every meal.
on August 30, 2010 at 3:39 pm Schnookie

Well, I only wear orange, so I don’t wanna be in your dumb league anyway!

(andrew, we just got your email. We’ll put up an announcement tonight!)
on August 30, 2010 at 3:40 pm Schnookie

(Oh, I see Pookie was just all discreet and emailed back. Disregard my earlier parenthetical aside.)
on August 30, 2010 at 3:43 pm Pookie

Well, I only wear orange, so I don’t wanna be in your dumb league anyway!

Yeah, well, you also don’t want to be in my league because then Billys would have to create a new frozen pizza flavor: Orange Cymballs Toast.
on August 30, 2010 at 3:45 pm andrew

(Oh, I see Pookie was just all discreet and emailed back. Disregard my earlier parenthetical aside.)

Done and done.

a new frozen pizza flavor: Orange Cymballs Toast.

Worst flavor ever.
on August 30, 2010 at 3:45 pm Schnookie

Orange Cymballs Toast.

Ha. Ha. ::Death glare::
on August 30, 2010 at 4:04 pm Pookie

Well, worst flavor that doesn’t include people ever.
on August 30, 2010 at 4:10 pm andrew

Orange Cymballs Toast is PEEEEEOOOOPPPLLLLLLE!