Woody had our number

After going 4-0 against Murray Woodward since 2001, we ran up against a brick wall this weekend.

He clobbered us 9-4 in our first game of the Zone 2 Play Downs in Ste. Anne Friday night, and then finished us off this morning 6-0 in eight ends after we couldn't get rid of the hammer. (We blanked 1, 5, 6 and 7, and couldn't set up a big score all game.)

We managed to win our second game Friday night against Gary Barkman, 8-2, with a strong showing. We just couldn't recapture that grasp of the ice this morning. After giving up a steal of three in the second end, we killed ourselves again in the third end, and it was over... We were killed by a thousand cuts after that, playing eight excruciating ends to no avail. It was one of the most frustrating games in my curling career.

The ice in Ste. Anne was fantastic as promised by organizers, so that was no excuse.

I played in a mixed game at West Kildonan after getting home from Ste. Anne, and the ice was VERY good! (Hard to believe, given the conditions in recent years). Joe's got it dialed up for the MCA Bonspiel which starts Thursday night.

We play at West St. Paul Thursday at 9 p.m. and then at Charleswood at noon Friday.

I feel like Eric Lindros

OK. When I say I feel like Eric Lindros, I'm referring to what he felt like after his face ran into Scott Stevens' shoulder a few years back.

Thanks to a wicked sinus flare up and the associative medication needed to quell the pain, I was not exactly "on" last night in our Asham Major League game against the Barb Spencer squad. While we managed a 6-6 draw, we were sloppier than Ozzy Osbourne at a song bird buffet. It was like I was hitting the ice for the first time, as I didn't find my frozen sea legs at all.

Speaking of the ice, it was straighter than the drive from Winnipeg to Brandon... negative ice for outside in draws on both sides! And, if you threw anything above control takeout weight, you were doomed to heck for all curling eternity (or at least until Zones).

Kristin Loder was dialed in, though, earning player of the game honours from our team. Barb Spencer was unable to make the contest because of poor road conditions which was a shame because she's been playing very well of late.

THIS AND THAT: I really miss my daily practice sessions, as the Granite is playing host to the Master's Men's Zone playdowns this week and the storied nine-sheeter was closed during the Christmas break... It appears Lorne has successfully rounded out our squad with two sharp-shooters, so we'll be entering the Rural Zone 2 playdowns which run Jan. 12 to 14 in Ste. Anne. It's going to be a very tough go this year with Reid Carruthers, Murray Woodward, Wilf Peters and Gary Barkman signed on so far... During an excellent practice session before the Christmas break, I made a cute half-rock raise double to score three against myself that caused me to perform a quick fist-pump. OK, that's mildly embarrassing but no one was there to see it and it was one of my better called shots of the year...Finally, watch this space for a piece I've been chewing on for some time: The 10 Commandments of Curling.

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