Monthly Archives: February 2010

Another year, another Wonderboy lost

Alas, I failed to win again. The darts was a wash. Euchre – we won the round robin and got the bye, but were ousted immediately by a lone hand thanks to Greg. Only 1 point there. Poker – well, in the 1/2 hr you have to make a move I didn’t hit any cards that could be played against a table that stays in on every hand. Ping Pong was a surprise as Doaner and I made it to the finals by upsetting the favourites (Rico and Tiger). So that garnered me 3 instead of 1. So a 4 pt finish which is average at best. Moving further in Euchre would have helped get me on the podium.

Next year I’ll man up and do the log saw (if I draw a good partner).

Anyway, it was another year of tradition and predictable schedule which is what lures me to Wonderboy: same people, same location, same weather, same schedule, same everything. It’s a nice way to shut off the mind if only for a little while.

Wonderboy has gone high tech. Along with the website, we now post standings realtime-ish. Expect this feature to get a major overhaul for next year that shows more detail regarding the in-game progress.

We also Twitter

Next year, expect to see live webcasts as we attempt to bring the Wonderboy to you. It also will be useful for the lazies that can’t make their way to the basement to watch the games live. They can now sit in the comfort of the main room and watch the events on the 55 inch LCD.

We’re hoping to someday create a Wii version of Wonderboy. Then our Mii’s can do all the work!

Wonderboy update

I am here at Wonderboy on Sat. morning, the traditional time of rest before the outdoor portion of the events. The results so far have been a little disappointing. Greg and I partnered up for the Darts this year and unfortunately drew a tough set of matches. We lost in a tie-break Around The World (new to this year’s format) that has ousted me from my traditionally strong event. On the positive side, With Doaner I have managed a first round bye in Ping-Pong, assuring me of at least one Wonderboy pt for 2010. The draw has us in tough to go further but we will give it our best shot.

The log and tug go soon. I’ve bowed out of both with a sore shoulder yet could win two pts if my tug team can win it. That would put me at 3pts min with Euchre and Poker still to come. The cards will dictate my success yet again.

You can follow the results at http://thewonderboy.org/standings/wb2010.htm
Later!

Mexico!

We took a trip to the Mayan Riviera last week. Yep, the 4 of us. We travelled to Mexico with a couple of other families, all with very small children.

Fortunately we stayed at a ‘family friendly’ resort called ‘Sandos Caracol’. I recommend going there if you have kids 5 and under. Along with the Kids Club (which was mediocre), there was a splash park with lots of slides and fountains that they kids spent most of their time in. As parents, it was nice as well because there was a bar there and LOTS of lounge space. The place was not busy since most non-parents were at the beach/main pool.

There was a lot of restaurant fare as well so there was always something to eat for everyone.

Although I recommend this place for young families, I don’t necessarily recommend travelling with 2 or more youngsters. It is certainly not a trip for everyone’s liking. I enjoyed the trip (mostly) and I know for the most part everyone else on the trip did as well, but to travel with young kids (especially one that is < 2yrs) is an exhausting effort. The getting to and going from flights can and usually are nerve-wracking. Once there, be prepared to tailor your trip almost completely around the kids. This requires a significant resetting of expectations if you have been to resorts in the past without kids. Yet, fun can be had. Spending time with the kids alone is a great time, but you can also still have your fill of drinks and adult comraderie (we're all in the same boat!). The real differences come down to the routine itself: you won't unlimited or spontaneous moments to just lay down on the lounge chairs and relax. You'll need to schedule any activity you want to do well in advance. And be prepared to be on your feet a LOT of the time. As a whole, this vacation was well worth the effort and I won't forget it for all it's ups and downs. If we were to ever do this again while the kids are still very young, I would strongly consider a cruise. The amount of walking was SIGNIFICANT on the resort. Plus, a very good kid's club (that cruises usually have) would go a LONG way to finding some free time for yourself. See my kid's blog sites for details on what they did during their exciting adventure!

Own The Podium

I don’t know about the Olympics, but my goal this weekend is to Own the Podium at Wonderboy! And to go one up on the Canadians in Vancouver, I will do this with my own personal funding!

Go Team Roach!