2011 Christmas and New Year’s Greeting from the Nikolai’s in
Kanata!
Christmas
Eve at the Nikolai’s 2011…
Originally we started writing annual letters to keep in touch
with family and friends while we were living ½ a world away in
Dubai. Now that we’re firmly entrenched back in Canada our
year-end summary is sedate by comparison with trips to Venice
and Shanghai replaced by car trips to Peterborough and
Syracuse. Our year, nonetheless, has been just as interesting
(to us at least) and fun and we’re very fortunate to have had
another terrific 12 months.
In January I started full time as Chief Pilot at
NAV CANADA. I have always enjoyed the variety that comes
with training, checking, managing as well as flying. It’s taken
me quite a while to find my role in the smallest Flight
Operations department that I’ve ever been involved in but I
think I’m figuring it out. My other full time job, coaching
hockey, expanded significantly; In addition to being an
Assistant Coach with Mika’s
Kanata Blazers I was Head Coach of his Spring Team the
2001 Little Senators which was a lot of fun. Spring hockey
is played at a much higher level than the Winter season and it
was great to be able to coach more advanced techniques. Later
in Spring I also helped coach baseball and lacrosse?! (I don’t
know anything about lacrosse…) Starting in September I’m back
as an assistant coach with Mika’s Minor Atom “A” Blazers.
On April 13th Sharon and I celebrated our 20th
anniversary. As we like to say, we’re still waiting for the
bubble to burst. I’m awfully lucky to have her and there’s no
“work” to this marriage; it’s still fun to hang out together.
Tim behind the bench with the “Little Sens…”
Speaking of Sharon, her Yoga teaching has really taken off. She
quickly went from part time substituting to a couple of full
time classes at the local studio as well as teaching a regular
class at
Algonquin College. She’s taken several courses in teaching
children’s yoga and is starting to specialize in young
athletes. She is the fitness coach for Mika’s Spring team and
the players really like it…as long as you don’t call it the “Y”
word!
Sharon teaching Yoga
at a Care Canada volunteer event…
For Mika, it would be easy to write a 10 page letter just
reviewing all his hockey experiences but he has done a lot more
than that. He’s a really good kid and dives into any endeavor
with great enthusiasm. We were really proud of him when he was
the only grade 4 student to make it to the final round at a
school public speaking contest in the Spring. He did a 4
minute speech, without notes, in front of the entire the entire
school + parents. His talk on the travails of owning a 160 lb
slobbering dog had the crowd in stitches and he ended up
finishing a close 2nd to a grade 6 student. Overall
he continues to flourish at school with top marks in every
subject except maybe French. Sadly he may have inherited my
language skills…
He continues to practice and play guitar and is particularly
proud that he can play the opening riff to “Electric
Worry” which is his hockey team’s ‘pump-up’ song.
In April he started playing lacrosse and immediately established
himself as one of the top players on his house league team. It
was my first experience with this sport and while it was good
exercise, it’s incredibly violent and we have mixed feelings
about him continuing with it even though he wants to. He also
played baseball but with Spring hockey and lacrosse at the same
time baseball got neglected. Next year he wants to add football
(the kind with the oval ball) to the mix. Furthermore, he took
a week of Tae-Kwon-Do training in the summer and loved it; He
wants to pursue that too. Something will have to give!
Mika’s official lacrosse
photo…
Hockey continues to be Mika’s passion. Last year he played at
the competitive ‘Tier 2’ level and by the end of the year he was
clearly the best defenseman on the league’s best team. With his
Spring team he proved he could play at a higher level and was
again our best D-man. Based on his enthusiasm, and after taking
the month of June off hockey, we set up a full summer of
training as he was emphatic that he wanted to play on the “AA”
team which is ‘Tier 1’ in Ottawa. Sharon combined a chance to
visit her sister Elaine in Charlottetown with Mika doing and
intense week of elite training at
Andrew’s Hockey School. Later in August we flew to
Penticton and he took part in the Pacific Summer Showcase at the
Okanagan Hockey School.
Coach
Morrison and Kevin with Mika…
He had the privilege to be coached by Brendan Morrison and you
couldn’t meet a nicer guy. Unfortunately Mika started to cough
early in the week and we under-reacted. By the end of the week
he was unable to play a regular shift because of coughing fits.
Yet Coach Morrison still picked Mika to take the decisive
shoot-out when the semi-final game went past overtime. Mika
scored and his team made it to the finals! By the time we
returned to Ottawa and finally took him to the doctor he was
diagnosed with “Walking Pneumonia”- just in time for try-outs,
tabernac. Even so, he did well and breezed through the
first 4 sessions. By the exhibition games he was healthy and
performing well. He was easily one of the top 3 D-men.
However, after the final game we received a call from the coach
that they “didn’t have room for him.” Apparently they were not
willing to break up a unit that had been together for 5 years.
It’s been a life-lesson for all of us and a chance for me to
learn from my boy; while I wanted to fight the injustice or at
the other end of the spectrum quit competitive hockey, Mika just
wanted to move on and play. Great…out-matured by a 10 year
old! He’s having a very strong year on the “A” team and when he
sets his mind to it he can dominate at this level. Just this
week he was selected to the All-Star team for the Bell Capital
Cup
http://www.oihf.net/ which is the world’s largest
Atom/Peewee tournament.
We did have a few really good trips. I was able to join up with
Sharon and Mika in Charlottetown and with luck we were able to
rendez-vous with the Bombalas at the Charlottetown horse race
track. It was especially cool to see Andrea’s Dad John’s horse
win his race. Also, as part of our trip to BC we had a chance
to meet up with a lot of our family and many friends. It was
great to catch up with the Mortensen’s in Penticton and then
drive to Kelowna to see the Cobetts and the Sebastians. Cousin
Landon was nice enough to drive to Penticton to watch Mika play
and in September Sharon made it to Vernon for his and Brittney’s
wedding.
Nik and Al having lunch and a Kokanee in
Penticton…
Brother Gary and Cindy’s impressive wine cellar…
For visitors my Mom braved the cross-Canada trip late last year
and stayed for New Year’s. She got to see quite of few of
Mika’s games. Tante Elaine stayed with us several times
especially while her Grandson Owen was born in February. In
fact, Mika calls our guest room “Tante Elaine’s room.” Just this
month Ken and Angie Knapton came for a quick visit and to see
the Canucks’s beat the Sens.
Grandma Nikolai, Mika and Tim pre-Hockey game…
Sharon, Angie, Mika and Tim at ScotiaBank Place…
Finally, it is 4 years ago today that we got Lui-dog. He
continues to be the world’s most affectionate 160 lb slobbering
dog. We could do without the farts though…
Lui and his
Canuck’s scarf…
Next year we’d like to have a mini Selkirk reunion and a chance
to celebrate Sudsy’s recovery from cancer treatment when the
Canucks come to Ottawa. In February Sharon is flying back to
Dubai for 10 days to visit with friends and in July, we plan
another trip to Penticton. Around about that time our apartment
in downtown Vancouver should be ready. Anyone want a rent a 2
bedroom 19th floor apartment 1 block from Rogers
Arena?
As always, we invite visitors to come visit the Nation’s
Capital. Tante Elaine’s room is always ready!
For everyone, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Sharon, Mika and Tim (and Lui)
www.tsnikolai.com
2010 Christmas and New Year’s Greeting from the
Nikolai’s in Kanata!
(click to download official
Christmas Greeting)
