I am noticing lately that as I get older, I am becoming more and more like my father which probably really isn't a good thing.

A few times over the past few months I have found myself agreeing with Dad, albeit in silence, when he is offering his unsolicited opinions on various topics such as family matters, political ideals and even on life in general.

I say it is 'probably not a good thing' since just only a few short years ago, we didn't see eye to eye on any subject in the world and I always believed him and his ideas to be both antiquated and out-dated.  

Since I know Dad has not changed too much in these last few years, that means it must be ME who is changing, and I am not so sure if I am that comfortable with that thought.

Mom is always saying phrases such as "Oh, you sound so much like your father", when I am pointing out my opinion on a subject.  This of course never fails to 'shut me up' and usually results in me either changing the subject or fleeing the room entirely.

An example was last weekend when I was over for a visit. The topic of prisons and prison reform came up, I couldn't keep my silence any further after my stupid sister was putting forth her 'bleeding heart & weak-willed' stance on prisoners and their rights.

"Rights", I spat.  "They shouldn't have any rights.  They voluntarily gave their rights up when they knowingly and willingly broke the law and committed a crime.  If you are so worried about someone's rights, how about thinking about the victim and their rights.  As for the damn prisoners, throw them in work camps or chain gangs for awhile."

As I finished my remarks I looked up to see both Mom and Sis with big idiotic grins on their faces.

"See Mom, I told you so", Sis explained.  "He sounds identical to Dad.  In fact he is even starting to look like him, don't you think?"

With that, both of them started laughing and cackling like crazed hyenas with me still staring dumbfounded,  trying to figure out what the Hell was going on.

After a couple of uncomfortable minutes of this, Mom finally calmed down and explained.

"I am sorry, Son," Mom began.  "Your sister and I had the exact same conversation with your father not just five minutes ago and his response was almost identical to yours, with the exception of some vague reference to Siberia.  We just wanted to see what you would say since we are both noticing that you sound so much like your father on these matters."

They both started up their irritating cackling noises again, which was my signal that it was probably time to join my Dad, who was watching the Olympic hockey game in the living room with a couple of his buddies.

Dad is very particular (or peculiar - depending on your opinion) about the Olympics and very set in his ways when it comes to what he will and will not watch.   There are only two things that he considers to be 'worthy of his time' in viewing.  Hockey in the winter Olympics and Boxing in the summer Olympics.  Everything else he dismisses as 'not a proper sport' and is either categorized by him as being 'Fluff' or simply as 'utterly ridiculous'.

He is very comfortable in his black and white opinions on most matters and the Olympics are certainly no exception to these rules.



I sat down to watch the last couple of minutes of the hockey game with him and his rather noisy pals and when it ended, Dad immediately picked up the remote and turned off the Olympic coverage completely just as the announcer was saying that 'Woman's curling highlights would be up next'.

"Well that's it till the next game, boys." Dad advised the group.

Foolishly I had to ask the question, although in hindsight I really should have known better.

"Don't you want to see who wins in the Woman's curling, Dad", I asked almost regretting my words as they came out.

Dad peered over at me for a few uncomfortable seconds, his eyes burning a hole through me.

"Woman's Bloody curling."  He barked.  "You don't actually consider it to be a proper sport do you, boy?"

As I was just about to respond, his old buddies started to giggle and snort in the background.  I attempted to ignore their chortling and respond, but Dad was able to answer his own rhetorical question before I could.

"Let me tell you something about Woman's curling" Dad continued.  "Woman's curling would be mildly interesting if they limited their sweeping to a kitchen floor instead of an ice rink.  At least that would be practical and they would be learning a useful skill."

I knew for a fact my father would never dare make such a sexist and foolish remark if Mom was in earshot of his comments, but he knew she was well out of the way in the kitchen gabbing to my sister.  He was attempting to entertain his buddies and it appeared to have the desired affect.

All the old fools began convulsing with laughter with his statement and evidently it appeared to be the most humorous remark they had ever heard in all of their lives.

Realizing my mistake in mentioning woman's curling, I then asked my Dad his opinion on some of the other Olympic events.  The conversation went something like this:

ME:   What about skiing, downhill and cross-country ?
Dad:  Bollocks
ME:   Bobsleigh, luge ?
Dad:  Bullocks and more Bullocks
ME:   Ice dancing, figure skating, speed skating ?
Dad:  Bullocks, pure crap and Bullocks

Noticing that a pattern was forming and Dad was clearly set in his opinions, I thought it best to end my cross-examination of him since his friends seemed to find his responses far more humorous and clever then they actually were.  Their annoying laughter only seemed to encourage my father and his tirade.

I slowly and casually exited the room with all three of them continuing in their bizarre and critical assessments of other 'so called' sports.

So later on this week, specifically Wednesday afternoon, Canada was playing in the men's hockey quarter-finals against Russia.

Being as the winter Olympics comes only once ever four years, I figured I would take the afternoon off work and head over to the lounge across the street from the office with a few co-workers to have a couple pints and watch the game to cheer on Canada.

Once I arrived I was immediately informed that Team USA had been eliminated earlier by Finland which was not good news as I was hoping for a 'Canada - USA' final, being that these are my favourite teams.

Still though, things were not completely hopeless as Canada was still my favourite, so we all settled in for a few good drinks & some good entertaining hockey.

After a couple hours, all was lost.  Canada was soundly beaten 2-0.  The entire lounge was deafening in its quiet & silence as we were all in shock.  

I was infuriated by this.  All of my activities for the rest of the week were meant to be surrounded by heavy drinking and watching Team Canada play hockey.  How could this happen?  Those insensitive callous over-paid prima-donna players.  Once again, they were only thinking about their damn selves and ME, the fan, suffers.  DAMN!

With millions of dollars in salaries and talent on the ice for both Team Canada and Team USA, they were both unceremoniously eliminated from medal contention and were sent home packing after just the first game. This leaves all the medals up for grabs to the European based teams.  How boring is that.  DAMN!

"Bollocks", I yelled out loudly at the big screen TV, shaking my fist  "These Olympics are all just a bunch of crap - it's all Bollocks."

Immediately realizing I had just used yet another one of my fathers insane phrases, I quickly tried to cover up my embarrassing faux-pas hoping no one had noticed.

!@!@&^*@ I yelled trying to call out every obscenity I had ever learned and could think of.   I wasn't exactly sure which I was more angry at,  Team Canada for choking and being eliminated or me for slowly turning into my old man.

A few hours and quite a number of pints later, my pain and anger over the earlier days events had subsided and there were only a few of us left in the lounge still having drinks and chatting.

Robert, the Manager from our Accounting department, advised everyone that woman's curling was coming up next on the TV and he wanted us all to watch.

"What!", I yelled, slurring my words a little as I was took another big gulp of Guinness from my mug.  "Woman's curling, Let me tell you folks something about Woman's curling............"