R.I.P. Luc Bourdon

Very sad news all over our papers today.  Yet another example of why I hate motercylces.

Bourdon got motorcycle licence only two weeks before fatal crash

SHIPPAGAN, N.B. — Luc Bourdon received his motorcycle licence just two weeks before his bike veered into the path of transport truck in northern New Brunswick, killing the promising NHL defenceman instantly.

RCMP investigators said Friday that Bourdon’s inexperience may have played a role in the death of the Vancouver Canucks rookie. Bourdon’s uncle, Robert Boucher, said his nephew dedicated himself so much to hockey that he took no time off in the last five years as he pursued his dream of playing in the NHL.

Boucher said Bourdon came home to Shippagan earlier this week for a one-month vacation so he could play golf and hang out with his friends.

So many of those friends own motorcycles that Bourdon decided to buy one, too.

“He loved to have fun,” Boucher said in French during a news conference at the town hall in Shippagan, an Acadian community of 3,000 about 250 kilometres northeast of Fredericton.

“Like anyone who is 21, he loved motorcycles. He wanted to buy a bike. That was his choice.”

Bourdon was the first-round pick of the Vancouver Canucks, 10th overall, in the 2005 NHL draft.

He also played a key role in Canada’s gold-winning teams at the 2006 and 2007 world junior championships and was expected to have a bright future on the Canucks blueline.

Bourdon was named to the all-star team at the 2006 world juniors. At the 2007 event in Sweden, Bourdon scored the third-period goal that tied the game and forced overtime against the U.S. in the semifinal game.

Bourdon split last season between Vancouver and Manitoba of the American Hockey League. He played 27 games with the Canucks, scoring two goals and collecting 20 penalty minutes.

Boucher described his nephew as a fun-loving guy who “liked to be crazy and do crazy things.”

“He was always ready to help people out – people in the family and others as well,” he said.

“We lost our little Luc, but I think that Shippagan as well has lost someone important.”

RCMP Insp. Roch Fortin suggested weather might also have been a factor in the crash. He said the wind was gusting heavily at the time of the accident on a winding, two-lane road between Shippagan and Lameque.

He said Bourdon’s bike crossed the centre line and collided head-on with the truck.

“The truck driver tried everything is his power to avoid the accident,” Fortin said.

The crash occurred not far from Bathurst, where another sports-related accident in January killed seven members of the Bathurst High basketball team and an adult.

Anna Boucher, Bourdon’s great-aunt, said his family is struggling to cope with his death.

“It’s so sad,” she said. “He was a good guy.”

She said that although Bourdon’s NHL career took him to Vancouver, he often returned to Shippagan and gave back to the community.

“He came to the arena and he used to talk to all the little guys there and he used to play hockey with them,” she said from her home in Shippagan.

Boucher recalled that sports were Bourdon’s driving passion in life and he excelled at many, including hockey and golf.

Jacques Robichaud lives across the street from Luc Bourdon’s father.

“Naturally, the community is saddened,” Robichaud said in French. “We all followed his hockey career from the beginning.”

Flags at Shippagan’s town hall were flying at half-mast.

The beginning of the end

Well, some say “Congrats”, some say “Another one bites the dust” but regardless, it’s official: Cor is off the market! *gasp*

Most of you know the story by now but for those who don’t here are the gory details. I came up to Juneau last Wednesday for about a week and a half. I guess I should preface this by saying that we had been talking about getting engaged but I had no idea when it was really going to happen. Unfortunatly, it got out that Andy had already sent my dad a letter asking for my hand (it doesn’t get much more romantic than that) so I knew it wasn’t in the too distant future, but honestly, I wasn’t expecting it THIS soon!! Anyways, we came home from the airport and sat down with a cup of tea, just casually chatting. (I have to admit, Andy was very calm and collected, which was another reason I wasn’t expecting it) Anyways, he gets up and says he wants to give me my birthday present early, so he pulls out of the cupboard this gorgeous lime green Marmot rain jacket. Which was perfect because I’m sure he’s completely tired of my endless complaining of the rain in Vancouver and how it sucks walking my dog when I have no rain gear. Anyways, I was of course very taken up with trying the jacket on and checking it all out. I stuck my hand in one of the pockets to discover and small little wooden box. I just about died!! It was perfect!! And even Andy admits, that for him, that was pretty creative…not to mention romantic! Anyways, after admiting he’d never done this before (whew) he asked me to marry to him and spend the rest of our lives together to which I could say nothing except, “OF COURSE!”

So needless to say, I am absolutely elated. Quite arguably the happiest girl alive and, as Andy’s uncle put it, being the fisherman that he is, Andy has caught his prize trophy! lol

We have some plans already in motion for the big day which will be next spring, probably late April, in Kelowna. There’s a ton of paper work to be done, so we need the extra time to get it all organized. I will be moving up here to Juneau, which is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful places in the world, so I am really looking forward to the transition!

I cannot wait for everyone who has not yet met Andy to get to know the amazing man that has invited me into his already functional and fulfulling life and shown me the most exciting and promising future a girl could ask for.

I cannot describe the feeling of peace that comes with finally being with the person you are intended to spend the rest of your life with. It is a feeling I hope I never take for granted.

Thanks to all of you who have already extended your warm wishes, we can’t wait to start our life together and have all of you be a part of it!

Feel free to peruse my Picassa pictures (the link is on the top right corner of this page), I’ve posted some of our engagement pictures as well as some pictures of the beautiful ring Andy designed all by himself!

not-so-sweet dreams

It’s Monday morning, it’s pouring rain, and I’ve been sitting on my couch for half an hour, ready for work. Whay is this a problem? Well BECAUSE…it’s MONDAY MORNING…that’s an extra half hour of sleep I could’ve had. It was just one of those mornings where either, I dont care what I look like, or it was just easier to get ready. (I’m hoping for the latter) But my internal clock these days has really been annoying me. For about 4 mornings in a row about 2 wks ago, my lovely little pooch decided that she was going to start getting up at 6:30AM (which is utterly rediculous when I’m never up before 8:00AM). Completely random, we were still going to bed at the same time the previous night, still doing our usual outside runs, she was just on a mission. Finally, I broke the habit…but only with her it seems. To this day, I am waking up like clockwork at 6:44AM every morning. Now, granted, I can go back to sleep, but I’m really not a fan of having my beauty sleep disturbed…and some of you early morning callers have found that out the hard way!  So now, not only am I waking up at 6:44 every morning without reason, I’m also popping wide awake at 7:49…11 minutes before my actual alarm. WHAT DOES A GIRL NEED TO DO TO GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP?!?!? lol

 

There…that’s my rant for the day!