One year closer to death :)

**87sluggo** · 07-16-2015, 11:47 PM

47 years ago today Mrs Tondowsky gave birth to a bitter old man. This is not to say I haven't had my fair share of fun, I've lucked out into some pretty decent experiences..........

- I saw Nolan Ryan pitch his very last game at the Kingdome.

- I saw the Mariners VS the Expos at Safeco 16 rows up along the first base line.

- I saw the Canucks get schooled in game three of the Stanley Cup Finals in 1982.

- I've seen just about every band that matters........ Genesis, Peter Gabriel, Foo Fighters, Nine Inch Nails, The Who, Pink Floyd, Liivng Color, Springsteen, Pearl Jam, Rush, Don Henley, Roger Daltrey, Tragically Hip THIRTY TIMES!!!! and a ton of others I can't even think of right now

- I ran down an alley way one day a looooooooooooong time ago and bumped into a movie set and there was Tom Selleck standing there and I blurted out "Magnum P.I.!!!" like a complete idiot and he smiled and did that thing with his eyebrows and OMG I almost fainted like a girl hahaha.

- I drove the wrong way down a one-way street for a block in downtown Vancouver during the 2010 Olympics just so I could get to Holt Renfrew and pick up a dress for Diana Krall. Cops on every corner, traffic backed up forever, and I GOT AWAY WITH IT.

- Expo 86

- The Canucks VS Moscow Dynamo in 1979

- Army men & jeeps in Montreal during the FLQ crisis in 1972

- I've met Gordie Howe and Bobby Hull and Guy Lafleur and Jean Beliveau and Frank Mahovlich and Mike Bossy and Ken Dryden and sooooo many guys I grew up watching on HNIC

I'm honestly blessed. I've pretty much seen and done everything I possibly can given my social and economic status. I hate my job, but most people do. Everyone I work with does hahahaa. I have my Amy, in five plus years we've never had a single fight or disagreement or anything. She keeps me looking forward to tomorrow every single day. She gave me this for my birthday :)

Up until 15 years ago I used to collect comic books, ya see. I had an INSANE collection - Showcase #22-24, Green Lantern #4-89, Justice League #4 #8 #12 and a whole bunch on up, Giant-Size X-Men #1, X-Men #94 and up, AMAZING FANTASY #15!!!! It was in barkmulch condition but still.........

One day me and my wife at the time decided it was time to buy a house and I had enough comic books to actually buy a house. So I started selling them. I had two longboxes at home, I put em up on the eBay one by one and made almost $8000. And then I went to the storage locker to pull another couple boxes, and all 47 of them were..........gone. And that was that. I quit cold-turkey and started collecting hockey cards, stuff I could keep at home eh?

Now me and comic books "grew up" at around the same time, I turned into an adult as stuff like Watchmen, Hellblazer, V For Vendetta and Sandman came out and that was some FINE stuff to read. And I missed that. Last Christmas Amy gave me the Absolute V For Vendetta and today I started rebuilding my Sandmans, in a way that doesn't make me a comic-book collector again :D

Like I said, I'm a lucky guy.

But...................

I can't bust a decent box of cards to save my life!!! I think I'm batting about .076 lifetime. Seriously.

Today I got my annual birthday box from the office birthday-club. This year, because of the lousy Canadian dollar and one less person in the club, I couldn't afford my usual box of SPA. Which is fine, because the box of SPA I bought when it came out was a disaster. I called it #SPAVomitBox on Twitter and some fool at Upper Deck favorited it. Whateverrrrrr.

Anyways, Derek at OT Sports Cards got a couple case of 2007/08 ITG O Canada in today. I had enough money for two boxes. I bought one and opened it. I got the complete 100-card set! Hey Upper Deck, why don't you try THAT kind of collation in your boxes?? But then I guess you'd have to change your name from Upper Deck: Because Who Doesn't Want Three Pierre-Marc Bouchard Base Cards In The Same Blaster Box?? to Upper Deck: We Sort Of Give A Crap.

Neat looking sub-sets!! -

I pulled a Joe Sakic double for my PC

And Derek gave me a birthday present :D

And my two hits from the box? Sigh.........................

Soooooooooooooooo, did I buy the other box? No sir, I learned my lesson and bought this instead :)

OK, that's it, bedtime for old men :)

**DnJcards** · 07-17-2015, 12:16 AM

Happy birthday, Ed!!

**The Germinator** · 07-17-2015, 01:13 AM

Entertaining story :) Happy birthday!

**geschrocks33** · 07-17-2015, 01:13 AM

The last purchase was a good decision. Happy Birthday dude!!!

**reoddai** · 07-17-2015, 01:17 AM

Gave birth to a bitter 47 yr old eh? Your poor mom. Birthing a baby is hard enough.

How much were the O canada boxes?

Cheers,
Reoddai

**87sluggo** · 07-17-2015, 01:45 AM

Sixty-five bucks, Matthew!!

**canucksfan007** · 07-17-2015, 04:10 AM

Happy Bday ED!

Your lucky enough to be born in the only month we dont get to see each other =(. Dont worry, its normal .... id miss my face too.

Saw O Canada and got excited ..... there are about 10ish more autos from that set im still chasing .... Pounder is not one of them =P

**hossa18sens** · 07-17-2015, 08:40 AM

Love the Hanson auto's and sorry you didn't hit bigger in the O'Canada (I remember when they where selling those at the Expo for $25 a box)

Happy birthday again