We've waited for ages for our new dressing rooms. Work that was supposed to be done over the summer to have all six rooms ready for September was delayed for months because of a long string of disputes between the contractor and the college.As a result, we started the season in dressing rooms fit for squatters, namely number 3 and 4. Two of the six rooms are finally completed. I will be raising one issue: the lack of pressure in the showers with management Monday morning. But otherwise, the new rooms are modern, clean, brightly lit and have much better layout than the holes we were in for years. 

The finished results are beyond my expectations, but I have to stress the fact it's outrageous this work took three months to complete. The contractor chosen to replace the first company seems to be working with his thumb up his posterior because this work should have been completed in a few weeks with the right number of qualified workers on the crew, one month max. Having seen how slowly these guys move, don't be surprised if the other rooms are not complete before the grande finale of the LFA at 4:30 p.m. on April 26, 2014.

The age of artisans having pride in this kind of work is sadly behind us. Our society is not only getting older but also lazier, which explains how slowly so many of our collective problems are solved, if they're ever solved at all.Corruption is only one among them. Reasonable accommodation, the secular charter, education and the inexistence  of passing of strong values from competent parents are just a few of the immense problems that remain unanswered. They are problems that are costing us dearly right now. 

Speaking of youth, as we prepare for our mid-season draft and trade period, the "beefiest" of the captains and coaches asked me to calculate the average age of each team. I used the waiver forms you filled in to start the season and decoded your handwriting which was a task in itself and I was pleasantly surprised by the results. Which do you think is the youngest and oldest teams? There is actually a tiny difference between the teams, even taking into account the Avengers's goalie, Martin, is only 21, the lucky dog. The oldest team is l'Express at an average of 41 years of age, followed by the Czeckers at 40.5, the Avengers at 40, and finally the Tomahawks at 39.5. Only 1.5 years separates the Grand Pouppas from the baby-faced brats.If we set aside the goaltenders, since Martin brings down the average so much, the blue men become the oldest team at 42, followed by the Men in Black who hold steady at 41 and finally the red men and the Grayzzzers at 40.5. So not only is there a certain parity in the standings, it's also true for the composition of the teams. As for the talent and chemistry on each teams, that is what each team's managers will address in coming weeks.

Before I pass the pen over to Laurent (who signs his best text yet with a hell of a punch), and turn my attention to meditating on my head on this grey day of an Irish flavour (n'importe quoi...!). . .  Martin from la Cabane Express just spent some time in Cuba, and being a great fan and engaged player in the LFA, he and his girlfriend Lisette, took some time from their much-deserved and busy tourist schedule to watch our game highlights on the Cubano Sports Network. Now that is a man who is committed to his league, it's nice to see. as our league is reaching to the far corners of the hockey world! For those of you who were wondering who was the man behind the question mark in the "player of the month" card that announced the coming winner, it was none other than Jacques Lemaire, from the era when he still had a tuft of hair on his noggin. Take it away Laaaaaary! (consult "While sipping a last one")

JFD (AS TRANSLATED BY LES PERREAUX)