Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

How will I celebrate Christmas this year?

Traditional, Contemporary, or Classic cheer

Will it be about sales, gifts and shopping?

Scanning the flyers, endless mall hopping

Pressured to buy gifts for family and friends

Going through the motions with no ends

The latest gadgets, the must have stuff

If my finances get blown, that’s tough

Donating few cans, some toys some food

Makes me feel warm all over and good

I will do my part to help the poor and needy

Certainly, I will not be considered selfish and greedy

I’ll get everyone I care about something they’ll like

If they don’t like it, well, they can take a hike

Or should I just spend Christmas in quite contemplation

Pondering on the disrepair of the human nation

Brooding over problems, researching solutions

Brainstorming ideas, exploring new notions

For once attacking not the symptom but the cause

Stop meandering experiments, take a thoughtful pause

Being with friends and family, comfort, joy, tranquility to share

Sharing foods with humility, thankfulness, drinking spirits of care

May each find this year for what they truly are yearning

May this year be of true giving and receiving

Akbar Khan

The Puck Drops Here

“They got their names on the jerseys, are you serious?!?” was all I heard from the inside of the dressing room. “Full equipment and skates that they get to keep, AND they got jersey’s with their names on them. Wow!”



Yes, when Scotiabank throws a party, they throw a PARTY; so when they decided to host a charity hockey game (Thursday November 6, 2008), inviting youth from three United Way member agencies across the city (including yours truly at Tropicana) to rub noses (elbows…let’s be real, it is hockey) with big bank bosses, former NHL greats (Wendell Clarke and Mark Napier), oh yeah and Brian McCabe, they went all out.

(Mark Napier signing autograph)

(Wendell Clark signing autograph)

There were slips and falls, great plays, great fun, and quite a few tired and beaming young boys and girls proud and happy to be missing school to have such a good time.

(Smile, you're on not so candid camera)


Thank you Scotiabank for the fun and the memories that you made possible with your generous support of United Way.



Oh yeah...take a look at the dude in the blue hat dropping the puck in the video (pause at 21 seconds you'll see him)....Look familiar??? One step closer to world domination baby.
Muah ah ah ah ah(evil laugh)!!!

Until next time,

Greg Serieaux-Halls AKA Sleepy

The Tropicana Effect

Turning lives around

Helping break down barriers

Eradicating problems on the ground

Torch-bearers, flag carriers

Raising the bar

On each and every level

Placing at par

Intelligent ideas and struggle

Conquering new heights

Achieving new glory

Never ending fights

Against gloom and misery

Eliminating pre-conceived notions

Facing real-world matters

Fixing minds and emotions

Elevating lives once in tatters

Challenging our limits at every corner

Taking ourselves higher and higher

Akbar Khan

October, 2008

Up, Up, and Away

Up, Up and Away

Up, up and away…Early one brisk autumn morning (Sunday October 26, 2008 to be exact) three brave souls: call them Grumpy, Happy and Sleepy, set out to conquer the world. OK maybe conquering the world is a bit too dramatic;

(what can I say, too much Pinky and the Brain)

However, getting through the mass of people gathered to climb up what still stands (pun intended) as the world’s tallest freestanding structure, and one of the 7 wonders of the modern world is no mean feat. You’ve probably guessed it by now, but yes I am talking about the CN Tower in all of its awe inspiring 1,815 feet;

See what I mean (man that’s tall), but I digress, let’s get back to our brave souls who for some reason (or a complete lack thereof) decided to valiantly face the wrath of a 553 meter vertical climb up 1776 steps. The brave three were ducking and dodging, trying to beat the sun in to the sky; they climber higher and higher and higher…and higher…and (you get the picture, it was really high). They were overtaking their sweaty compatriots left right and center (ok really just on the left, because the right was for the slowpokes) moving step by step closer to our…errr…their goal of world domination, or at the very least to a great view.

They emerged victorious (Grumpy at 30 minutes and 22 seconds; Happy at 22 minutes and 40 seconds and me…I mean, Sleepy at 16 minutes and 39 seconds) to thunderous applause, a bottle of water, and a glass floor through which they could see their humble beginnings on the ground.

All in all it was a great day as the stone and iron giant was conquered, a great cause was supported and some fun was had by all in the process…well almost all ;o). CN Tower we’ll be seeing you next year, because without us there would be no way (shameless plug for United Way).

In the meantime we’ll just be doing the same old thing; you know…

Trying to take over the world;

I’ll let you know how it works out, see you soon.

Greg Serieaux-Halls AKA "Sleepy"