Broken DVD, great Grand Prix

Saturday morning Chris and I drove out to Yorkdale mall. I had a physiotherapy appointment there and we both wanted to visit the new Apple Store. The physio was a bit of a bust, as their "gait assessment" machine was broken. I did pass on a tip that we are hiring to the doctor for his sister-in-law, who apparently is looking for work in advertising. Funny how a conversation can wander!

In the Apple Store Chris tried out ALL the iPods and then settled into the kid's game area while I browsed. I hadn't been into the Yorkdale mall in a few years, and it seems to have moved further into the high-end. I only bought a pair of pants for work at Banana Republic, so I guess we managed to escape largely unscathed. We finished with a bubble tea and then headed back home to rent a Star Wars Xbox game for Chris and the "first" Star Wars movie. Chris is on a mission to re-watch all the episodes. Unfortunately the DVD was damaged and we couldn't watch it. Before watching the DVD I tried to repair my gas grill, which needed a new igniter. By the time I figured out that I needed a few more nuts and bolts to do the job it was getting late so I reassembled the grill and light it with a match so we could barbecue our pork chops. Next weekend I'll finish the job!

On Sunday morning Chris got his Xbox time before we biked over to my friend's house at noon to watch the Canadian Grand Prix on TV and barbecue some hamburgers. Chris and my friend's daughters got into an extended game of "territorial disputes" that involved racing from room to room and "claiming" them. Made it hard to watch the race in the midst of the turmoil, but we managed it. Afterwards we all had a drink at a nearby Starbucks, and then Chris and I continued on to the movie theatre to see Madagascar. Ugh. At least Chris liked it...

The Grand Prix was full of reversals. Jenson Button in his BAR was surprised to find himself on the pole with Michael Schumacher's Ferrari beside him. I suspected this was due to qualifying with a very light fuel load, and their early pitstops confirmed that. Behind were the two Renaults. However with their excellent starting setup both Renaults moved ahead before the first corner. The McLaren's of Raikkonen and Montoya were in the middle of the pack but progressed quickly through the field. Barrichello had to start his Ferrari from last place because of engine trouble.

Fisichella's Renault retired from first place on lap 33 with hydraulic troubles. Six laps later his teammate Fernando Alonso also retired from first place after damaging his front right suspension from a brush against "the Wall of Champions" at the end of the last corner. Tough luck! That left the two McLarens in the lead, until Jenson Button also hit the "Wall of Champions". While his car was being removed from the track Montoya got too eager leaving the pit lane and rejoined during a red light. Yes, they have stoplights in Formula One. The penalty for that is a black flag which means: you are out, baby. That left his teammate Kimi Raikkonen in the lead, thanks to good driving and staying out of trouble. Button's crash and Montoya's elimination also brought Schumacher forward, giving him second place at the end of the race. Rubens Barrichello's gritty drive from last place took him all the way though the pack. When Jarno Trulli's Toyota suffered a dramatic brake failure, which left him at the side of the track with all four wheels smoking furiously, Rubens was able to claim the last step of the podium. Jacques Villeneuve almost got into the points, but it wasn't to be.

And tomorrow I hope to congratulate Kimi Raikkonen in person...

Listening to: Cheap Reward by Elvis Costello from My Aim Is True.