The last few weeks have yielded single digit lows, sunny and 50 degree days, rain storms, gale force winds and snow that quickly turned to slush. Through everything, we have had a few days of skating which have made it all worthwhile. If this was my first or second year of rinkbuilding, I think I would have pulled out what little hair I have left because of the warm days, leaves and crummy snow but after 6 years - nothing fazes me anymore. Not to get all zen-like or anything but I relish the skates we get and don't worry about the things that I can't control. Namaste and all that. By the way, here are some pics of the kids.

Thanks to an unseasonably warm fall - which has continued right through to mid December - we had some great weather for the annual post-Thanksgiving put up the rink day. Just like every other year, things did not go exactly as planned - mostly because I decided to change the dimensions of the rink without telling anyone else - namely, the other person in the house who actually needs to know the dimensions of the rink. More to come on that front in my next post about what I learned putting up the rink this year.  Just waiting for it to get cold at this point.

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Well, the freak October snow storm has come and gone - 10 inches of snow and broken tree limbs are just a distant memory at this point. Thanksgiving is less than a week away - which can only mean one thing - it is time to put up the rink boards and eat so much turkey that my pants rip at the seams. I guess that was two things.

Anyway, am hoping that year two of the NiceRink boards will go smoothly although inevitably something will go wrong and it will take three times as long as I expect. In no particular order, here are my guesses as to what will mess up the build process this year:

• The ground will freeze and I won't be able to get the brackets in except by smashing them (and my left hand) with a sledgehammer
• My wife will decide not to mastermind the entire process
• A pack of wild coyotes will attack when they confuse a middle aged man for the largest wounded badger they have ever seen
• My first three attempts at connecting the boards will yield a heptagon, a nonagon and a figure eerily similar to the chemical model for benzene
• My wife will decide not to mastermind the entire process

If all goes well, by the day after Thanksgiving none of the above will have come to pass and the oval outline of a rink will be standing in the backyard just waiting for the cold to come (and for me to head to California on a business trip).

Only another month and a half until build date.

The average weight per shovel quadrupled from beginning to end - and my ability to throw snow decreased by the same amount. It got pretty sad at the end - with half the snow flopping back onto the ice.

Now we could use a little bit of cold.

As part of my job, I spend a fair bit of time checking out technology that is relevant for small business owners. A month or so ago I set up a listing on Google Places - which lets businesses create a listing connected with Google Maps. Not putting much thought in to it, I created an entry for Bruski's Backyard Rink. Fast forward to this past Sunday when my cell phone rings from a number in my area code that I don't recognize. I answer and the person on the other end starts asking about renting out my rink for her son's birthday party.  I think it is a crank call (or someone some how connecting the Boston.com article to me) and keep asking her what she is talking about - she repeats very loud and slow "I want to rent your rink for my son's birthday party". It dawns on me that she may have somehow stumbled on to my listing on page 864 of Google search listings. I finally convince her that my rink is not for rent - even for the $50 she offered to pay. 

Two days later in a meeting at work, I recount the story of the rink rental to some colleagues. Within 10 seconds of finishing the story, my cell phone rings again - another person looking to rent my rink - she started asking about hours/rentals, etc. Figured it out quicker this time.

Finally went to Google and realized how people were finding me - see screen shot below:

Lots of buzz today in the rink building community and not just because another snow storm passed through the area. Boston.com (the online version of the Boston Globe) posted an article about backyard rinks and invited everyone to post pictures. In case you are interested, here is the article. Some pretty good looking rinks out there - and some that I would be embarrassed to call my own.