Buenos Dias Muchachos,

I’m not going to lie to you, it feels pretty good to be back in the mix writing after taking a week off in the mountains. The beauty of the Mailbag is that the content ebs and flows as life goes and so as such, this double-header Mailbag is 100% visual video content. No rhyme or reason, it’s just what the doctor ordered!

• We’re going to tee it off with a feel good story from the Windy City thanks to Coach Q and his leadership both in the dressing room and the Chicago community. While the reasons for the Blackhawks success year after year might have something to do with the fact that they have the best leader in the game (Toews), highest point producing player (Kane), an Olympic caliber goalie (Crawford), and a Norris winner on the blueline (Keith), there’s also the intangibles that fill in the blanks. When you see feel good stories like this, you know the team has the right people in the organization who care about winning in all aspects of life. Kudos to the Blackhawks and the seniors at the Centennial Activity Center. Here’s to old time hockey!

• Let’s keep the feel good vibes going with a TED talk from a Special Olympics athlete, Matthew Williams, from Vancouver. Special Olympics has always had a special place in my heart because of the great coaches and athletes I’ve met while helping to coach their curling programs in Edmonton and Halifax. I hope to get back involved with the organization when I move back to Calgary this spring. If you’re looking for a great volunteer opportunity, look no further. While many think it is the athletes who benefit most from good-hearted folks who lend their time to help coach their various programs, in actuality, it is 100% the other way around. The athletes teach us so much about what it means to have a positive attitude, how to support your teammates, and perhaps most importantly, they remind us why it is we love to play and give back to sports.

• Changing gears deep into the backwoods in British Columbia comes a Canadian ski video called Chasing Nirvana – Cabin Fever Pt. II. This is not your typical ski video as it tells a story of four Canadian skiers and their relationship with the rustic and wild environment around them. Great skiing, old school tunes and modern cinematography… Check it out!

• Throwing my old stomping grounds in E-town a plug here because the city is really starting to generate some good arts and cultural spots downtown. Downtown YEG seems to be creating a bit of a new identity thanks to an influx of creative young minds and doers. The Mercer Building on 104th and 104th is a prime example of this transformation…

• I have purposely tried to stay fairly distant from the US Presidential race but it seems that any time I want to check in on the goings on, I just look to John Oliver for a good roast. This rant on Trump’s USA-Mexico Wall is no exception!

Quote of the Week: “It’s what you do in the dark that puts you in the light” – Michael Phelps Under Armour Commercial (side note – which is seriously epic).

Song of The Week: It’s been a while since I checked in with you on one of my passion projects, Music By Mike. I thought I’d share some of the tunes I’m listening to these days… Here’s a sample playlist “Spring In Your Step“. If you like what you hear, there’s plenty more where they came from! Feel free to drop me a line at musicbymike.yyc@gmail.com.

I’ve posted a few cat skiing pics from Chatter Creek last week… The pictures are courtesy of the very talented snowboarder and photographer Hamish Birt.

Happy Easter,

Mike