BACK IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS ... ICE HALO protective headwear!

New, and stylish, protective headware ... the ICE HALO!!

The RKCC proshop is now a proud agent for the ICE HALO (visit website here), a wrap around headband made from a closed cell, light weight foam and tested to reduce impact force over 250 G (according to ICE HALO website)!

These headbands are designed especially for curlers and skaters, but can also be worn while walking or hiking anywhere there is a chance of slippery surfaces - play it safe!

Thanks to Don Wood for modeling the basic version.

They come in a variety of sizes and colours ... pick the one that suits you best!

Young or old, the ICE HALO is your insurance policy against head injury on the ice. Try one on today in the RKCC proshop.

Thanks to Alex Tosh, Randy Neal, Rob Campbell and Mike Schneider ...

... for representing RKCC this past weekend at the OCA Senior Men's Zone Playdowns, hosted by our friends at Cataraqui Golf and Country Club. Up against some stiff competition, our men were not able to win through to the Regions, but did represent our club very well.

Congratulations to the Land O'Lakes rink, skipped by Bob Ray, for qualifying on the A side, and to Cataraqui Golf and Country Club's own Rick Ward, for taking his team out on the B side.

Good Curling, Gentlemen!

A RARE 8-ENDER IN NAPANEE ...

On rare occasion, an unnatural, curling phenomemon - the 8-ender - materializes. As if frozen to the ice with glue, one team's rocks just cannot be removed from play.

This is what happened this past weekend in Napanee, at the Annual Men's Open Spiel - Nov.20-22. Bob Helliar's RKCC rink, skipped by longtime Napanee curler, Chris Ramshaw, watched as the rocks piled up in the house. With his last stone, Chris had to make a delicate hit and roll to leave all the yellow rocks counting ... and he did just that!

Pictured above (left to right) Phil Berry - Napanee C.C, Chris Ramshaw - Napanee C.C., Tom Miller - RKCC and Bob Helliar - RKCC. Congratulations on the amazing feat!!

While 8-enders are, as mentioned, a very rare curling feat, it is worth noting that this is number 2 for Chris Ramshaw. My advice for any opposing skip who finds himself down to his last rock, staring at seven, with Chris coming to bat ... hit something - my hunch is, he's a lock for number 3!

Good Curling!

Bob's Butcher Shop and Boston Pizza

Thanks to two of our Royal Kingston sponsors, who are providing excellent deals for Tuesday night food at the club ...

Bob, Archie and the staff at Bob's Butcher Shop, for the excellent wings, and Boston Pizza for some of the tastiest pie around!

Bob's Wings - Many of you tasted them last week during our first night of kitchen activity. For comparison, we cooked several different wings - Bob's and two frozen varieties. Without question, Bob's fresh wings were the preferred choice. So, we went back, negotiated a good deal on price, and placed our order for Tuesday.

As an added bonus, Bob and Archie offered to marinate them for the club ... all we have to do is pop them into the oven!! This will definitely save us some time - thanks, guys.

Pizza - As a second choice for Tuesday night, you can't go wrong with Pizza. Boston Pizza has been a club sponsor for a number of years now, and can be counted on to supply some of the tastiest pies around. Although they make many different varieties, we will start with the old dependables: Pepperoni and Deluxe. If you would like to order something else off their menu ... preorder it at the bar.

Bob's Butcher Shop and Boston Pizza ... two examples of supporting those who support us!

Remember to consider all of our sponsors when shopping for goods or services.

Good Curling and GOOD EATING!!

***Remember to preorder, if possible

BARLEY DAYS BREWERY hosting a beer sampling at RKCC

... and all the members are invited!!

Looking for something to do for the evening of Monday, November 23rd? Well, why not come on down to the club for a beer sampling!!

A representative from Barley Days Brewery will be on hand to sample off some of their wares. The brewery is located in a renovated, historic Prince Edwarrd County family dairy, located between Picton & Bloomfield, just west of the Waring House and its popular Barley Room.

This convenient location, in the heart of Prince Edward County, allows visitors, espectially those following the County's popular Taste Trail, to stop by Barley Days Brewery for tours, tastings, and to participate in a number of exciting events planned at the brewery.

Barley Days Brewery is committted to producing superior craft beers. State-of-the-art equipment, fine-tuning of formulas by their talented brew-master, along with a first-class facility, ensures the best possible product quality and consistency.

Come down to the club between the hours of 8 & 10 pm to have a taste!!

Look who's in the kitchen serving food ...

GERRY ... would you eat a sandwich created by this man?!?

Well, Don Cameron enjoyed his (pictured above), as did ...

left to right: Marty Chilton, Don Cameron, Don Wood, Don Pringle (no, you don't need to be named Don to eat at RKCC :o) ), Stan Palmer and Leo Doyle.

Today was the first day of Soup and Sandwich for $5.50, and the response was very good! As mentioned in an earlier Blog, the staff will run the lunches in the short term. Starting at approximately 11am, and running until 2:30pm (or later), members and guests are welcome to stop by and take advantage of the warm meals offered in the lounge. Work nearby and want to bring some of your work mates? No problem ... there is lunchtime room for all guests!

As for the Tuesday night, Men's Flight offering, we are starting simple ... WINGS! The price will be $6.50 a pound, and we will work on the seasoning options. Feedback is appreciated and encouraged - tell us how you want them to taste! In the future, the wings will be purchased fresh from Bob the Butcher (a club sponsor) and marinated in their shop! This will allow us to somewhat customize the taste ... maybe even come up with an RKCC blend?

Most important, for Tuesday nights, we ask that you order in advance of your game. In order to prepare for the post game rush, please sign in at the kitchen for your order. Those curlers who are coming in for pre 7:15 and 9:15, will be welcome to order when they get here (although, ordering in advance for these times would be best as well).

See you in the lounge ... Good Curling!

KITCHEN SERVICE UPDATE ...

While the number of members and guests taking advantage of the club's trial, kitchen service is steadily increasing, the ladies preparing and serving the meals are not able to continue. Therefore, in order to provide warm, weekday lunches, and Tuesday night snacks, I will be looking for alternatives - but, regardless, the kitchen will still be offering food.

For the short term, we will be using staff to prep the lunch dishes. Soup and sandwiches will be available Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, from 11am-1:30pm, and all members and guests are encouraged to grab a bite to eat.

For Tuesday nights, I have arranged for a cook to be on site from 5-9pm. The menu will be simple, Wings and Nachos (maybe more - to be determined), and preordering will still be encouraged - place your order before you go on the ice for your game.

For other nights of the week, the demand will dictate the service. Please talk to your teammates about whether or not you would like to see hot snacks to purchase (wings, nachos, etc.) on these nights.

An overdue thank you to ...

... Carole Rivington.

Carole's work on corresponding with the various club sections to compile this year's roster is the reason that the printed booklet is as impressive as it is! It is not easy to accurately gather and sort members' ratings and contact info, and then create a template for printing, and posting to the web ... job well done, Carole!

As well as working on the roster, Carole also compiles and edits the now monthly Sweep publication (which is available online in the Members area for your reference).

Thank you to Carole for all the work that she does to keep our members in touch and connected!!

Rememberance Day 2009

On this day, let us take time to honour and remember the sacrifices of those who have fought for our country.

To all veterans and their families, in particular those who are members of RKCC, may we offer a very warm and humble ...

Thank you

2009/10 MEMBER ROSTER IS ONLINE!!

For those of you who have not yet discovered the online member roster, it is now up and running. Along with telephone contacts and individual curler ratings, the online roster includes email contacts for most RKCC members. Simply access the Member section and click on the roster tab.

I have been trying for a number of seasons to implement an online roster ... to reduce the amount of paper and ink that the club issues and uses each year. The biggest concern has always been privacy - do our members need/want to have their contact information available for the whole world to see? Well, thanks to Teresa Wilson, we now have an effective username and password system in place to allow only members to view the roster data. If you do not yet have a username and password, please contact the office and I will provide you with one.

The convenience of the online roster, with email addresses, should make it even easier for a member to find a teammate or opponent. Whether you are at the office, on the road or working from home, you are only a few key strokes away from the phone number and email address of any club member. And, you are helping reduce the amount of paper and ink that the club produces and uses each year.

We do understand that not all members are online and that some of you prefer a paper copy. They are available now at the club - just pop into the lounge to pick one up, or visit the office.

Good Curling!

DAILY LUNCHES and TUESDAY NIGHT FOOD at RKCC

LUNCH IS SERVED ... and Tuesday night, Men's Flight food as well !!!

For the next 3 weeks, we will have food in the kitchen, available for purchase. The lunch time will run from 11am - 2pm and all members and guests are welcome to eat at the club.

And, there will be Wings and Burgers for the Tuesday night Flight crew. Service time in the eveing will likely run from 5 - 8pm , and we ask that if you are curling at 5:10 you preorder your food with the kitchen ... give them an idea of how much to have ready for the end of the game.

Here is the tenative menu for the 3 week period:

Tuesday - Soup and Sandwich - Beef Vegetable Noodle (fresh-cut noodles and diced beef) with Ham & Cheese or Shaved Chicken Breast sandwich.

Tuesday Night - Chicken Wings or Burger and Fries

Wednesday - Spaghetti and Meatballs with Garlic Bread - Fresh pasta with homemade meatballs.

Thurday - Chicken Burger on a Bun with Fries - Chicken burger served on a sesame seed bun, garnished with tomato slices, lettuce and mayonnaise.

(all lunches are $6.50)

Every day - Dessert - Pumpkin pie with whipping cream or a bowl of ice cream topped with chocolate syrup.

(dessert is $2)

Feedback is welcome and the menu will evolve if necessary.

Please support the kitchen at RKCC ... bring a friend(s)!