I went back to Tyler, Texas, which is my hometown, during the bye week and I spent some time with my daughter before she went back to school.

Then Friday night I made my way up to Fort Worth and hung out with Nik and watched his brother play a high-school scrimmage.

It was super-hot in Texas. People have been saying how hot it’s been in Calgary lately but no, no, no. They don’t even grasp how hot it can be. Down there, it was like 99 degrees at midnight.

The bye week was nice, but it’s good to get back to work this week. It’s good to get back in the swing of things and it’s good to feel the football again and to run full speed and get used to contact again. It’s good to see the guys again.

And most importantly, we have a big game this week so we have to get into that mindset of beating a good team like Montreal. Every game is a game but to play Montreal, which obviously has been the class of the CFL the past couple of years, is a big test for us.

It’s nice a change of pace to be playing an afternoon game at home. It’s all about preparation. I know last year we had an early-afternoon game in Hamilton. I like them. They allow you to get up in the morning, get some breakfast and head to the stadium. Sometimes you can get a little bit distracted when games are at seven o’clock at night. You spend your day trying to do something to get your mind off the game because it seems so far away.

Like I said, this is a big test for us and we have lots of work to do this week to get ready.

Joffrey Reynolds, #21
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