Puking at the Hockey Game

Yesterday my daughter's class sang the National Anthem at the Windsor Spitfires game. Only one little hickup - she was sent home from school not feeling very well. I came home from work to attend to her, she complained of a headache and upset stomach. After about an hour at home, she rushed the bathroom and let her lunch go. Everything settled down, she lay down to rest and I flopped on the couch, wondering what to do with 3 Spitfire tickets.

At about 5, she told me she felt fine, so I had to make the decision on whether or not to let her go with her class. Her brother had the chance when he was in grade 4 to sing at the barn, and I wouldn't want to deprive her of the same honour, what to do? We decided that it probably wouldn't be any harm to go, sing, and leave. So we bundled up and headed out.

On the way, we picked up another classmate (I told her mother I would be fine taking her with us as she had no desire to see a hockey game), and hit the road. Last night we finally got snow - and this city shut down. What should have been a 15 minute drive to the arena took almost an hour. Tecumseh Road, normally flows at 60kph, was crawling along at 20. Nasty drive.

The kids were supposed to be a the community rink doors no later than 6:20 - they were locking those doors after that. We pulled up at 6:18. I told my son to take the girls in and get them settled backstage, then go find his seat while I park the car. The WFCU is a nice place, but parking was kind of an afterthought. I was closer to Lauzon Road than the arena, and in the snow I couldn't see where I was heading without a bloody compass. It took 15 minutes to walk back to the arena, then to find my seat. I finally sat down at 6:58, the game started at 7:05.

Everything started fine, there was a banner ceremony for the returning World Junior Players (6 of them), then the kids sang the anthem. Unfortunately I was on the far side of the place with a crappy camera, so I didn't get a very good shot of them.

The game started with the usual fanfare. About 10 minutes later, my daughter and my other charge found us, and sat down. The girl we brought along had never seen a live hockey game before, so she was of course, full of questions. Like a kid in a candy store. I asked my daughter how she felt, and received a thumbs up, so the game was on. Saginaw opened it up, scoring twice in the first 8 minutes. Not a good sign for the reigning Memorial Cup champions, or the returning World Junior Silver Medallists! They were playing sloppy. My daughter's friends all found their seats - the school had an entire section set aside for us.

When the period ended, my daughter informed me she had to use the bathroom. I tried to relate to her just how many people were currently doing exactly that, but she insisted and started climbing over me.

Too late.

She puked.

Right there, in the stands. All over herself and the coat of the poor kid in front of us. He wasn't in the coast at the time - he headed downstairs without it.

Now, I know what I felt like as the parent of a sick child at a hockey game, I can only imagine the embarrassment of my daughter. Standing there, covered in her lunch (which was something orange, apparently). She was on the verge of tears as I grabbed whatever I could to wipe the mess off this poor kid's coat, while apologizing to everyone around me. We got out of Dodge. Quick.

On our way down, the women in front of me is talking to an usher explaining something along the lines of 'clean up in aisle S'

When we got downstairs, I had to find a bathroom to clean her, but it was intermission. The medic's office was conveniently placed in our path - so we beelined for it. The medic took great care of us and helped me clean her up, wash her glasses, etc. After signing a form indicating they didn't just watch the game all night, the medic offered more help - she sat with the kids while I would trek out for the car. On the way out the door I told an usher what had happened, and he told me to bring the car right up. Off I went, about a 20 minute round trip. When I got back the girls were ready at the door with the medic. With a wave we loaded up and took off.

The only good thing about leaving when we did was not fighting the 5,000 other cars heading for the exits at the same time at game's end. Traffic was lighter going home. We dropped the friend off within a half hour, and then came home. My daughter headed straight for bed.

In the arena, the friend offered my daughter a piece of mint candy cane - it's supposed to sooth stomachs as her mother told me. What I didn't realize is that one became four. Much to my insistance to the contrary, the girls were sitting there snacking on them. I didn't realize it at the time. I'm fairly certain I know why she tossed her cookies in the stands.

So that's my story of a little girl and a hockey game. Today, she's still home sick, and I'm sitting with her. I hope she feels better soon.

And to the little boy who's coat left with some additional features, I AM SOOOO SORRY!

I will never know who it is, but I will always have the guilt.

Cheers.

PS - I'd love to post the pics from last night, but someone lost the camera transfer cord, again.

Heros

As I watched 5 flag-draped coffins loaded onto hearses at CFB Trenton the other day on the news, the voices went through my head again - bring our troops home from Afganistan. As I watched those family members crying and loosing it at the sight of their loved ones returning home I briefly agreed with the cries of home.

Those who disagree with our mission in Afganistan need to understand one thing - we're there and we're damn proud of it. Get over it.

We may not have the most troops in that country, only 2,800, but we've taken our share of the danger. Canada has sent her troops into the most dangerous part of the country - Kandahar Province - to help rebuild the infrastructure and quell the Taliban rising, and yes, we WILL take casualties. That's inevitable. We are there to support a NATO mandate to rebuild the place, who after 30 years of constant warfare kinda deserve a break. These people deserve to live in peace. To those who say that it's not our place to make that happen at the expense of our soldiers and civilians being casualties, understand this - The Taliban doesn't differentiate between Canadians and Americans. They will kill our people regardless.

We are in Kandahar suffering losses, the Americans are virtually everywhere else, suffering losses, other NATO allies are in the more secure northern areas suffering very little losses. There are many allies there that are afraid to move into the more volatile areas because they also see the ramp ceremonies. Boo hoo.

Canada has always been a fighting country. Just because our cold-war role as peacekeepers is engrained in our minds, doesn't make us peacekeepers, that just happens to be the role we played for those years, in the Golan Heights, Cyprus, Sinai, and other places around the world. We spent the cold war keeping warring parties from starting up again. But we were never afraid to shoot back.

In WWI Canada took Vimy Ridge when the British and French couldn't. In WWII we took part in raids and campaigns that others said were suicide and couldn't be done, we were there when the shit hit the fan, and we lost soldiers, who are now immortalized as heros. In Korea, and Kosovo, and now in Afghanistan. We are there because we have a long tradition of helping where it's needed. We also know when to get it done. Hopefully, this time we will.

I've worn the uniform, and I've seen many of my friends serve overseas in many operations, and every one is proud to do it. Right now we're following one particular friend in Kandahar, and we hold our breath when we here bad news. He's proud and he should be. It's not just the medals, it's the honour. It's the tradition of knowing you are doing a small part to keep the world and Canada in particular a safer place. It's also the honour of knowing that as one of the richest countries in the world, we did our part to help a poor country to stand up and be counted. We are helping kids go to school, helping farmers plant crops to sell in the markets, helping doctors treat those in need, helping the country stand up and shove the Taliban back into the cave they crawled out of. This organization is bent on destroying the place and any non-muslims. That's just wrong, and any of the 138 Canadian soldiers and 2 civilians who have died there will tell you they were there to prove it.

So to the naysayers who are tired of seeing coffins offloaded from military transport planes - Stand up or shut up. Grab a C7 and a flak jacket and help your country, or if it bothers you that much, turn away and put your tail between your legs like the cowards that you are.

Our heroes have come home.

A great start to 2010

So my last post was lambasting 2009 as a sponging good for nothing layabout, who just brought everybody down. I vowed to do better in 2010. We're so far, off to a good start.

Yesterday I woke up feeling just a little fuzzy, more from lack of sleep than libation, and headed off for Tim Hortons coffee and timbits. The neighbour, a sweet old lady who we've adopted into our family, gave me money to do so for the family as well as her, so I took the new years treat home to everyone, who were still sleeping. Then we crashed her house to watch the NHL Winter Classic. A new year tradition in the making. What a great way to play hockey - outside. 40,000 people crowded Fenway Park in Boston to see the Bruins beat the Flyers in pristine conditions. Unlike the game in Edmonton two years ago - then they played in a blizzard. A far cry from an indoor venue where the temperature and humidity is perfectly groomed for optimal ice conditions, this was a true game of shinny, outside on the pond. That's where most of the NHL players got their starts. It really brings the game back to it's roots.

Coming home we had pizza for dinner and thought about the night's movie event. Kim headed to the kitchen to bake a loaf of apple bread while I prepared Casablanca for the evening.

The bread was incredible, even better with some cinnamon spread. We've been taking to watching old movies lately, we want to introduce the kids to the classics, give them an idea of what movies were like when good story telling was the key - not things blowing up in front of a green screen. In the past weeks we've watched West Side Story, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and more. The other night Kim and youngest watched The Sound of Music. I had no desire to see that one again, so I found other ways to entertain myself - PS2.

I've never seen Casablanca. I've always wanted to, I just never got around to it. I was truly impressed, and now class it as one of my favourite movies. I love Humphrey Bogart, and here he was at his best. It's funny though, how the famous lines in the film caught the kid's attention. They got it. They realized where the iconic references come from in other films and shows they watch. One movie we watched last week - Murder by Death (1976), featured a crochity detective named Sam Diamond (played by Peter Falk). His character was a take off from another Bogart character. Falk plays him to the nines, and it's a convincing adaptation if I ever saw one. Falk never really had to try, his character in Columbo is loosely based on Bogart as well. I got a kick out of my son who got the relation. He asked if Blain was the character Falk was imitating. I think the characterization was more of a tribute to Bogart than imitation. And not just Falk's - so many actors in so many movies have credited Bogart as their inspiration, and duly pay tribute by imitation to the master.

I loved the movie, and will be chalked up into the watch again pile. My son however, realized halfway through that it was a love story. I guess he was hoping for more war movie. My daughter emphatically professed that she doesn't like black and white movies, and stuck her nose in a book. We also had to stop the movie at several points and cover the historical aspects of the movie - The Vichy French regime being something they really know nothing about.

I also realized the most famous movie quote ever, is fake. "Play it again Sam". It never occurs in the movie, as noted in a Trivial Pursuit question. It's a misquote - it's actually "Play it for me Sam". An interesting bit of useless trivia.

So New Years Day came and went. A good day all round. Hopefully a bright start to a new and hopeful year. One where we vow to make things better here at Wilsonworld. One where we will be more positive and prosperous. One where our personal well being won't be sacrificed to insane and negative situations. Bring it on 2010 - we're ready for you!

Cheers.

Good Riddance

Out goes 2009. Good riddance to you; you've been nothing but a vulture tenant in my basement sponging food from the freezer and asking for more time on the rent. Get out. Get the fuck out, now.

I'm tired of you sucking the life from me, I'm tired of your pulling me down with you. You need to go somewhere where you can't hurt anyone else, you need to get out of my house and never venture another look in here again. Really, get the fuck out.

You've taken almost all of my dignity, my pride, whatever happiness I might have experienced had absolutely NOTHING to do with you. I had happy moments in spite of you. The times when I looked the other way for a few brief moments when you were out, to a place where one could be in a good mood for just a while, where birds flew high in the morning sun, where I smiled to my family and friends, where I enjoyed life, but then you came back. 2009 came back to burst that little happy bubble, and again, you caused me misery.

Since you arrived in our home:

• Kim couldn't find work.

• My father died.

• The economy completely tanked taking thousands of people's livelihood with it.

• The City of Windsor lost it's mind, almost creating a war between union and non-union supporters.

• Things at work got worse - I'm sure you had my boss over a few times talking about me.

• My favourite hockey team started playing like shit and didn't even make the playoffs.

• We lost even more troops in Afganistan, I'm sure you snickered when you heard that.

• Our politics got stupid - The government has no accountability, the opposition has no teeth, and they started legislating on things that shouldn't be bothered with instead of dealing with issues that will make you leave me in peace.

• You didn't let me run the Olympic Torch - instead my boss had it, I'm sure that's got something to do with his visits.

• There were some things that happened that we would have liked to have taken part in, such as the Red Bull Air Races, or the International Air Show, or Festival Epicure, Windsor Summer Fest, but NOOOO, you had to get in the way of everything! You sapped me and my family so we couldn't go. Again, get the fuck out.

• The reunion I helped plan tanked out. I blame you.

• Even my friends felt your attitude. You affected some of them so badly that you have no support with them either. We stand together against you.

I'm sure there's more reasons I hate you, there's more that went on around you to convince me to kick your lazy negative minded ass the hell out. You brought down everyone you came near. It's time for you to go.

Next year is already starting positive, a new tenant to take your place, he at least has given us rent in advance, all you did was take. Maybe we'll invite 2010 into our lives and become friends, unlike you, you energy sucking parasite. Maybe 2010 will give us motivation to stomp firmly on you and say to ourselves - Remember that jackass who took over the place? Remember that shit head who drained us and made us think that live really sucked? Well, you're that parasite. Good fucking bye.

Time to give your replacement a proper place in our lives. Time to welcome him into our home. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

Christmas continued

I hope everyone had a nice Christmas, we're off to London today for Christmas Part Two. Off we go to Grandmother's house. Just a day trip, I look forward to seeing family I rarely get to visit with.

Merry Christmas, again.

Cheers.