Although many do not consider the NHL season under way until their home team plays as all hockey fans and Canadians a like know it did OFFICIALLY start over the last weekend in London, England between the Los Angeles Kings and The Stanley Cup champions the Anaheim Ducks. It was during Saturday’s game I realized that I am not over my Bertuzzi crush in any way shape or form even if he is playing for an expansion team and YES I know Vancouver is also an expansion team but I mean ones like in ANAHEIM for example where it is like WARM all year and stuff. I sat drooling over the TV while Adam said something about it being ok or expected or something I was distracted. Even though in 1998 he came to Vancouver at the expense of Trevor Linden, at the time it was love at first bone crushing hit. It actually gave me a reason to start paying more attention to the Canucks because I’d been living in Vancouver for two years at the time and was feeling sort of lost and alone with my love for hockey.

Lost because even though we left Ontario when I was at the wee age of seven, and as most of you would know headed to the snowy North of B.C. we watched Toronto teams, sort of, once in B.C I know we did branch out slightly but don’t tell any of my sports loving relatives that. There was always Blue Jays baseball on and there was always Hockey, NHL, World Cup, World Juniors etc. but when it was NHL it was the Leafs or the Oilers. I grew up crushing pretty hard on Doug Gilmore, the Pert Plus commercial he did was such a treat because he had his teeth in. But in 1991 thanks to the Canada Cup I fell in love with Eric Lindros and even bought two of his hockey cards. [I can not stand him now, no love for Lindros] This was all after the era of Wayne Gretzky when he was still ALL Canada’s and playing for the Edmonton Oilers, if you were old enough to remember it, it was a very sad day for Canada when in 1988 he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings. BUT at the end of the day it always came back to the Leafs.

I learned pretty fast that Vancouver Canucks fans are not fans of Toronto Maple Leafs fans and that Toronto Maple Leafs fans aren’t fans of Vancouver Canucks fans and I knew I was in trouble. I don’t know if it is because I grew up in very small towns or because I was getting older and had my own opinions and could talk hockey with the boys but I have never been accepted as a Leafs fan living in Vancouver. I may as well be some sort of mutant. Now this doesn’t bother me, I can take the heat, not only can I take it, I can laugh at and join in on it as clearly displayed by this post. I’ve openly admitted that at one Canucks vs Leafs game I did take my Leafs jersey off but only one I’ve seen them play the Leafs more than once.

So I guess my point is that I simply consider myself a hockey fan first, NO I’m NOT going to become an Anaheim fan now but if they go for the cup again of course I will be watching because I watch HOCKEY I honestly don’t care what team it is, I’m Canadian, it is in my blood, I don’t care if it is WHL, NHL, Olympics or World Cup. I LOVE HOCKEY. Thankfully the Leafs and the Canucks haven’t played for the cup against each other, if that were to ever happen, which actually makes me chuckle to even write, then I would be in some serious trouble.

The other night we watched Fracture and it was seriously pretty awesome, Adam said it was ‘pretty good’ which means he liked it. Generally when I don’t figure a movie out I tend to like it more and I didn’t figure out anything. So now every time I talk to someone I get to talking about how awesome Fracture is and in doing so have found myself in some pretty interesting conversations about Ryan Gosling. Recently, because he hadn’t seen it and said he didn’t hate romantic girly movies one of my close male friends watched The Notebook with me and you should never open that door around me unless you mean it and we were talking on instant messenger yesterday and he told me I should see The United States of Leland and I told HIM he should see The Believer. And we talked about his early career and his movie choices, how it is cool he went from mostly Disney movies and TV stuff straight into some really fantastic rolls. But I also talk about him a lot with Aughra and she mentioned the other day that he would be starring in The Lovely Bones as the father and I did not know that, I read the book of the same title by Alice Sebold a few years a go and remember that I enjoyed it so I got rather excited and then last night she sent me the link to a preview and writeup for his newest film Lars and the Real Girl which looks extremely interesting to say the very least. Anyone around for my birthday knows that Adam totally humors my wee crush on the Ryan but honestly if you ask me he should just be happy I’m over my crush on Todd Bertuzzi, it isn’t like I have any choice but to get over it now with him playing for a bloody expansion team. Gross.

So with the Canucks moving on in the Stanley Cup Playoffs more teams’ players are off to work on their golf games and tomorrow we start playing Anaheim which means Adam and I get to wear our ‘helmets’ a little longer maybe even a lot longer. I really enjoy Marty Turco as a goalie but unfortunately he plays for the wrong team. I was first attracted to him as a player because his Dallas Stars Goalie Mask RULES. But now I actually like him as a goalie period. See you next season Turco.

I don’t know if it is just because we have watched so many shit movies lately but we watched Blood Diamond on the weekend and I LOVED it. I was very worried because I knew it was long and I was worried about Leo, I am not a Jennifer Connelly fan unless I am watching Labyrinth but I love Djimon Hounsou. Leo believe it or not in my opinion pulled the South African accent off extremely well and I even forgot it was him a couple times. It didn’t seem as long as it was. I find Leo really touch and go in films sometimes I love him and sometimes I can�t stand him.

For the other movie we watched I made up a Jeopardy question.

This 1987 movie loosely based on a novel written under the pseudonym of Richard Bachman stars both the 38th Governor of Minnesota Jesse ‘The Body’ Ventura and the 38th Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger.

What is�..

It was a RAD movie; I can’t believe I had never seen it. The dancing scenes were choreographed by Paula Abdul. Bloody Awesome. It is one of Adam’s favorite movies. A preview for some new movie I can’t remember the name of with ten prisoners on the run from whatever reminded Adam of his love for it and he went out and scored it at the local video shop.

I am happy to report that our Guitar Hero One set has arrived so we now have two guitars and both games. Life does not get much sweeter. I am jealous that the X-Box 360 version has more songs. THAT IS NOT FAIR! I was a little disappointed when I got 100% on a few of the Guitar Hero One songs and there was NOT FIVE GOLD STARS! Only five stars. I have not failed a song yet but there is no practice mode, I am very glad the new one has a practice mode because I LICK at hammer-ons and pull-offs and on the first one you pretty much have to be able to do them to five star them. Playing together, battling, playing in co-operative mode and each having our own guitars makes us so very happy. I can’t wait to have couples over for Guitar Hero parties.

Eww that sounds terrible like I’m old and married and only hang out with married or couplely people or something.

I take a lot of heat for being a Toronto Maple Leafs fan living in Vancouver when I’m also a Canucks fan. I’ll admit I’ve had a waning interest in the NHL [not HOCKEY just the NHL] since the strike and since Bertuzzi left. But I love him playing for Detroit I think it is perfect for him and this means I am now a band wagon Red Wings fan and will still collect all Bertuzzi memorabilia. Aside from that I like to fuck with people so in the past I’ve done things like wear my Leafs jersey to work when the Canucks and the Leafs have still been in the playoffs so I guess I deserve some of the heat. But I just walk around, hands up, exclaiming, LOOK I AM from Ontario, I grew up watching the Leafs my cousins would disown me if I ever lost my Leafs love.

I can’t remember exactly how it came up but Rebecca and I were IMing and the Leafs not being in the playoffs and golf came up and she said I should go golfing in my Leafs jersey. Cheeky cheeky.

So I thought sure why not I’m sure the Leafs aren’t out there wearing their jerseys on the course but you can guarantee they are out there let me go show them some support and or make fun of them either/or, dishing it can be as good as taking it.

I caused quite a stir let me tell you. We went at 8:10am and people were staring at me and straining their necks back to look at me and I got over four YOU ARE WEARING THE WRONG JERSEYs and this was on the course so like DUH you are thick and totally not getting my statement. I also played like complete and utter shit and I blame the jersey. TOTALLY. It was cursed. We both played like shit. I had Vancouver Canuck socks on but they were obviously not enough. The rivalry between the teams is simply too great and Vancouver’s love for their Canucks ruined my round AND Adam’s.

And then vindication, we walked by a window and on the inside of the window they had a sign that said ‘LETS GO RAPTORS!’ and inside the living room was a group of guys, one pointed at me while the others turned to look and all gave me thumbs up and faux high fives and gang symbols and shit and we were laughing so hard we went back and I walked up to their window and had my picture taken with them.

When I was thirteen years old I was in love with Eric Lindros. I was all about him, couldn’t get enough of him. I couldn’t wait to see which team got him first when he entered the NHL as the first overall draft pick in 1991 [Quebec Nordiques’].

I don’t know- I lost interest in him fast. Injuries are one thing but being a pussy is another and he started to remind me of Pavel Bure who I fucking hate and it was over. When they played together on the Rangers watching games would almost induce vomiting. My love for Lindros died faster than I could even say TODD BERTUZZI. I mean really, Lindros was not my first hockey crush and I KNEW he would not be the last.

Although with that said, Lindros is the only hockey player I have ever bought hockey cards of. I remember the day I bought them. I don’t remember what they cost though. It was when I lived in Smithers. [best Northern B.C. town EVER] I’m sure it must have been an impulse buy based solely on not being able to find something to buy with my allowance money burning a hole in my pocket. Fucking allowance money did that to me constantly.

I know pretty much nothing about hockey cards, these just sat in their little plastic covers hiding in boxes, popping up to say hi every now and then if I was going through the storage locker.

I like to dream big. And I won’t lie even though my love for Lindros fizzled fast, my dreams of grandeur that the cards would be worth MILLLLLLLLLLLLLIONS one day never faded. Sometimes it is sad how our dreams are dashed in an instant. And sometimes it hurts your stomach AND your cheeks laughing so fucking hard you almost pass out from lack of oxygen when you find out both cards combined are worth about thirty cents.

Fuck you Lindros.

I regress

The week before Christmas my Dad got thrown from a horse he was training for the neighbors. Upon landing my Dad found himself with four broken ribs. The hospital did not have a room for him; he spent three and a half days in emergency. NICE. I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy. Due to various other serious health issues already present they could not allow him to go home - not to mention living so far out in the bushes. Although I am very glad they kept him there I can’t imagine how insane of an experience the emergency room would have been for that many days.

YOU may be asking yourself - aren’t things with your family in the shitter?

Through two years of pain, tears, break downs, spazz outs, threats and hard work we are a bona fide family again. It took my father and me until last Thursday to spend close to four, if not more, hours talking out the past. [I arrived on the Saturday] My father and I are very stubborn but I think he finally understands where I’ve been coming from. I know there is a part of him that hates that it all happened the way it did, but I hate it too.
All that matters is that the three of us have been heard and that I feel that I can have an honest relationship with them, trust them and go back to sharing my life with them. We still disagree on things from the past and have different memories of how things were but we seem to be able to agree to disagree. And leave it at that.
I never wanted or asked my parents to change, I accept that they will still do some of the same shit that pisses me off to no end AND vice versa. but I realize this is family, and not everyone has the chance to work it out and keep it real. I am very thankful for that.
I did however want them to acknowledge my experience of what it was like growing up with them. I feel I have gotten that and even before I went up I had started to move on and look forward to the future.

I still plan on being brutally honest when writing about my past experiences and what it was like to grow up feeling as neglected as I felt, but I will not blame. And I also understand some things better now and am able to see them from a different perspective.
They still don’t change the ending.
They’ve learned, I’ve learned but there are still experiences and stories that for me need to be told. Would I have a therapist and a Category called ‘assholes’ and another one called ‘depression’ if there were none to be told. [I think not]

All of a sudden ABC was posting

I had this rad as shit post planned for my escape to the north and in escape I mean - FROM THE FUCKING RAIN - when my site went DOWN for like 24 hours. It sucked; I was scared and felt naked.
I also felt guilty because I KNEW I was not going to able to visit blogs up there, nor had I mentioned ABC4 was added as a PERMANENT user on gus greeper.

My ticket was booked within the week I was leaving — I have a post coming SOON on an appointment for something I HAD to make but was holding off making because I knew even though they had denied my immediate request to come and help out that they would eventually cave and fly me up.

By cave I mean:

• With this appointment I had to make - I’d been putting it off and they knew it
• I won’t even be looking for work IF I look at all until March
• I agreed with my father that with them so far out in the bush by choice my mother has to be able to handle all the chores that are required when you live in the sticks.
• It made sense to go help when he was beginning to feel better
• I knew my mom would need a break
• I knew we all needed to be together

My arrival I never thought I would ever hear these words come out of my mouth - but I actually said I was hockey’d out when I got off the plane and heard we were heading almost straight to a Prince George Cougars (WHL) game. The saving grace was seeing BRENT SUTTER [the coach for our World Juniors, he has won us the gold TWO years in a row] he got a standing ovation before they even officially announced him. Oddly, his WHL team is in last place. The Cougars ate his team for dinner and everyone was happy.

I don’t think I was actually ‘hockey�d out’ and I do feel it uncontrollably necessary to defend that insane and NOT AT ALL Canadian statement. [I’m lucky no one rushed me off to the hospital to ensure I hadn�’t seriously lost my mind to the point of no return - those words will never leave my mouth again I swear to the Gods of Hockey]
I had simply been SPOILED by the Juniors and watching the Canucks lose what felt like a million games in a row - - but see! it all came at once. Juniors on one channel, NHL on another, go to a live game, win the gold medal, get off the plane, go to another game, and see Brent Sutter in person. Could I BE anymore hard done by?

FYI:

When it comes to the WHL I do not follow it closely, I’m a self proclaimed bandwagon Cougars fan. I have been to one WHL game in Vancouver and The (vancouver) Giants actually played the Cougars. I cheered so loud I AM WITHOUT doubt LUCKY I didn’t get my ass kicked, any harder than I fear getting it kicked when I wear my Leafs Jersey to Canucks games.
The Cougars beat The Giants this did not help my case at all and I fled.

I saw two games while up there and the Cougars won both. [the parents have seasons tickets] There is NOT A DOUBT in my mind that I bring that team good luck. I expect to be hired on as some kind of goddess of the ice mascot extremely soon. If the offers DO NOT start pouring in I WILL cry. [the ugly cry]

The work

This is my favourite photo taken because:

• I have seriously HOT sun glasses on
• There is fresh snow to plough and I KNEW because of the first day I ploughed the driveway that I was going to have SO MUCH FUN
• AS IF I wore a hard hat but I thought it would make the photo cooler

Except for the photos of me cleaning my Dad’s fish tank where I got covered in fish shit and hated it, the photos and commentary presented by ABC4 in my absence covers the hardest of the work.

Some unexpected Drama

Mrs E.

oh what you thought she couldn’t get to me up north? SO DID I.

Mrs E. enters the apartment twice.
Adam explains to me over communication device that he has been leaving a special light on for Gus. On two separate days he came home and the light was OFF.

FUCKINGBITCHCUNTFACEWANTTOKILLHERDEADZOMEBIESHOULDEATHERBRAINS

Adam goes next door and tells her to STAY THE FUCK OUT. I call the building manager and politely but STERNLY say: “she enters again we are calling the police”.
He hopes it won’t come to that. We do too.
We were already being moved but now I just want out NOW.

FUCKINGBITCHCUNTFACEWANTTOKILLHERDEADZOMEBIESHOULDEATHERBRAINS

I arrived back in Vancouver and it was STILL raining. The first person I saw was Mrs. E but honestly I had too good of a time and was way too excited to see Gus after sleeping with fatso Bear for a week to really give a shit.

yesterday afternoon Canada played Russia for the World Juniors Gold. there was never a doubt. i mean it, as IF we were EVER going to lose on home ice. even if they had of allowed the goal clearly scored by Russia….we still kicked their asses pretty fucking hard.

i’m super glad that we decided to go to a game, we had a fantastic time. and i even let it slip that the experience almost made me feel guilty for voting NO on the Olympics we’ll be hosting in 2010.

i’ll never forget that. people in the office i worked in wouldn’t even talk to me. everyone assumed i would vote yes because at the time i was still an avid runner. i thought that was a dumb reason to assume i�d vote yes.
it was a complete joke, the fact that only Vancouver/Whistler residents could vote was fucking stupid. the Olympics will not just affect the city they will affect the whole Province.

BUT seeing as we are getting them i see no reason to get upset about it if for no other reason than the hockey. when we won the gold at the last Olympics it was pure pandemonium in the streets, i can’t even imagine how incredible it would be to experience winning the gold HERE. i know i know, lets take the gold in Italy first.

back to my montage. we saw Canada vs. Switzerland on Dec 28. awesome game, it was one of the only ones that Canada played other than the game against the States that was CLOSE, it was a little �on the edge of our seats� there for a while.

this is a random dude, he is so decked out. he rocks.


i get super emotional about sports and my favourite athletes, i cry all the time it is pretty lame, adam laughs at me and i get super mad, but here i am embracing it!


i seriosuly hope those people read the sign.





EYES ON THE GAME!!!!!!






take that Switzerland!! this photo also features Adam’s best friend Al, he just got new glasses too.