Monday, April 19, 2004
A minute and a bit left in the Third. Calgary leads 2-1 after a beautiful pair of goals by Iginla. The tension in the audience and across both Vancouver and Calgary is real, and powerful at that. This is the seventh game of the first series Calgary has played in years.
But tragedy strikes the young Flames. A penalty comes with enough time left for Vancouver to pull their goalie and have a solid minute and a bit of 6 v 4 action. Calgary holds its breath, praying for the win they so desperately need. They just need to hold out. Outnumbered and outgunned, it was only a matter of time before Vancouver scored. But the question was, would that time be under a minute?
A brief glimmer of hope comes with a penalty is called on Jovanovsky, and the advantage the Canucks wield is reduced by one. But still, even the normally cool and collected Kipprusoff was visibly stressed.
But tragedy is a force that never works alone. It comes in threes. With 20 seconds left, Iginla manages to fly down the ice to an open net. But the shot hits the bar, and the puck skips away to Vancouver. As Iginla struggles to return to the other side of the rink, his hockey stick is slashed from his hands and he is cast to the ground, and no penalty is claled as the referee tends to a stray jersey on the rink. With Iginla down and out, Vancouver has the puck and a 5 on 3 advantage for the final seconds of the game.
Misfortune rears the final, and ugliest, of it's three heads. Matt Cooke scores on an overwhelmed Kiprusoff with under 6 seconds left in the third. And with that, the Flames and the Canucks head to the most important overtime they've played this year.
Calgary was angry. We not only suffered from a poor bout of luck, but as well from a missed penalty. In the electrified 20 minutes between 3rd period and 1st overtime, I discussed this horrible twist of fate with the masses.
*********************************************************************
-First breath after a coma RIP says:
this is a nightmare
-When in doubt, whip it out says:
being molested by micheal jackson is a nightmare
-When in doubt, whip it out says:
THIS SUCKS!!
*********************************************************************
-zak-I would introduce myself, but truth to tell, I do not have a name. You can call me "V". says:
i knew they'd choke
-First breath after a coma RIP says:
fuck you
-First breath after a coma RIP says:
go back to your land of crappy teams crappy people and crappy air
*********************************************************************
-mike. keep it going flames!! says:
5.7 seconds left
-mike. keep it going flames!! says:
... FUCK
-First breath after a coma RIP says:
fuck
-First breath after a coma RIP says:
jesus
-mike. keep it going flames!! says:
christ
-mike. keep it going flames!! says:
its all cause that fucking fan threw that shirt on the ice. the ref was picking it up and didnt see iginla get slashed
*********************************************************************
So after a nerve-wracking 20 minutes, Calgary came back to the game with a minute or so left of powerplay.
Calgary is notoriously poor with powerplays. Regardless of how much love you profess to them, it is a simple fact that the mastery of the powerplay is something that generally eludes them.
However, Lady Luck smiled on our boys that night, and they did us proud. Still reeling from Saturday night's horrific 3rd Overtime loss, I had not expected this overtime to amount to anything. However, 1:25 into the game, the newly deified Martin Gelinas answers the dreams and prayers that every Flames fan has had for years. He gently, but majestically, launches the puck between the legs of Auld, and seals this series for Calgary.
Martin Gelinas' daughter's birthday is today, and I know of no better present to give her than this series-ending shot.
I can hear sirens and honking outside. The city is alight with Flames fever. It was an insane series, with shattering wins and dramatic losses. But now, relief comes to this prairie town, and it's been a long time coming.
But tragedy strikes the young Flames. A penalty comes with enough time left for Vancouver to pull their goalie and have a solid minute and a bit of 6 v 4 action. Calgary holds its breath, praying for the win they so desperately need. They just need to hold out. Outnumbered and outgunned, it was only a matter of time before Vancouver scored. But the question was, would that time be under a minute?
A brief glimmer of hope comes with a penalty is called on Jovanovsky, and the advantage the Canucks wield is reduced by one. But still, even the normally cool and collected Kipprusoff was visibly stressed.
But tragedy is a force that never works alone. It comes in threes. With 20 seconds left, Iginla manages to fly down the ice to an open net. But the shot hits the bar, and the puck skips away to Vancouver. As Iginla struggles to return to the other side of the rink, his hockey stick is slashed from his hands and he is cast to the ground, and no penalty is claled as the referee tends to a stray jersey on the rink. With Iginla down and out, Vancouver has the puck and a 5 on 3 advantage for the final seconds of the game.
Misfortune rears the final, and ugliest, of it's three heads. Matt Cooke scores on an overwhelmed Kiprusoff with under 6 seconds left in the third. And with that, the Flames and the Canucks head to the most important overtime they've played this year.
Calgary was angry. We not only suffered from a poor bout of luck, but as well from a missed penalty. In the electrified 20 minutes between 3rd period and 1st overtime, I discussed this horrible twist of fate with the masses.
*********************************************************************
-First breath after a coma RIP says:
this is a nightmare
-When in doubt, whip it out says:
being molested by micheal jackson is a nightmare
-When in doubt, whip it out says:
THIS SUCKS!!
*********************************************************************
-zak-I would introduce myself, but truth to tell, I do not have a name. You can call me "V". says:
i knew they'd choke
-First breath after a coma RIP says:
fuck you
-First breath after a coma RIP says:
go back to your land of crappy teams crappy people and crappy air
*********************************************************************
-mike. keep it going flames!! says:
5.7 seconds left
-mike. keep it going flames!! says:
... FUCK
-First breath after a coma RIP says:
fuck
-First breath after a coma RIP says:
jesus
-mike. keep it going flames!! says:
christ
-mike. keep it going flames!! says:
its all cause that fucking fan threw that shirt on the ice. the ref was picking it up and didnt see iginla get slashed
*********************************************************************
So after a nerve-wracking 20 minutes, Calgary came back to the game with a minute or so left of powerplay.
Calgary is notoriously poor with powerplays. Regardless of how much love you profess to them, it is a simple fact that the mastery of the powerplay is something that generally eludes them.
However, Lady Luck smiled on our boys that night, and they did us proud. Still reeling from Saturday night's horrific 3rd Overtime loss, I had not expected this overtime to amount to anything. However, 1:25 into the game, the newly deified Martin Gelinas answers the dreams and prayers that every Flames fan has had for years. He gently, but majestically, launches the puck between the legs of Auld, and seals this series for Calgary.
Martin Gelinas' daughter's birthday is today, and I know of no better present to give her than this series-ending shot.
I can hear sirens and honking outside. The city is alight with Flames fever. It was an insane series, with shattering wins and dramatic losses. But now, relief comes to this prairie town, and it's been a long time coming.
Sunday, April 18, 2004
Well I never.
So in typical Miller-fashion, Miller felled me and gave me a form of whiplash.
Now, when you get whiplash, it in itself is bad luck. You have restricted movement for five days or so and may have to do physio. I'm really not a fan of restricted movement, and I'm impatient when it comes to injuries. The six or so days of pain after my wisdom teeth were removed is a testament to how low my pain tolerance and pain patience are. I get frustrated with pain easily, and I get panicky about it as well. So when I found out just how bad this neck injury would be, I was so pissed.
Then I took some Tylenol 3 with Codine, and I was splendid.
However, emotions, especially those that are drug-induced, are fleeting. I missed out on what I've been told was the wildest funnest party our grade has yet had that night.
And then, to add insult to injury (pun intended) I had to go do this Law Day mock trial tournament. While it could be said that I had an already difficult witness to play in this trial, I compounded the difficulty by taking the stand on a serious Tylenol 3 trip. I forgot my name, incorrectly identified evidence, and admitted to not knowing that CPR on an unconscious person could result in death.
So I went home, cranky about that, and slept away the afternoon. I woke up grumpy, then Kev and I went to John's to watch the hockey game with Faaria, Morgan, and Kate. It was a good hussle, good group of people and
We watched the first period then Kevin and I rolled to Conrad's to watch the rest.
Now, the game was pretty intense, and ulitmately disappointing. At first, Vancouver had us by 4 goals. I said something to the effect of, "Let's go to Hooters we've lost already." Then, simply because I said it, Calgary scores four magical goals and pulls the game into Overtime.
First Overtime, we outplayed the Canucks. But to no avail. Then again in the second, we outplayed them, but to no avail.
And in the Third Overtime, the final act of our tragedy, a tired and enitrely spent Flames team succumbs to the powers of fate that called for a Seventh game.
So tomorrow the final game will begin. In Vancouver, which is bad. And the pressure will be on, which is bad. It will be a tense moment for all of Calgary.
It may be a surprise, but since these playoffs started my hockey knowledge and interest has grown exponentially. Each game, I can pick up more and more. I know what icing is, and its not as tasty as I previously thought. I can see plays and they make sense, I understand what needs to be done each game and I can see when it's not happening.
However, I was reading the side of my bottle of pills today and I noticed that under side effects, it said "May cause drowsiness, nausea, dry mouth, and sudden inexplicable sport love. Symptoms last until your team wins the cup or gets beaten like a red-headed stepchild. May also cause hallucinations and a bad sense of humour."
I'm here til Thursday, try the veal.
So in typical Miller-fashion, Miller felled me and gave me a form of whiplash.
Now, when you get whiplash, it in itself is bad luck. You have restricted movement for five days or so and may have to do physio. I'm really not a fan of restricted movement, and I'm impatient when it comes to injuries. The six or so days of pain after my wisdom teeth were removed is a testament to how low my pain tolerance and pain patience are. I get frustrated with pain easily, and I get panicky about it as well. So when I found out just how bad this neck injury would be, I was so pissed.
Then I took some Tylenol 3 with Codine, and I was splendid.
However, emotions, especially those that are drug-induced, are fleeting. I missed out on what I've been told was the wildest funnest party our grade has yet had that night.
And then, to add insult to injury (pun intended) I had to go do this Law Day mock trial tournament. While it could be said that I had an already difficult witness to play in this trial, I compounded the difficulty by taking the stand on a serious Tylenol 3 trip. I forgot my name, incorrectly identified evidence, and admitted to not knowing that CPR on an unconscious person could result in death.
So I went home, cranky about that, and slept away the afternoon. I woke up grumpy, then Kev and I went to John's to watch the hockey game with Faaria, Morgan, and Kate. It was a good hussle, good group of people and
We watched the first period then Kevin and I rolled to Conrad's to watch the rest.
Now, the game was pretty intense, and ulitmately disappointing. At first, Vancouver had us by 4 goals. I said something to the effect of, "Let's go to Hooters we've lost already." Then, simply because I said it, Calgary scores four magical goals and pulls the game into Overtime.
First Overtime, we outplayed the Canucks. But to no avail. Then again in the second, we outplayed them, but to no avail.
And in the Third Overtime, the final act of our tragedy, a tired and enitrely spent Flames team succumbs to the powers of fate that called for a Seventh game.
So tomorrow the final game will begin. In Vancouver, which is bad. And the pressure will be on, which is bad. It will be a tense moment for all of Calgary.
It may be a surprise, but since these playoffs started my hockey knowledge and interest has grown exponentially. Each game, I can pick up more and more. I know what icing is, and its not as tasty as I previously thought. I can see plays and they make sense, I understand what needs to be done each game and I can see when it's not happening.
However, I was reading the side of my bottle of pills today and I noticed that under side effects, it said "May cause drowsiness, nausea, dry mouth, and sudden inexplicable sport love. Symptoms last until your team wins the cup or gets beaten like a red-headed stepchild. May also cause hallucinations and a bad sense of humour."
I'm here til Thursday, try the veal.
Monday, April 12, 2004
So the final stretch of grade 11 is upon us.
This is a fabled time in every grade. When I think of past grades, April-June is usually pretty sweet. Except for tests. But there's just something to be said about going to school, and it's bright out. And at lunch, going outside, cause it's nice out. Maybe play a little wallball, maybe just hang out. And then, you come home and it's still bright and still nice. And really, when it's nice outside, it's nice inside. It's nice everywhere.
Of course there are many naysayers, who would argue that this is the most stressful length of school. FINALS, they would yell. PROJECTS, they would exclaim. Well, I think they need to think about all the good stuff happening at school, alongside all this work and studying.
1. Mini-mall. Sweet statutory, mini-mall is awesome. For two dollars you can buy 10 dollars worth of crappy stuff. When you should be in class. I'll let that sink in. When. You. Should. Be. In. Class. Those six words are enough for me.
2. Extracurricular stuff is slowing down. Well, I think I'm a minority when I say this pleases me, but what it means is that people have their lunch hours and afterschools freed up. They also sleep more. Free time and sleep are two things many people don't fully appreciate. I myself am a connoisseur of sleep and being lazy, but there are those out there who need to be forced into enjoying their afternoons and lunches. And when they really don't have a lot else to do, time is on their side. So people are happier.
3. Aftergrad. I don't know a lot about aftergrad, but I've been told it's madness. And, we get to go this year. From secondhand accounts and ancient runes I've decoded around the school, it's a whole night of drinking in a field. Then you sleep there. And there are lots and lots of people there.
4. Outdoor classes. I pity the foolish teachers who allow us to have these things, but not actually. Generally an English class type event, but I can see it creeping into French or maybe even Spanish this year. What gets done in an outdoor class you might ask? Well, I might tell you that nothing gets done. You just enjoy the beginnings of yet another beautiful summer.
5. When you stop learning in class. For about two weeks, leading up to Finals, most classes stop learning. And they start reviewing. Now the beauty of this is threefold. The first is that all the projects and essays and papers and the junk you never do until the night before stop coming. In their place, are worksheets. Simple, beautiful worksheets. Many times, worksheets you've already done, and wisely kept tucked away in the back of you binder. So work is minimal, because worksheets are, well, maximal. Secondly, learning stops and reviewing commences, and reviewing is half the trouble learning is, if not less. All because you're getting ready for tests, which you won't even study for until the night before. And third, if you manage to exempt a test, the rest of your class will have to keep on reviewing, while you play Nerd Wars on your calculator.
6. It's uncommon for me to say this, but when spring break ends, Phys Ed generally gets much more interesting. Last year the main unit was tennis, and that was a hell of a lot of fun. This year, we do some swimming and kayaking, then we do rollerblading or something wacky like that.
7. My brother is back from university. Which means theres someone here who has good music, and drives, and has interesting books to read or things to say. His presence is always a plus. I'm sure most would agree that the return of a university level sibling makes life around the house much more interesting, and fun.
So join me in celebrating this magical time in evey Strathie's life, which I will now refer to as The Countdown to Jailbreak (if you hate the name let me know, it's not set in stone.)
This is a fabled time in every grade. When I think of past grades, April-June is usually pretty sweet. Except for tests. But there's just something to be said about going to school, and it's bright out. And at lunch, going outside, cause it's nice out. Maybe play a little wallball, maybe just hang out. And then, you come home and it's still bright and still nice. And really, when it's nice outside, it's nice inside. It's nice everywhere.
Of course there are many naysayers, who would argue that this is the most stressful length of school. FINALS, they would yell. PROJECTS, they would exclaim. Well, I think they need to think about all the good stuff happening at school, alongside all this work and studying.
1. Mini-mall. Sweet statutory, mini-mall is awesome. For two dollars you can buy 10 dollars worth of crappy stuff. When you should be in class. I'll let that sink in. When. You. Should. Be. In. Class. Those six words are enough for me.
2. Extracurricular stuff is slowing down. Well, I think I'm a minority when I say this pleases me, but what it means is that people have their lunch hours and afterschools freed up. They also sleep more. Free time and sleep are two things many people don't fully appreciate. I myself am a connoisseur of sleep and being lazy, but there are those out there who need to be forced into enjoying their afternoons and lunches. And when they really don't have a lot else to do, time is on their side. So people are happier.
3. Aftergrad. I don't know a lot about aftergrad, but I've been told it's madness. And, we get to go this year. From secondhand accounts and ancient runes I've decoded around the school, it's a whole night of drinking in a field. Then you sleep there. And there are lots and lots of people there.
4. Outdoor classes. I pity the foolish teachers who allow us to have these things, but not actually. Generally an English class type event, but I can see it creeping into French or maybe even Spanish this year. What gets done in an outdoor class you might ask? Well, I might tell you that nothing gets done. You just enjoy the beginnings of yet another beautiful summer.
5. When you stop learning in class. For about two weeks, leading up to Finals, most classes stop learning. And they start reviewing. Now the beauty of this is threefold. The first is that all the projects and essays and papers and the junk you never do until the night before stop coming. In their place, are worksheets. Simple, beautiful worksheets. Many times, worksheets you've already done, and wisely kept tucked away in the back of you binder. So work is minimal, because worksheets are, well, maximal. Secondly, learning stops and reviewing commences, and reviewing is half the trouble learning is, if not less. All because you're getting ready for tests, which you won't even study for until the night before. And third, if you manage to exempt a test, the rest of your class will have to keep on reviewing, while you play Nerd Wars on your calculator.
6. It's uncommon for me to say this, but when spring break ends, Phys Ed generally gets much more interesting. Last year the main unit was tennis, and that was a hell of a lot of fun. This year, we do some swimming and kayaking, then we do rollerblading or something wacky like that.
7. My brother is back from university. Which means theres someone here who has good music, and drives, and has interesting books to read or things to say. His presence is always a plus. I'm sure most would agree that the return of a university level sibling makes life around the house much more interesting, and fun.
So join me in celebrating this magical time in evey Strathie's life, which I will now refer to as The Countdown to Jailbreak (if you hate the name let me know, it's not set in stone.)
Monday, April 05, 2004
It's sad to think how school looms just around the corner.
But when you think about it realistically, this whole spring break thing is only two weeks long, and two weeks is not that long. And then if you think about it some more, there's only 9-10 weeks more until school is done. Then summer is here. Then if you think some more, summer is over so fast and already we're grade 12s. And summer rolls into fall into winter into spring back into summer, and just like that we're off to university. And just a short ten years later, we'll probably be getting jobs, jobs we don't even enjoy. Then we'll get married, have kids, and send those kids to school. And then they'll leave, and we'll retire, and they'll have kids of their own. And then, when our grandchildren are in grade 11, they'll tell us how pissed off they are that they only have a week left of school.
And all that is going to happen so soon!
But when you think about it realistically, this whole spring break thing is only two weeks long, and two weeks is not that long. And then if you think about it some more, there's only 9-10 weeks more until school is done. Then summer is here. Then if you think some more, summer is over so fast and already we're grade 12s. And summer rolls into fall into winter into spring back into summer, and just like that we're off to university. And just a short ten years later, we'll probably be getting jobs, jobs we don't even enjoy. Then we'll get married, have kids, and send those kids to school. And then they'll leave, and we'll retire, and they'll have kids of their own. And then, when our grandchildren are in grade 11, they'll tell us how pissed off they are that they only have a week left of school.
And all that is going to happen so soon!
Friday, April 02, 2004
I woke up at 1 today. That's about six hours later than when I've been waking up for the past week. It was nothing short of godly.
University tour was a blast. But there is a misconception about U-tour, that we all had, that you would be out every night drinking, partying, and piercing yourself. First off, every night you come back to the hotel, and you're completely exhausted. You simply do not have the energy to work at getting to a bar or anything. Secondly, there are really only three places, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal, where you could go anywhere worth it. All the other stops were in the boonies of small towns in Ontario. And really, our staying in the heart of Montreal was a fluke, and you touch down in Toronto at about 11:30. Thirdly, when do you have the time? In total, over six and a half days of travelling, we got about 12-13 hours of free time, and the majority of it was in Ottawa and Montreal.
As well, our grade is a special case in terms of circumstances for this trip. We were all struggling through yet another death at our school, and we really just needed to sit around and be a group. So, to sum it up, there wasn't alot of extreme SPRING BREAK type stuff, but it was awesome nonetheless.
Why was it awesome you ask? Well, I could make a long list of why, citing numerous jokes and random occurences, but just check Jeff's blog and he'll have a much better list than I. There was a great group of people on the trip, which is always a good start. It was like the Quebec trip in Grade 8 in that you could make or strengthen a friendship you really didn't have time for back in Calgary. You have lots of good talks, but you also have lots of great times and great stories to remember later on. It was also a different mindset for a lot of people. We weren't really being smothered by the present, because we were on this trip looking at the future. Basically as soon as we showed up at the airpot last Friday, we dropped everything and entered this little universe. I hadn't really thought about Calgary at all until we got home last night.
So we were all in our own little world, known as the bus we took all over Ontario. And then the hotels we stayed at, which were almost always forgettable. And the food we ate, which was subpar the majority of the time. But somehow everything like that was just background noise, present but not really a problem. The only thing that was there all the time was Megan.
It was really sad that we could go so far as to say that we were experienced in grieving. We all knew the drill, and we all knew what to expect. I just find that fairly depressing in itself. It's also depressing that we were all beginning to put this whole nightmare avalanche behind us, when this happens. But the trip was good, because we took time to remember her while still working on looking to the future.
So all in all, the trip was a smash hit. I bought a lot of good music, got to see some family members, hung out a lot, and looked into some universities (I won't lie to you, a lot of the tours were jokes). I give it 10/10.
University tour was a blast. But there is a misconception about U-tour, that we all had, that you would be out every night drinking, partying, and piercing yourself. First off, every night you come back to the hotel, and you're completely exhausted. You simply do not have the energy to work at getting to a bar or anything. Secondly, there are really only three places, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal, where you could go anywhere worth it. All the other stops were in the boonies of small towns in Ontario. And really, our staying in the heart of Montreal was a fluke, and you touch down in Toronto at about 11:30. Thirdly, when do you have the time? In total, over six and a half days of travelling, we got about 12-13 hours of free time, and the majority of it was in Ottawa and Montreal.
As well, our grade is a special case in terms of circumstances for this trip. We were all struggling through yet another death at our school, and we really just needed to sit around and be a group. So, to sum it up, there wasn't alot of extreme SPRING BREAK type stuff, but it was awesome nonetheless.
Why was it awesome you ask? Well, I could make a long list of why, citing numerous jokes and random occurences, but just check Jeff's blog and he'll have a much better list than I. There was a great group of people on the trip, which is always a good start. It was like the Quebec trip in Grade 8 in that you could make or strengthen a friendship you really didn't have time for back in Calgary. You have lots of good talks, but you also have lots of great times and great stories to remember later on. It was also a different mindset for a lot of people. We weren't really being smothered by the present, because we were on this trip looking at the future. Basically as soon as we showed up at the airpot last Friday, we dropped everything and entered this little universe. I hadn't really thought about Calgary at all until we got home last night.
So we were all in our own little world, known as the bus we took all over Ontario. And then the hotels we stayed at, which were almost always forgettable. And the food we ate, which was subpar the majority of the time. But somehow everything like that was just background noise, present but not really a problem. The only thing that was there all the time was Megan.
It was really sad that we could go so far as to say that we were experienced in grieving. We all knew the drill, and we all knew what to expect. I just find that fairly depressing in itself. It's also depressing that we were all beginning to put this whole nightmare avalanche behind us, when this happens. But the trip was good, because we took time to remember her while still working on looking to the future.
So all in all, the trip was a smash hit. I bought a lot of good music, got to see some family members, hung out a lot, and looked into some universities (I won't lie to you, a lot of the tours were jokes). I give it 10/10.
Thursday, March 25, 2004
Rest In Peace Megan. I hope that wherever you are, you're happy.
Sunday, March 21, 2004
"O God! O God! How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable seem to me all the uses of this world!" - Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
