Making It Up As I Go Along #450

Weekends… to Extend or Not to Extend
Friday Night out. It’s been a while since I’ve been out and about on a Friday night. This time with Melissa.

Pick her up and work and off to supper. Meat pie, fried Mars bars, plunked down at a table partially divided from another pair. It’s one of these where there is a wall put in between the two of us at floor to table top levels. And then there’s a frame above that, where a wall could continue. But there the guys are within three feet of us.

Actually, with the frame, it almost appears as if we’re eating next to a mirror. But instead of our reflections, there are the forms of two skinny French guys… It’s as if Melissa and I have taken on new personas… or perhaps we’ve always been skinny French men, and have simply lived with the delusions of Anglo baldness… or, in Melissa’s case, Anglo womanhood.

From supper we transform back into our more accustomed selves and drive over to the 67’s hockey game. This is the first OHL game I’ve been to since moving to Ottawa almost eight years ago… and second one I’ve ever been to.

Two things that stand out to me right away. (1) Ottawa is an odd city in which the Major Junior hockey team is considerably cooler in style and persona than the NHL franchise. And (2) An old, unique hockey stadium within the heart of the city is exponentially better than a massive cookie cutter model in the middle of nowhere.

The stadium is tucked under the old football stands of Frank Claire Stadium. As such, the stands on one end of the building are cut off by the overhang of football history. On this side, there are only about a dozen rows of seats from the ice surface to the top. But on the other side of the ice, our stands climb high above with probably a good fifty rows from the ice to the top.

The lack of symmetry makes for interesting lines. Some corporate boxes tuck into corners of the building and even when the action on the ice stops, there’s something interesting to look at.

And outside of the bowl, where the outer halls are alive with wandering people, the entire outer wall is built of glass. Allowing you to look out into the wintery night.

Down at the end of the outer lobby, a live band plays Neil Young music during the second intermission. The NHL Senators could only dream of such coolness.

After checking out some merchandise… seeing the hockey card stands and passing up the mini donuts due to our continued fullness of the pre-game meal, we return to the game for the third period.

My only complaint about the 67’s games is the cheerleaders. I’m all for cute girls within my field of view. But there’s something simply wrong about teenage girls dressed in tight fitting clothes and wiggling to the music between puck drops. This does no good to anybody at the game. The girls aren’t doing anything to motivate fans to cheer louder. They’re in the way and bordering on exploitation.

And really, the only reason cheerleaders are ever needed in any sporting event is if the sport itself can’t hold the attention. Hockey is a fast paced game… cheerleaders are distractions, nothing more. It’s never a good idea for them to be at a hockey game.

That said, the night at the game is good fun. The 67’s win 7-4. Action is much more end to end than in the stifling defensive systems of the NHL. And the departure is not nearly as painful as the stand still lines of cars of the NHL games.

After hockey, we head to the Blackburn Arms pub and meet up with Larry and Terry. Larry’s birthday is being celebrated with some drinks and the four of us sit in a booth, discussing music and work. Cajun style French fries come out… the pros and cons of malt vinegar are discussed and I drive everyone home shortly after midnight.

And so I sit on a Saturday afternoon. Contemplating taking time off work on Sunday and Monday… adding two days to my weekend and shortening my work week to two as well. With Wild Horses playing in the background and a winter white sky which blends perfectly with the snow covered roofs of the neighbouring houses.

A nice and relaxing Saturday following an enjoyable Friday evening. Who wouldn’t want to extend such weekends?


SATURDAY…
--- Work is pretty quiet most of the day and I’m alone. It seems both my partners are now sick… oh dear.

SUNDAY…
--- Alone again at work. Another slowish day. No ball for me as work and the ball schedule collide. Ah well, good for the hip.
--- Some TV and hockey pool stuff after work. Fairly easy going day.

MONDAY…
--- Work nights alone. Kept pretty busy until late but nothing too out of control.

TUESDAY…
--- Quiet around the house before night shift. Got Mark with me tonight at work… so the loneliness is over.

WEDNESDAY…
--- Some easing into the day then off to meet Laura and Janice for a drink and bite to eat. Good catching up with Laura. And longest I’ve spoken to Janice is months too.
--- Some TV in the evening.

THURSDAY…
--- Home day. All my writing is now moved to the Mac from the old laptop. And backed up on my external drive. Took a bit of time as I had hundreds of files saved in WordPerfect… and Mac won’t read it. So saved to Word on the old laptop and then shared folders and saved in new spaces… and voila, All done.

FRIDAY…
--- Get Melissa after she’s done work. Go for supper and then some junior hockey. The 67s beat Barrie 7-4 in a fun game. The cool hockey team in Ottawa isn’t the NHL team… it’s the junior one. A unique and classic name… cool old building in the heart of the city… classy uniforms… a live band in the lobby during intermissions. After hockey we meet Larry and Terry for some drinks at the Blackburn Arms. A nice night.