ice hockey!!!!

ok, brekky over, ray's delighted in getting me to help take blade for a walk round the block - he just wanted to see the aussie freeze - bright sunny morning but -9 degrees!!!!!

so, back to the ice hockey report. well, obviously there was the traffic - but with the stadium outside the main part of town the traffic jam wasn't as noticeable as in brisbane - but still sitting in traffic is not pleasant for anyone.

then we went inside to wait for ray's mate - alex - who was going to join us. the instructions for finding him? well, he's a harley rider with the ponytail and the moustache.......do you KNOW how many people fit that description????????

but we met up with alex, then dashed into the gear shop so i could do the touristy thing and buy the t-shirt - which of course has ended up being a replica jersey -even better. but it was the quickest in-buy-out i've ever done before!

then the race up the stairs to find our seats. great seats - up high but not so high as to get a nose-bleed and with a superb view of the rink itself. we missed the first goal (darn tourists needing to buy souvenirs!), but it was ottawa in the lead 1-0.

naturally, i couldn't understand a thing - which was a real laugh for ray and alex who typically both knew the sport well. and despite their attempts, i still don't know much more - except for the concept of a power play - where a player gets sent off for a penalty leaving one team at least one player more on the rink than the other team. a great chance for scoring apparently (but not last night). and that the game is played in three periods with a twenty minute break between periods - enough time to go get what i have realised is a staple food - timmy's coffee (and a double double with cream is i gather a white coffee with two sugars).

speaking of timmy's - they have this competition where you have to roll up the lip of the cup and see if you've won the car. well, i haven't won a car (ray and i had schemed how that would be sold and the money invested to pay for my next trip to canada) but i did win two coffees - so the next cup is on me......

unfortunately boston defeated ottawa 3 - 2 (ray managed to miss both ottawa goals - i'll let him tell the story if he wants to). and so back outside for the traffic jam.

and of course, a chance to meet alex's bike......and sit on it.........great feeling getting back on a bike after only what? a week and a bit?????

and so to bed. what a great day it was. it will be a shame to leave ottawa, ray and lily. but don't worry - in the words of some great american actor/governor - i'll be back.................