27.04.06
Posted in Canada, Sport at 8:43 pm by AB
Well it has arrived…
Playoff Hockey is gripping Canada, not so much here in Vancouver as the City’s team in the NHL the Canucks failed to make the playoffs. But that’s not important to me as the team i have grown to love over since i have arrived are through to the WHL Championships. The Vancouver Giants who play in the WHL are through to the 7 game final series.
As is the way with any North American Sport the finals are made up of several rounds of best of 7 games. I have been to all but three of the home games so far during the playoff series. It’s been a long road so far to get to this stage but now we are down to 7 or less games to decide the WHL Champions. The winner of the WHL then goes on to play against the winners from the Ontario Hockey League and the Quebec Major Junior League at the Memorial Cup to be named best junior team in Canada. Friday and Saturday i was watching the boys get it done in games 1 and 2 of the Semi Final Series.
Aaron and Art at the Giants
Game on…
Unfortunately I had to work both Tuesday and Today (Thursday) otherwise i would have been on the supporter bus to Everett to watch the Giants play in at least one of games 3 or four. Everett is about two hours south of Vancouver just above Seattle in Washington State, America. The series didn’t need to return to Vancouver for Game 5.
Anyway we now wait to see who makes the final from the other side of the draw, either Medicine Hat or Moose Jaw.
My other favourite hockey team the Five Point Warthogs (AKA the guys from work and their mates) who play in Division 17 of the “Adult Safe Hockey League” are on there own playoff run. The term Adult Safe Hockey League is used loosely as more seems to go on then in the NHL. They are always complaining about other teams . Recently two teams had a bench clearing brawl which resulted in suspensions and one team being told they wouldn’t be welcome back at the conclusion of the season. And this is Division 17 Adult “SAFE” Hockey League. Not bad for a competition where there is to be no checking. So a night out to watch them play usually ends in too many beers, especially when they win.
Aaron and Warthogs Assistant Captain Todd Jangula.
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15.04.06
Posted in Canada at 6:41 pm by AB
A few months ago i posted a story in which i basically accused Karl Heiden of selling me out by taking me down some of the harder slopes at Whistler, namely the proposed 2010 Olympic Womens Downhill Course. Well i wish to offer a late apology. Because i thought Karl had sold me out, that was until Early March when Adam “Panda” Leverette took me down this part of the mountain at Whistler.
Thanks Panda!!!! You Bastard…
However, i can’t be too critical of Panda as he introduced me to the wonderful world of Powder Skiing, and parts of the mountain that had not been skiied much early in the day allowing for some pretty sweet skiing, and the best day of the 10 i have gotten in so far this winter. (and i am still alive after taking on the Men’s Downhill, those guys are crazy!!!)
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07.04.06
Posted in Canada, Sport at 3:06 pm by AB
My moment has arrived… I have made the cut as a player on the Vancouver Cougars Player List.Vancouver Cougars Players
Looks like they borrowed my photo from Australia Day though.
Better turn up to training soon then.
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03.04.06
Posted in Canada at 10:16 pm by AB
I think i am developing a case of Swim Rage. For the last few weeks i have been trying to get in a few swims at one of two nearby pools. Of course the pool is divided up into lanes and the lanes are designated, slow, medium and fast. The last three times i have been swimming 5 lanes have been deisgnated for lap swimming. Two slow, two meduim and one fast.
I place myself in the fast lane, and try to go about my business. Now i think i may have been a little spoilt having swum in a squad for basically the last few years. The good thing about the squad is that everyone is doing the same thing at the same time and the lane works well. However here at the pool, everyone seems to think that they are Grant Hackett’s. Despite there being 2 meduim and 2 slow lanes, the fast lane seems to have the most traffic. I have no problem with a little traffic, as long as it’s moving at a constant and similar speed to me. But here is where i seem to run in to trouble and get frustrated. And here are the reasons why…
1) The fast lane IS NOT for Breaststroke. No one swimming laps in the public session is an Olympic Calibre breaststroker; so keep it in the slow lane.
2) The fast lane IS NOT for kick board drills. You are not moving fast!!!
3) How about waiting 2 seconds to see if the swimmer approaching the wall is about to turn, rather than pushing off in front of them. Unlike you, some of us are doing more than 50m repeats.
4) But most of all; come on people, be realistic about your swim speed.
I can’t wait to return to the squad where everything works, and most of all where we swim down the left hand side of the lane!!!
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02.04.06
Posted in Canada at 8:28 pm by AB
Daylight Savings that is!!! It’s finally arrived and after putting up with darkness at 4pm in the depths of winter the longer evening that we have just enjoyed has already just about made up for all those early nights. It’s still not overly warm but at least the days are longer, and the promise of the summer is not far away. Plus they have it all worked out up here, 7 months of savings, not the sparce 5 months we have back in Australia.
I am looking forward to being able to do some rides with some of the boys from the store after closing time. Nothing beats the evening ride. Game on!
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