Imagine My Surprise

Yes, it's happened.

After 43 years, I can actually stand up and say it, as the proud Canadian that I am:

I like hockey.

(And the crowd gasped.) (Do you need to sit down? Cold drink?)

Yeah, I said it.

I went to my first ever professional hockey game today and...it was...fun.

We had a fancy shmancy box seat, avec sandwiches et assorted treats, but the food wasn't what sold me.

The players were.

Man, they look so awesome gliding along the ice, managing the puck, and each other. And the crowd's oohs and aahs? It's actually fun to cheer with other people.

Where have I been? Oh right, Canada, land of no cheerleaders.

The only other hockey game I ever saw, back in college, as I may have mentioned here way back when, involved massive fighting and copious amounts of blood. I had turned my back on the sport thenceforward.

But today, I am a changed woman.

Seeing as I can't even stand up on skates, I find people who can manoeuvre a puck, a stick and massive amounts of molded plastic, quite impressive.

No, I don't like the fighting. But I can see why people go gaga over this sport. It's fun.

But to watch. From a nice box with a great view.

The only job I could handle would be driving the zamboni. And even that is probably beyond my skill set, eh.