Celebrations on Ice

"Hockey captures the essence of Canadian experience in the New World. In a land so inescapably and inhospitably cold, hockey is the chance of life, and an affirmation that despite the deathly chill of winter we are alive." - Stephen Leacock

My workweek wrapped up yesterday with a level of fatigue I haven't experienced in a long time. There must be something in the air because I've been nursing clients through one crisis after another all week. Merv and I were scheduled to attend a Raptors game as part of a business function last night. We were buried in our first significant snow of the year and I was scheduled for an all afternoon board meeting at the Clinic preceded by lunch with my friend Judy. I planned to take the subway to the Clinic so I could proceed by TTC to meet Merv and we wouldn't have two cars downtown. My original intention was to do a little work and meet Judy at noon. But three crisis calls from clients derailed my plans. Noon became one o'clock. One o'clock became two-fifteen. Judy ordered sandwiches and I ended up eating mine while we were in our Clinic board meeting.

My blackberry buzzed wildly all afternoon and by the time we wrapped up our meeting at five o'clock, I was already frazzled and exhausted. Originally I wasn't supposed to accompany Merv to the Raptors game. The hosting company had organized the evening as a "Take Your Kids to the Game" event. Merv did advise he would go alone as Jacob is back at school but the company sent Merv two tickets by mistake. When he called them they suggested he bring me along. I didn't know until just before we got there that this would be a primarily kid based event. The truth is, the Raptors game was the last place I wanted to be. I longed to go home, put on my pajamas and watch the women's Olympic curling match and the men's semi-final hockey game. Alas, I put my best face on and went to the game. We sat in the gondola box, right in the rafters of the ACC, where at least I could watch the women's curling match on the box TV, albeit without the sound.

Seated behind us in the box was a rather enthusiastic boy, about ten years old, who had decided that his primary objective of the night was to scream as loudly as possible, without ceasing. My already jangled nerves were hanging by a thread. The noise and hype in the ACC were painful. The Raptors played badly and when the game went into overtime, I just wanted to cry. I had more than enough of the players, more than enough of the semi-clad women who are billed as the Raptors' Dance Team and more than enough of the screaming child behind me.

I was thinking throughout the evening about the difference between what I was seeing on the basketball court and what I was seeing on the small TV in the box. The juxtaposition of a bunch of over-hyped, over-paid basketball players against four women who played a curling match for the joy of the game and the honour of their country was incredible. The Raptors lost the basketball game and the Canadian women lost the curling match though they still earned the silver medal. The curlers also lost in overtime but ended their match with gracious smiles and good sportsmanship. No million dollar contracts, no semi-clad dancers - just grace and honour. A performance to make us all proud.

The men did win the semi-final hockey game so tomorrow they will go head-to-head with the U.S. for gold. By the end of the evening the men's speed skating team had also earned two golds and one bronze medal. When we got home, I tucked into bed and stayed awake long enough to watch the medal ceremonies at the speed skating track.

Tomorrow Merv and I are Aruba bound. As our flight leaves at 6:20 A.M., we've booked a room in the airport Sheraton so we can avoid the morning drive. It is unlikely we will be settled in Aruba in time to watch the men's hockey game tomorrow night but we should see the closing ceremonies. The only ice we will be near though, will be crushed and in my margarita.

Have a wonderful week.