Friday, June 30, 2006

Memories

The Present is defined by the Past,
the Present defines the future.
Enjoy the Present as it soon becomes the Past.

I write that today for obvious reasons. Right now my mind is flying back 5 years to the day my dad died. As I write this and it hasn't got to the hard part for me, I'm already crying, I'm already wanting to stop. I haven't got near to the end yet.

Dad and I may never have had a really close relationship, but that was to be expected I guess. I was the second child, I wasn't the first born, the one with all the love. As I grew up, things got quite fracious, but never really boiled over. We both deep down loved one another, but neither of us would ever say it to each other. The night before he died, I'd lost a good friend in an arguement, which was something or nothing, I'd told a friend from school that I felt dad was very ill and he wouldn't be around much longer, and what I hadn't realised was I'd spoken to another friend for the last time.

The above took place on a Friday like today, and I was still sort of reeling from losing 1 friend, I was unaware of the second friend and as for my comment about dad, I didn't expect it to haunt me so soon. I can see it clearly as if it was yesterday. My finacial stability was poorer then than now. I had little money and debts building up. I woke up in the morning with no gas in the flat (different to the one right now), so had no heat, or hot water etc. I could only cook using a toasted sandwich maker, which was fine for toast. I'd made toast and a cup of tea for breakfast and sat down in front of my pc.

I know I was in front of my pc, as I was writing my diary entry on my pc, for the previous day, whilst drinking and eating. I had James playing on the cd player, at that point it was there latest cd, "Please to meet you". Then the phone rang from mum, telling me to get to the hospital as dad was very ill. I got dressed, and then ran. I had no car, no bike and no money. The hospital was 2 or 3 miles away up hill, that didn't matter. I ran like the wind, up the hills through the town centre, across bridges to bring me near the hospital. The hospital where I was born no less. I called the hospital to see how he was, fearing the worse, only to be told the same as I was by mum, he's seriously ill, get here asap. I deep down knew then, what the situation was. I stopped at the local sandwich shop to grab a bacon sandwich, I'd hardly eaten the toast at home. Plus I knew someone in there, she'd been with me the night before when I was talking to the old school friend.

As soon as I got into the hospital or more so onto dad's ward, I saw curtains around 1 bed, always a bad sign, I was sort of hoping it wasn't him, that they were having to "work" on someone else. It was then I was escorted into a room with my mum, to be told the news, the news that forever is branded in my mind. To say that I felt sick, paralysed was an understatement. The rest of that morning was incredibly difficult, and even the afternoon was hard, made slightly easier by me being sent away to a party, where I drank myself silly. The pain still bites me, will always bite me. Five years on, it seems like 25 years to be honest, it's ages since I heard dad's voice, it's ages since we sat down and argued over something or nothing, it's even longer since we went to watch United together, the only thing we shared.

Dad I miss you so much, I loved you so much, I'm sorry for all the pain that I caused, it was never my intention to cause you pain. It isn't yours or mum's fault, it's nature and whilst I'm happy now, things are on the whole easier for me. No longer the moods, no longer the tantrums. I'm at peace right now, and that's something you'd be happy about. Where ever you are dad, keep happy and I'll see you when ever.

Thursday, June 29, 2006

Unpleasant Thursday

Today hasn't been a good day at all. It started off fine and dandy, in fact I made some bread for the first time in ages and to be honest it made me feel good. I needed to treat myself and that was it I guess.

After that the day went down hill. I went into work, all fine and dandy at first, but that went down faster than the titanic, and then the iceberg itself struck me. I'd called my former employee's to find that one of the good people up there who has just retired, has cancer, and it's inoperable. To say I'm devestated is an understatement, she's the last person in the world that I would have wished this on, and would have expected this news from.

I get to my mum's and someone to whom I grew up with, his wife died of cancer over the weekend, so that was part two of the news, and of course as things come in three's it's 5 years to the day since my dad died tomorrow. I'm not feeling on top of the world tonight, which is understandable. At times like this I attach myself to my family more than ever, and I don't like them being called. My family is coming to an end, there is no one after me, I'm the last of the family and it's time's like this that I hurt, I hurt badly.

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Rest isn't Good

Sat at home doing nothing isn't good for anyone. Ok, it means you don't have to do anything much phsyical, nor mentally, but it does tire you out. Why is that? Rest isn't good for you, as you end up feeling as tired as you would if you were doing something.

Well yesterday was a day of rest for me, and today I am going to be working for most of the day, so by the end of the day I should feel tired and also good as I may well have contributed more to the planet than just my output of gases from various parts of my body.

Life's too quiet at the moment to really make many comments, but that can be good, but it does mean that I haven't a lot to comment about and thus posting here is a bit more difficult as I have to free load, and perhaps it doesn't make much sense. I'm sorry over that, but it's the way it is. Still this post is coming out quite easily in comparrison to others that I've written of late.

I'm going to leave right now, and see what I can add to the world today.

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Pain revisited

Well the trail to playscheme's has began, and of course while the road is taken, you'll hear all about it on here. Maybe it's because it's the big thing of the summer as far as work is concerned or the fact that for the last 19 years, I've always done playscheme's either as a volunteer, temporary member of staff or staff.

Yesterday I saw my niece for the first time in a couple of weeks, and had to go through the agony of watching game 7 of the Stanley Cup all over again. We also had to go watch the cup being presented..... It was the first time I'd seen that and to say it hurt badly was an understatement. Next time it won't hurt, the next time it will be the Oilers lifting it. I'm not saying next year, but the next time we reach the finals we'll win the cup.

My neice was in a jovial mood yesterday and we really had a lot of fun, more so when she decided I was a cushion and a cushion she could kick and hit. One day Ill return the favour and she'll be so upset, but hey if we can't have fun while she's still young then there's a problem. She even told me that my christmas present from her, is hockey related..... Not sure what it is, but I'm already eager to know what it is.. Though my birthday comes before Christmas.

Monday, June 26, 2006

Calm before the Storm

Here I sit less than an hour before going into work to start on work towards this years playscheme's. Now of course it's early days yet, but we all know it's the calm before the storm as such. I'm sure that we'll get things done, but it just seems so much work for so little time. Mind you I'd rather be doing this, than carrying on with what I've been doing. All due respect to the group I run and the children I work with individually, but it's time for a break.

So I sit here in fear of what will come, but also knowing that I'll do the best I can, and enjoy it as always.... Strange to be in that sort of position to be honest.

Saturday, June 24, 2006

Sports

This isn't going to be too bad of a post and it may turn into a rant, but that isn't what I'm intending with this post. In fact I'm not 100% sure where I want to go with this post, but hey ho here we go.....

As a child you either love sport or abhore it, simple, not really a two way thing. If you love it you live for the sport of your choice, you breathe it for every second. You watch sport on the tv, you go to the sports stadia to watch and then you transfer that to the back yard or road and play. If your really good, you move from the neighbourhood over to the local team and start on the track to superstardom. It's a familiar journey for kids all over the world. If your good enough you keep moving along the track till you call in at your station.

That station for the lucky few, is the station where everyone wants to be, at the top of the sport of your choice, your face recognised by fans around the town/country or even world. Companies throwing money at you to wear there brand of clothes or the drink there drink. Teams possibly spending millions of pounds to make you part of there organisation. I envy those at that station, I wish I was at that station, I could have been. I had other problems though, other journey's to make.

For some people it isn't about teams it's about themselves and that makes it all the more easier, than those on teams. For those on teams are at the mercy of the managers or even the banks. It can't be easy, playing on a regular basis some where and then being moved on by the team. I'm sure that isn't the way things are done, but it's the way it seems to the outside world. Teams call press conferences and a player appears who was playing else where the other day. All the roots in terms of house and schools and friends are left behind, and new roots have to be made.

Then of course the hard part for those few, do they like the new friends on the team they play for? Will they fit into the team as such, will the others accept them? What was thought of as acceptable with your previous team may not be acceptable now. New coaches offer new challenges, but that's all part of being a pro sportsman. It's part of the trade as such, you knuckle down and play the game that made you good enough for that team to spend the money on you.

Today however, something new has appeared on the scene, something which worries me some what. Not that it's now effecting my team, but because it's something which till recently wasn't really considered much of a problem. Sports men and women accept that they can be moved on, it's the way of life for them, and has been since they were very young. It's the partners of these people though that now seem to have the say. Ok, these people are very important to the sport stars, in fact they may even be family and that is possibly more important than work. Yet, at times these people don't seem willing to accept that the person they married may be moved to another town at some point. They don't accept that this is what they married into, and they stamp and scream to the point of destruction.

This can't be easy on the sports stars, as apart from having to do a job, they have problems at home. So who wins the family or the team? With some people the team is seen as an alternate family, one which will be there to share problems with, but won't be around forever. Others seem to put the family at home as priority which is fine by me, but at some point though comprimise has to be made. RIght now comprimise for some seems to be move away and don't look back. It isn't always the answer.

I don't think that the excuse "My partner isn't settled in this town" is an answer to plead for a move. It's just plain crazy, it makes you look stupid. David Beckham is one of the most recognisable sports men in the world, his wife's PR company saw to that. She knew when she started dating him, he lived and played in Manchester. She knew that he was very happy there, it was his second home as such. So why after marrying him does she then complain about living in the place? She married someone equally as famous as herself, she married someone who worked every day to make his money. She moved up here, to be with him but soon started to try and make him move back to London. I'm sure she orchastrated the move to Madrid, which makes him look even siller than half the haircuts he's had.

You marry into sports, you should accept that it isn't the normal way of life. It's over quite early in life for most people, and then it's back to the real world. Some stay in sport doing various media jobs or coaching, but quite a few move on. Accept that once the sports career is over, you can go live where you want, for as long as you want, and don't go wrecking the apple cart for your partner.

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Time for a Treat

This post is going to be orgainic in that I don't know where it's going or what I'm going to write. All I know is that I want to write something and something is what I'll write. Today hasn't been that bad, though the rest that I promised myself didn't really materialise as I ended up helping out a colleague on a group this afternoon, which was fine by me, as I've not done that group for ages and I do like that group.

So what else is going on? How am I? I've not written much about me recently, I guess all the hockey talk has taken over, and also the fact that work has become quite bad in terms of morale that I've failed to step back from myself and look at how I am. I know that with the way that work is going I've considered going to the doctors a couple of times of late to ask for a sick note due to stress. I could and will go if I have to, but right now I'm fighting it. It isn't doing my health any good, and it's keeping me on Anti-depressants for possibly the longest time in years, but I'm at least keeping my head above water.....

With the above though I've got to maintain my sanity amongst all the stress, if that goes I'm in trouble. For me both are intertwined and if that falls then I'm no good to anyone. I've got a fine line by which I live and right now I'm closer to the edge than I have been for years. I hope that the few events I've got coming up, which will ensure that I go out on a semi regular basis between now and playscheme's will help me. At least I'll see new and old faces and gain from the experiences and build.

I want to reclaim some money back that I've had taken, and will endeavour to do so over the next month or two. I certainly hope that I can claim it back, as I know it will add up to a significant amount of money and one which I could easily sort my life out with for the time being and consider treating myself again with. It's getting to the point in the year where I need to treat myself again. I've failed to treat myself for a while and I'm in need of something to at least put a smile back on my face. I'm not smiling half as much as I would like to be right now. Life isn't always fun, but even when I do enjoy myself I'm not smiling, that hurts me so much.

Difficult to write

The past couple of days have proven difficult to write anything here to be honest. My mood/emotions have restricted me to doing very little communicating to be honest, and so I'm starting to rehabilitate that as of now.

Let's start with the pain, the Oilers lost game 7 on Monday... They lost the Stanley Cup final.... They however won over lots of fans, they showed pride and honour in the shirts and that's something we the fans can be proud of. No longer when I attend hockey in the UK will I be laughed at for being an Oiler, I'm sure others will have watched this series and realised that the Oilers are a great club. Yes, I cried on Monday night/Tuesday morning, I'm not going to say I didn't. I couldn't bare to watch the presentation on match day, and couldn't take myself to watch it the following day. I did see the wrap of the programme on from the tv, and watching the highlights of the finals go through sent me into more tears again. The big question of "IF ONLY" came to mind and it set me off.

On a personal level, I've found something out about myself. I've had the Oilers in my heart for years now, it's been tucked away in a little corner, as Manchester United football club has dominated my heart for years. I'm sure that for some Canadian's out there they have a English soccer club in a little place in the heart, but the heart is dominated by a hockey club. The thing is that with United being sold to that fat yank, my love has diminished, so much so that although it hurt to give up my season ticket there this year, the hurt isn't as painful as I thought it would be. This play-off series saw the Oilers little section swell and now it occupies as much of my heart as United.

My loyalties now lie with 2 teams and not 1. My heart belongs to 2 teams and not just a majority. The reason? The way the Oilers showed what a hockey club is all about!! In other words a club that isn't all about money, a club that is a community for it's players and fans alike. The Oilers are a sporting club that Manchester United once were, and that pains me to say that. I'm proud to be an Oiler, my pride in MUFC isn't as strong as it once was.

Thank You Oilers, you made me proud, you made Edmonton proud, and most of all, you can be proud of yourselves.


Monday, June 19, 2006

Where''s the Summer gone?

Here I am sat in my room, with the window open to try and keep the room chilled during the summer. It's been open now for weeks as opposed to days, but that's because it's been warm in here, till now that is. It's quite chilli in here right now, but that superstitious element within me won't allow it. In other words till the game finishes tonight I dare not shut the window. I only have one question, and that's where the Summer got to today??

Talking of superstitions, I need to really start doing more research on them, or more in particular some of the origins of them. I do think they have some sort of autistic link, as you look at the most popular superstitions and then look at some of the autistic behaviours displayed, by those recognised as being within the ASD spectrum and they are very similar. I for one know that if playing sports and I need to go out of a door prior to playing I always touch the beam of the door above my head. It's just a tap, but then you look at autistic behaviours and tapping things is something which crops up on a regular basis.

The early basis of research is being formulated, but it's something which is going to keep me occupied for a few weeks I dare say. It's such an interesting thing to look up and find out.

Well so far I've only mentioned the hockey once so far, it's game day for me and whilst it's not far from my thought's I've got plenty of things to do, which are going to occupy me till later tonight when I'm going to get so nervous. I'll follow the same routine as I have done for the past couple of games (another autistic trait - routines that is), and hope for the very best. No matter what I'm a proud Oiler fan, I'll be with you next year and the year after, as long as the Oilers are in Edmonton then I'll be a fan.


Sunday, June 18, 2006

OMG!

Another Oilers win, takes the series to a game 7 on Monday. Last night's win, a shut out and a total domination sent shock waves around the hockey world. The hotly tipped Cane's fell upon there own sword in terms of powerplay's and now they look tired, old and ready to drop. All the Oilers have to do is repeat the same tactics as displayed in the last two games and we have a good chance of another win.

The wait till tomorrow night will be slow, very slow, but one that every fan of both Carolina and Edmonton will have to undertake. It's going to be fun and it's going to be frightening all the same. I'm sort of glad I'm on anti-depressants right now, it's sort of keeping me calm, though if they do win, and I shout IF, I don't care how excited and how loud I shout it out that they've done it. This is the closest we've been for years and it's so god damm cool. I've been trying to play it down for most of the play-off's, but when it's this close and this deep, I just can't contain myself. In fact's it's going to be the main train of thought till the buzzer goes to signal the end of the game.

Apart from the hockey, not too much to actually report, things plodded along as planned yesterday, nothing to suggest it wasn't a regular day. So here's too the rest of the week, and here's too tomorrow night.....

WE SHALL NOT, WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED,
WE SHALL NOT, WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED,
LIKE A TEAM THAT'S GOING TO WIN THE STANLEY CUP, AGAIN!
WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Saturday, June 17, 2006

Game Day again

It's not much, but as each round has progressed I've added to the mini shrine and now we are near the end of the run, I'm missing only one object, it's the one object that we want, but I won't say it till it can be added. It's game 6 today and I'm starting to buzz already in anticipation.

So what of yesterday? Well work was a nightmare. Not so much in what was done, it was fine, in fact the one to one that I had went really well and I had no problem with the young person, but it what went prior to that which I didn't enjoy. I think that this past week has been probably the worst that I've known and it got to the point yesterday, when prior to picking up the young person up from school, the school that I used to work at, I felt a tinge of regret that I'd left the school. That's the first time that I've felt that since leaving, even if things were far from perfect at that place.

I don't know what to say about work now to be honest. I have said everything I can, without going over the limit with it. I don't think that is going to happen either, I'm way to careful about who may or may not be reading this, and by chance someone from work is, then I've got to stay on the right side of the fence.

Today is a quiet day, a slow day to be honest. I managed to get some sleep together even though I woke up a few times towards the end. It was more grab what I could till I had to get up. I'm not intending to do as much as I did last week, but I'm going to get to my mum's later on, to watch some of the world cup and then the hockey tonight. The weather isn't that bad today, and is probably typical English summer weather. I may phone up the strawberry picking place today to see if anything is ready and go and take Amelia tomorrow. I did promise her, if not then I'll take her next weekend if I can get the chance, as her dad comes home from Medicine Hat on Monday. No he hasn't got me any Oiler merchandise, which I was going to order, but he left earlier than expected and so I didn't get chance to ask him, not that he would have said yes.

Friday, June 16, 2006

Circle

So Friday begins the end of the working week, well it is for me this week after 2 consecutive weekends. It ensures that tomorrow I'll be quite full of energy and eager to stay up till the early hours of Sunday morning watching 40 men skating on ice, hiting a circle of rubber around with sticks.

I'm not going to be doing too much today, but enough to ensure that at least one child and parent are happy. I try not to work on a Friday normally, but this week is an exception. So it's not too bad, and I actually think my line manager realises that I try to make Friday a work free zone. Still it doesn't stop her asking me to work etc.

Yesterday was a funny day, one spent trying to rest as much as possible as I'd had little sleep due to watching the hockey of the night before. Whilst resting I had to try at least to justify to myself that by resting I was doing good. I did very little and yet I feel quite good about it. It's really strange at the moment, maybe it's because my body clock is so screwed up, by stopping up to watch the hockey that I'm not sure what's my left or right, or up or down.

At this moment in time, I'm sat in front of the monitor with no other sounds apart from the sound of the keyboard, and nature outside. The back garden has been occupied this morning by 2 grey squirals. Though I'm not a fan of grey squirals in general, watching these two has been fun. I suspect by there actions that they are a couple, which makes it all the funnier. If only I had a video camera to tape them. Still that would in a way spoil the fun of it all for me. Quiet days watching the world float by are essential to one's well being, and so far today it's one of those days.

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Keep Yourself Alive

Wow, that was heart stopping!!! Another Oiler win, this time in OT, with the whole series hanging by a thread. That's guts, that's courage and to do it short handed.. That's just dog gone plain crazy. That's though what's win's cups, that's what inspires me to follow this team, that's what keeps me awake till 4am watching this.

Away from the hockey, life isn't bad, work is awful. Well no awful isn't the right word. I'd say right now that work is probably as bad as it ever was working at Springwood. The difference is that if things turn around here, the future will be bright. At Springwood there was no future, plain and simple.

When something has been working for 22 years and in that time they've evolved to what they are today, why with 7 weeks to go before this years incarnation do you alter the training methods which have worked for all these years? That's what's taking place at work right now, it's plain crazy. I could and would accept it if the training was failing the volunteers, but with due respect to those giving the training, it isn't perfect, but it's worked for this long, so why change it now? It could have been done for next year. Instead the bosses have riden a tank through everything and altered it. The already low morale in the camp has now vanished to a void of darkness.

Still even whilst thinking and writing the above, I keep seeing vision's of Fernando popping the puck into the net.... Oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day...

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Hope is....

Those of you who come here often, will know my love is in sports, and hockey and soccer in particular. My soccer hero's though winning a cup this year, it wasn't the one we really wanted, it wasn't the big one. Now in hockey my team has come so far, it's won a cup, all be it unexpectantly, and it's challenging for the big prize as we speak.

Being 3-1 down in a best of 7, isn't something I'm happy about and I bet quite a few Oiler fans will be preparing for the team to lose the next game or at least 1 of the next 3. We need to win all 3, to win the Stanley Cup. Do I share the same fatalistic thought? No, some where deep inside of me I can hear a voice saying it isn't over till the fat lady is singing. Well the music is playing right now, and she's in the wings readying herself to come on centre stage. I do however think the tune being played isn't the one she wants and she'll wait around in the background a bit longer.

There you go I can give myself some hope, but of course hope is something special to me, having lived in an area served by Hope Hospital, the nearest pub being the Inn of Good Hope/The Hope, the local library is Hope Library and the high school I went too is Hope High. All in all, Hope has a special place in my heart and soul, and it's that which is keeping me going in thinking the Oilers can pull the irons out of the fire without being burnt.

Not a lot else to report, I've not had any sleep and nor will I till later today. I've got training to attend in Liverpool today, and if I had gone to sleep it would probably end up with me either missing my training or being very late. This way I make sure that I'm around for the training, in body at least, if not mind as well.

Sunday, June 11, 2006

A change of luck

A new hair cut, a search for items lost, a new desktop on my pc, not wearing an Oilers shirt on game day, finding lost items that I'd forgot about. All this may be contributary, but then after 18 years my luck had to change some time.

The Oilers won, when I watched them live, I'm not unlucky!!

What's more, is they WON a game, it's now 3 from 4...... This is still possible. Dreams are made of this forever and a day I'll be able to say where I was and when I saw the Oilers win live on tv.......

Enough said.

Thursday, June 08, 2006

Hero's Hit

Quite apt that right now, I'm listening to The Hero by Queen, from the album Flash. It reminds me of the line, hero's hit, I'm going in after him. Well last night's Stanley Cup game has left me feeling like my hero's been hit, and hit hard. A 5-0 loss in the finals isn't what you want, you don't want that any day, but least of all in the finals. Still it's now 4 from 5, and that's still possible, it's been done before this year by the Oilers, but they've really got to up there game.

As for me, well my throat is still sore from screaming after game 1, and Conklin's cock-up. I'm trying everything without medical interventions, like not speaking or shouting if I can help it. Eating plenty of dried toast in an attempt to scrape all the badness off the throat, and drinking plenty of water. I can't say it's helping, but I'll carry on. Work hasn't been that bad to be honest, though I've kept to my own promise as such as to not work too many over time hours this week, and right now I'll be fine as I'll be 1 hour under my contract hours. That will please someone, but not everyone else. I've asked for cover for next Tuesday, but I doubt I'll get it though, that group never get's any cover and it's really annoying. Still I'll be on induction training so shouldn't really care.

Life apart from work and sport is still quite boring, I'm not doing much else. There isn't anything else, but right now I'm not letting it bother me. I'm plodding along breathing and feeling ok with myself. I've stuck to my guns over driving at work, which is having a positive effect on the rest of my life. I guess one thing can help other area's. Still I'd like to get out more, or at least get to see others, apart from my mum. It's a very dour lifestyle that I live, but it's the only one that I've known or can afford to be honest.

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Pain is close to Pleasure

Speechless, words fail me, never has the title of this blog been more apt than whilst recovering from watching any sporting occasion. Even last years FA Cup final loss to Arsenal on penalties doesn't come near to this one. It's going to take some getting over in the next 24 hours or so, because that was so painful. I ended up walking out of my mum's house at 4.30am this morning and driving home, as I couldn't even stop under the roof where I had watched the game it hurt so much.

The Oilers lose a game that they were winning 3-0, they lose the goaltender who has been white hot all post season, they complete the pain by gifting the Cane's the winning goal, with a blunder straight out of a Hollywood horror flick. What Ty Conklin was thinking about I don't know. We've got to win 4 from 6 now, we can do it, I know we can do it, it's not impossible, but our task is now a little harder than it was yesterday. We've got to regroup, we've got to instill confidence back into the team and our back up netminder who ever it is taking over from Roli. I've not lost the faith, but that bloody hurt.

Away from sport yesterday was quite a normal day in many respects. Work went well, though I got a complaint from my manager about the money we spent on ice creams on Saturday for the children. Why didn't you take crisps with you? Well it's obvious, we were due to go to the pictures and changed our minds at the last minute. We had other things to do other than think about crisps. I'm not going to stand for this on Saturday, when we are going to a restaurant for a meal. It should be fun when the manager finds out. She'll complain like mad, but it's not my choice, my idea was to take them some where to watch the England football game. Still if that's what's been suggested and booked then, who am I to question it. I'll go with the flow and when I take flack for it, I'll deflect it onto someone else, this one isn't my doing.

I'm going to leave it here, my throat is sure from the screaming I did in my car on the way home last night. 3 minutes of pure emotion let go, and my throat is now very tender, which indicates the frustration and hurt that I felt after that game. For Oiler fans the question, Where were you when Conklin gave up THAT goal? goes well along side, Where were you when Kennedy was shot?......

Monday, June 05, 2006

4 from 7 please

It's game day, well it's Monday 5th June for me here in England, so it's game day and the start of the Stanley Cup finals. Wow, I don't think I've been this excited about a sporting event since 26th May 1999, the day United won the treble.

That went down to the wire, I just hope that this series doesn't go to the wire, but if it does, then so be it, as long as the Oilers win. To say I'm pumped up for this is an understatement, I've even managed to get my 9 year old neice demanding she comes and joins me at my mum's tonight to watch the game live. It's not as if she watches hockey on a regular basis, but she's been to a couple of games in Manchester, and knows I follow the Oilers, and she can tell an Oiler shirt at 200 yards. So if I can get her involved then all the better, cept that from game 4 onwards she'll be in school during week games, and won't be allowed anywhere near watching live. Which if we are to win will be a shame for her.

Saturday, June 03, 2006

New Month

A new month arrives and to be honest, whilst being glad, it's just another month along. I'm feeling ok, the warm weather has improved my mood, but work is still tough. I did a 36 hour week last week, which is ok, but as has been stated my contract is for 21. Still it will be redeemed.

Well Monday is another day closer and the Stanley cup is on at my mum's. I'll be watching with glee and hope that the Oilers win, whilst I'm watching. It's going to be a nerve racking week or two, but one which I'll remember for a long, long time. I'm going to record all the games as well as watch them, as it may be the only time that I see this.