Stir stick…

A friend called last Wednesday afternoon to let me know that the Canucks weren’t doing well…

He wanted to make sure that I knew that the season had started…

He asked,

Philosophydoll, have you been watching the games???

The Canucks need you…

Remember how you got them out of their losing streak last season…

I’m not sure that I can take all of the credit for that…

I wasn’t playing hockey with the Canucks,

I was just thinking about it…

But as honesty is my only policy,

I came clean,

immediately…

I’ve had other things on my mind,

and I’m still not over Mats not being here…

It is going to take me some time to realign my commitment to NHL hockey…

I know that this is how it works…

Players come and they go…

You can’t get too attached…

But you have to remember that when a professional hockey player visits you in your dreams,

before hockey is even on your radar,

it takes time to find interest in an updated roster,

because I’m wired up like a swan…

In case you’re a new reader,

and haven’t been following along,

I only started to watch hockey,

and pay attention to the Canucks,

when Mats came to town…

Prior to that I had no idea who Mats Sundin was,

in fact I’d never heard of him…

I don’t have a television,

and I’d had a longtime boycott on professional sports…

But then I had a dream about a hockey player,

with the same haircut as Mats,

and some channels opened up…

Luongo thinks he knew that Mats was retiring before anyone else,

but last Spring in the middle of the night,

I found myself,

interviewing Mats…

Mats and I were talking about relationships,

and the challenges of staying connected,

with such physical distance in-between…

And that after twenty years in Canada,

he was ready to go back to Sweden,

and start a family…

I saw it coming,

but I also held out for hope that he and his lovely Josephine,

would settle in Vancouver…

Until I heard about the lakeside house…

I’d leave Vancouver for a lakeside house in a second,

with no doubt…

In fact I’m gettin’ in the car right now…

Wednesday evening is bata de cola night…

Last week I got an ole from teacher,

so there is no way that I am going to miss a class,

to watch a hockey game…

Bata is,

at the very least,

a four-to-five year commitment…

If you show up for practice willy-nilly,

you won’t see your vision hit the ground,

and my underskirt has blue ruffles for a reason…

I’m glad that,

with four freaky goals out of seven,

the Canucks were able to turn things around,

in their last game…

Although three losses in a row does not really constitute a losing streak,

or a rough start to the season,

it is part of the ebb and flow of hockey…

How do we know we’re winning if we don’t lose sometimes???

And what would sport radio have to talk about,

if the Canucks always played a perfect game???

Where would fans direct their emotion???

Canucks fans might have some reflecting to do,

if they found they were still anxious and unhappy,

even after their home team pulled off a Stanley Cup victory…

Not everyone is up for looking inward…

In aboriginal cultures around the world,

there is no word for mistake…

Anything tried is an attempt,

and struggle is an opportunity to learn,

and grow…

And when you’re really doing it,

way down deep,

growing hurts…