Battered and bruised, but not down and out.....

So after winning the hockey tickets, we all went to the hockey. Unsurprisingly. It was the Vancouver Giants versus the Prince George Cougars, and we got there after the first period had finished, due to some traffic problems and the fact that my cousin tried to reverse into the wall of the parking garage at high speed. Although the game was good, it wasn't great. Plus there weren't enough fights. However there was one fight which made up for this; we didn't see what started it, but suddenly there were two helmets and some gloves on the floor, with two guys squaring up to each other. In proper comic 'put your dukes up' fashion, they circled each other on skates, hands clenched in front of them, waiting for the other to make their move. After some encouragement by the crowd ("Hit him with your purse, you pussy!") the Vancouver guy went for it, and a huge punch-up ensued. The referees leave the guys to it until they wear themselves out, as it's better to get the aggression out on the ice than have it explode in the changing rooms. So they stood, and watched, and eventually when both guys were collapsing with exhaustion, they pulled them apart. The Vancouver guy won. Actually the crowd was the best part of the night, as there were two guys down our end of the rink who were the leading cheerers, one because he was loud and got all the waves going, and one because he came up with decent insults ("Oi, Zimmer, why don't you take up another sport, like knitting!"). It was a good night. Plus it was free, and we got two comfy armchairs to sit in as the people we won it from were the "King of Floors" and they had a 'throne' fetish....

So today, another icy sport - skiing. Denise and I drove to Whistler (in itself, worth doing, as the scenery is amazing - I would have taken pictures but I was driving). We got a lift pass and hired ski equipment, all for $85 (£35). I have to say, I was hideous the first time I got on the slope. In retrospect, going immediately halfway up the mountain and doing a beginner run with no experience was probably not the best idea, but then who needs learner slopes anyway. My first run took me about an hour and a bit, as every five metres I fell over, and I couldn't work out how to turn both skis at once. I got pissed off and Denise did another run, and then we had lunch. After this I decided that I was not going to let the slope beat me, and I went up again. This time I only fell over four times on the run, and I worked out how to turn. However I did have a collision with a small sapling on a hill as I forgot how to stop. Time for one more - the same slope. Down to one falling over incident (the same hill as before, which no-one had skied and was really powdery) and a clear run all the way down! Turns and everything! However, my kness are completely knackered, because I kept falling forwards onto them and at one point my skis refused to come off as they should, so I took a large part of the run on my kness. Black bruises and swelling galore. But I loved it.

Time to go til flying to England: four weeks and counting.........