Momma, Look Sharp

I should have posted this Sunday, but since we were busy out celebrating, I will do it this morning.

It's a great thing that Mother's Day falls during the NHL playoffs and almost destined to be since it's from my mom that I get my love of hockey. She was raised here in the Northwest, like me, and her father liked sports; so she grew up watching the CBC and Hockey Night in Canada. Once she had her own household which included my dad and my sister and me, that tradition of watching hockey has continued.

This was before the Internet and the plethora of cable channels that carry sports as well as we didn't have hockey in Everett, so that one game a week made it more special or at least until ESPN started broadcasting the NHL. We would sit with her and watch teams from all over Canada and the States play and we didn't care who won, since the Canucks were usually only on maybe once a year being on the West Coast. It was a happy day at our house when I was in high school because after HNIC went to a double header that meant we could see the boys in BC that much more.

Well, my sister usually watched about a period with us then got bored and went up to her room as did my dad; but Mom and I watched the whole thing. One of our favorite parts was and still is guessing what hideous coat Don Cherry will be wearing that night and what asinine thing he's going to say. She would be out fixing a snack and I would call out "Hey... Don's on after this commercial!" and she'd hurry out with the bowl of popcorn or the cheese and crackers just as Blue was barking in the opening montage.

When the playoffs started, the fun got even more fun. In the 80's it was the Oilers that we rooted for. Well, she rooted along with me since I was in love with Wayne Gretzky then Mark Messier, or I was before he became a complete crybaby douchebag and tried to kill Trevor; but even when that happened, my mom was there for hugs and cookies. Then once we fell in love with Trevor and the Canucks, there was even more cheering and hooting and hollering. Dinner during Stanley Cup playoffs were the best because not only were there games almost every night; but we had a routine for what we would eat in front of the TV. Games 1 and 7 were Chinese, 2 was pizza, and 3-6 were very often an appetizer buffet, spaghetti or hamburgers; and it was so fun to look forward to it.

I guess my point to all of this rambling is not only to put some history on how my love of the game came to be; but that I would like to thank my mom for introducing me to the game. If she hadn't, I'm not sure I would have met the whole bunch of incredible people that are now in my life. I also want to thank her for being there for me when the whole world comes crashing down whether it's hockey related or not: from bad relationships to getting fired to that night fifteen years ago when the dream of my Trevor getting that big shiny bowl was crushed. Even last night she called to commiserate after the games were over. I think she knew that I was in no mood to talk after all of the bad things of the evening were done but in her own way she wanted to make sure I was okay and let me know that she was there.

So, thanks Mom... and let me know whether you want a #5 or #7 for game one of the Conference Finals. :)