Tuesday’s musings
Good morning from Dallas!
Three mornings, three different cities. Vancouver, Chicago and now Dallas. We’re only three days into this trip and already I’m feeling scatterbrained. I’d like to wish anyone dealing with Derek early next week the best of luck!
I’ll rewind a bit to the last time we spoke. It was Monday and we had just landed in Chicago, which is a fabulous city I’m sure, it’s always too dang cold to really explore it though. Either that or I’m a West Coast wimp. Or both.
Didn’t do much Monday night, a little Behind the Lens, a little gym time, some peanut butter and jelly annnnnnd sleep – or at least I tried to. The hotel we stayed at is literally, like actually, so high that it’s in the clouds. That leads to a lot of wind, which leads to noise, leading to a lack of sleep.
Highlight of Tuesday morning: Zack Kassian walks into the lobby where a bunch of us were waiting to take the bus to practice. He pipes up: “anyone else have trouble sleeping? I think there were ghosts in my room…” Laughter ensues. Tons and tons of laughter. “Oh Kass,” said Kevin Bieksa, “so young, so naive.”
There weren’t any ghosts, at least not in my room, but it was a long night. Tuesday, as you may have concluded, was therefore a long day.
The team had game day skate at the United Center late in the morning. The boys were in a great mood, loose and jovial, everyone gave David Booth a Bronx cheer for his announced return to the line-up and it was smiles all around.
Bus it back to the hotel. Sniff out a Potbelly sandwich and hit up my favourite store on earth for some shirts and Polaroid film. Then back to work. Then pack. Then back to the rink. Then work again – but with a special guest.
Eddie Lack, yes theeee Eddie Lack, joined me in the press box to tweet the Canucks vs. Blackhawks game and we made the most of it developing a bromance rarely seen in Chicago press boxes. We laughed, we cried, we cheered, we ate. We ate. We ate. We ate.
We even made it on the TV – momma’s gon be so proud of her eldest not-girl!
Late goals from Edler and Bieksa and the Canucks earned a much deserved point (props to Cory Schneider for rocking out with his jock out in net with a killer performance) and it wasn’t long before we were back aboard Air Canucks en route to Dallas.
It’s actually 2:09 a.m central time as I type this and the lights of Big D are just coming into focus. Fitting, because my eyes are just going out of focus.
I’d like to thank Macklemore, Adele and Jay-Z, and a special seven-song mix, for keeping me awake, alert and able to function during the flight. The jumbo chocolate chip cookie at 1:53 a.m. didn’t hurt anything either. I still love you cookies.
Wednesday is a practice day. Dress and drive because there’s a basketball game in town, so Behind the Lens will be extra cool. Other than that I’ve been told by numerous Canucks that I need a haircut like someone drowning needs one of those Fruit Loop lookin’ floatie things.
If anyone knows a good hairdresser in Dallas, I’m all ears.
Actually, I’m all hair. Cut the hair, not the ears.
Derek
P.S. – Singing Adele on a team charter is frowned upon. NOW they tell me. All I did was set a little fire to the rain…
