Day 13

Typical. The moment Ryan and I leave Vancouver and head home to the sticks all Hell breaks loose. While there was yelling and cheering and spontaneously pitchy versions of Oh Canada during our seemingly endless walk through the streets, I'm sure it paled in comparison to what was happening on Day 13.

While I've always said as long as the athletes do their best they should be proud of themselves and we should be proud of them, today our Canadian athletes truly 'owned the podium' and that calls for a celebration. In fact, I'm going out to get a cake right now. What's a celebrations without a cake? Oh and booze too.

We got home just in time to watch the start of the Canada-Russia Men's Hockey Quarterfinals. It was a very emotional reunion for me and my easy chair. I also missed my Cheetos and Nacho Chips and of course the remote. Earlier in the day the Americans beat the Swiss 2-0 in a surprisingly close game. While I didn't get to see it I hear that it was very dramatic with a couple disallowed goals by the US. The Canada - Russia game was everything I'd hoped it would be and it must have been amazing to have been in the crowd to watch it live. I was surprised that the Canadians were faster than the Russians. I think the Russians were surprised too. I was even more nervous because Luongo was playing and it's not very often that Leafs fans, Canadiens fans, Senators fans, Oilers fans and Flames fans are all cheering for him. But I felt pretty confident that we would win because I had my lucky Canada Jersey on overtop of my Canada shirt along with my lucky Canada toque and scarf. How could they lose? The final score was Canada 7 Russia 3. I wasn't very impressed with Russia during the last few minutes of the game. There were a couple of cheap shots, particularly one where Eric Staal got injured but he later returned. They also took a couple of head hunting shots at Luongo in the dying minutes. Pretty classless. Oh well, I hope they enjoy playing the 7th place game. Have fun with that. (Jeez, now I'm starting to sound like a cocky American.)

I drifted in and out of consciousness for the Finland - Czech Republic game that followed. It was a close game, which I predicted in yesterday's blog (I so hate to gloat) but Finland prevailed after one of the Czech players lost their helmet and had to retrieve it behind the Czech net leaving their check (this is getting confusing) open for the tip in for the winning goal. The rule in international hockey is that if you lose your helmet, you have to either get it and put it back on or skate immediately to the bench. Dumb rule. And it cost the Czechs the game. At least I was awake to see the winnning goal. There's nothing worse than waking up to "HE SCORES!!" It happens pretty often to me. The US now plays Finland in one Semi-Final.

In the late game, it was the highly favored Swedes taking on Slovakia. From a Canuck fans perspective it was the Sedin Twins taking on Pavol Demitra. Team Canada was set to play the winner. Halat, the Slovak goalie, was brilliant in this one as Sweden had a pretty wide edge in the play. But as I predicted in yesterday's blog (did I mention that I hate to gloat?) Slovakia pulled the big upset, winning 4-3. Demitra played great scoring the Slovak's third goal and got a nice assist on the winning goal. I only hope he can play like that when the Canucks' season resumes. Maybe he won't be traded for two sticks, a water bottle and a bag of pucks after all. While it may appear that Canada now has an easier path to the Gold Medal Game, I don't think they will overlook the Slovaks. There are a lot of great NHL players on this team and they have a very hot goalie right now. But I think if Luongo plays solid, they should advance to the big game. We will find out on Friday. But all in all, it was an amazing day for Hockey fans.

It was a big day in the Women's Bobsleigh. While I've been quite vocal about not being a fan of this sport, if I was watching Pictionary on tv and Canada had a chance for a Medal, I would be on my feet. Well, at least on the edge of my chair. Canada had a legitimate shot at 2 medals in this event today, and they ended up winning Gold and Silver. I was jumping around the house celebrating, but then I lost my breath and had to sit down. Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse took the Gold Medal and Helen Upperton and Shelley-Ann Brown took the Silver. Although it was a great moment and I'm very proud of them, I still can't watch it without thinking that it looks like a Waterslide Park in Nunavut.

In the Ladies Short Track Speed Skating 3000 metre Relay, the Canadian team won a Silver. I didn't get to see the race but I'm guessing it involved a lot of chaos on the ice and our Canadian team went around the ice surface the second fastest. Just a hunch. I actually find the Short Track quite exciting, but the relays give me a headache. There seems to be so much confusion. Speaking of giving me headaches, I'm still not a Brian Williams fan. How is this little weasel still on tv. I saw him sing at Karaoke in Vancouver once a while back and he can't do that either. Maybe he should try selling Shamwows at the PNE.

The other Medal Canada won was in the Long Track Speed Skating where Clara Hughes won the Bronze Medal in the Ladies 5000 metres. So that makes it four medals today won by a total of seven women. It's time for our Canadian guys to step up or we will NEVER hear the end of it.

Day 14 looks to be another big day. I think they just get bigger and bigger from here on. The big events are the Cross Country Skiing and Nordic Combined. Okay, I'm kidding. (I really don't get that cross country skiing though. I mean, maybe if you lived in Saskatchewan, but we have mountains here. People, for the love of God, use gravity to your advantage.) No, the big events are the Curling Men's and Women's Semi-Finals (you mean it's actually going to end at some point?), the Woman's Ice Hockey Bronze Medal Game (yawn) and the Gold Medal Game (US-Canada, now we're talkin'), and Canada's Joannie Rochette looks to make the podium in honor of her late Mother in the Ladies Figure Skating Long Program. She sits in third right now. It should be a great day.

It's hard to believe that in a couple of days time all this will be but a memory. I'm glad that there will be a lot left behind to keep that memory alive. Like the amazing building that is the Richmond Oval, and the Bobsled Run and Ski Jumping facilities in Whistler, and the cauldron in Coal Harbour. I've heard that they are considering keeping the flame lit after the Games, and that there are people that will protest if they do. Should be interesting. I think that if it's not too bad for the environment, then they should keep it lit. It would be a tourist attraction for years to come, and tourists generally bring lots of money to spend. Well, except most of my relatives. They usually show up on my doorstep wanting dinner, shelter and money for booze. But enough about my Mother. (She'd kill me if she had a computer.) Anyways, watching that Flame go out during the Closing Ceremonies is going to be a very sad yet special moment for me. I'm sincerely proud of how this city, this Province and this Country have come together over the past few weeks. We may have our differences, but we are all Canadian and we are all proud to be Canadians. Hey, that could be a commercial.