I remember the first game of the season like it was yesterday.
October 4, 2017.
My first opening night since 2013.
I was home and had been for 3 months already.
I was able to save enough money to get my ass out of Asia for over 8 months. It was good for me and good for my family.
My father has Alzheimer's, not totally degenerative yet, but he needs help so I was back to help him.
Cooking his meals, doing the laundry, keeping the house clean, doing the driving, running his errands and getting him to his appointments, all that fun stuff.
And just giving him someone to talk to during the day.
Per our agreement, it was during the week we get anything we need done out of the way.
Saturday we do something together (drive to Algonquin or the Bruce or whatever), but Sunday...no chores, no cleaning, no errands, no bullshit, all I do is cook lunch and dinner.
I love my dad and was happy to spend time with him, but as you can imagine, for a youngish guy, at times it got a little boring.
As in I sold my car 2 years ago, so if I wanted to go see people I had to clear up using his car with him a few days in advance. Most of my friends were over an hour away.
Small 2 bedroom townhouse, so if I'm having people over we can't get too noisy.
He would go to sleep at erratic and unpredictable times (sometimes as early as 8 p.m., then the next night not until 1:30, then the next night at 11, then the following night at 9, waking up at 7 every day), so if the girlfriend wanted to come by for le sexy time, it had to be late.
He doesn't care about that last one, but I did it out of respect, the man doesn't have a prostate.
I missed the last season, an historic and unprecedented season, but I saw highlights.
NO ONE, not even my dad, who was younger (quite a bit younger) than I am the last time they won, saw it coming.
So I had the date, October 4th, circled on my calendar.
Winnipeg...great.
To their credit they've become quite a good team.
I don't buy for a second that they're on some level above us, but they look quite formidable.
Like us, they're a tier 2 contender (Pittsburgh, Boston and Nashville are t1, us, them, Tampa, San Jose and Washington are tier 2...I don't think Vegas is a playoff threat, yet).
We go to the bar to watch the game.
My dad pays because he knew it was important to me.
The first game I've watched live in 20 months.
We start slow, the Jets are getting the best of us.
I go to the bathroom and they score.
We rattle off 2 more quick ones before the end of the first period.
We keep pouring it on in the second.
We smoke them 7-2.
A former co-worker is from the peg, I be sure to harass him the next day.
Now I'm back in Asia, and I want us to give them another pounding.
I know the old man will be watching.
All I want is for him to see one more cup before he goes. They have 3-5 years left by my estimation.
GLG!
