What a Looooong Weekend

Long weekend you ask? Well the first thing is a four day weekend is always good! The reason for the great long weekend is that it was the Wach/Maric family football game in Baltimore. Yes the Baltimore Ravens vs the Cincinnati Bengals once again do battle. We were not disappointed with the game at all, being Ravens fans and we won! I have to feel sorry for my Brother (2-2 since we started going to Baltimore to watch the games) when the Ravens caused the Bengals to fumble off the opening kick off. Well it only got better when Palmer threw an interception on the next drive! 14-0 Ravens! The Bengals almost made it back, but the two initial turnovers hurt them bad! This family tradition started with my Brother Ivo asking my cousins if they would go to a Bengals/Ravens game and what started out as the four of us on the first year has now grown to 12 in the fourth. There is talk of going to see the Ravens in Buffalo next year to show the colours.


Beinging more of a hockey fan than an NHL fan, I scoped out the local NHL teams as to what games were on the schedule around the football game and found out that the Sens were playing the Caps the next night in Washington. Hand flew to the phone in 20 min the tickets were bought! My Brother and cousins warned me not to wear my Sens jersey to the home of the Washington Capitals, but being a true Senators fan I was going into the building with the jersey on! Of course a few beers before the game is always a smart move, but there were more people in there with Sens jerseys on than capitals! A few people from Ottawa, Halifax, Windsor and me from Brockville were all whooping it up! After a few beers, thanks cuz, we were off to the game. In the Verizon center, I'd have to admit is a nice looking building, my cousin is pumping more beer into me which isn't very hard to do since I'm excited about the game. I get to my seat and the game is about to start, what is this! There building only has about 3-4 thousand people in it. I turn to ask the Capital fans "where are the rest of the fans?" and find out that is the regular size crowd the caps draw! Wow, how can a team survive with a fan base like that?

Anyway, the Sens are up by three goals early in the first period and I'm being my normal annoying, abrasive self while I rub it into the Capital fans around me! Second period, the Caps score two goals, I better shut my mouth now. Third period the game is flying back and forth and it is some great hockey for this time of the year. Until Phillips takes a tripping penalty late in the third and the Caps score, game tied. Can you take back gloating? I did! Overtime, caps score, ouch! Overall I enjoyed the game, it was some great hockey, but Washington DC isn't a hockey town. I will look into a game in either Montreal or Detroit, any hockey fans out there?

I was shocked at how easy it was to go through security at the airports this trip. Flying into DC is usually a pain in the ass since 9/11. They make you go through the regular security airport, then to get into the gate you have to go through it all over again. Then they pat you down and go over you again with the metal detector. I must be getting use to airport security or working for the Coast Guard helps, I passed the US customs in 5 min then on the way back the Canadian customs was about 3 min (good looking ladies at Pearson). I always love it when the US customs personnel ask me where I work. When I tell them the smile comes out and it is like we are buddies! Then the "have a good day and enjoy the trip" follows!

On a side note, after I cleared customs and was waiting for my bag. I realized that I'd been standing beside Margaret Atwood. I haven't read her stuff, but that is my brush with fame this weekend!