I've decided that I like to attend pro hockey games better than pro football games.

Through some good luck, I received four tickets on Wednesday to the Flames game against the Blackhawks. I took my father-in-law, my brother and his wife. The stands have the regular rowdies, mascots, hawkers, all of them doing their thing and being pestertaining. When the game is in play, though, all sideshow-like activity stops and everyone, right down to the mascot, watches the game. At a Stampeders game, there are announcements going on, cheerleaders doing stuff, draws taking place, all while the ball is in motion. Talk about distracting! I find the focus that everyone is able to have at a hockey game something that rarely happens at a normal Stamps game.

As well, I noticed quite a few trophy wives at the game. Dressed to the nines, too old to be daughters, too young to be original wives, too firm and blonde to be natural. Each of them on the arm of some sweaty, balding, short, unkempt fifty-something man in a dress shirt with the top button undone and an expensive leather coat. Have they no shame? I guess I'm not one to talk. Two and a half months from now I'm going to be a kept man, too. Maybe *I* should dye my hair blonde and get some implants.

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Wednesday night we had Banana's whole ringette team over for pizza and a visit. Things went exceedingly well with all the kids enjoying the chance to run around and be a big happy group off the ice. The move was a social tour-de-force for Banana. The other ringette girls remarked that she had the coolest room, a nice house, EXCELLENT parents ... I guess you could say she is now the envy of her spears.