SB and I were complaining to each other about how some mutual friends dropped off the face of the earth after having a baby before coming to the realization that we haven't been much better since Tippytoes and Eloise joined our lives. We made a resolution to try to catch up with old friends.
First up was the hockey group. We had not seen most of the guys since MegaIce changed everything and gave away Thursday nights, which the league had held since Megabox opened, to someone offering lots of money, as is the way of things. We met up with several of the old teammates for drinks and were happy to note that while life has moved on, people at their core are often very much the same. Once reminded of why we liked them so much, we invited two of Will's former hockey teammates to join our dragonboat team.
Then I remembered that they are Canadian and we all know that Canadians, while often confused for Americans, have their own distinct (weird) culture. This culture includes reverence for all things that have to do with maple leaves, including affixing them to bags, clothing, and their own skin. There were several maple leaf tattoos on display. They also worship poutine, Tim Horton's coffee, and lumberjacks. And they think that curling and board games are sports - elite, competitive sports.
Our dragonboat training was unfortunately timed to occur right after a night of fun board games. By right after, I mean a week later. D was still moaning about having played with another hockey player and his girlfriend, J, who destroyed them all. "I have never been so utterly destroyed during monopoly" he said several times, usually after my attempt to change the subject. D is a former professional player and really, really big so I didn't have the courage to tell him just how interesting it wasn't to hear the play by play retelling of how he kept stopping on J's railroads. For like the fourth retelling.
So there I was, trapped in the middle of the ocean, still listening to him bitching about monopoly.
D: Oooohhhh, I can't believe how badly she beat us.
Me: (Oh gawd, make it end)
D: I never stopped on a good tile!
Me: (Maybe I can accidentally clock him with my paddle. How much does this thing weigh?)
D: Then I tried to offer her money at extortionate rates just to buy some property...
Me: (He's gotta be around 250lbs. This won't knock him out)
D: Blah blah blah monopoly
Me (I know! I'll just knock myself out)
D: So are we getting drinks after this?
SB: Sure!
Me (Kill. Me. Now.)
So yeah, things change but in a lot of ways, they stay the same.
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