I get to go to some interesting and exotic places. Toronto is interesting enough I guess, but it is about as exotic as Baltimore - only it doesn’t smell as bad and most people here have teeth.

Before I left DC I got a ticket to last night’s Maple Leafs game against the Penguin Scum. Yesterday morning I was surfing around and I found out that the Marlies - the Leafs’ minor league affiliate - had a 3 pm game. TWO HOCKEY GAMES IN ONE DAY!!! I must have died and gone to Canada!

I walked down past the CN Tower and the baseball stadium

and took the 509 tram to historic Ricoh Coliseum

I got a center ice ticket for $15, and went next door to play with the kitties for a half hour or so

There was a Toronto FC match at the same time across the parking lot

...but give me a choice between futbol and hockey, I’ll take hockey every time.

A combination of other events and the Thanksgiving weekend made for a pretty sparse crowd. Probably less than 1000 people there to watch the Marlies take on the Grand Rapids Griffins

Awesome game. The Marlies fell behind 2-0, but won 3-2. Then I went out and waited for the 509 to take me to the Air Canada Centre

Quite a different atmosphere

The Leafs suck, so they gooned it up. I was hoping they would cripple a couple of Penguins, but no such luck. A little too much fighting, and not enough cheap, dirty, career-ending hits

The Leafs lost, of course. I was sitting between two Pittsburgh fans, so I had to use small words when I talked so they could understand me. Neanderthals.

Don Cherry - a vision in purple

The Marlies are playing the Rockford Ice Hogs today at 4. I think I might go, it gives me an excuse to play with the kitties again.