Tuesday, December 16, 2008

A Day in Vancouver

First up a few pics from Monday:




Before, practice at the PNE.



A shot from the old Vancouver media area. Now, they pack you into a spot on the lower level about 15 rows up from the penalty box.

Ice level. Cody Eakin in blue, Geordie Wudrick in grey.


Mike Brown (blue) waits to turn it up ice


A.C. Tim Kehler after some sort of a wise crack I'm betting. "Hey Keen, is there a hotdog stand up there... why were you running the stairs?"

The team waits in the hotel lobby before leaving for the tour of the Molson Canadian Brewery in Kitsilano.

The guys pull up a spot at the beginning of the tour at the Molson Brewery. No beers for the boys though but they can at least play the role.



This machine can churn out 1600 cans a minute. Impressive. Think you can keep up?

30 packs of Coors Light roll off the production line.


End of the tour. The guys get pizza and pop. Taylor Vause and Eric Doyle show off their cans of 7-up. Take it easy guys.... know your limit. I enjoyed a 0 degrees Coors light fresh from the tap. Thanks to Renee and Alf for the tour.

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I think it's great out here. The team is having a good trip, there's lots to see and do. It's probably the 5th or 6th time I've been here but there's always something going on. Great place to visit but could I live out here?

It isn't Lanigan, SK... or for that matter Swift Current. It's different, but it's a good different I suppose.

Sushi for lunch, a trip down Robson St. after supper, it's a nice set-up.

If you can shrug off the consecutive rainy days, sometimes weeks at a time, then you got a shot. The people that live out here swear by it.

"You are from where?"

That's a common response from the folks out here. They look at you as if you're from another planet. I've given up the battle.

The folks are friendly though. Laid back, despite the fast pace all around.

The one week I spent up here a couple summers ago was spectacular. Sunshine, warm weather, Stanley Park, the Sea Wall... the place has it all... a 10 out of 10 for sheer beauty.

After our Molson tour today, I met a friend for drinks downtown. He used to live in Swift. Worked for a farm chemical company as a sales rep and has moved up the ranks. He has one of the condos in those glass high-rise palaces downtown now.

Going rate? About :$750k for a two bedroom 1000sq ft. set up downtown overlooking the ocean harbour. Nice.

He's lived everywhere - Winnipeg, Brandon, Calgary, Swift, Toronto and now Vancouver. Of all the places it's Vancouver that's been his favorite. But economics and the chance to own a home will send him back to his hometown of Winnipeg in March.

So many things going on...it's just a fun place to be a part of. But live down here? Nah, not for me.

A few things I've learned today:
a) I don't get along with chopsticks
b) I think if I worked at a brewery I wouldn't enjoy beer very much
c) I better save my beer bottles if I want to own property out here.

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The Broncos and their "I Love BC" bumper sticker, face their biggest challenge of the season Tuesday night. The Giants are hot and will throw a lot at the Broncos on home ice. At 3-0 so far through the B.C. division, the guys are confident yet know there's still a couple games left before breaking for Christmas.

No Jon Blum (U.S. World Juniors) on the back-end for the G-men probably won't matter much. The Broncos will have to break their forecheck and match their work ethic. Get pucks in deep and pressue the Giants in their zone if they want to be successful.

The guys are excited, and will play Vancouver with a full line-up for the first time in awhile. So many times over the years the Broncos have limped into the final few games of the swing overwhelmed with injuries and fatigue. Not the case right now though, and there's no excuses on the fatigue front either.


More on Tuesday....




Jon

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