Weekends with the J Man

I always enjoy my weekends with the J Man.

We spend a lot of time together during the week, but with my early work hours it doesn’t make sense to have sleepovers until it’s my turn with him. With this being a long weekend, it was extra cool this time. Not that we did all that much (it turned out to be a hockey weekend), but it’s always special no matter what we do (or what my budget allows).

Saturday afternoon was Jake’s hockey game, and his, ahem, offensively challenged Baker Park squad had Thornton-Dundee – the top team in the regular season – on the ropes for most of the game before settling for a well deserved 2-2 draw, their first tie of the year. The J Man earned an assist on the eventual tying goal as well.

On Saturday night we did something different: we went up to the Dog Pound to check out a UOIT playoff game. As it turned out, it was the team’s last game of the season, but the Ridgebacks still deserve some props for hanging in with the Western Mustangs, Ontario’s top team and the third ranked team in the country.

Down just 2-1 after two periods, UOIT would lose 5-2 to drop the best-of-three series in two games.

It was my first experience with university hockey and I found it fast and though a bit chippy, not as hard hitting as I imagined. It was entertaining however, and Jake and I both found players to cheer for. I went with Scott Baker, the ex-Belleville Bull who hails from Mactier, Ontario. As a kid who spent his childhood barefoot and shirtless, roaming the bays and coves of Twelve Mile Bay in north Muskoka, I know Hooterville – sorry, Mactier – very well. It’s not exactly a place that I would expect to be producing many major junior calibre hockey players, so kudos to Baker.

Hooterville, by the way, had an entirely different meaning in 1970 than it does today. Just so we’re clear.

The J Man went with Ryan Zupancic, partly because he wore number 8 (Jake’s number, natch), but mostly because he is Kelita Zupancic’s brother. Kelita represented her family and Durham Region (as well as Jimmy Guaco’s restaurant in downtown Oshawa) proudly at the London Olympics in judo. Her sister-in-law is also a teacher at Jacob’s school, so choosing Ryan as his favourite Ridgeback for was a no-brainer.

Sunday was a chillin’ day, with practice and then lunch at McDonalds, before I took him with me on deliveries for a few hours. He comes with me to the door, you understand, to maximize my – I mean our – tips. Works nearly every time. I mean, please. Who could resist that face?

On Family Day I borrowed a truck from work and visited Adrianne and the kids to help clean out her garage. ‘Cause I can’t resist her face.

This afternoon we're going skating and I’m sure we’ll squeeze dinner in somewhere before we finish the day at another hockey practice.

Exciting? Maybe not. But for me, a perfectly satisfying long weekend.