Other Pursuits

My wife and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary yesterday and it got me thinking about time and how quickly it passes. Twenty years seems to go by in a heartbeat, while here we sit, day after day, waiting for some progress in the CBA stalemate. Oh sure, they’re going to talk again on Friday, and I’m sure they’ll leave the meeting saying things like “not much progress was made, but at least we’re communicating.”

You’d think that with the NHL gone, I’d have time to concentrate on other, more cerebral activities. I could read more.  I could watch some well-regarded TV series on DVD like Homeland, The Wire or Breaking Bad. Maybe go to the gym and get in better shape. Who knows, maybe even work on the crumbling floor in my garage, right?  Ok, let's not get carried away here and stick to things I can accomplish from the couch.

I just re-subscribed to Netflix with the hopes of knocking off a bunch of movies and TV shows during the lockout.  First up on the list:  "The Cabin in the Woods" and "Battleship".  I'm also about halfway through China Mieville's "Perdido Street Station".  Maybe this lockout won't be a totally bad thing for my pursuit of other interests, right?

It will be a challenge, however.  So far, my so-called free time has been spent sleeping more, watching bad TV, getting angry at the replacement NFL referees and watching more bad TV. I should block E! from my TV Guide, seriously. Last night I watched “Cooking with David” on QVC; I am going slowing insane.

Watching hockey gives me purpose; it’s the one thing I feel confident about. Some people will know exactly what to do if you need to install a better front door on your house, others know why my son’s car has trouble starting. Me? I know hockey, somewhat. Without the NHL there is a void that can’t be filled up by the baseball playoffs or a new season of Kardashians. Please figure this out soon before I forget why I hate the Canucks so much.