Space Needle fireworks

I actually got up and going earlier today. My mum and I went out to do some errands in the late morning/early afternoon. We started with dropping by ICBC so I could renew my driver's license. It expires on my birthday next month, but I won't be around to renew it then and I kind of want to still be able to drive throughout this coming semester so I'm glad I remembered to take care of it now. Then we stopped at several other places before finally going to the hospital to visit Auntie Beth for a bit. She is not one bit happy to still be stuck in the hospital (yesterday was two weeks), but her breathing is still quite atrocious. My mum keeps explaining to her that the doctors aren't keeping her in the hospital just for the fun of it, but because they want to make sure she's all better before she goes back home. She seems to understand that while we're around, but by the next time we come in she's wanting to come home again. When my grandma came in to see her this morning, Auntie Beth actually asked her who was keeping her in the hospital, my mum or Sandy (the lady that runs the care home where she lives). Anyway we tried to make her more comfortable and happy, but she seemed to be in a blue mood today and still was when we left.

We stopped at Subway on our way back home and there was the strangest man in line behind us. He must have never been to a Subway before in his life. He kept asking the weirdest questions and then when the lady was going to toast his sub he said, "hey, well I want some fixings on there, too!" She looked surprised, but put on the veggies that he wanted. He also told her he wanted "salad" and the lady didn't understand what he meant until my mum translated "lettuce" to her. Eventually all the "fixings" he asked for were put on and she toasted the sub. The "salad" looked hilarious when the sub was done toasting, but that's what he asked for so I guess he couldn't complain.

(*If you don't care about hockey, skip to the next paragraph. I'm just so excited about what transpired tonight that I have to write it all down.)
When we got home I went to check out what was on TV and saw that the Canucks had just started playing so I sat and ate my sub while watching the game. Things went downhill quickly for them. At one point in the second period they were down 3-0 to the St. Louis Blues, but then they stopped taking bad penalties and started to play like they actually cared about the game and then they scored 4 unanswered goals to win 4-3 in overtime. An hour after that game started, the WJC traditional New Year's Eve game of Team Canada against Team USA started. Right from the opening puck drop I was scared for Canada. The boys looked pretty nervous and kept making bad passes that got intercepted. Team USA also looked faster and seemed to be making smarter decisions with the puck. Canada managed to open the scoring a few minutes into the first period, but the U.S. equalled it back up with a PP goal a couple minutes later. Then in the second period the U.S. got a shorthanded goal (was, I have to admit, was a beauty). I almost gave up on my team right then and there, but they managed to get another one soon after and the score was tied again. Canada was fortunate that the score was still tied after the U.S. had two great chances to widen their lead. One was a penalty shot that was shot wide and another was an open net after a breakaway. Then the U.S. got another shorthanded goal to finish out the period with a 3-2 lead. They got another goal at the start of the third period and after that it was all Canada. Our boys managed to get a goal halfway through the period and then we got a shorthanded goal of our own to tie the game at 4 apiece. With two minutes left in the game, Canada got another goal, but it was called off because of a player in the crease. Regulation time ended with the score still tied up so the game went to overtime. Those five minutes did nothing to solve the game so it went to a shootout. All three of Canada's first shooters got goals and so did USA's first two shooters, but our goaltender stopped the third shooter and we won the game!! The whole building erupted in cheers and Team Canada's bench exploded as players launched themselves onto the goalie. So now the U.S. has to play in the quarterfinals against Finland while the Russians take on Switzerland in the other quarterfinal game. Canada joins Sweden with a bye to the semifinals to take on the winners of those two games. I'll keep you updated.

Right near the end of the game I got a phone call from a GYC attendee, which was awesome. I have to say that I'll be pretty glad to get back to school on Sunday. Break has been nice, especially since we got some snow, but I'm ready to return for my last semester. Now I'm going to go let my mother take pictures of my siblings and me and then maybe we'll play a game while we wait to ring in the New Year. Our family's December 31st tradition is to watch the Seattle Space Needle fireworks, which is amazing. I hope someday I can actually be in Seattle for the celebration and watch the fireworks live. Happy New Year's Eve everyone!