And the heat could not sustain it.

On a drizzly cold day at the ranch..

staying in.

Yesterday evening the Abbotsford Heat and the Rampage met in San Antonio, and we were there.

Within the first few minutes Mark Cundari of the Heat pushed the puck past a visibly surprised Jacob Markstrom. But that was it.

From then on the Rampage ramped it up and slapped home 5 goals, four on power plays by John McFarland, Joey Crabb and Colby Robak, Matt Gilroy, plus one unassisted goal by Bobby Butler.

Both teams basted a dozen or more 6 footers, with Ben Street at 6'7 straining ( lol) to catch up to (most likely his idol) Chara of the Bruins (6'9)! ;-)

Markstrom proved his worth after the initial unexpected one, and stopped 29 of the 30 the Heat threw at him, some saves we're rather spectacular. And so they very sparse audience (it was a Tuesday night after all AND colder than a witches....you know what) was rewarded by receiving a free chick filet coupon per person? AND we also caught the cow drop one in the second period. How lucky can we get, eh? Now we only have to buy fries and a drink in order to redeem one coupon for a chicken sandwich. Lunch for Better Half is assured, lol!

On the other hand the starting goalie for Abbotsford, Joni Ortio did not perform to his coach's, a former Aeros coach, Troy Ward, and was replaced in the third period by, visibly not quite ready, Joey MacDonald. Yes, he stretched a bit to try to warm up, but then the Rampage were at him almost continuously and still Gilroy managed to beat him with the fifth goal on another power play.

Over all an entertaining game, even if it seemed to us the skating was not quite as powerful and fast as in previous games, but who cares really, the home team won and the fans event away quite happy and warmed to their hearts by it! 

A good time was had.  And then it was back out in the cold .. as if inside the arena it had not been cold enough, as it usually is. Which made it strange that several players on both sides slid and slipped and fell.  And no, t'was not the fault of anyone. Two refs kept the game on pace and parceled out penalties seemingly unbiased. The penalty kill talent was most definetely on the Rampage side that night, letting the worst team beat the beast one. Before last night the heat stood at 23-11-1-1 versus the rampage with 12-20-0-3!  It seems that there were a lot less than the 3000plus the game report listed. Probably accounting all those seats that we're not occupied by season ticket holders! LoL.

Photos from the game will follow in the next day or so. I am note yet a costumed to using the iPad as camera at games....sure don't want it confiscated as "too large to be allowed " teehee,so only one rather dreary photo from the porch at the ranch....it IS cold and wet out there, warm and toasty inside. Just right for some reading and writing ! ;-).

And soon it will be time for Operas.  Stay "tuned".....cheers readers!

Puzzling Out "Headgames"--- and other subjects

"Headgames"  is the newest novel published by Erika Rummel, Author of "Playing Naomi"(reviewed in artandhockey 12/17/2011) and other publications

And it IS a puzzler with pieces, at times, neatly slotted together, a times splintered.

Gossamer threats are spun with impeccable and literate prose;
drawing into their web a multitude of psychological, even supernatural issues.

Yes, I could go on and give my chers readers a synopsis of the story. 
And that IS the problem. 
A plot so multifaceted while covering that many different aspects may just take almost as much time to explain as reading the novel itself. 

SO go ahead, dive into it. 
You will not be disappointed. 
Although the connecting knots are not so easily unraveled on a first read through.
This slim volume with its ambitious goals truly asks for a second,
maybe even a third read.

The author touches on familiar, and less so, social, psychological, even economic issues.
How they are related only become clearer as the novel approaches the end of this almost surreal description of a young 'modern' woman's search of ...what exactly?

Definitely NOT light summer reading.
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While I have you spellbound (tee hee) let me tell you about Le Grand Macabre. 
Yes, THAT opera by Gyoergy Ligeti (1923-2006) which Better Half and I saw, nay, experienced at the Komische Opera Berlin last month.

Komische Oper Facade

And - believe me - that is the right word -experienced!
It delivered visceral punch after visceral punch... manically, visually, musically, 
and ah, well, even disgustingly. 
Did I really have to see an overflowing toilet? 
Just one example of ...what?? 
The dissolution and degradation of the world?  
Well, ok, most of us think  the world IS going down the drain .... in an overflowing toilet?
So, ok, the director went wayyyy over the top with an, oh, so apropos "interpretation" :-), right!

Right?  Ok, I think I got it. 
Ligeti wanted to critique rotten politics, wanted to protest against the shallowness of modern life? Maybe even the trend to 'modern life' operas... did he anticipate: "Anna Nicole" and "Jerry Springer", 
or twitter operas?
Ligeti was born in Transylvania (yes, that Transylvania - home to Vlad ,The Impaler- did this influence his sense of death and the macabre ;-)?), later moved to Hungary to end in Austria, that imperial melting pot of  old).
Well, whatever he wanted, this piece most certainly delivered. 
Final scene a stunning end to a 2hrs-without-intermission opera:

I found it rather interesting, albeit a bit hard on ears more attuned to Mozart and Verdi and Puccini and Rossini :-). But certainly worth the visit.. at least ONE visit. 
Now I truly never need nor want to  again.  

On the other hand the early Verdi Opera "Oberto",
seen at la Scala before that, was more to my taste.
The plot has its limitations, but then what opera plot doesn't?
The voices were quiet impressive, staging a mix of sumptuous (sets) and contemporary (costumes), which IMO did not work that well. 
 BUT  La Scala's

acoustics deserve all the kudos heaped on it. 

The cast inlcuded :Ganassi (very good), Sartori (good), Pertusi as Oberto (excellent), Lo Monaco (not too impressed), with Frizza conducting.

 

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And a last bit about Hockey for the season. 
.As most know the Chicago Blackhawks triumphed over the Boston Bruins with a 3-2 score within the last 17 seconds of game 6. And so carried off the venerated Stanley Cup
Better Half and I kinda rooted for Bruins. But sadly it was not to be. The series in the fight for the cup was overall rather nail biting. 
So many wins in overtime, so many injuries we only NOW hear about in detail. So many players battling through game after game with injuries. Props to Bergeron - more here. Until fall... playing hockey is "on ice" LOL
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Vanek, UPDATE April 26

Just in April 26, 2010:
Thomas Vanek (born Graz, Steiermark)
will skate in Game 6 hoping to keep Sabres alive!

Vanek in front of Bruins netminder Tuuka Rask, Finland

Vanek looking to pass puck



Vanek being slashed by Bruins Zdeno Chara, Slovenia

All photos Getty Images
Vanek being helped out in the 1. not to return to game. Leg injury? Bruins win 5 to 3 with an empty net goal. Goalies were: Sabres "Olympian" Miller, Bruins Rask.

In this interview Vanek sounds like a Canadian rather than an Austrian, but no wonder since he moved to Alberta, Canada in early youth.

There are not too many Austrian skaters in the NHL, so it's interesting to learn that he, too (not Canadian, not Russian nor East European skated from age 3 on.

And tonight at 6 CDT more hockey Montreal Canadiens @ Washington Capitals which can be followed on live blog only found on the Hockey Primetime network