The New Year of the Dragons

(for the team...)

My Fellow Dragons:

Sixty-four from twelve equals today.

And I know Iknow IKNOW it has nothing to do with hockey, but there you are.

It's funny. As a child/teenager I was such a comic book/sci-fi geek (and oh how things have changed!) that 2001 seemed like a hugemassiveenormous year in the future. I remember reading Arthur C. Clarke's book (and reading the book well before I ever saw the film) and thinking "Holy fuck. I'm going to be 37 in 2001. Holy fuckedy-fuck-fuck that will be old." And now it's 2012 (and because of Clarke and Kubrick I still think of the year as "Two Thousand and Twelve") and 37 doesn't seem that much anymore.

Strange how the future just... happens. And then it just keeps going. And then, here we are.

Do we get older, or do we just become more like we are?

If I had a time machine, I'd go back, tell myself to buy The Killing Joke page I saw in London, buy another Vess Sandman page, buy a couple more Totleben pages, warn myself that eventually I'd go grey and hair would grow in my ears and advise myself to have as much sex as possible and never say "No" to the opportunity.

Hmmm, come to think about it, I don't think I've ever said "no". Wait -- correct that! There was a friend's wife some 17 years ago and that woman in Vegas 20 years ago. So, yes! I have standards!! Holy shit, I have standards! Yay for me!!!

But enough about all that and the additional ring around my maple trunk...

Gentlemen, welcome to the new year and the return of the most fun you can have on a Sunday that doesn't involve religion, television or farm animals. I'm speaking of course about Dragons hockey!

The Dragons take to the ice at 6:20 in #1.

The final game of last year was against the BLACK Dragons; the first game of this year is against the MAD Dragons. It's like a CFL game where the Rough Riders will win.

After a careful analysis of their past record, I've determined that the Mad Dragons suck and deserve to be defeated. I could go into more detail, but that's the undeniable conclusion of my study and I won't be bogged down with facts. Because facts are for people who refuse to dream of the fictional wonders that they can create and turn into reality. Fact are simple and facts are straight facts are lazy and facts are late, facts all come with points of view and facts don't do what I want them to. And home is where I want to be but I guess I'm already there.

So, welcome to the new year -- a year sure to be filled with all sorts of wonders and confusions and surprises and hopefully the occasional delight.

And heck here's a crazy thought, but with a 6:20 start time on Sunday, maybe we can head out for a beer afterwards. A slightly delayed seasonal celebration of good cheer. Or something like that.

I hope your holidays were the perfect balance of naughty *and* nice. And hope to see you Sunday.

Let us know if you will be unable to attend the game. Otherwise, look forward to seeing you then.

All the best. And welcome to the new year of the Dragons.