hurry hard

i love to curl. love it. it's my claim to being canadian - that and my love of great tasting beer. the cool air, the comradery, the competition and of course the post-game refreshments, beer and popcorn, add to my love of the game. but really, i am drawn to the game for two reasons: (1) the strategy behind the game and (2) the skill needed to be great, but the lack of skills needed to play and enjoy. i think the weakerthans captured the essence of curling better than anyone i know with their song tournament of hearts. it's definitely worth a listen (or five).

Now the lounge is full of farmers
for the 7:30 draw
The teammates all left before they had to buy a round
When they pull the 50/50, and I've lost again I'll go
Maybe have one more brown one for the snowy road
All the championship banners going yellow on the wall
And my name when it gets closer to last call

So Elvira brings my bottle
Hold it up and let it bend
Figures of two rinks battling an extra end
And i'm peeling off the label
As they peel a corner guard
Dance down the sheet to the tune of "Hurry, Hurry Hard"

 
the love of curling was passed on to me from an early age, since my dad and mom are all-star players and have curled for decades. my four-pack (mom, dad, my bro and myself) joined a competive mix league when i was ten and my brother was seven. we have played ever since. however, not always on the same team. currently i rock it out on tuesday nights with a different four-pack (katieb23, rocket rob, my dad and i), while my mom plays for a rival team. this leads to immeasurable tension, as you can imagine.

last night was of no exception. we were set to play each other at 645. i won the coin toss. with determination in our eyes, and a kind of focus that would put emergency room physicians to shame, we triumphantly took home the win. we were unstoppable - double take-outs, tap backs, draw behinds...there was nothing we couldn't do. the 8th and final end sealed the deal. that was it, we had defeated my mom's team, and subsequently had invoked a family feud.

game on?