The 2012 NHL Lockout Survival Guide
It’s been a while since I wrote a survival guide… but today, on Day 1 of this new NHL Lockout I think that it’s a good time.
I know that many people are sad, upset, mad, frustrated, worried and really just pissed off about this whole situation. I am too. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t move forward and be awesome and fill our lives with things to do while we wait for this whole ordeal to be resolved between the owners and the NHLPA.
Here are some things that you can do to pass the time and feel alive during this stoppage of play.
Catch Up On Summer Movies: Please note that I am not advocating unauthorized downloads. However, I do think that it would be awesome if you were able to watch all of the movies that maybe you wanted to watch this summer but didn’t get around to. I really liked the big 3 comic books flicks: The Avengers, The Amazing Spider-Man and The Dark Knight Rises. But I know that I missed out on a lot of other flicks that I should have seen. You probably did too. Take some time now and make it happen. As a bonus, your non-hockey loving partner (if you have one) will probably be very happy to sit and watch a movie with you while you pine for the return of the NHL.
Note: If you have any movie recommendations for me please let me know!
Knit: I know that it’s kind of a hipster solution, but it’s really trendy and if you start know and learn some basics I’m sure that you could have some socks and scarves ready for Christmas presents this year. And heck, knitting is one of those things that you can do while you watch hockey. Maybe not when you’re watching your favourite team in a rivalry match-up. But if you’re watching a Wednesday night tilt between two teams that you really aren’t invested in, you can get the needles and wool out and get to work!
Bake: Autumn is here and winter is coming, that means that it’s a perfect time for fresh baked goods to share with family and friends and co-workers. Look up some of your mom’s favourite recipes. Or grandma’s favourite recipes for that matter. Hit the Bulk Barn for a ton of ingredients, and start baking. Chocolate Chip Cookies are always a great idea and if you’ve never made an Apple Crisp I highly recommend that you give it a shot! Even if you’ve never baked before, you can do this. I believe in you, and if you need anyone to taste test your goodies please just let me know. I’m quite sure your officemates would be happy to samples your goods as well. Good luck.
Note: Here’s my personal fav recipe, the one that I learned how to bake when I was a kid, from page 23 of Jean Pare’s cookbook when I was a kid – Chocolate Chippers.
Watch Football: I know, I know. You love hockey. That’s your game. You have your team. You’ve been watching since you were a kid. But come on, it’s not the ONLY sport out there. Football has a lot of excitement and passion and hard hitting. Canadian fans would be welcome to start cheering for a CFL team as we work our way towards the 100th Grey Cup celebrations this fall. And the NFL season has just started and has games on Thursday nights, all day Sunday and Monday nights, so if you start watching now you don’t have to worry about having missed much so far! As a proud Dallas Cowboys fan I’d love to welcome you to the fan base.
Whatever you choose to do to deal with the absence of NHL hockey in your life, try to have some fun. This isn’t easy for any of us. But we will get through it. Just as we have done before and (sadly, probably) our children will do after us.
My fingers are crossed that this whole thing doesn’t last long. I’m sure yours are too.
I wish us all luck.
creator of content, daddy blogger, writer, coffee drinker, fan of the Batman. proud mo bro. prouder dad.
