It’s Good Friday, when Christians across the world observe the Crucifixon of Jesus Christ. 

The Roman Catholic Church prescribes Good Friday as a day of fasting, where only one meal is allowed. I’ve never followed that rule, although I may very well come close this year. I finished off the remainig asparagus I got last night at Outback before leaving the hotel this morning, but I haven’t eaten anything else. I was tempted to eat when I stopped at 7-Eleven, but I held firm. 

The vast majority of Catholics in the United States will go back to eating meat on Fridays starting next week. I’m going to try to go old school and not eat meat. It will be tough next week when I’m in Kenutcky, but I’ll do all I can. At least I’m in Lexington, where there are enough options, unilke some of the rural towns in Mississippi and Alabama I passed through on trips to the schools in those states. Good luck trying to find something without meat. If the place had a McDonald’s, at least there was Filet-O-Fish and fries. Not optimal, but it had to do. Finding a Catholic in most of Mississippi is harder than finding one in downtown Baghdad. 

I’m now at Buffalo Wild Wings in Liberty. I’m probably going to eat, becuase it would be rude of me not to eat after spending as much time as I have here yesterday and today. I was expecting to see Larry (MIZZOU) so we could play trivia, but by my deductions, he’s at the B-Dubs in Zona Rosa. Oh well. No big deal. 

I’m starting to enjoy the B-Dubs in Liberty more anyway. I’ve been going to Zona Rosa regularly for four years now, and it does get repetitive, even if I like seeing eveyrone there. A change of scenery is good. In this case, I’m finding Liberty to be superior to Zona Rosa in many ways: newer decor, lighting not as harsh, climate control works well, musicTV not as loud. I’m starting to get to know people here, so that’s an added bonus. I will never totally abandon Zona Rosa, but as more and more people leave, it’s good to have an alternative. 

I’ll make my way west on Missouri Highway 152 eventually. Minksy’s for sure. B-Dubs not so sure. 

The NBA playoffs start tomorrow. Yipee. I haven’t cared about the NBA very much since the Bulls ruined the league by bullying everyone behind Jordan and Pippen, and later Rodman. I know who wins, but I’m not going to watch a full NBA game. 

The NHL playoffs began Wednesday. All five Candian teams–Canadiens, Senators, Maple Leafs, Oiliers and Flames–lost their openers. NBC is ecstatic. The last thing it wants is a Canadian team advancing deep in the playoffs, becuase it will mean lower TV ratings, not to mention the hassle of trying to broadcast in another country. Except for the Stanley Cup Finals, NBC will simply take the Candian feed and transmit it back to the states when a game is in Canada. 

I’m so happy the Panthers, Lightning and Hurricanes are not in the playoffs. The Predators are. Can’t stand them. Period. First, Nashville should not have hockey, and second, their captain, Mike Fisher, was traded from Ottawa to Nashville after his wife, Carrie Underwood, demanded the Senators trade her precious baby doll to the Predators. 

Underwood’s demands reminds me of when Wayne Gretzky was traded from the Oilers to the Kings in 1988. The Great One married actress Janet Jones following Edmonton’s victory over Boston in the 1988 Stanley Cup Finals, and then told owner Peter Pocklington he wanted to go to Los Angeles for his wife’s career. Fearing he would lose Gretzky in free agency and not get any compensation, Pocklington sent Gretzky to the states. 

I’m sure the Oilers live in fear that their current superstar, Connor McDavid, will demand a trade out of Alberta one day. The Oilers are in a small market and have to deal with the logistical problems of a Canadian team, notably the exchange rate and the high taxes to fund the National Health System. If McDavid played in Montreal or Toronto, it would be far less likely those teams would lose him. But the Oilers are in another boat, even though they have a new arena which opened this year. 

Edmonton is in the playoffs for the first time since losing in the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals to the Hurricanes. The Stanley Cup in North Carolina? Don’t get me started. 

I will always have a soft spot in my heart for the Oilers, because their dynasty got cranked up at the same time I began watching the NHL regularly. By time the Oilers won their second Stanley Cup in June 1985, I could name much their roster: Gretzky, Messier, Kurri, Coffey, Huddy, Lowe, Anderson, Fuhr, Moog, and so on. Those Oiler teams could score and score some more. Glen Sather is never ranked with Scotty Bowman, Toe Blake and Punch Imlach amongst the great NHL coaches, but he built that team from nothing after the NHL gutted the Oilers after the league absorbedt the Oilers, Whalers (Hurricanes), Jets (Coyotes) and Nordiques (Avalanche) from the World Hockey Association. Fortunately, Edmonton was allowed to protect two skaters, and it chose wisely: Gretzky and Messier. 

I’m sure you didn’t come to the blog to read about my Edmonton Oilers musings, so I’ll stop there. 

It’s already 12:30? Wow time flies when you’re playing trivia and blogging.