“Imaginary Friends” by Nada Surf and “More” by Tugboat Annie.

Les Habitants are 2-0 after Michael Ryder’s second game winner in as many nights. All the kids are stepping up for Montreal.

I usually look forward to Fridays at work — relaxed, quiet, few meetings — but today I have a four hour meeting…9:30 to 1:30. Which means I’ll be bored stiff and I’ll have to play catchup when I get out. Ptoo.

And finally, happy birthday to Jen and Jenn. One I haven’t seen in 11 years and barely hear from anymore, the other I see nearly every day but is moving to the far end of the country in a few months. Still, it’s their birthday and I’m thinking of them both. Have a good one, kids.

Can I just tell you how happy I am that in 40 minutes I’ll be watching the Canadiens play the Rangers on TSN? Now mit iodine pizza!

We just got back from the condo design centre place. Finalized the finishes & upgrades, gave them a cheque, walked out with many more papers. And now we wait. For…oh, 18 months or so.

I keep forgetting that Monday is the Thanksgiving holiday. The going theory is that it doesn’t feel like fall, which I suppose has something to do with the 26 degree weather and compete lack of colour in the trees.

WHO FUCKING CARES?

Sigh…several people, apprently. If one of those people is you, I can’t be friends with you anymore.

Speaking of Vancouver, you may have noticed a new link in my sidebar. Stanzi has started a blog chronicling her migration westward as she takes a year off to live and compete in Vancouver.

My family may recognize the phrase that I suggested she use for a blog title: “A change is as good as a rest.” It’s a saying that our grandfather always used (not that he made it up, but he certainly popularized it with our father’s side of the family) and it’s one we’ve found pretty helpful over the years. Hopefully it helps her too.

And finally, on one last Stanzi-related point, she and I had post-pub greasy deli breakfast this morning, so I’m feeling a little bloated now…but it’s so worth it.

Hoo ha. The Habs got off to a good start last night, and I got to watch Toronto lose a shootout to the hated Senators in a bar full of angry Leafs fans. That was awesome. I had to careful about cheering too loudly. I kicked ass in my pool last night too: 70 points, 20 more than anyone else.

Speaking of the bar, we stupidly left without leaving any money, so we had to double back on the subway to leave some cash. It wasn’t our finest moment.

Toronto: 9th best city in the world in which to live. Vancouver was rated #1, and deservedly so.

Canada actually had three entries (Calgary was the other), one fewer than Australia. The three European cities: Vienna (I believe it…I loved it there), Zurich and Geneva (both of which I’m desperate to visit).

Welcome back, hockey.

Duarte left a Vintages magazine (avec scotch whisky feature) on my desk that made me realize: I have too much scotch at home. Let me rephrase: we’re not drinking it quickly enough. I suppose that’ll change with the temperature; whisky’s not really a summer drink. But if I remember correctly I have 15, 18 and 30 year old bottles of Macallan fine oak at home, not to mention half-finished bottles of Cardhu and Bruichladdich and god knows what else that I just can’t remember right now.

Speaking of hockey, I think I did ok in my NHL draft last night. Then again, I always think I did ok and I never win. Here’s the lineup:

• P. Forsberg
• B. Morrison
• M. Naslund
• B. Shanahan
• J. Jagr
• B. Hull
• S. Niedermayer
• S. Zubov
• W. Redden
• D. Tarnstrom
• P. Marleau
• D. Hasek
• J. Theodore
• S. Gagne (bench)
• P. Bondra (bench)

It seems like everyone has a cell phone…I mean, my mother & father each have one, fer chrissakes! It definitely seems like every tech savvy 30 year old has one, but I don’t. I like not having one. I used to have one, but I resented it then and it didn’t bother me at all to get rid of it. I have my blackberry — no voice capability, ’cause I work for a miserly company — which suits me since I’d rather communicate by email than phone anyway.

Plus, I’ll never (even accidentally) be the twat whose phone goes off in the middle of a movie.