Don, that was beuatiful, man. I think you win the Streetplay.com award for “longest story by a Canadian” ;)! Are you still in Toronto? I’ll send ya a Spaldeen–you find the sidestreet and the broomstick–and your kids can give it a whack. Remember, we aren’t responsible for broken windows or your neighbors complaining about the sound of kids having fun!

BTW, we played your “ball hockey” in NYC; we called it street hockey. I recall them actually selling a fluorescent orange ball in the sporting goods store for this purpose. I also remember taping up my stick with that old-fashioned black-fabric electric tape, and coming home with most of the adhesive on the palms of my hands. Hockey was never the biggest thing in NYC though… when the local team is the Rangers, you have to wait decades before they win the Stanley Cup, and it just doesn’t inspire you.

-Hugh McNally