Last Weeks in the USA

I've tried to avoid, for the most part, turning this blog into having a "check out how awesome stuff is in America" theme, but this may be the last couple of weeks that I live in the US for a long time, and there has been a long list of little observations piling up. After Denise writes the USMLE (it approaches rapidly), we'll be back in Canada, likely permanently for me. And for those fans of ours who are wondering: at some point Denise will write a blog post, but if she writes one before her test, it will probably just be gibberish mixed with screaming.

So here goes:

1. Americans really do make a good burger.

When Denise and I were (not so) secretely in Vancouver a couple of weeks ago, I had a burger at Earls. It tasted like cardboard. Americans take burgers seriously, and I've been enjoying the forbidden fruit that is not fully-cooked meat (for my American friends: in Canada you can only eat burgers well-done. Medium is not an option). A friend of mine is moving to Saginaw soon, and he asked me to show him the town. There's really only one place worth noting that can't be found with a quick google search, and that is the restaurant Savoy.

I'm relatively new to the meat-eating scene, but the burgers here aren't just good: they're a giant leap better than the second best burger I've ever had (that would be a delightful burger from Buffalo Wild Wings: two patties with cheese, and wedged in between are strips of sirloin. So delicious, and high in fiber). I don't know what these guys at Savoy are doing, but I'm going to miss it when I go back to Canada. I guess I'll just have to make up for it with top-of-the-line, cheap-as-hell sushi.

2. These movie theaters are wiggedy-wack.

One of the things we were looking forward to most, coming from Dominica, was going to actual movies - and it hasn't disappointed. There are some strange things going on, though. A few days ago we went to go see 21 Jump Street, with about five minutes before showtime, and they informed us that they weren't showing it that night - despite advertising it online and in the building - because another movie had more demand. So they just changed what that room was showing. So we just went home. What is this? We weren't so much angry as baffled. Didn't know you could do that.

Also, the theater sells chocolate covered bits of cookie dough. Think about that.

Yeah.

3. You can't drink in strip-clubs.

Not going to go any deeper into this one. Just consider how awkward that would be.

4. Swearing Cussing

I have to watch my mouth here - partly because people are far more sensitive to swear words, and also because I assume everyone has a gun, so let's not offend. The word that Americans use which I'd like to see in Canada (besides y'all): cuss. Don't be cussin'. What a lovely word.

5. The "Oh Shit" lane

This took us a while to get used to, and at first I hated it, but now I appreciate it: Michigan roads have five lanes: two one way, two another way, and one that can go either way. They call it the "Oh Shit" lane.

Here's how it works: if you're driving and you need to turn left, or if you're turning left onto the major road, you scoot over into the "Oh Shit" lane to get out of the way of traffic. The advantage is that it keeps traffic going at a good pace, the disadvantage is that anyone can get into the "Oh Shit" lane from either side at any time, and we have seen a few close calls where two cars tried to get in the middle lane from opposite sides at the same time. Now that I've got the hang of it, I appreciate it, though it's still terrifying.

6. Grocery stores

Our food bills are laughable. Absolutely everything is super cheap, so a 200$ shop for groceries really costs about 120$, and then the tax is only about half. It's easy to see how appealing that is (though I'd gladly trade a higher tax rate for guaranteed health care any time). That will be a shock when we moved back to Canada.

See y'all soon: wish Denise enough luck and maybe she'll show her pretty face on the blog.

The Schedule (Shedule?)

So Denise has wrapped up her fifth semester, and it is a far different feeling from every other semester she's completed. Fifth has been like a waiting room, having finished the grueling Dominica leg of the degree, and waiting for the grueling rotations that take up the next two years. Really, this semester felt like a formality, a distraction for what the real prize is: the USMLE test. Denise has scheduled hers for a month from now. Right now, we're waiting in YVR, having successfully navigated through customs with far less hassle than last time.

This is really the part of the degree where Ross students start splintering all over the continent. They have the freedom to schedule and reschedule their USMLE as they see fit, although generally, the sooner they write it the better it is for their careers. The score they get on that test, along with the timing of when it is written, largely determines where they spend years three and four of their MD. It's a big deal.

This semester has been surprising in that Denise has suddenly honed her plans. There's been a few debates about what career she'll end up with, but she seems pretty confident that she wants OB/GYN. For those of you who are unclear, that means vaginas and babies.

This is among the creepier photos I've ever posted.

So, without further ado, here is an extremely tentative schedule for our lives over the next two years:

1. Denise will write the USMLE on May 7th (there's a possibility she'll push it back). It will be the most important test she's ever taken in her life.
2. While waiting for the marks, we gon go get hitched on May 26th. She should get her scores a few days later. Let's call this The Most Emotional Week Ever.
3. Based on whatever job I can get over the summer, we'll be hanging around Vancouver until August, or possibly moving to Toronto in July.
4. Assuming Denise does well on the USMLE, she'll likely begin what's called a "Track" program in Saginaw in September. Over the next two years, she has to get practical experience in a lot of different fields, and then has a few months of time to concentrate on electives, where she can focus more on areas she's interested in. For the rotations she has to take, she's trying to do them all in one hospital over one year in Saginaw, which would cut down on stress quite a lot and would be good for her career. Her electives will be a mix of Saginaw and most likely Canadian hospitals as she tries to network like mad north of the border. The more she shows her lovely face, the more likely they'll offer her a lovely job.
5. Assuming (and assuming and assuming) I won't be able to get a work permit in Michigan next year, I'll be living in either in Toronto or Vancouver, where I have family and friends, so that I can work and visit Denise as often as possible. Not ideal for newlyweds, but it seems that the USA is renowned for disrespecting the sanctity of marriage.
6. After that it's hard to predict where we'll be/ what she'll be doing, but if all goes according to plan, she'll knock down her rotations in an awesome, professional, and sexy manner, and get to graduate in New York in May 2014. That's when we'll all take a deep breath and sigh in relief, and then she'll get to be all doctory and stuff.

So that's where we're at. One of the downsides of this program is that it's hard to plan for very long (which adds unexpected costs of its own). Strangely, it's also an upside, since we've been bouncing around the continent experiencing some pretty nutso things. Plus she certainly has a fire lit under her ass.

OMG PLAYOFFS!!1!

It’s the greatest time of the year, even if neither the Leafs nor the Jets are involved: the NHL playoffs. As I do every year, and fail miserably at it, I hereby make a few predictions.

Winner: Pittsburgh Penguins

Runner up: Vancouver Canucks

Dark Horse: Nashville Predators

Who will disappoint: New York Rangers

Who might surprise: Los Angeles or Ottawa

New York Rangers vs. Ottawa Senators

This one’s a little baffling, inasmuch as I hate the Senators and they haven’t done anything I’ve predicted of them all year. I think the Sens will give Rangers a bit of a shock here and there, as they have all year long with teams who underestimated them, but ultimately the Rangers should take it.

Rangers in seven

Boston Bruins vs. Washington Capitals

The only reason why Boston might lose is because they could have the Stanley Cup Hangover, though I suspect fatigue won’t show until later rounds. This shouldn’t be a difficulty.

Boston in four

Florida Panthers vs. New Jersey Devils

File this under the “I Could Give a Shit” category. I’ll cheer for Florida because they haven’t been to the playoffs in forever, and because I don’t like the Devils, but Florida just isn't as good as New Jersey.

Devils in four.

Philadelphia Flyers vs Pittsburgh Penguins

This might be the best series of the entire playoffs. Holy these two teams hate each other and they’re both fantastic. Will definitely be keeping an eye on this. Ultimately, I think a hungry Sidney Crosby puts them over the top, plus Flyers goaltending is suspect.

Pittsburgh in six

Vancouver Canucks vs. Los Angeles Kings

This, besides the Senators series, has the largest potential to be an upset, I think. I don’t know why LA isn’t better than they are: they have unreal goaltending, good defense, and a forward group that should score more than it does. That being said, there’s a reason Vancouver almost won the Cup last year, and why they won the President’s Trophy this year. Let us hope that Canucks fans keep calm, and avoid blaming the referees for everything ever.

Canucks in five.

San Jose Sharks vs St. Louis Blues

Also filed under the “Don’t Care” category. St. Louis has had an unbelievable run, and their goaltending is remarkable, but I wonder how that will translate to the playoffs. I’m gonna go with San Jose’s experience here, even though they limped into the playoffs. Last year they played with heart, though they were outmatched by the Canucks.

San Jose in seven.

Phoenix Coyotes vs Chicago Blackhawks

Don’t know much about Coyotes, other than their goalie is pretty good. Chicago is an exciting team to watch, but their goaltending ain’t great, and hopefully Toews can come back to help them out.

Chicago in six

Nashville Predators vs. Detroit Red Wings

The second best series of the first round, after Flyers-Penguins. Lots of great narratives here, the up and coming Nashville who’re hungry to win, and Detroit who just never stop winning ever, even though they have an average age of 45 or something. Should be great hockey, but I think Nashville is too talented and focused for Detroit to overcome.

Nashville in six.

So there we have it. I’m wrong more often than I’m right, but who cares. PLAYOFFS!!!

On Hockeydom.

Ah, that time of year again. The hockey season is winding down, my Leafs are once again very much on the outside looking in, and I have to find other teams to cheer for in the upcoming playoffs. A fine time to reflect on the year. You can look forward to some playoff predictions in another week or so.

1. You Can Play Campaign

Before getting into the actual hockey stuff, this project is remarkable. There's been a growing amount of press about homophobia in the NHL, and it's great to see players step up and say they would support a gay player if he came out. Statistically, there are surely gay hockey players, and like Brian Burke has said in interviews, it's not going to be as hard as they think to come out. Check out www.youcanplayproject.org. Great stuff.

2. State of the Leafs

Oh boy. My family has been commenting lately that my knowledge of the Leafs, and of the NHL in general, has increased a great deal over the past two or three years (probably thanks to the free time I've had). This year has been both the most exciting (for the first half) and severely disappointing (for the second half) season in my memory. And I'm only going to say this once, because a lot of my friends hate the Leafs (though I don't know why), and I doubt I'll garner much sympathy:

Being a Leafs fan sucks. No other team has put their fanbase through so much shit.

That being said, I'm patient and generally happy with the direction of the team. Hope springs eternal in Toronto, and I'm not saying we're about to make a run for the Cup, but there's a reason this team was so successful at the beginning of the year. I'll take the lottery pick, find a decent veteran goalie, a few tweaks, and go from there. The team is young, it's got a good core, and young depth is being piled up at all positions. We're getting there, but this year was hard, because the team showed so much promise and then failed so spectacularly. As ever: ugh.

Someone photoshopped this to make the beach ball look like a puck.

3. State of the Jets

Oh right, my other other team. This year has provided me with some clarity on how I feel about the Jets. Initially, I thought they would be like a second son of mine, and I would love both teams equally. Not so, it seems. I'm fond of the Jets, but not in the same way. The Leafs to me are like having a brother or sister who just can't get their shit together: you'll love them no matter what they do, but sometimes you just want to fight them. The Jets to me are more like a young cousin that you keep an eye on, and hope they're successful in life.

I had the pleasure of going to a Jets game this year, and that building is nutso crazy. There's an energy there that comes from having a fanbase that aren't there because the corporations they work for gave them tickets: they're loud and often obnoxious, and usually fun. It's clear why the Jets' home record is so good: when I was there they got a standing ovation for just coming on the ice. They get that every time. That would motivate anyone.

I think the downside of this is that their position in the standings is inflated. They're not as good a team as they would be in Atlanta, and I worry that this will keep them stuck in neutral, forever competing for a playoff spot but never making it, and missing out on the high draft picks that are essential to stock a decent team, especially if they can't break the bank on free agents. The good news is that in goal and in defense they're pretty set. Up front they need a lot of work, pretty much everyone could go besides Kane, and that'll take time. They're in good hands, but I'm disappointed that they won't get a better draft pick than they otherwise could have.

4. Saginaw Spirit

Going to games here is awesome. Right now they just beat the Sarnia Sting in Round One of the playoffs, which had two players who should go very high in the draft (Yakupov will almost certainly go #1, and Galchenyuk shouldn't be too far behind, hopefully with the Leafs). The series went back and forth, but the Spirit were clearly the better team. Denise and I went to every game in Saginaw, and we'll keep going in the next round if we can, whomever they play. We're having a tough time, vacillating between cheering for our local team or their Canadian opponent. Tough call.

USA! USA! USA!