With Canada’s largest ever boil-water warning in effect [gvrd], trees toppling down on to houses and power outages gallore, we braved the storm [mbv] in Vancouver while our Canucks did not-so-good on the ice this past week. We discuss it all on Episode 7 of The Crazy Canucks podcast.

Even though the last few games have all been losses, we still get together to record this episode because when it comes down to it, you can’t stop Canucks fan. Alanah was unable to join us on this episode due to technical problems, but the rest of the crew was here. We also experience some technical issues of our own during the podcast, but the cause was most likely due to an awful storm that hit Vancouver in the last 48 hours, leaving many without power and residents to boil their water until further notice.

Record as of this podcast: 8-10-1 (4th in the Northwest Division)

There’s only so much that you can say as to what’s going wrong with the team, but we all agree that the answer is simple: we need more scoring. Three games against Anaheim, Calgary, and Detroit all resulted in more numbers in the loss column, but there are always shades of positive points that keep things looking promising. We look at some slight changes to the roster, address stupid trade rumors, and do our duty of being faithful Canucks fans.

Run Time: 34:34
The Crazy Canucks Podcast, Episode 7

I’m still alive, I promise. I’ve worked about 30 extra hours in the last week or so and I’m a little tired. It’s the “crazy time of year” and aside from regular overtime, I’ve taken some extra shifts (e.g. working the stat) so that my lovely husband [audihertz][radiozoom] and I can enjoy Thanksgiving [wiki] together next week. We’ll do a huge grocery shopping order, he’ll roast something tasty, I’ll make us watch Miracle on 34th Street [imdb] and he’ll probably try to get in some football. I’ll have 4 days off (Thurs-Sun) and I think we’ll probably just rest. We need some rest. That, and Christmas shopping. We need to send a parcel down to his folks, although it totally sucks we won’t be able to hand-deliver anything this year.

With all the rain, the Canucks losing, and the extra hours at work, the week’s been pretty grey but something that’s picked me up is being named City Co-Captain/ Vice Captain/ Robin to Jeffery’s Batman/ Alternate Captain/ to Metroblogging Vancouver. That, on TOP of being able to purchase Metroblogging panties, well – now there’s a little bit of sunshine for my day.

Kind of crappy timing since this is the first time I haven’t blogged EVERY day since uh forever and I’ve been out of it for 4 days BUT the Canadian Blog Awards [CBA] are now open for voting. You’ll find local gems on the voting cards such as Gus Greeper (under, If Spock is Enough), Metroblogging, Vancouver Canucks Op Ed (for best Sports Blog) and of course this one here – Miss604.com. Head on over. It’s free to cast your vote and show us that you love us (or at least kinda put up with us). Thanks!

The old vintage jerseys look great on TV. Lately, fans have been obsessed with the soothing blue and the crisp green of the 70s era Canucks uniforms [audihertz].

They were brought back a couple of years ago when the league was having flashbacks. You’d catch original six teams playing each other in their old colours or logos while our guys would don the ‘stick in rink’.

Lately, these have become our third jerseys – almost permanent fixtures and selling like hotcakes cause the fans just love ’em. With the recent 100% local ownership, the talk of bringing back the stick in rink made Vancouverites all giddy [globe & mail]. Even the newly re-launched Canucks.com is sporting white and blue.

I must admit, they are better than the orange and yellow V’s of the 80s, although the skate will always have a place in my heart.

When goalie Roberto Luongo goes ‘vintage’ he sports a mask with Johnny Canuck painted on the side. Now just who IS Johnny Canuck?

Johnny Canuck was created as a national personification of Canada. He first appeared in early political cartoons dating to 1869 where he was portrayed as a younger cousin of the United States’ Uncle Sam and Britain’s John Bull….

The character re-emerged during World War II in the February 1942 issue of Bell’s Dime Comics No.1. …Johnny Canuck’s cartoon exploits helped Canada fight against Nazism. Like Captain America, he met Adolf Hitler and almost single-handedly ended the war…[Wiki]

When I lived in the States people used to ask me if “Canuck” [wiki] was a derogatory term. They’d want to use it (or had heard it used) in such a manner. Looking at Dictionary.com, I can see why they might think that. Hmmf. I don’t take any offense to the term, even if my team was handed their biggest loss of the season by the Ducks [tsn] the other night *sigh*

There have been many superstitions about our team. I heard one that it was considered unlucky to have their arena located between two bridges. Hmm might explain why we haven’t made it to the cup final since the days of the Pacific Coliseum. There are other rumors that the vintage jersey is lucky, some think it’s unlucky. Some say that the vintage-style pads Luongo wore the other night were to blame for a loss.

We don’t know yet whether or not the owners decide to give the Orca the boot. Johnny Canuck probably won’t be making a return, and I think it doesn’t matter what we wear right now – we should just be looking to succeed this season.

‘I remember when the “new” 10 dollar bill came out with the poem printed on it. Everyone (including myself) thought it had a typo: “In Flanders Field the poppies grow between the crosses row on row”. Although on the bill it says blow. What an outrage. Turns out – “we” were all wrong and the note was right. Blow. Go figure.’

Recently, a post on a local website got John and I talking. The author tells of white poppies that she’s worn on Remembrance day because she doesn’t want to ‘support war’. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩

I have a couple fun links on my sidebar under “Vancouver Info” where you can find some webcams located around the Lower Mainland. (Also noted on my recent metblogs post). One that got some of my co-workers very excited this afternoon was a view of Cypress Mountain. Because there was snow. Yes, snow.

I’ve been snowboarding for 12 years now. Ever since I tried skiing for the first time in the French Alps (Chamonix) I knew that snowboarding was where it’s at.

I learned to board at Mount Seymour with my best pal Anne. No lessons, just two teenage girls with boards carving up the slopes. Since then I’ve been to Seymour many times, couple season passes, Cypress, and Whistler, but I’ve still never hit Grouse. Is it worth the trip? (Yep, still haven’t been since I wrote this post)

We didn’t attempt any extreme sports last year or at all really, since John still doesn’t have BC Medical. As long as nothing breaks and that trusty old snowmobile doesn’t have to rescue him from anywhere (the bills would be horrible… oh yeah and it would suck if he hurt himself too :p). I’ve been able to get him on my benefits for work so maybe he’d let me give him a lesson…