An all night winter party, Nuit Blanche, to cap off a week long winter festival, Festival Montreal en Lumiere.  It began with a walk outside in February, wearing only a hoody and eating a Blizzard, from the only DQ in Montreal that is open year round. Standing in line for an hour for a free gospel concert. Standing still in the middle of an electric crowd an an electronic concert. Standing in line for the ferris wheel before realizing it would take three hours. Standing in line for the Planetarium. Enjoying contemporary art, the most peculiar pieces of art I’ve ever seen. All for free. All so cool. For more, click the photo above.

Arriving home at 5:30 I needed some time to catch up with myself and get ready for a 3pm EST start, the biggest hockey game I can recall. The entire time, under cursing Kesler, Burke, Wilson, Kessel, my mind was prepared for maximum depression and that familiar football feeling I felt in November and that recent burning that tore up a nation in January. I watched with separatists (not really, but they cheered for Halak and not Canada in the semis) and Saskatchewanites, anticipating a loss in my usual negative manner, and replaying the American celebrations in January, and last Sunday. But it happened, and Luongo didn’t even choke. Not as bad as he usually does anyways.

And now Alanis Morrisette is lip syncing and Simple Plan ruining Canada’s last chance at legitimacy. Again. Our country’s music is world class.