Feeling Guilty

Well, it happened again. I cancelled another road trip to Chicago. I will NOT be attending Tuesday night's Minnesota Wild - Chicago Blackhawks game.

For the second consecutive season, I cancelled a road trip to the United Center last night. There were a number of reasons for my dalliance and eventual annullment of this journey:

1. The weather is just too damn cold for transportation to operate reliably. My trips depend on transportation to depart and arrive within a reasonable limit of time. I am as impatient as the next guy when it comes to on-time performance. Severe cold (such as that which has been plaguing the Twin Cities area this past weekend) does not assist in keeping transportation on-time. On the contrary; planes run late, Amtrak does not run at all, buses are cold, drafty and with the post-hoilday rush, everything is over-crowded. When you have a system (which we in the USA do) which is stretched to the breaking point, something has to give.

2. The fact remains that you still have to book hotels, etc., in order to do this trip properly. I could not reasonably give the time needed to the proper planning of this trip. The hotels are having a heck of a time keeping beds filled; there are deals to be had, but the want has to be there. Which leads me to item No. 3...

3. My wife, who normally is my partner in these trips, simply didn't want to go. For that, I can't blame her. When I bought the tickets (in September) the Wild had a lot more promise than they show now. Granted, they had not played a meaningful game yet, so the promise of better things ahead was still there. Not so now. The Wild have been shown to be, at best, a middle-of-the-road playoff wanna-be that may or may not get into the post-season. And, should they still be eligible to play come April 13, they will be just so much cannon fodder for a Chicago, San Jose, Calgary, Los Angeles or whomever. And, should they not get to the post-season, their position will not be top 6; no, they will once again draft in the middle of the first round, where they will find another player for whom the Houston Aeros will be their immediate destination in pro hockey.

Hopefully, I won't be so irresolute when the next road opportunity presents itself. I will be, literally, 'Packed, ready to go'.

Stay warm, everyone.