The Greatest Gift Calgary Has Ever Given Me (EDIT) In the year 2009

Hello Friends and Lovers. That reminds me of a Beatles song - "In My Life" - maybe you've heard it, maybe you haven't - but at the end of the day - who cares - because i have a story to tell.

So i'm in Calgary - I came down for the internship retreat - no I am not going back on internship - though some of you may have hoped for that because the frequency and quality of my blogs were much higher on internship - but no - in fact - I am recieveing an Intern of my own in September, and I had to come down and meet this lad and spend some time doing some training together. It went well - i'm going to try and not be so detailed on the preamble - because as i said i do have a story to tell - but i have been so many places and done so much that if i wanted my preamble could go on for decades (props to the Neil Young Greatest Hits CD of the same name)

Anyhow - the retreat is now over - it was over at like 11:00 this morning - then you may be thinking to yourself (if you are a thinking kind of person) why are you still in Calgary - well don't get all hot and bothered - i will tell you. I am staying a couple extra days to work on and hopefully complete an Ordination research paper with the help of the world renowned Archibald Thompson Library here at Ambrose University College. Sneeze, Sneeze again. Wipe Hand. Continue.

Anyway - did some work on that in the late morning and early afternoon. After that i helped two seperate friends with thier home moving endevours. If there is anything I am good at - it's moving - if this pastor thing doesn't work out - for sure i will become a mover. The future is bright. Anyway - after i had helped my friend Tim move some of his gear to his new Locale, i took my other friend Monica, not to her new home that i also helped her move her stuff to, but to an area of Calgary that i used to live in known as Kensington. She was meeting up with some other friends to hit a pub for beer and wings - two things that i enjoy - though i myself planned on declining thier invite to work on my Ordination assignment - because i am motivated and committed right now. But, with them when i was dropping off Monica was my other friend Hanna who i was planning on hanging with and so needed to talk to - so i parked - got out to chat and then learned something amazing. These friends had gone to a pub and found it packed out. So they crossed the street and tried a different one. When they entered they found it full as well - though this time if was full of the recently defeated and eliminated Calgary Flames. Cool enough situation as it is - but even cooler means that one of my favorite players "Todd Bertuzzi" who now plays for the flames - is also in there. I say to my friend Jon (though not Jon Kramer) "we've got to go in there and talk to Bert" (aka Bertuzzi). And he said - "No I can't go back in - i totally made a fool of myself with Iginla" and I was like - "I don't care - i'm going in"

So i scoured my car for something for him to autograph - i couldn't believe it - I had no Canucks paraphanalia - Brutal -so i found some paper and a working pen - and i started heading for the pub. Then i thought - i should take a picture - so i cleared a couple pictures of my memory card on my phone - and headed in. It was packed and there were faces that i recognized - but i couldn't see Bert. I saw Rhett Warrener - and Adrian Aucoin, and a couple other faces - but no Bert. I went further in - and there he was - hidden deep among the throng of players. I walked a little further in so i didn't look like the creepy stalker that i was - but then i mustered all the testosterone and courage I had - walked right up behind him and said "Hey Bert". He looked up and around and realized it was me a total stranger talking to him and i first said - "could i get your autograph?" - then as he took the pen and paper from me to sign i started blabbering like the idiot I am when i meet celebrities. I said "I loved you when you were with the Canucks" and "I like that you are with the Flames now - even though it's the Flames" and one of the other nameless flames said - "hey he loves you" and i was embarresed because i realized that i just told a 6'4 235lb, bearded, toothless man that i loved him...but i kept going....i said "It's true man - i bought your Jersey after you got traded - because i thought Vancouver treated you like crap" and finally he said - "thanks a lot" - he reached out his big hand to shake mine - i took it and shook it as firmly as i could manage from this state of euphoria and ran out of the pub - i even knocked over a stool on my way out - but i didn't look back - cause i was too excited - i had to supress the urge to skip and jump for joy until i got out of the pub - which i did. It was awesome!
I haven't felt that giddy in a long long time. Then i started calling people and letting them in on my excitement.

and That's my story about meeting Todd Bertuzzi in Calgary and how i wish i wasn't such a uncontrollable fan-boy - but i couldn't help it. It was such a rush - and to actually go up to him and initiate and ask for his autograph that was a big deal - but it was worth it - i may never wash this hand again...shoot...i already did....oh and i didn't get a picture cause i was too stunned just getting the autograph and handshake....anyway...thats my story.