On Roughriders

It's been long overdue, but the Saskatchewan Roughriders are headed back to the Grey Cup, aiming for the third championship in their storied history. The Riders will face their prairie rivals, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, on Sunday afternoon in Toronto. The Riders are heavy favourites going into the game as a result of Winnipeg's starting QB breaking his arm in their last game and being unable to play in the Grey Cup. This is either a gift from above or the cruelest, most ironic jinx ever put on a Riders (and there have been a few). We will have to wait until Sunday to find out.

As you can see from the countdown timer above, I am not slated back in Canada until December, long after the game has been decided. As such, I will be watching the game via the internet from my cabin in the middle of the night. This is a real change from the way I'm used to spending Grey Cup Sunday...sitting in the stands. I've attended the Grey Cup for the last 5 years, but decided against it this year, opting to spend Christmas at home instead (with a 5 week rotation, it is impossible to have both Grey Cup weekend and Christmas off in the same year - they are 'mutually exclusive' if I recall from Statisics 110).

As the Riders' momentum has been building over the last month, it has crossed my mind many times that there was a realistic shot that they would play for the Grey Cup and I would be stuck at work. The thought pained me immensely. Now that it is happening though, I am way too excited that the Riders are in the friggin' Grey Cup and am not even close to feeling sorry for myself. This is a great relief. The only regret that I have is that I am isolated from the excitement that is no doubt sweeping Rider Nation. I am following as close as possible by the internet, but I really wish I could feel it.

In any event, I will wake up at 1am Monday morning in Yemen and watch the game via my laptop in the middle of the desert. Hopefully, I will wake the neighbours in celebration.