In 2017 the Brier was held in St Johns NL, my hometown. When it was first announced, the local committee wanted to see how much interest there would be and offered the opportunity to purchase tickets for the full week. I immediately filled out the application, sent my visa number and waited, hoping there would be enough interest in bringing the Brier to NL.
I have been watching curling for many years and with The Gushue team doing so well, attending a Brier was on my bucket list. Having the Brier at home would allow me to cross this item off my bucket list.
Once it was confirmed that the Brier was a go, I put in a request for a weeks vacation at my work. I was all ready .
What an amazing week leading up to the finals! My husband would drop me down to Mile One for the morning draw and most days I didn’t get home until after 11:00. The fans were awesome…so much fun and no matter who was playing, the fans cheered the shots. We even had a windstorm one day with a loss of power at the venue fora few hours, but us hardy Newfoundlanders stayed around and once the power was restored the draws continued.
The atmosphere was electric as our home team continued to win game after game and then they reached the final. It was scheduled for Sunday evening. People were going cracked looking for tickets, but I had my seat for the final. I had never been so excited!
Sunday morning , I could hardly get out of bed. Cold, achy, terrible cough, headache….what happened to me! Did the week at the arena give me this terrible cold.? I spent most of the day in bed, taking cough medicine, Advil and anything else I could find. I was determined to get to the final. But by 5:00 I knew it wouldn’t happen. I could hardly get out of bed so going to Mile One was out of the question. I was so upset…..I had been waiting to be part of this for years. I gave my ticket away so someone else could enjoy the game but I was so mad that it wouldn’t be me.
I settled in to watch the game on TV, at least I could cheer on the home team from my bed. Unfortunately the meds I had taken were making me sleepy and I drifted off for a few minutes. I quickly hit the record button in case I fell asleep, which I did. I thought I’d be able to watch the rest of the game once I woke up.
The next morning I woke up, still miserable, but thrilled to hear Brad and team won the game. I immediately went to watch the game I recorded but to my horror, something went wrong and the game didn’t record! After spending a week at the arena, not only did I miss seeing the game live, but I also missed watching it on TV. I was left with watching the last rock for the win on the local news. How I wished I had been there for that shot! Looking at the fans and their excitement at having Team Gushue win their first Brier at home would have been a dream come true.
So now, I’m a retired 65 year old on a pension. Getting to another Brier may not be possible but to win a chance to feel that electric excitement at a Brier final is still on my bucket list!! I world love to have a chance for a redo Curling Canada. In the meantime, I’ll continue to sit in front of my TV watching the various games, cheering for not only Team Gushue but all the other amazing curlers who bring enjoyment to the fans!!