Hello internet, I’m still here, alive and… well I’m alive. Life is as complicated as ever but I’m starting to feel a tad more control over myself. The Leafs are doing great, and I am too. I have some really amazing people in my corner who are helping me to move past the damage and pain that have defined my existence for the bulk of the last three decades. It’s pretty cool, feeling valued for who I am. I’m far from perfect, but I’m working on.

Speaking of work, my boss is helping to complete an education degree. I’m going to become a teacher! It’s hard to believe still but it’s all happening. There is a lot of work and time in between now and earning that degree but I’m here for it.

Fuck Covid. Life is beautiful and the struggle is real. These can both be true.

Well, the Maple Leafs season has been finished for a week now. I realized in that time span that I don’t like hockey. It’s cool and all, just not for me. If the Leafs aren’t playing I don’t care. I had thought that maybe I would write stories about other teams but I just don’t care to. What is it about the Leafs I love so much? There isn’t an easy answer. Frankly I don’t care about that either.

I have a dream. I dream of a world where I write a short piece of fiction after every Maple Leafs game. In my dream this allegorical structure allows me to comment on a game I’ve never played in a way that I find amusing and accessible. Maybe my dream is stupid. It’s my dream and I’m not giving it up. I don’t know if my determination will translate into anything other than perpetual heartache, that’s fine. I will love the Leafs until I’m gone. If I never get to see them win it all then that’s my life. I will never abandon my dreams or my faith.

That’s the point of faith isn’t it. I have no reason to have any. My life has worked hard to teach me that my faith will not be answered. Fuck that, if I needed proof that it was working than it wouldn’t be faith would it? So I’m not writing funny little stories for a few months, not until the Leafs come back. Until then I will continue to work hard everyday to love the man I am and the world I find myself in.

Go Leafs! Go!

Few Nebula Hopper League craft have as storied or vibrant a history as the Maple Leaf. Under the guidance of Star Captain Kyle Dubas and Master Engineer Sheldon Keefe, the legendary vessel speeds through the galaxy searching for new tales of glory…

Sheldon can hardly form thoughts, his heart is beating so loudly. He can’t believe what just happened and he was part of it.

“Is this real?” The Maple Leaf engineer is half convinced he’s dreaming.

“It’s real.” Kyle is still laughing out loud in joy.

Ten minutes ago they were all but finished. Down three hits to none; the experimental engine wobbling worse than ever; no signs of life and barely any time left on the clock. There was no hope except for a fools hope, and a stubborn fool at that. Kyle wasn’t about to give up and neither was Sheldon. Both men spoke the thought at the same time, their years together forming a bond that transcended words.

“Full send.” They said. “Let’s get one.”

Sheldon diverted all power from the shields , sending most of it to the torpedoes but also sliding a portion to the engines. The boost in power input shocked the system into a perfect fractal loop. A moment later a torpedo is sent passed the Blue Jacket shields.

“Or two I guess.”

Was it Kyle or Sheldon who spoke out loud? Neither is sure and neither cares. For a few harrowing passes the Blue Jacket tried to put away the unprotected Maple Leaf. They came close, disgustingly close, it was only luck that saw the Maple Leaf score another hit on the heels of the first.

Sheldon shifted power back to the shields as suddenly the game was within reach. Back and forth the Leaf and the Jacket battered at each others shields, all thought of tactics apparently gone. For the Blue Jacket the desperation was obvious so the Maple Leaf exploited it.

Bare seconds left in the contest, elimination from the race looming the Maple Leaf once again dropped its shields.The Blue Jacket took some wild shots that never threatened to score and then the Maple Leaf swooped in and fired a devastating barrage. Explosions rippled across the Blue Jacket and the score was tied.

Overtime passed in a blur. The Blue Jacket got some chances but the end was never in doubt. Still, fate was sealed in perhaps the most alarming way. The league regulators actually enforced a penalty against the Blue Jacket. This isn’t surprising in and of itself, but in the context of the trails of the Maple Leaf it was a significant reversal of narrative. With the Blue Jackets shields diminished the Maple Leaf simply did what it does best, unleashing a perfect storm of alchemical fire.

With two victories apiece the series would go to a fifth and final contest. One game, winner stays in the race. As the enormity of the accomplishment fades Kyle and Sheldon know that their best had better be ahead.

Few Nebula Hopper League craft have as storied or vibrant a history as the Maple Leaf. Under the guidance of Star Captain Kyle Dubas and Master Engineer Sheldon Keefe, the legendary vessel speeds through the galaxy searching for new tales of glory…

Alarms blare throughout the Maple Leaf as one by one the ships systems go into a hard reboot. Gravity generation and air recycling are the two most important to the ships crew. The forty-five second reboot feels like an eternity. Weightless, breathing canned air, wondering if the ship is damaged beyond repair and each man blames himself for the setback. The red flashing lights turn yellow for five seconds before the gravity kicks back in, then green when it’s safe to breath again. The Maple Leaf is still alive, for how long is a different story.

“What happened?” Kyle asks. “Everything seemed to be going great.”

“I know.” Sheldon answers. “I still haven’t got these new engines figured out. They were working, the speed was creating a perfect torsion loop in the ionic resonator and then the loop started to wobble and I couldn’t get it back. Almost like the speed started draining the shields instead of boosting them.”

“Can you fix it?” Kyle asks.

“Of course I can.” Sheldon is nothing if not confident. “I just wonder if I can fix it in time.”

“Just do what you can. I’ll analyze the encounter to see if I can figure out how they turned us. I love you buddy.” Kyle means it.

“I love you too.” Sheldon means it too. “We got this.”

Few Nebula Hopper League craft have as storied or vibrant a history as the Maple Leaf. Under the guidance of Star Captain Kyle Dubas and Master Engineer Sheldon Keefe, the legendary vessel speeds through the galaxy searching for new tales of glory…

“Time’s up.” Kyle hasn’t left his seat on the Maple Leaf’s bridge since they lost the first battle against the Blue Jacket over an hour ago. “Hope you’re ready.”

“What’s the matter,” Sheldon asks, his smile shining through the comms. “Don’t you trust me?”

Kyle trusts Sheldon completely, a trust earned from years of harrowing adventures through the farthest reaches of the known universe. But they have never been in Stanley’s Race together. Each stage of the race is like a small, self contained, game to see which crew can adapt faster. The Maple Leaf lost the first game, now comes the time to see if they’ve learned.

The two ships dive at each other, the Blue Jacket veers port while the Maple Leaf pulls up. Both ships let off a salvo, both shields hold, and the second game is underway. Kyle feels a difference right away, his controls are slightly more responsive and his ship is just a touch faster. Much like before the opponents are almost perfectly matched, except slowly the Maple Leaf begins to press it’s advantage. Sheldon lets a punishing volley fly from the port torpedo line that was never intended to score a hit. As the blast clears Kyle watches one of the mycelial graviton stabilizers on the Blue Jacket flicker and go out. The stabilizers keep the shields moving with the ship, losing one won’t be a total disaster but it’s not great.

The ships drift apart to prepare for a second pass.

“Things are looking good.” Kyle says. “Let’s just keep on going, yeah?”

“Things are looking good.” Sheldon agrees. “I’ll feel better when we break through their shields.”

The Maple Leaf brings a new level of fury into the second frame. It is all the Blue Jacket can do to keep from getting hit, but somehow that’s exactly what they do. No matter how clean of a look Sheldon gets the Blue Jacket always has it’s shields in the right spot. Instead of getting frustrated Sheldon bears down, determination seeps out of his forehead and drips off his nose.

The Maple Leaf swings hard to port and Sheldon flashes his tubes, faking a shot. The Blue Jacket doesn’t fall for it. Kyle sets the ship into a corkscrew and the Blue Jacket goes into a mirrored inversion of the maneuver bringing them into the keel line’s field of fire. Sheldon slams his fingers on the fire button for two of the three tubes in the line. After only a fraction of a seconds delay he fires the third torpedo. This torpedo is one of Sheldons absolute favourites, a truly special blend that most other engineers can only dream of acquiring one day, his name is Matty. Matty shoots harder and faster that the other torpedoes, so much faster that the shot catches up to the first two. The timing is perfect, one torpedo bounces off the others and all three spin wildly out of control at the moment before impacting the Blue Jacket’s shields. The first two shots careen into the void. Matty gets through. Finally the Maple Leaf has scored a point. As the second period ends Sheldon and Kyle can feel the tide shifting.

The third time pays for all and as the Blue Jacket approaches Kyle knows he’s in for a fight. The problem for the Blue Jacket is simple math. They need to score at least twice to win which means they need to start taking chances. The more chances they take the better the odds that the Maple Leaf can take advantage. Of course the Blue Jacket would have to make a mistake for that to happen.

When they finally do it’s everything Kyle could hope for. The Blue Jacket pulls into a hard loop, bringing the Leaf’s bridge right into their dorsal torpedo lines firing arc. The Blue Jacket even shunts power from the stabilizers to the torpedoes for extra penetration. The problem is that the Maple Leaf isn’t there. With a quick thruster boost and an almost lazy roll the Maple Leaf brings it’s own dorsal line into range of the small portion of the Blue Jacket unprotected by any shields. The stabilizers re-fire but it’s too late, The shield shimmers into place even as a slug of crystalline pulsar steam explodes into the Blue Jacket’s hull.

“We got ’em now!” Kyle yells jubilantly.

“Don’t get cocky.” Sheldon warns. “But yeah, we got em.

The Blue Jacket seems to agree. As far as desperate last stands go… it is uninspired. The Blue Jacket seemed content to conserve energy for the next fight when something happened. Accidentally, but on purpose, the Blue Jacket wheels into a perfect Greboolian Strap which had been illegal for centuries even if ships did it all the time. Most times the damage was strictly cosmetic, this time one of the Maple Leaf stabilizers was sheared clean off.

The Blue Jacket dropped it’s own shields as an act of contrition but, even though Sheldon took the shot, it did not make him feel any better. That was his best stabilizer. As the second battle ends both Sheldon and Kyle are thinking more about if they will be able to retrieve the stabilizer than the win.

Few Nebula Hopper League craft have as storied or vibrant a history as the Maple Leaf. Under the guidance of Star Captain Kyle Dubas and Master Engineer Sheldon Keefe, the legendary vessel speeds through the galaxy searching for new tales of glory…

The Maple Leaf hurtles through the void. Kyle stays focused on the target while Sheldon hard scans the surrounding space. The Blue Jacket was out there, just as hungry as the Maple Leaf, scanning the quadrant just as eagerly. It was nice of the League to inform the ships as to who their opponent would be, at least for this first round, but since all the data they had to work with was from before the Covidian expansion it was essentially useless. The only certainty in this years race was that it would be unlike any that had come before.

A shape pushes into Sheldon’s sensor array. There is no more time to ponder the future, it’s here.

“Bearing 24x15y03z.” Sheldon spares a half second to watch the small monitor he has locked on the ships forward view screen. He can see the Blue Jacket now as the two ships race toward each other.

The Maple Leaf and the Blue Jacket are almost perfectly opposite. While the Maple Leaf works with an unlimited budget and resources beyond counting, the Blue Jacket manages seemingly impossible victories using only what they can cobble together from donations and cast offs. The Maple Leaf is famous for a staggering offense while the Blue Jacket has perfected a stifling defense. The Maple Leaf crew has a deep respect for what the Blue Jacket has endured, and both men know if the Blue Jacket is going down it’s going down bloody.

The opening combat period passes in a blur. The two ships may be feeling each other out but they are certainly not easing into anything. Kyle weaves through the void with reckless abandon while Sheldon picks his shots with infuriating, but deadly, patience. Neither ship can get an edge over the other and eventually, as the tide drifts away from the shore, the Maple Leaf and the Blue Jacket drift apart.

The break in the action gives Sheldon and Kyle a chance to catch their breath and to reflect.

“We are playing into their hands.” Kyle says.

“I know.” Sheldon answers “But we need to learn how they want to beat us.”

“I hope you learn fast.” Kyle says louder than he means to.

“Me too.” Sheldon answers earnestly.

The second period of engagement is largely like the first in the beginning. As the period wears on though, momentum slowly begins to shift. Suddenly it seems as if the speed of the Maple Leaf might be confounding the Blue Jacket’s systems. Still, no shots score a hit and the ships drift apart for a second time tied at zeroes.

As the ships close for the third time things seems to be going the Maple Leafs way. Using a quick reverse thrust to send the Blue Jacket turning in the wrong direction gives Sheldon a perfect shot. A hard salvo from the keel line of torpedoes scatters off the Blue Jacket’s shields. Kyle rolls through the pulsar wake of the torpedoes and Sheldon lets fly with the dorsal line except the Blue Jacket isn’t there. Somehow their opponent had slipped behind the Maple Leaf and, with contemptible ease, a torpedo gets by the Maple Leafs shields to explode against the hull.

The battle is done at that point. Sheldon and Kyle push hard for the victory even dropping the shields all together in the final minutes. It is no use, the Blue Jacket has taken the first of nineteen victories they will need to win the race.

“I think we did a lot of good things.” Kyle says. “I think if we can just keep doing what we did, stick to it and tighten up, I think we can beat them. I know we can.”

Sheldon doesn’t answer. He doesn’t need to. He knows he has to be better. He knows he needs to learn how to get passed the Blue Jackets defenses and, he needs to learn fast. Sheldon smiles at his joke, of course he will learn fast. Speed is what the Maple Leaf is built for.

Few Nebula Hopper League craft have as storied or vibrant a history as the Maple Leaf. Under the guidance of Star Captain Kyle Dubas and Master Engineer Sheldon Keefe, the legendary vessel speeds through the galaxy searching for new tales of glory...

The Maple Leaf drifts towards the coordinates that the NHL had sent them. Given the terrors of the Covidian Expansion there would be little preparation for the running of Stanley’s Race. What was available was a single surprise skirmish, non-lethal ordnance only, as a way to test ships systems and crew response habits. Kyle had brought the Maple Leaf where he was told and now all he could do was wait. Patience is a virtue Kyle enjoys practicing. Sheldon has a different approach when forced to wait. He tinkers. His workshop is rife with discarded and dismantled doo-dads from every corner of the known universe. He is trying to take apart a Femorian Derth Harp when the Maple Leaf’s proximity alarm goes off.

“Finally.” Sheldon shouts, throwing the priceless relic into a pile of old gears and timing chains.

The Master Engineers workshop is part of the larger engineering bay so it is only a matter of seconds before Sheldon is at his station. A few swift taps shunts power through the shields into the experimental engine, which will hopefully carry the Maple Leaf through to victory. If the system works according to design the more speed the Maple Leaf pushed for the stronger it’s shields would be. This would presumably give Sheldon more freedom to focus on the alchemy of his torpedoes. Since this was a pretend engagement he would use the time instead to monitor the engines and shields.

It takes mere seconds for Sheldon to have all the ships systems optimal then, and only then, he takes a moment to check out the scanners to see who had arrived.

“Of course it would be them.” Sheldon says over the ships comm.

“The perfect test.” Kyle says.

“For them maybe.” Sheldon smells a conspiracy.

“You think they can take us?” Kyle knows his engineer well. There is no answer except that the Maple Leaf jumps forward as Sheldon squeezes another shred of speed from his engines.

Kyle knows his friend isn’t wrong. Their opponent, the Canadien, is not exactly suited for testing his ships shields. It relied more on a vastly powerful shield array than on persistent offense. So the Canadien would rely on a lucky shot while sitting back, and since the mandate was for non-lethal ordnance it would hard for Sheldon to get an accurate gauge on his torpedoes even if he did get shots to go through. Some practice was better than nothing though.

The Canadien shows a classic opening maneuver by fronting its shields and making a show of ramming the Maple Leaf.

“Let’s show them what’s up.” Sheldon says.

The gravitational compensation system thrums as Kyle does indeed show the Canadien what is up. Taking a traditional response vector, Kyle holds course until the last moment then flips the Maple Leaf so that the dorsal line of torpedoes gets a clean look. The whine of the pulsar energy building pressure starts to make melody as the music of space combat fills the ship. The Canadien doesn’t even have time to start any sort of evasion, Sheldon hits with his first shot.

“Racka ka! Soupy” Sheldon has no reason to contain his excitement.

“Was that the new one?” Kyle asks, knowing the pride Sheldon takes in his torpedoes.

“No, we used it for a minute but couldn’t sustain the mixture. I just got it back up and running on the Dorsal line to go with Mitchy and JT. His name is Soupy and I love him.” Sheldon could talk about his offense all day.

Kyle is all business and as the excitement of scoring the first hit wears off the battle begins in earnest. The ships dance through the void making a mockery of aerodynamics and inertia. Their ponderous bulk seems almost elegant as they twirl and dodge and swoop at each other, again and again in a mesmerizing riot of flashing light and speeding metal. No more hits are scored in the first moves of the engagement and the ships pull back, as if by a spoken agreement although no words are shared.

“How are the engines holding up?” Kyle asks, concerned that they haven’t had any stress in months.

“The engines would probably be a lot better if you started using them.” Sheldon answers. “We are built for speed, enough of this warming up practice junk. Go get it!”

There isn’t much more to say and there isn’t much time before the Maple Leaf and the Canadien are once again on a collision course. To his credit the captain of the Canadien does start to pull out of the nose ram to show his port torpedo line. The Maple Leaf jukes hard and catches one of the Canadiens nose stabilisers. A loud claxon alarm anounces the infraction and the Maple Leaf shields get regulated down one entire degree. Instead of playing it safe and staying evasive Kyle goes right back at the Canadien. Torpedoes flare out on both sides. A ripple of energy spreads out across the Maple Leafs shields. A second impact marker lights up on the Canadien.

A few moments later, as the intensity picks up, a seemingly harmless salvo slips passed the Maple Leafs shields. There is no damage beyond the sting to Sheldon and Kyle’s collective pride. For several more minutes the two historic rivals batter at each other until once again there is a lull in the action, except this time the Canadien pulls away a little too soon and Sheldon fires a volley that impacts just before the Canadien gets out of range.

“Lucky shot.” Kyle says. He’s right of course, even if Sheldon won’t admit it.

As the ships regroup during this second intermission both sides have belief that the day can be won. All notions of a practice contest are forgotten. Warming up for the dance is part of the dance and the third time pays for all. In the end the Maple Leaf wins but it still feels a little hollow. They were supposed to win. They have learned nothing. True knowing can only be achieved through true perseverance. One does not practice sacrificing themselves, one simply does it when the time comes.

The time is coming soon. Time to get serious.

Few Nebula Hopper League craft have as storied or vibrant a history as the Maple Leaf. Under the guidance of Star Captain Kyle Dubas and Master Engineer Sheldon Keefe, the legendary vessel speeds through the galaxy searching for new tales of glory...

“I’ve received a transmission from the league.” Kyle says on the Maple Leaf’s comms. “Looks like the race is on.”

“I’ll be right up.” Sheldon answers.

The Maple Leaf is a large ship and Kyle knows it will take Sheldon almost a minute to reach the bridge. The star captain prints up a pair of hamburgers which are ready just as his friend steps onto the deck. The master engineer immediately taking a bite from the still hot burger. The 3D printer had been upgraded last month and he was still getting to know the flavours. This was a good one.

“Ser fe gommen?” Sheldon asks before swallowing, then he tries again. “So we’re going?”

“That’s what it says.” Kyle points to one of the smaller monitors, where the official Nebula Hopper League insignia rotates above some text. Sheldon takes another bite and stares at Kyle while he chews, waiting for his captain to read the transmission. Resisting his urge to take a bite of his own burger, Kyle paraphrases.

“So the race is on, but things are going to be a little different. The Covidian Expansion, which is what they’re calling the bullshit we just got through, has changed the way we can do business. They are restricting our area of operations, which means it’s going to be crowded in our sector but at least we don’t need to go anywhere else.

“It’s not all gravy though. Because we are more familiar with the quadrant we aren’t allowed to use our charts for mapping a route before the race starts.”

“What? How does that make sense?” Sheldon isn’t surprised, the league is notoriously arbitrary.

“They are also going to limit our use of the official quark regulators because we have an excessive surplus.”

“That’s bullshit!” Sheldon shouts in frustration. “We already have to keep the other ships stocked with our regulators. Now we can’t even use what they let us keep? Is there any good news?”

“Well, we get to be in the race.” Kyle says. “And they have lifted the restrictions for torpedo flair.”

“Great.” Sheldon laughs. “ Since we can’t practice maneuvers or calibrate our coils we might as well paint smiley faces on our ordnance.” Despite his anger, Sheldon can’t help but feel eager for all the airbrushing in his future.

A proximity alarm starts to ping and the crew of the Maple Leaf slide into action. The odds of a genuine threat are slim but habits become rituals because there is no room for contextual interpretation. Sheldon steps to his console and immediately engages the defensive systems before shunting extra power to the engines. The Maple Leaf is one of the fastest ships in the League and in space speed kills. Kyle sits at the controls, peripherally noting the approximate location of whatever tripped the alarm. He shifts the ships course, veering away from the object slightly. Two quick taps on the command array and the main view screen has the target locked. Both men relax as one of their less bitter rivals, the Penguin, slips through the void. Once the race starts these encounters will end only one way but until then the Maple Leaf is content to watch. At least, Kyle is content.

“That’s bullshit!” Sheldon shouts, again, as a green shimmer puffs out from the Penguins quark scoop. “How come they get to use their regulators? Our regulators, but whatever, that’s super not fair!”

“I know.” Kyle agrees, but has had more time to process the absurdity. “Ships can only use the regulators they are given through escrow. We are never given any so we don’t have any to use.”

“You ever feel like the NHL is specifically trying to mess with us?” Sheldon let’s the question hang in the air.

Few Nebula Hopper League craft have as storied or vibrant a history as the Maple Leaf. Under the guidance of Star Captain Kyle Dubas and Master Engineer Sheldon Keefe, the legendary vessel speeds through the galaxy searching for new tales of glory...

Gasping, Kyle forces himself off his ships deck. Standing is all he can accomplish for a dizzying moment but slowly his vision settles and his neurons start firing. He is alive, that much is obvious from how uncomfortable he is. Because Kyle is alive that must mean his ship is intact and, even better, operational. These truths settle in as more contextual memories begin to coalesce. The ship had been using the new engine concept for months. It had been working for the most part, he and Sheldon hadn’t got it tuned perfectly when… Sheldon!!!

“Engine room, this is the bridge, come in engine room!” Kyle doesn’t even try to keep the panic from his tone. “Engine room! Sheldon!”

No answer beyond the faint buzz of the intercom. Without another thought Kyle starts to run toward the door. At least he intends to, as he takes his first step the dizziness returns and before he takes a second step he is back on the deck. It’s cool on the floor and it feels very sturdy. Kyle keeps his eyes closed for three deep breaths then gets back to his feet.

“I’m coming Sheldon.” Kyle says, gripping the bulkhead for support. “Just hang on.”

“Kyle? Oh my head. What happened?” Sheldons voice is soft but clear. “It wasn’t the engine, it was like… something.”

“I’m looking into it. Glad you’re okay, can you check on the food once your head stops spinning.”

“No problem. Glad you’re still alive Kyle.”

“You too, Sheldon.”

Over the next several hours Kyle and Sheldon ran diagnostics on all the systems of the good ship Maple Leaf. When everything came back clear, they ran them again. Despite how shocking and unprecedented the situation, the choice was clear. Kyle and Sheldon would keep going as if whatever happened was over. A dangerous assumption but until there was more information it was the most logical choice. Of course that doesn’t mean the two intrepid adventures would maintain the status quo. These two would never be satisfied with their ship until it was universally recognized as the best.

“I’ve been thinking of a few tweaks we could make to the engine.” Sheldon says. “It’s fast, but it could definitely be faster”

“I was thinking the same thing, I wonder if we could scrub a few ionic fractals from the molecular resonantor, it might allow for…”

“More power in the torsion field!” Sheldon finishes the thought. “Brilliant!”

And so the work begins again, although it never really stopped. Whatever may happen, the Maple Leaf will be ready for the next adventure.

It’s been a bit of a minute since I last wrote a post on here. Oh well, pandemic and all that. Except that the ‘vid is the least interesting challenge 2020 has brought for me so far.

A summary: I learned that I am discreetly autistic, which is great because it means I can forgive myself and others for how hard communication has been/is; I uncovered my repressed childhood trauma sparking an avalanche of mind/body/spirit healing while also unraveling the knots that I had been twisting myself into in order to maintain a self that was slowly drowning in an endless sea of pain; I stopped ignoring my wife when she would tell me that she could never be who I needed her to be. It’s too bad we made humans, but they are pretty cool humans so that’s good.

Basically the person I am today is a completely different person than I was before. Not that I have been blind to the things happening in the world. I have a lot of opinions about a lot of different things. I had considered sharing those opinions here, obviously I have decided not to get into it. Not because I fear any sort of backlash for my thoughts (I wear a mask just because and I hated cops before it was cool, if it matters). I decided not to use this platform for that discussion because that is not what this blog is about.

When I started Fly On The Leaf my goal was to combine my passion for fiction with my love of hockey. A lot has changed. One thing that for sure has not is that I still love fiction. I’m not sure if I still love hockey, or if I ever did. I started watching hockey because people I wanted to like hanging out with me liked hockey. Since there hasn’t been any hockey since my existential crisis began I haven’t spent any time exploring the question.

Hockey isn’t back yet and it may not come back for a while. I’m not sure I care, but I am certain I care about the Toronto Maple Leafs. I love that stupid jersey and everyone who is trying to get Stanley to come home. I don’t care what country they are from or how much they are getting paid or how many times I’ve watched them send a puck right up the middle of the ice on to an opponent’s stick for a clean break away, if you’re on “my” team then I am on your team.

So I’ve decided to start writing fiction again. I’ve got an idea for a new direction that I think will be lots of fun to explore. It may not be world shattering rhetoric, but I write I love to and I am learning it to hold myself back from things I love. So watch this space because there is a lot more to come. Enjoy

#iBLeaf