MAY 17 1978 EAST VILLAGE JOURNAL ENTRY

The Bruins lost 2-1 at the Forum against the Montreal Canadiens

What else is new?

Hilde Harnett is crossing the Hudson for a Saturday night on the town. She had been babysitting her aunt’s children in New Jersey. Her grandfather had been mayor of Jersey City. A powerful man. Her father is the editor of the Boston Globe. Hilde is no longer a teenager. Or almost not a teenager. I like her more than before, although I really liked her before. She thinks I ignore ( hate ) her, because of how crazy things were between us. Her and Dennis. Me living there, Dennis and I fighting in the hospital, while she was sick with a blood disease. He actually won the fight and her. Actually I’m indebted to her. Without those crazed episodes I might have never left Boston. And not become the me who is now.

And not become the me who is now.

And I loved her back then.

Maybe always will love her back then.

Nouveau Habs A La Classique de l'Hiver

Last week the Montreal Canadians previewed their Winter Classic uniforms.

The Habs will be playing the Bruins in Fenway Park on New Year's Day 2016.

The 'Ruins also revealed their outfits.

May the best team win the game and otherwise the Bs rock the Snowbacks in the fights.

Triple Overtime

THree nights ago I sat at Mullanes, my local sports bar in Fort Greene, and watched the Bruins blow a 3-1 lead in regulation. The two teams played two periods of overtime before the bartender asked, "You want the sound on?" "I don't know." I'm a firm believer in not changing anything during a game. The other watchers shrugged and Jim switched on the play-by-play. Halfway through the 3rd OT Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw caroomed a shot from the point off the stick and leg of two teammates past Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask. "Well, guess that's a wrap." Jim was happy for the game to end. "Yeah." I wasn't blaming him. It had been a good game, but I learned a lesson. If a tree falls in the forest, someone does hear it. No more changing anything. ps I watched the Spurs-Heat game and the NBA's liberal use of commercials fucked up the flow of play. I turned it off and wen to sleep. Fuck David Stern and fuck all those Fritos and Ford pick-up trucks ads.

Hockey Chick

Back in the 90s I had an affair with a punk rock singer. Claudia wasn't the prettiest girl in the East Village, in fact some of my friends considered her ugly, because of her long twisting nose, however Slatta liked me and no woman in New York had liked me for a long time, so I liked her back. Aa a single mom she preferred coming to my small apartment on East 10th Street. One winter evening Claudia showed up unexpectedly with a bottle of wine. "You're not busy?" The skinny singer opened the bottle with a corkscrew. After a month together she was familiar with my apartment's arrangement of kitchen utensils. "Not at all." The Boston Bruins were playing the Rangers on MSG. "Do you like hockey?" She sat on the couch, handing me a glass of wine. "The Bruins are my team." I was wearing a game jersey which was a Christmas gift from the older of my younger brothers. "I like watching you watching hockey." Claudia unzipped my jeans. "I don't have much time. My son will be home in 90 minutes." "Then I guess you better hurry." I began to pull off my shirt. "Don't bother." She pushed down my hands. "I'll take care of you." "If you insist." I wasn't putting up an argument. Two minutes later the Bruins scored on a power play, then another ten minutes later Ray Bourque tapped in a deflection. At the end of the second period Claudia rose from her knees. I was shivering from her attention. She cleared her mouth with a sip of wine. "That was fun." "Yeah." I wasn't much of a post-coital speaker. "Is your team winning?" She picked up her bag from the floor and walked to the door. "By two goals." "I guess I'm good luck." I guess you are." The door shut and I was alone. The Bruins held on for the win and I finished the rest of the wine, grateful for Claudia's visit. She might not have been pretty, but she was good luck as far as the Bruins were concerned and that made her beautiful in my eyes.

Love-Hate Boston Sports Teams

FROM MY NIECE Boston sports teams are like men in relationships: The Patriots are like the new boyfriend that you really like - he's awesome but almost too good to be true, so you worry. The Bruins are like the guy that you just casually dated and you don't really care about him, he's just something to do. The Celtics are like the relationship that was great at one time but has lost its spark and you always kinda look back and think about how great it was. And the Red Sox are the hardcore abusive husband who just absolutely beats the crap out of you, but day after day you always go back to him cause you always believe that tomorrow will be different and you just love him too much.