Ice, beer, and my brother. Tonight we rekindle an old tradition of taking in a hockey game in celebration of another trip around the sun. When I was growing up, my mother would always plan a birthday party around a UMD Bulldogs' game.

I have been away from hockey for a number of years, living out west (No, I really don't think hockey belongs in Phoenix, LA, San Jose, etc.). So, with the move back to the tundra, I can once again, paint my face, get drunk on $7 dollar beer, and cheer the home team on toward victory.

What a strange, tribal thing it is to engage in.