I'd Rather be a 'Rider Than…

Well, my amazing job is taking me on a five-week tour of our neighbouring prairie provinces – two weeks in Saskatchewan, two weeks in Manitoba and back to Sask for a week. Our week in Regina has come to a close and it was so much fun!

I’ve only ever been to Regina in the winter before, so I didn’t realize how gorgeous it is in the summer. It’s small, too, with only about 250,000 people there. It’s really my kind of place. We did some touring and some shopping and I did my daily runs on the grounds of the Saskatchewan Legislature, which was absolutely beautiful. I also got to stop in at the Regina YWCA and learn about some cool things they do with the Big Sisters program. I have great ideas to bring to Lethbridge!

The highlight of the trip so far was definitely the Rider game that I went to. Football is a sick obsession of mine. I am absolutely passionate about the CFL and I know the sport and the league inside out. Though I’m Alberta born and raised, my dad has always been a Rider fan and naturally, I grew up to be one as well.

Friends of mine from northern Saskatchewan texted me at 8am on game day to tell me they’d found an extra ticket, and it was mine if I wanted it. Of COURSE I wanted it! I was jazzed the entire day, knowing that I was leaving work at one to head to Mosaic Stadium!

Regina is crazy on game days. We were working a Home Depot event, and I kid you not, every other person had on a Rider jersey or a t-shirt or a hat, and almost every single vehicle had some kind of Rider plate on it! (I put my Rider dice and my Rider plate on the DeWalt truck… I finally feel like I fit in!) Everyone had an opinion about the team, or the coach, or the outcome. I couldn’t wait to go. I had only ever been to one game at Taylor Field before this one – a playoff game in 2008, where we were defeated at home by the BC Lions.

The game was great! The Riders trailed until the fourth quarter, when a field goal and a forced fumble shut down the Eskimo’s dreams. The crowd was loud, crazy and unbelievably friendly. Us three girls attending the game had a great afternoon. It’s hard to explain what football is like at home in Regina. It will suffice to say that McMahon has never compared to the passion that lives at Taylor Field and I can’t wait to be back in August and tear up another home game!!

Well, that’s my update. Busy living the dream! Four more weeks of hotel living, and then back to my lovely home province! So much left to do before summer’s over! Can’t believe July is almost over already!

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