I was a little nervous about our travel luck when we (I should say "I"- maybe I'm the one with bad travel luck) had some difficulties after renting the car. I got a black Pontiac Vibe, which was a nice drive. I also rented a GPS to help me get around (If you know me, you know that I am almost always 1. late, which I am working hard to correct and 2. lost). When I went to turn on the GPS, it gave me an error message. I flagged someone down to help me, and I felt a little better when even he couldn't fix it. Our second GPS was in German, so we couldn't figure out how to change the language settings. Finally, our third GPS worked, and we were on our way.
We taught our classes in Novi, Michigan at a regional company office. Our first class started on Wednesday, and we had a wonderful group. The pharmacists were engaged, asked thoughtful questions, and seemed excited about the program overall. Corrinne and I tag-teamed throughout the day on Wednesday and again on Thursday morning. Corrine left at lunchtime on Thursday, so I had Thursday afternoon and all of Friday to teach by myself. The classes were very cooperative and patient, especially during the skill assessment.
Several weeks before my trip I looked into activities in the Detroit area. I didn't know who was going with me (if anyone), but I knew that I wanted to explore at least one night. The timing worked out perfectly- there was a home Red Wings game on Wednesday night! I grew up watching Red Wings hockey with my dad (he's a *huge* fan), and I've always wanted to go to a game. (I think I went to one when I was very young, but I don't remember it well enough to count it.) There was a great deal online- 2 tickets, 2 hot dogs, and 2 drinks for $48 dollars! Our seats weren't bad, either, especially for less than $20 each. We were in the 10th or so row on the second tier on the aisle.
It turned out that Corrinne had never been to a professional hockey game- what a way to start! The Red Wings team has a lot of history- they don't call it "Hockeytown" for nothing, and the fans are wonderful. They remind me of the Red Sox fans in Boston- they are there because they *love* the team and the sport. All of the Wings fans were into the game, high-fiving each other (and me!) when they scored. Another bonus- you don't see very many people talking on their cell phones (I love towns that teach their fans etiquette!).
Below are some pictures and a video from the game...
I love old signs like this- isn't it nostalgic?
A shot of the retired jerseys hanging from the ceiling. I remember when Steve Yzerman retired (it wasn't that long ago)- I think I cried when I watched the ceremony.
Corrinne and I at the game. I borrowed a jersey from my Dad. I almost didn't wear it to the game because it was so big (and I felt a little silly), but I am so glad that I did. I looked like a true fan (everyone else was wearing the same thing).
All of the fans went crazy during this fight in the first period. This is one of the reasons why hockey players generally don't have the best orthodontia.
Speaking of fans, the place was packed! Even all of the nosebleed seats were taken. (Keep in mind that this is a Wednesday night!)
Even though I played indoor soccer, I am always amazed by the line changes that occur during the game. (For those that aren't familiar, you basically do the same thing in indoor soccer.) It is so seamless- you don't even notice the changes most of the time if you're watching the puck.
I managed to capture the crowd's reaction after one of the Red Wings' goals.... click on the box below to experience part of Joe Louis Arena.
The Red Wings were down for part of the game but managed to score several quick goals in the last period to win! Even though there was a mass of people after the game (I felt like a sheep) that we had to climb through, it was definitely worth staying for the whole game.
The final score- Red Wings 4, Columbus Blue Jackets 3.
On Thursday night I was able to have dinner with Flora, who will be next year's resident. She is from a suburb of Detroit and came for the immunization training (one step ahead of me already!). Not only is Flora a hard worker, she is a joy to be around- I wish I was able to work with her longer that just a week. (Her first week is my last week at work. My goal is to show her the ropes and help familiarize her with the area. And, as you might have already guessed, I'm working on a welcome basket.) I was so bummed that I didn't take a picture of the two of us, but you'll hear more about her in June blog posts.
After the session on Friday, I drove back to Indy for another week of training. See my next post for info on my second week of travel.
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