Hockey tickets, a Whyte Avenue celebration, and a surprise K9 encounter.
It started with a company prize. Back when I worked for Big Bee Systems—our fictional name for my old technology employer—I won Edmonton Oilers playoff tickets through an internal draw. I went to the game with my landlady at the time, and we had a blast.
After the Oilers won, Whyte Avenue filled with celebrating fans. It was the middle of the week, but the crowd didn't seem to notice. Later, I was wandering the avenue with my girlfriend. We were both from smaller places, so naturally we wanted to take in the spectacle. We took pictures as the celebration descended into chaos.
Near 106 Street and Whyte Avenue, we turned toward the coffee shop parking lot.
And there they were.
An Edmonton Police K9 unit was apparently preparing to deploy. Five or six dogs stretched across the path with their handlers. As we approached, a command was given, and suddenly every dog looked very serious indeed.
That was one shortcut we weren't taking.
Somehow, in that remarkable moment, I managed to capture a photograph: police dogs across the lot, the city's celebration around us, and our sightseeing trip coming to a very abrupt conclusion.
That original photograph was later lost in a house fire. But the memory survived.
The hockey tickets were free. The celebrations were unforgettable. The complimentary K9 demonstration was not mentioned in the employee prize description.
We came for the hockey. Stayed for the spectacle. And left when the dogs started taking reservations.
This is a humorous adaptation of a personal recollection. The cartoon's staging, dialogue and employer branding are fictionalized; it is not a reproduction of the lost photograph.