Now that my heart has restarted several times, I would just like to say that game three tonight was one fuck of a hockey game. I'm not just saying that because the Pens won--that was damn Stanley Cup Finals hockey right there. Everything hockey should be--fast, rough, exciting, intense. I almost wished my boys weren't playing in it, because I was almost too white-knuckled to really enjoy it! (Almost.)
I have to go restore my blood sugar now.
Showing posts with label hockey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hockey. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Nerves of...um...Steel?
Twenty-three year old Marc-Andre Fleury tripped and fell while coming onto the ice before starting his first Stanley Cup Finals game. Poor kid! So go ahead, someone try to tell me that nerves had nothing to do with that 4-0 showing. Their captain can't even buy a beer yet!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Find Someone Else to Gamble With
A note to all my Michigan friends:
No, I cannot afford to make bets with all of you for the Cup. You forget that I seem to be a Michigander magnet--there are a lot of you! I realize that could end up being a pretty good windfall for me, but I could also end up completely broke.
The only wager I am placing is with GJ, and it's the same bet we have for everything: one beer. I would make a special exception for this momentous event and say two beers, but at arena prices that's pretty steep...
Go Pens!!
No, I cannot afford to make bets with all of you for the Cup. You forget that I seem to be a Michigander magnet--there are a lot of you! I realize that could end up being a pretty good windfall for me, but I could also end up completely broke.
The only wager I am placing is with GJ, and it's the same bet we have for everything: one beer. I would make a special exception for this momentous event and say two beers, but at arena prices that's pretty steep...
Go Pens!!
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
It's Hasn't All Been Texting and Crying and Hummus
My last few postings have been kinda glum, because whenever I let myself slow down these days (read: have enough breathing room that I can do things like blog) that's how my mind goes. So I'll now point out a bunch of stuff lately that has been great. Some of them are small moments, some bigger.
- Gorgeous weather. As much as I like winter, the renewal of spring is always amazing.
- Upon learning that LT and I are likely headed different directions, a half-drunk friend getting very wide-eyed, putting his arms around both of us, and exclaiming, very slowly, "But....what's gonna....happen?"
- GO PENS!!
- During the tail end of the gauntlet which I haven't been able to blog about yet, my trip to Chicago was an absolute blast. I loved it.
- Being included on the season video for my Cincy buddies even though I'm not technically on their team.
- Tearing the leg of my jeans open while climbing a seven-foot tall fence.
- Pierogies at the Harris Grill.
- GO PENS!!
- Going to see Chris Pureka and Nicole Reynolds, I was reminded that music is the most amazingly direct path into my soul, and how much I love live performance. I could never imagine a world without music.
- Encountering someone who embodies all the coolest things in the universe: a Canadian, hockey-enthused, tattooed, gender-bending, socially conscious, violin-playing musician. It's true, the bass players are always the coolest ones. ALWAYS.
- The woman who adopted a very sweet, quiet, 10-year-old cat. It made my heart smile to see someone willing to give poor old Dottie a peaceful couch to sleep on.
- Softball!!
- Coffeeeeeeee
- The excitement - even if it is bittersweet - of planning the coming next phase in my life.
- Reconnecting with and remembering to get the support of old good friends - MT, GJ, MG, MD, thank you all so much - and discovering the support of good new ones.
- GO PENS!!
- Sitting on my couch with the sliding door open and fresh air coming in, with Tiki curled up on my lap and Whiskey curled up next to me.
- Planning my next TATTOO!!
- Did I mention GO PENS?!
- Gorgeous weather. As much as I like winter, the renewal of spring is always amazing.
- Upon learning that LT and I are likely headed different directions, a half-drunk friend getting very wide-eyed, putting his arms around both of us, and exclaiming, very slowly, "But....what's gonna....happen?"
- GO PENS!!
- During the tail end of the gauntlet which I haven't been able to blog about yet, my trip to Chicago was an absolute blast. I loved it.
- Being included on the season video for my Cincy buddies even though I'm not technically on their team.
- Tearing the leg of my jeans open while climbing a seven-foot tall fence.
- Pierogies at the Harris Grill.
- GO PENS!!
- Going to see Chris Pureka and Nicole Reynolds, I was reminded that music is the most amazingly direct path into my soul, and how much I love live performance. I could never imagine a world without music.
- Encountering someone who embodies all the coolest things in the universe: a Canadian, hockey-enthused, tattooed, gender-bending, socially conscious, violin-playing musician. It's true, the bass players are always the coolest ones. ALWAYS.
- The woman who adopted a very sweet, quiet, 10-year-old cat. It made my heart smile to see someone willing to give poor old Dottie a peaceful couch to sleep on.
- Softball!!
- Coffeeeeeeee
- The excitement - even if it is bittersweet - of planning the coming next phase in my life.
- Reconnecting with and remembering to get the support of old good friends - MT, GJ, MG, MD, thank you all so much - and discovering the support of good new ones.
- GO PENS!!
- Sitting on my couch with the sliding door open and fresh air coming in, with Tiki curled up on my lap and Whiskey curled up next to me.
- Planning my next TATTOO!!
- Did I mention GO PENS?!
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
It's a Great Day for Hockey
Tonight I went to the last home game of the Pens' regular season. Since I don't know what's going on next year, I can't afford playoff tickets this year, and they're building the new arena, I realized it might be the last game I ever see at Mellon Arena (Civic Arena, thank you very much).
If it ends up being the last one I see there, it will have been a fitting farewell. The boys beat the Flyers 4-2, with a sick goal by Crosby to put it away, reaching back with his stick and deflecting a shot that was going behind him through his legs into the net. I got all the classic fittings of a home Pens game - the ages-old "Are you ready?" penguin picture to start the game, human bowling, some good fights, good goals and good saves, TC the vendor, the skinny high-pitched vendor who sells cotton candy at Pens games and beer and peanuts at Pirate games, 17,000 people booing Carey Fraser (Pittsburgh's 2nd favorite ref behind Mick McGough), and the Pens clinched the Atlantic Division title. Thanks to MT for sharing it with me! (Thank goodness it wasn't a Devils game.)
I really can't ask for a better ending than to close out my last game chanting, "Go home, Flyers!" So if it was my last game at the arena, it was a good one.
If it ends up being the last one I see there, it will have been a fitting farewell. The boys beat the Flyers 4-2, with a sick goal by Crosby to put it away, reaching back with his stick and deflecting a shot that was going behind him through his legs into the net. I got all the classic fittings of a home Pens game - the ages-old "Are you ready?" penguin picture to start the game, human bowling, some good fights, good goals and good saves, TC the vendor, the skinny high-pitched vendor who sells cotton candy at Pens games and beer and peanuts at Pirate games, 17,000 people booing Carey Fraser (Pittsburgh's 2nd favorite ref behind Mick McGough), and the Pens clinched the Atlantic Division title. Thanks to MT for sharing it with me! (Thank goodness it wasn't a Devils game.)
I really can't ask for a better ending than to close out my last game chanting, "Go home, Flyers!" So if it was my last game at the arena, it was a good one.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Weekend Gauntlet 2: Nats
This weekend was a trip to Philly for the USA Hockey Women's National Tournament. Well, that's what it was supposed to be, and it ended up being the tournament, a return to Pittsburgh for about a half hour, then a trip to Washington, DC to catch the end of LT's frisbee tournament.
First the hockey - we played well and it was a fun time, unfortunately that didn't translate to great success in the tournament standings. We finished 0-3, but honestly made a better showing than that record indicates (at least, I think so!). By far the highlight of the weekend for me was playing against my old team from New Jersey. I saw my old coach and a number of old teammates, and we had a great game. My old friends got the best of us 1-0, and it was one of the most fun games I've played in a long time.
When we didn't advance to the quarterfinals, instead of staying overnight Saturday we headed home after playing our last game. Got back to Pittsburgh at around 9 on Saturday night, transferred my stuff from the car I was in to my car, picked up a friend of LT's and mine, and hit the road again on a last-minute-whim decision to head to DC. Got to DC at around 1:30 am, slept for a good 4 1/2 hours, then at 6 am bright and early headed out to the fields for the second day of an ultimate tournament. Spent a good 6 or 7 chilly hours shivering in a polo field and cheering on LT and her team, then hit the road for home again. Thankfully our friend knew how to drive stick, so I had the luxury of spending most of the ride home sound asleep in the back seat. Zzzzzz....
All in all, great fun even if half of it didn't go as originally intended, and I rediscovered the fun that can take place when you decide on a whim to drive somewhere in the middle of the night. Just make sure you have time to nap later!
Oh, and I realized that I've gotten to the point where if a drive is under 4 hours, I barely even count it as a trip. I might as well just be going down the street.
Coming Next Weekend: The Dinah Shore in Palm Springs
First the hockey - we played well and it was a fun time, unfortunately that didn't translate to great success in the tournament standings. We finished 0-3, but honestly made a better showing than that record indicates (at least, I think so!). By far the highlight of the weekend for me was playing against my old team from New Jersey. I saw my old coach and a number of old teammates, and we had a great game. My old friends got the best of us 1-0, and it was one of the most fun games I've played in a long time.
When we didn't advance to the quarterfinals, instead of staying overnight Saturday we headed home after playing our last game. Got back to Pittsburgh at around 9 on Saturday night, transferred my stuff from the car I was in to my car, picked up a friend of LT's and mine, and hit the road again on a last-minute-whim decision to head to DC. Got to DC at around 1:30 am, slept for a good 4 1/2 hours, then at 6 am bright and early headed out to the fields for the second day of an ultimate tournament. Spent a good 6 or 7 chilly hours shivering in a polo field and cheering on LT and her team, then hit the road for home again. Thankfully our friend knew how to drive stick, so I had the luxury of spending most of the ride home sound asleep in the back seat. Zzzzzz....
All in all, great fun even if half of it didn't go as originally intended, and I rediscovered the fun that can take place when you decide on a whim to drive somewhere in the middle of the night. Just make sure you have time to nap later!
Oh, and I realized that I've gotten to the point where if a drive is under 4 hours, I barely even count it as a trip. I might as well just be going down the street.
Coming Next Weekend: The Dinah Shore in Palm Springs
Friday, March 28, 2008
Things I Learned/Remembered Today
- When driving an automatic, you don't have to push a clutch to start it or put it in neutral to keep it from stalling.
- Driving an automatic is boring.
- People who drive automatic forget about parking brakes and don't remember that they're really good for your transmission.
- Sometimes you just need to tell someone to fuck off rather than let frustration gunk up your inner juju.
- Philadelphia has WaWa.
- Philadelphia has useful highways that remind me of Jersey (sometimes I do actually miss the Garden State Parkway).
- Some people play hockey on teams that are actually...y'know...teams!
- You can still have a shit ton of fun playing a game that you lose. (Well, actually I always knew that, I just wanted to mention it because it's fun.)
- I can't wait to go play in Chicago with MG! And in Cinci with [insert team here], hanging out with my buds!
- However old I feel, my knees feel older. (No wait...just one more season then I'll go get them looked at...I swear!)
Nighty night, y'all.
- Driving an automatic is boring.
- People who drive automatic forget about parking brakes and don't remember that they're really good for your transmission.
- Sometimes you just need to tell someone to fuck off rather than let frustration gunk up your inner juju.
- Philadelphia has WaWa.
- Philadelphia has useful highways that remind me of Jersey (sometimes I do actually miss the Garden State Parkway).
- Some people play hockey on teams that are actually...y'know...teams!
- You can still have a shit ton of fun playing a game that you lose. (Well, actually I always knew that, I just wanted to mention it because it's fun.)
- I can't wait to go play in Chicago with MG! And in Cinci with [insert team here], hanging out with my buds!
- However old I feel, my knees feel older. (No wait...just one more season then I'll go get them looked at...I swear!)
Nighty night, y'all.
Afternoon Nap
You know that feeling: you're so tired, you can't sleep. You lay down, exhausted, except your body is too tense, and you can't relax. Your mind is racing and you have that feeling like you're laying just on the bed/couch/chair/whatever, rather than actually settling into it.
Ah well. Get up, drink some coffee, and get ready for game two...
Ah well. Get up, drink some coffee, and get ready for game two...
Monday, March 24, 2008
Weekend Gauntlet 1: Go Wings!
The way things are looking, seems I'll be out of town every weekend from this past one until May (and 7 of the 9 weekends in all of March and April). Whew! So, this past weekend was first up in my astounding run of busy-ness: a Red Wings game in Columbus, and then National Raisin Gravy Day. (Some people call the latter "Easter", but it's really National Raisin Gravy Day.)
I met my Cincy buds in Columbus to see the Wings take on the Blue Jackets. Given that the arena was half full of Wings fans, the Columbus folk were kind of cranky. The fact that the Wings won 4-1 didn't help. But, although there was some verbal sparring (some good-natured, some not). After the game we hit up a local gay bar in Columbus' arena district--after a very lame start, it eventually got good; I was happy to see a huge variety of gender expression...much greater than I typically see here in Pittsburgh on a usual night out.
And, National Raisin Gravy Day was yummy. Got to see 4 out of 5 of The Kids, and as usual got my ass kicked by the second oldest...when did he become twice as big as me? Ah well, the fun is in the fighting, not in the winning. (And it's a good thing that's the case...)
Some thoughts....
- On the way to Columbus I passed a car with the license plate SUFR4JC. Creeped me out.
- After your parents have lived in the same house for 25 years, it's weird to realize that before leaving to go visit, you need to double-check the directions.
- Yes, LT cooks more than I do, but it's all pasta, and she needs to set the timer to know how long to boil it! (pbpbthththth...) Besides, I own the aebleskiver pan!
- I'm either going to have to figure out a way to be home enough in the evening to do laundry during the week, or...well...um, there really is no alternative.
And in other news, I'm getting my ass whooped with my NCAA tournament bracket, but at least I'm doing better than Tiki and Whiskey. GJ isn't getting much of a run for her money this year though. And, my car passed 100,000 miles! (Roughly 96,000 of them with a mooshed front bumper.) Good ol' Lancer...
Coming Next Weekend: USA Hockey Women's National Tournament
I met my Cincy buds in Columbus to see the Wings take on the Blue Jackets. Given that the arena was half full of Wings fans, the Columbus folk were kind of cranky. The fact that the Wings won 4-1 didn't help. But, although there was some verbal sparring (some good-natured, some not). After the game we hit up a local gay bar in Columbus' arena district--after a very lame start, it eventually got good; I was happy to see a huge variety of gender expression...much greater than I typically see here in Pittsburgh on a usual night out.
And, National Raisin Gravy Day was yummy. Got to see 4 out of 5 of The Kids, and as usual got my ass kicked by the second oldest...when did he become twice as big as me? Ah well, the fun is in the fighting, not in the winning. (And it's a good thing that's the case...)
Some thoughts....
- On the way to Columbus I passed a car with the license plate SUFR4JC. Creeped me out.
- After your parents have lived in the same house for 25 years, it's weird to realize that before leaving to go visit, you need to double-check the directions.
- Yes, LT cooks more than I do, but it's all pasta, and she needs to set the timer to know how long to boil it! (pbpbthththth...) Besides, I own the aebleskiver pan!
- I'm either going to have to figure out a way to be home enough in the evening to do laundry during the week, or...well...um, there really is no alternative.
And in other news, I'm getting my ass whooped with my NCAA tournament bracket, but at least I'm doing better than Tiki and Whiskey. GJ isn't getting much of a run for her money this year though. And, my car passed 100,000 miles! (Roughly 96,000 of them with a mooshed front bumper.) Good ol' Lancer...
Coming Next Weekend: USA Hockey Women's National Tournament
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Catsup
Oh, where to begin.
- Strep throat and more sleep than I ever thought possible
- New glasses
- Unexpected trip to DC
- Bizarre office movements at work
- LT and I hit one month
- 162 (86th percentile) on the LSAT
- MG passed the bar (YAY!!)
- Can't think of a Halloween costume
- Two of MT's foster kits got adopted (bittersweet YAY!!)
- Addiction to Overheard in Pittsburgh
- Visit from some Cincy buds for a Pens game
- Central Pittsburgh season started with a 4-2 win
- Can't think of a Halloween costume.
Oh, and this article makes me want to write headlines.
- Strep throat and more sleep than I ever thought possible
- New glasses
- Unexpected trip to DC
- Bizarre office movements at work
- LT and I hit one month
- 162 (86th percentile) on the LSAT
- MG passed the bar (YAY!!)
- Can't think of a Halloween costume
- Two of MT's foster kits got adopted (bittersweet YAY!!)
- Addiction to Overheard in Pittsburgh
- Visit from some Cincy buds for a Pens game
- Central Pittsburgh season started with a 4-2 win
- Can't think of a Halloween costume.
Oh, and this article makes me want to write headlines.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
My Weekend in Review
Wow...yeah, that weekend ended up being just as zany as I figured it would!
In case you couldn't tell, I was a little busy. A hockey tournament at the Southpointe rink down in Canonsburg happened to coincide with my softball playoffs, which would make things hectic enough as it is, but in addition to that my Cincinnati friends rolled into town for the tournament so there was visiting, partying and all around good fun to be had.
First, the hockey--fun fun fun! I skated with some ladies from my Ice Maidens class, and everyone had a great time. We've had scrimmages here and there with the class, but these were the ladies' first "real" hockey games. We lost all three games, but my little fledgling hockey players did me proud and then some. I still can't believe I'm lucky enough to be a part of something like this program; it is so great seeing these women learn so much and have so much fun, and know that I helped make that happen.
Second, the softball--again, fun fun fun! Although, the two games I played in we lost, and the one I missed due to hockey we won. So...hopefully they won't decide I'm a jinx and will still take me back next year. They let me come eat at Gullifty's afterwards, so I'm hopeful. Softball season has definitely been one of the highlights of the summer; I'm so happy I decided to do it. Many thanks to G for talking me into it, and my Ducks teammates for a great season.
Lastly, the partying. Do I need to say fun fun fun? OK. Fun fun fun! Mad dash back down south to join G and the Stars for dinner...missed the salad but really the crab legs were the important part. Let's see...what else...well, there was a crab claw that someone tried to turn into a nipple clip, a multi-car chinese fire drill, watching a bunch of people from Ohio unravel the mystery that is the "beer distributor", your standard hotel drinking mischief, some LCR dice game gambling, and let us not forget the game of strip poker. If you hear any rumors about my rear end needing a tan, it's a vicious, vicious lie. (Actually, I didn't lose to that extent--my butt made a brief unscheduled appearance during the short removal. Chalk it up to the perils of wearing baggy clothes.)
Oh! And the extra special fun, I got to play with my car on Friday!! Engine flush, oil change and new front brake pads. I haven't had anywhere available to work on it so it's been several years since I've gotten to tinker. I missed it horribly. The only bummer, at one point I took my glasses off and put them on the roof of the car. Yeah, they're gone now. Yay for insurance.
So, now I have to do that laundry, because I have no clean boxers. Clean boxers are important.
In case you couldn't tell, I was a little busy. A hockey tournament at the Southpointe rink down in Canonsburg happened to coincide with my softball playoffs, which would make things hectic enough as it is, but in addition to that my Cincinnati friends rolled into town for the tournament so there was visiting, partying and all around good fun to be had.
First, the hockey--fun fun fun! I skated with some ladies from my Ice Maidens class, and everyone had a great time. We've had scrimmages here and there with the class, but these were the ladies' first "real" hockey games. We lost all three games, but my little fledgling hockey players did me proud and then some. I still can't believe I'm lucky enough to be a part of something like this program; it is so great seeing these women learn so much and have so much fun, and know that I helped make that happen.
Second, the softball--again, fun fun fun! Although, the two games I played in we lost, and the one I missed due to hockey we won. So...hopefully they won't decide I'm a jinx and will still take me back next year. They let me come eat at Gullifty's afterwards, so I'm hopeful. Softball season has definitely been one of the highlights of the summer; I'm so happy I decided to do it. Many thanks to G for talking me into it, and my Ducks teammates for a great season.
Lastly, the partying. Do I need to say fun fun fun? OK. Fun fun fun! Mad dash back down south to join G and the Stars for dinner...missed the salad but really the crab legs were the important part. Let's see...what else...well, there was a crab claw that someone tried to turn into a nipple clip, a multi-car chinese fire drill, watching a bunch of people from Ohio unravel the mystery that is the "beer distributor", your standard hotel drinking mischief, some LCR dice game gambling, and let us not forget the game of strip poker. If you hear any rumors about my rear end needing a tan, it's a vicious, vicious lie. (Actually, I didn't lose to that extent--my butt made a brief unscheduled appearance during the short removal. Chalk it up to the perils of wearing baggy clothes.)
Oh! And the extra special fun, I got to play with my car on Friday!! Engine flush, oil change and new front brake pads. I haven't had anywhere available to work on it so it's been several years since I've gotten to tinker. I missed it horribly. The only bummer, at one point I took my glasses off and put them on the roof of the car. Yeah, they're gone now. Yay for insurance.
So, now I have to do that laundry, because I have no clean boxers. Clean boxers are important.
Friday, August 10, 2007
My Weekend in Preview
In this order:
Hockey
Sleep
Hockey
Softball
Party
Sleep
Hockey
Softball
Laundry
And somewhere in there I'll need to eat.
WOO!!
Hockey
Sleep
Hockey
Softball
Party
Sleep
Hockey
Softball
Laundry
And somewhere in there I'll need to eat.
WOO!!
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Bittersweet summer vacation
Tonight was the last Ice Maidens class for the season. For those of yinz who don't know, I help teach a women's learn-to-play ice hockey class on Sunday nights for a good part of the year. (For those of yinz who do know...and are women...I've probably tried to sign you up. Hehe...)
The Ice Maidens program is by far one of the most rewarding things I have ever done, helping people learn a sport that can seem so inaccessible if you don't know where to look, especially for women. My absolute favorite moment is after we scrimmage at the end of the first class of each session, seeing the excited faces of women who just played ice hockey for the first time ever. I enjoy every unique person who comes through that class, and get a serious high every time someone learns something new or tackles another obstacle.
So the last class is always a little sad because I know it will be months before I get to experience these things again, but at the same time, I know it's a necessary break. Thoughts necessarily turn to summer things like baseball, biking, and skin open to the sun rather than covered by pounds of gear. And, the breaks from things that we enjoy help keep them fresh. When you truly love something, it is definitely a case of absence making the heart grow fonder, and not of out of sight out of mind.
So it's a bittersweet summer vacation. I know come the fall I will return with fresh vigor to happily pick on the people who I can tell haven't skated in three months.
This year, of course, had a little more meaning in that Cara, the head instructor for the class, is leaving for the snowier climes of upstate New York. Enough cannot be said for what Cara has done for this program, and I only hope that Stacy and I and whoever else is involved can keep that momentum going. Truly, women's hockey in Pittsburgh owes a great debt of gratitude.
The Ice Maidens program is by far one of the most rewarding things I have ever done, helping people learn a sport that can seem so inaccessible if you don't know where to look, especially for women. My absolute favorite moment is after we scrimmage at the end of the first class of each session, seeing the excited faces of women who just played ice hockey for the first time ever. I enjoy every unique person who comes through that class, and get a serious high every time someone learns something new or tackles another obstacle.
So the last class is always a little sad because I know it will be months before I get to experience these things again, but at the same time, I know it's a necessary break. Thoughts necessarily turn to summer things like baseball, biking, and skin open to the sun rather than covered by pounds of gear. And, the breaks from things that we enjoy help keep them fresh. When you truly love something, it is definitely a case of absence making the heart grow fonder, and not of out of sight out of mind.
So it's a bittersweet summer vacation. I know come the fall I will return with fresh vigor to happily pick on the people who I can tell haven't skated in three months.
This year, of course, had a little more meaning in that Cara, the head instructor for the class, is leaving for the snowier climes of upstate New York. Enough cannot be said for what Cara has done for this program, and I only hope that Stacy and I and whoever else is involved can keep that momentum going. Truly, women's hockey in Pittsburgh owes a great debt of gratitude.
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