Hockey-Related Celebratory Post

YAY! Giguere just started his first game as a Leaf goalie. And yay! He got a shut out!

Go Leafs! Go Giguere! Yay!

I'm really hoping that this trade is great for Giguere. I luf him! And hopefully the way this game went? Will set the tone for Jiggy's Leaf-ness.

YAY!

CONGRATULATIONS to the Pittsburgh Penguins, winners of the Stanley Cup.

WOOOOO! Go other birds that aren't the Ducks! And yay for ex-Duck Chris Kunitz for getting his name on the cup twice. YAY!



And can I just say, TACKY Detroit fans for booing. SHAME ON YOU!

Cup Raise

Every time I see this, I can't help but think of what a great commercial it is.

All-Star Game

This weekend was the NHL All-Star Weekend. In the past, Dan and I have always managed to miss it. Last year we remembered it but only saw the last event in the skills competition. This year, however, we got it all - Saturday's practice skate, Skills Competition, Young Stars Game, and Sunday's All Star Game.

Of course, I had to show love to the All-Star weekend this year as my favoritest hockey player of all was finally selected to play in his first All-Star Game, SuperDuck Jean Sebastian Giguere.

JS's First All Star Game

He was even voted in by the fans as a starter! Of course, that's probably because the All-Star Game was held in Montreal, Giguere's hometown. And let me tell you, the hometown heroes got lots of love from the Montreal fans.

JS has had a rough year - not only have his stats not been up to previous years, he lost his dad last month, so the All-Star selection has got to be a little bittersweet with that. But he deserved it and I look forward to him playing in future All-Star games.

And I look forward to remembering to set my DVR so I can watching them!

On Ducks and Monkey Pants

Duckie Stuff: YAY! The Ducks finally won a game! They finally have one in the "win" column. They finally have a point! You can't see me, but I'm doing a little happy dance!

Mind you, 1-4 is not a record to be happy with. But it is so, so much better than 0-4. So I dance.

This is really the first game that I've been able to give my full attention to and I admit, I was looking for whatever was going on that made the Ducks start the season off so poorly. Aside from way too many trips to the penalty box, there wasn't anything that really stuck out. Now, the heavy penalties they kept taking did get me a little ticked, but you know, that's not all that unusual for the Ducks - they've always been tops in the league for penalty minutes. Looks like this season is shaping up to be no different. Other than that, there was nothing that screamed "I am the problem - I am why the Ducks keep losing!" so I guess the Ducks saying that they were putting in the effort and doing the right things but it just wasn't coming together were right. Or else whatever was the problem was fixed so it didn't show up in tonight's game. The Sharks pretty much dominated according to stats during the game, but ultimately the score is what counts, so whatever.

There were a few fights (Parros even drew blood from Shelley), some good saves by Giguere, not quite enough defense for me (but nothing too bad), and a lovely breakaway by Sammy Paulson that made me happy (and resulted in a goal). And it was a shut-out for Giguere, so yay all around! I'm happy!

Another thing that made me happy (and is probably the real reason for the Ducks' win) was Chris Pronger turning up clean shaven.

Say "Bye-bye" to the Beard

Now, I'm totally anti-beard, but I just really am not a big fan of seeing them outside the playoffs. Shoot, I'm not even a big fan seeing them in the playoffs. But for post-season hockey, I deal.

Anyway, congratulations to Chris Pronger's razor for winning the game against the Sharks tonight!

Monkey Pants: In other news, I am sick. I'm 99% sure I got it from work and I think Dan is coming down with it now. It's this weird virus thing. I say weird because it is hard to say exactly what is wrong. I go from burning up to freezing cold, my temperature keeps going up and down and last night I was having some really weird dreams/hallucinations about pants not fitting or something that was vital to tell Dan, but when I was able to tell him this oh so important information, he just ended up laughing at me.

Anyway, I went home from work early yesterday and only managed to swing a couple of hours at work today before I had to come home and die. But about 6pm tonight, my fever broke (again) but this time it seems to be sticking so hopefully I'm over the worst part.

But until I feel 100%, I will continue to wear my fleece monkey pants.

Monkey Pants!

Seriously, how awful are these? Bright green, fleece and monkeys! I love them! They are my ultimate I-need-cuddles-because-I-feel-wretched pj pants. So I will keep wearing them and my Blues shirt circa 1990 that I stole from Dan when we started dating until I feel like I'm ready and able to rejoin the land of the non-infections.

Until then, please slather yourself in Purell after finishing my blog.

Thank you.

Can we have a mulligan?

Hockey season officially started for me last night when the Ducks went to San Jose to play the Sharks.

Sadly, they lost. Kinda badly. 4-1. Yeah. Not cool. I'd really rather start the season with a win, but then who wouldn't. At least it wasn't the home opener, so there is that.

Honestly, I didn't pay enough attention to the game to judge exactly what I thought was going on - I was exhausted and thought I did pretty darn good just to stay up for the whole game (why can't I follow a team in the central time zone?) - so I can't really say much about how the team is shaping up. Which is a shame because I know the Ducks' coaching staff is desperate for my opinion. But sadly, they will have to wait until I see more games.

I'm just happy that hockey is back on so I have something to watch! Even if that means that some nights (like tonight) I have to watch Blues. But they have Andy Mac.

Go Andy Mac!

Mini Teemu Appreciation Post

Hockey has sorta started but not and I was not planning on posting anything hockey related until it started for real (the Ducks have their first regular season game on October 9 but their first preseason game was yesterday), however I had to post something about this.

I just love Teemu Selanne.

Teemu

Check out this article talking about how Teemu's at Ducks training camp under a "pro tryout agreement", waiting for the Ducks to shuffle around their roster and make some deals so they can clear up enough salary cap space to sign him.

I love the fact that Teemu has loyalty to the Ducks and an obvious love of the game. He seems like a genuinely good guy (even with occasional f-bombing towards the refs after penalties included). I think if there were more athletes like him, the sports world would be a better place.

So yeah, Teemu totally rocks. He's the type of guy that I hope good things happen to, you know? And I really hope the Ducks can sign him again this year!

Oh, and since I'm already posting pre-season stuff, I'd like to mention that the Ducks won their first preseaon game (against the Sharks) 6-4. Yay! Of course, preseason means nothing but whatever.

Scrap

Wow, it's been a couple months since I've done any scrapbooking. I started this page a while ago but then Nibby died and I didn't feel like doing much of anything so it's taken me until tonight to finish it up. But I think it turned out really neat! Thought maybe this isn't the best picture of it...

Ducks @ Stars

I've got a lot of pages to do, but a lot of them I need to get pictures developed for. Once I've got the pictures printed out, I want to do a Hawaii scrapbook and one of Nibby's pages for the Kitty scrapbook. I just have to sit down and pick out what pictures I want to use for them, edit them and then take them to Costco next time we go. Hopefully I'll get in gear and do that in the next week or two.

Boo!!

I'm grumpy today for two reasons:

Reason one: The Detroit Red Wings won the Stanley Cup last night in Game Six last night. Dang it. Oh well, at least now Sidney Crosby can shave off his horrid excuse for a playoff beard.

Crosby attempting a beard

I feel like he should be wearing a stained apron and a hairnet and be bussing my table.

Reason Two:
This is the big one. Guess what sight greeted us after we got up this morning.

Stupid wind!

Yep, another section of fence was blown down. I hate the stupid wind we get here. Dad's coming down to help fix the fence today, so that's good but still, I hate the wind.

So now I'm grumpy. *pout*

Cry Fowl!

Yeah, haven't been blogging oh so much this month. Been not sleeping so great since Nibby. I think it is finally catching up. Kind of brain dead when I get home. But, I did want to point everyone's attention to the fact that the Stanley Cup Final is currently going on.

The Detroit Red Wings lead the series 2-0 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tonight is game three and the Pens are leading 2-0. Since the Ducks were knocked out of the series in Round One (doh!), I'm pulling for the only other waterfowl in this series:

So, Go Penguins!

BTW, are penguins actually waterfowl or just fowl? Is there such a thing as icefowl?

ETA: Pens won 3-2. Woo hoo! Saturday will be game 4 and the Penguins can tie up the series. And I simply must say that Crosby has a horrible playoff beard. For his sake, I hope he shaved it after the Conference Finals and the current growth has been between the end of that series and the start of the Stanley Cup Finals, but I doubt it. Really, if you are going to wear the C you should be able to get up a beard other guys can look up to. It's all about leadership! Or, if you can't man up with the beard, do like Teemu did last year and just shave. Didn't hurt Teemu or the Ducks any and is much less embarrassing.

Sencha Hockey

So I got a lovely sampler from Hibiki-An which included Sencha Superior. (No picture - suck it up... it looks like green tea).

I'm on steep number five of this tea and am liking it more and more. The first steep I used about 1g per oz of water and that was a little weak. So instead of using 8oz of water, I started using 6oz for the re-steeps and this took care of the thin taste I was getting from it initially.

It's got a good muscatel smell but any muscatel flavor has only started coming out in later steeps. It's not the smoothest tea and I thought the somewhat bitter tail that seems to build up was going to make me dislike this tea, but nope. I'm surprisingly starting to like that lightly bitter end.

So, I think I'm just going to hang out this evening at home, sipping on my sencha superior and try to figure out if I want Dallas or Detroit to win the Western Conference final. I just can't convince myself that I want Dallas to win, but I know I don't want Detroit to. I still want San Jose to win, but as Dallas knocked them out last round, I don't think that will happen.

I'm kind of thinking I want Philly to win it all. They have ex-Duck Joffrey Lupul on their team and since the Ducks were booted in the first round (dagnabit!) he's the closest I can get to cheering for the Ducks.

Joffery Lupul is purty, even with the sketchy playoff beard

Of course, it would be cool if Pittsburgh won the Cup - they kind of deserve it.

And there is officially something wrong that I want an Eastern Conference team to win the Stanley Cup. Shame on me.

Look! Something Different!

I finally did some more scrapbooking! I took a little break of a month or so but now am back at it, at least a bit. Here's what I cam up with tonight:

Blowout Hockey

This is from the December 26th Blues game Dan and I went to when we were in St. Louis. The "blowout" bit is because the Blues were beat 0-5 by Detroit. It was embarrassing.

Sort of like the Ducks current play against the Stars. Sigh.

Ducks vs. Stars

Well, regular season hockey is over. Now it is all about the Cup, baby.

Ducks finished second in their division putting them fourth in the Western Conference. That's better than a stick in the eye, so go Ducks! Here's how the west shaped up:

Western Conference Standings

You'll notice that the fifth seed is the Dallas Stars. That means round one will be Stars at Ducks and it all starts at 9pm Central this Thursday.

You know, most of the time I do cheer for the home team, but as they are playing my Duckies, I hope they get booted and booted quickly.

Go Ducks!

Oh, and I almost forgot about Dan's Blues. Which might have been kinder. Yet again they are chasing hard after that first round draft pick. Poor guys. They need all the help they can get.

But on the plus side, they aren't the Kings!

Go Jiggy! Uh, Jonas!

Wow, I can't believe it is almost playoff time in the hockey world! The past month Dan and I have been bad about watching hockey. We haven't been watching too much TV other than Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares on BBC America and our oh so guilty pleasure ('cause it's funny, people) WWE RAW. But this week I've made a determined effort to get back in touch with my Duckies.

Sadly, for so close to the playoffs, things aren't looking all that shiny for the Ducks. Giguere is having back spasms so Hiller has been in the past few games (and doing a good job, thankfully).

Jonas Hiller. Thank goodness he plays smarter than he looks.

Pronger got suspended for stomping some guy's leg (bad Pronger, no cookie). Getzlaf is out, too, with something upper-body-y but no one is saying what. And Duck's leading scorer, Perry (I so want a Perry jersey) is out with a torn quad that requires surgery and multiple weeks recovery time. So yeah, could be better. Oh, and Ryan Carter is out but compared to the other names on the "unavailable" list, I just gotta say, "Who?"

But, un-shiny line-up or not, the Ducks managed to clinch a play-off spot last night when the game against the Kings went into OT. That one OT point got them their spot and then they put a nice little cap on it by having a very exciting OT and then a long shoot out that went to 6 players. Teemu and Schnider scored in the shoot out (Teemu was score #3 and Schnider #6) to give the Ducks two points and the big ole W.

So go Duckies! Now we just need to make sure some opposing team behind is kicked in the playoffs so the defending champs aren't outed in an early round. 'Cause that would suck.

My Final Scrapbook Page

Okay, so this isn't my final scrapbook page ever, but this is the final page in what I have planned to be the 'Dan and Amanda Scrapbook One' (anyone have a better name for that? please?) which will have 64 layouts covering the time period from our graduation in 2001 to the end of the year of 2007. So basically, our first 6 years - five of which we were married and (due to not taking many pictures) those five years of marriage will cover all but 5 pages (one being the title, one graduation, once for our engagement dinner and two for the wedding). So yeah, one year of dating will have two pages basically. Unless I want to include a soup eating page. For some reason Dan took multiple pictures of me eating soup in college... Weird.

Anyway, the hockey game took place on 12/29, so that's the end of 2007 and thus the end of the scrapbook. I think it is kind of sad but I have the entire book planned out - each even, how many pages and where in the book it will go. I figured I had to do something so I didn't have to insert blank pages to ensure that two-page layouts kept facing each other even when previous events were scrapbooked and included(if that makes sense).

Okay, so that was a bad "anyway" because I just kept babbling. So here's the real one:

Anyway, here's the page:

Blues Hockey

I like it.

Whee!

So, I went in to my new job for about an hour and a half today. I think it will be a great match for me. I took a hard-sided notebook with me to take notes and I was so excited when I got home, that I "fancied" up my notebook so it would be my official office manager notebook.

My office manager notebook - Yes, I'm a dork

I was so pleased with how the notebook turned out (even though it proves that I'm a total nerd and should have no contact with anyone, much less the general public unless I have a keeper with me), that I kept on scrapbooking and made my Stanley Cup layout.

The Stanley Cup so deserves a 2-page LO

And each page:

Habby Nuw Yeah

Who knew you could type with a cold. *sigh* I'm sick. I have a cold. And I think it is currently trying to turn into either a sinus infection or bronchitis. Or both. I blame St. Louis. Because it was cold there. *sigh*

Spent New Year's at my parents where we had our Christmas. That was fun. It was good to see them. My aunt Grace was there, too. It was a good, relaxing family time. We even took family Christmas pictures.

Dad, Mom, Gracie, Me and Dan

And now, on to something completely random... With all the St. Louis hockey I've been seeing, I just had to comment on this. The Blues goalie's mask. Toivonnen's mask has ears painted on.

Check out the EARS. Freaky.

Every time I mention how those painted on ears freak me out, Dan has to comment on the fact that it is modeled after the mask that a very well known Blues goalie used to wear and so those ears are that famous goalie's ears. But still. Freaks me out.

And now for something fun, not freaky, to end this babbling, cold medicine-induced post:

Attack Moneky

My mom sent me this. My mom rocks.

And oh yeah, happy 2008!

More Hockey Goodness

Well, last night Dan and I went to the last of our series of three Blues games. It was the Stars vs. Blues. We got the tickets from Dan's boss, Kelly. Kelly and his wife joined us for the game and it was a lot of fun.

Dan, Kelly, and Gina

Sadly, I forgot my camera so I had to make do with Dan's camera phone. Not the best pictures but it is better than nothing. Of course, there was no AndyMac to stalk this game (he's out with a pulled chest muscle) so at least I didn't need to camera-stalk anyone.

At first it looked like the Blues would have as much luck against the Stars as they had against the Red Wings. But a little bit into the first period, the Blues were suddenly reminded that, oh yeah, they were actually supposed to be playing in the hockey game, not just watching.

After that, the game stayed close, though the Stars kept the lead most of the game, with the Blues only taking the lead in the third. Ex-Duck Paul Kariya even had a hat-trick - go ex-Ducks!

In the final minutes of the third period, the Stars took back the lead, but with 10.7 left in the game, the Blues tied it up, taking the game into overtime.

No one scored during the OT and it went to a shoot out. Dallas got a goal with their last shooter and the Blues had none, so the score ended up 5-4 Dallas. All in all, an exciting game. And much better than the game against the Red Wings!

I Have Returned!

YAY! I have returned from the arctic north (though Dan still insists it is call the mid-west... whatever, it is so totally the arctic north) and no frostbite to be found. Of course, it is still winter in Texas, but our lows are St. Louis' highs.

So, let's see what all I have to share:

December 24, cont.
After opening presents (Dan got a whopping 15lbs of gummy worms - he's thrilled and would have liked to have gotten even more, the nut), we finished up Christmas Eve by going to the Zimmermann's church for not quite Midnight Mass (since it started at 11:00pm and the church is Episcopal). The choir, including mother- and father-in-law, sang some lovely songs. It was very neat. Though I do think that our church's Jesus cookie tastes better. And yes, I realize calling a communion wafer a Jesus cookie is not church-sanctioned. But that's what it is in my little world.

December 25
Yeah, so after five years of marriage, Dan never thought to tell me of the Zimmermann tradition of all the women-folk getting aprons and taking a group picture for Christmas. Now, it's an odd tradition, but Dan's aunt makes the aprons and she is an awesome quilter, so that's pretty nifty.

Group Apron Shot

Still, you would think Dan would mention something about it. Sigh. I guess it is because he isn't the one that gets to wear the pretty apron.

Anyway, we spent Christmas day with the extended Zimmermann horde, had some good food and a fun white elephant gift exchange. Quite a change from my regular Christmas experience which is just immediate family. It was also the first time in 11 years that I hadn't been with my parents for Christmas so I missed my mommy. But we are going to do Christmas in Graham New Year's Eve, so I get to see them then.

December 26
Okay, today was a busy day. We went to the City Museum and a Blues hockey game. The City Museum is... insane. There is no other way to describe it. It's not so much a museum as an urban playground with stairways, underground and overhead tunnels, hidden pathways, and just a whole bunch of weird stuff - including the World's Largest Pair of Underpants!

Tunnels!


Isn't My Hubby Cute?


Underpants! And Sister-In-Law!


Yeah, it was a weird place. I wanna know if they really need this warning.

There was also an aquarium and there was a box fish there that was totally flirting with me.

It's hard to focus when the subject is less than one inch from the camera

Anyway, after the City Museum, we went to the Blues game against Detroit. OMG. Total blow-out. The Blues lost 5-0. Ouch. I'm pretty sure the Blues were still on Christmas vacation. But, total bonus, I got to boo the home team along with all the other fans! Woo hoo! Dan even said they deserved it. And, double bonus - I got to camera-stalk former Duck center, Andy McDonald. Go Andy Mac!

Dan and Me at the Game (and I'm wearing my nifty Western Conference Champs hat from SIL - way cute, no?)


This fight was pretty much the most positive excitement the game generated - the Blues player won.


Andy Mac!

December 27
Well, we came home the 27th. It was about an 11 hour drive and there was a lot of fog, but it was really good to get home. The kitties missed us greatly. Of course, before we left on our road trip, I had to get one last kitty cuddle from my favorite furry sister.

Me and Simone (yeah, I look crumby, but it was early!)

The 'Stache vs. The Fridge

Tonight is the Wild vs. the Ducks.

             

That's right - Parros, the Duck's current heavyweight and Fedoruk, my favorite former Duck. The 'Stache vs. the Fridge. Part of me hopes that one of them is a healthy scratch so I don't have to choose between a current Duckie and my favorite ex-Duckie.

And does it totally negate me as a knowledgable hockey fan when I call them "Duckies"?

(ETA: Sigh. The game wasn't on Center Ice so I had to listen to it on internet radio. Of course, that could be for the best as the final score was 5-2 Wild. And the 2 Duck goals weren't until the 3rd period. Giguere was pulled in the second period. Sigh. All around just not a pretty game. Both Parros and Fedoruk were dressed, but no big fights occurred, so at least I didn't have to worry about who to cheer for. I think I need to go sulk now after that painful loss. Come on, Ducks! Get it in gear!)

Nieds is Back!

Scott Niedermayer is coming back to the Ducks! Woo hoo!

Cappy Scott Niedermayer

He had previously taken time off to figure out if he was going to retire and looks like he isn't. He should be back in 7 to 10 days.

YAY! Hopefully this will help the Ducks shape up more. They started out very messy at the beginning of this season. They are playing better but their record still needs a little work (especially compared to last year). Scotty should make a big difference.

Oh, and there are rumors about Teemu Selanne being back in another month or so. Hmmm. I'm not sure if I buy that, but way cool if it happens!

Now, I'm going back to the Buffalo/Anaheim game.

Go DUCKS!

(ETA: Ducks Win! Ducks Win! 4-1! Good game, too. Ducks put a full 60 minutes in and even when they had a 2-goal lead they played strong and aggressive (I hate it when they "protect their lead" by playing defensively - they don't seem to do as well with that style of play). And for teams that haven't seen each other for apparently two years, there was a lot of animosity - several fights, including a big ole throw down after the buzzer sounded. Anyway, go Ducks! Good game!)

I'm Taking Votes...

Well, it's really a case of collecting suggestions actually. What should I title future blog updates that really have no redeeming social value and are just me showing the world the fact that all I apparently do is scrapbook?

Yes, that's right - I have another completed layout. It's busy, but I quite like it.

Hockey!

Text reads:

Dan & I got to see the Sharks & Stars play thanks to more free tickets. It wasn’t a great game, at least not until the final period. Both teams were playing like girls with lots of playground-style pushing & no real checks. Bad puck handling & we couldn’t believe that Turco wasn't pulled from the game. But then the Sharks started racking up goals (3 goals in less than 4 minutes) which really turned the game around. Even though the Stars lost 4-2, it was a fun game!

Hockey is always fun, but extra bonus, ex-Duck Todd Fedoruk was playing for the Stars! He even had one fight that was sadly very short and ended up with Fedoruk losing his footing and falling flat on his back. I still love him, though. Go Fridge!

Yes, it is a layout for something that happened less than a month ago. Go me! Of course, I still have tons of stuff to do from earlier this year. So far everything I've been doing is from this year, but my ultimate goal is to go back to when Dan and I graduated in 2001. Have the scrapbook be basically our life together (which actually started a couple of months before graduation, but I think the only picture I have of that is me eating soup in Dan's room. Thrilling, yes?)

Of course, I ran out of two of my favorite adhesives - mounting squares and Tombo Adhesive roll. Sigh. Saturday I am so going to the craft store to get more. Yay for a new budget month! (I still love my budget, though. And Dave Ramsey).

Dave!

Oooh, speaking of budgets, Dan said that Dave Ramsey is going to be in Dallas in February. I think we are going to go. We both really want to because Dave is well, simply awesome. Not sure how much we actually need to go since we are about to start "Baby Step 6: Paying off the house early" hopefully in January.

Dave Ramsey's Baby Steps

Of course, we are skipping Baby Step 5 since the kitties do not require college education to shed and vomit up hairballs. And we are doing a little more than 15% in Baby Step 4 to try to max out our IRAs for this year (we got a late start because of paying off Dan's car so are playing catch-up).

Anyway, enough babbling about our finances. At least I didn't post our budget here. And no, I don't have a budget line for scrapbooking. Though that could be useful....

Butter - Now with Pictures! And More Words!

Ah, butter. The most spoken word at our house over Thanksgiving. And the most used cooking ingredient, too!

Four sticks were used for the turkey alone. The scalloped pineapple had two, then there was the cheesecake, the pecan pie, the two different stuffings... Of course, we also had cranberry sauce, deviled eggs, potato salad, green beans, three bean salad - none of which involved butter. Which is probably a good thing since Dan and I used almost 2 pounds and my parents used more than 1 pound. And since we had to do things gluten-free, it was real butter. None of this light or substitute stuff.

Dad waiting (not so patiently) to start Thanksgiving Dinner

Not all the food fit on the table

Our Butter-ific Turkey

Anyway, thanks to the butter, the good food and the great company, we had a fantastic Thanksgiving. My parents came down to spend Thursday and Friday with us and then Emily and Danny (the youth minister from my parents' church and her boyfriend) stopped by on their way to take Danny home.

Tis The Season...
The one thing that has been less than stellar this Thanksgiving has been the weather. Now, last weekend Dan was outside while he cleaned out his beer fridge and I kept him company. Well, we were out there for a couple of hours, I suppose, and I managed to get a bit of a tan. The weather was gorgeous. And then a cold front came in on Wednesday. It even snowed a little in Dallas on Thursday! And today it is rainy and cold and just ick. Poor Dan, I think he has a cold. He keeps sneezing and sniffling and dripping and coughing and snorting... I blame the weather change.

Of course, the bonus for the cold weather is now we are firmly in kitty-cuddle season. I've had Gidgie, Bitty, Cocoa (more than once!) and a Nibby camped out on me today. Bitty is sitting on my legs right now and half of this was typed around a Nibby-man perched on my chest (I'm laying down on the couch). So really, that's the only good thing about the cold weather. Kitties make everything better.

I'm a Stalker
And speaking of making everything better, Dan and I got to see the Ducks on Wednesday.

At the Game

It was Ducks vs. Stars and Dan's boss gave him tickets. Great seats - eight rows from the ice.

Duckies!

Giguere at the Bench!

But, before more about the game, I should mention that it was also Mike Modano night, to celebrate Modano breaking the American total goals scored record and American total points record.

Mike Modano

It was pretty neat. Modano cried. And I determined that he just isn't an attractive man when playing hockey. He's got this weird downward curved mouth and his teeth are almost always visible. Not that bright looking. But then, he's a hockey player, so he's not expected to be pretty.

Anyway, the Ducks lost the game 2-1 (and I endured some friendly ribbing from several folks in our section about my allegiance (I was wearing my Ducks jersey)) but it was a good game, especially the last 5 or 6 minutes - very exciting as the Ducks pushed for a goal to tie the game and send it in to overtime. And come on - it was the Ducks! You know I loved it!

But, the bestest thing about the game, what made it all better for having been a loss, is that Giguere was in net! OMG!

GIGUERE!

More GIGUERE!

*gasp* Still more GIGUERE!

I LOVE YOU, GIGUERE!

Ooh, more GIGUERE!

And who is this? GIGUERE? Why, yes!

Each time I've seen the Ducks play the Stars (actually been-there-seen then, not watched-on-tv-seen them) Bryz has been in net. Giguere has either been injured or resting because of back-to-back games. But this time, I got to see Jiggy. Second period he was in net on our end of the ice so I pretty much can't tell you a single thing that happened during that period because I was so busy camera-stalking him (as proven by the number of pictures above. Hey, I had over 100 to go through. You got off easy. )

Fickleness
And speaking of camera stalking, the last Stars game I went to, I camera-stalked ex-Duck Todd Fedoruk. Well, I wasn't even looking for him during the Ducks game and didn't realize until afterwards that I hadn't seen him (I'm such a fickle camera-stalker). Well, turns out Fedoruk is no longer a Star! He was claimed off of waivers by the Minnesota Wild, of all teams!

The Wild is the home of Derek Boogaard, the man that broke Fedoruk's eye socket (in my last post about this I said cheekbone - I was wrong). Ever time the Ducks and Wild played, Boogaard and Fedoruk would fight (sadly with Fedoruk usually being the one on the losing end, but then that seems to be most players that fight with Boogaard). And now they are teammates! Fedoruk isn't just a fighter, he can skate and score, too, but his main purpose on a team is usually muscle. So I can't help but wonder why a team that has Boogaard (who is very much muscle and quite good at being such) would need to add another tough-guy? And do Boogaard and Fedoruk get along or is there any animosity (after all, broken bones have been involved when those two meet)?

ETA Apparently, I'm not the only one thinking this. Dan found a great quote from Fedoruk about the situation in St. Louis Today's Sports

The tail-spining Wild claimed Todd Fedoruk off waivers last week. You might remember that current Wild enforcer Derek Booggard flattened Fedoruk in a fight in October 2006. “I’m just glad that I don’t have to deal with Boogey anymore,” Fedoruk said. “I’m pumped, but it’ll be a little awkward, I won’t lie to you, when we say hello. I’m going to say, ‘Hey buddy, remember me, the guy whose career you almost ended last year. See this dent in my face? Want to be roomies?’”

*snort* Okay, I even more heart Todd Fedoruk after that.

Of course, this brings up the problem that during the next Ducks/Wild game Fedoruk and Parros might be dropping gloves! Who would I cheer for? The Fridge or the 'Stache??

Fedoruk and Parros

Blood in the Water

Last night, Dan and I went to a Stars hockey game. Such fun! Actually, it was a pretty crappy game until the last 15 minutes or so. Both teams were playing like girls. Lots of playground-esque pushing going on, no real checks. Bad puck handling and neither Dan nor I could believe that Turco wasn't pulled from the game.

Game-age

Even if the Sharks hadn't started racking up goals at the end (3 goals in less than 4 minutes - which is what made the game really fun), I still enjoyed myself. Hey, bad live hockey is still live hockey. And even bad hockey isn't that bad when the tickets are free.

All in all, somewhat of a slaughter, at least for the 3rd period

If that weren't enough, though, there was the added bonus of Todd Fedoruk, aka Fridge, now being on the Stars.

On the bench

Fedoruk is a former Duck that was traded to the Flyers during the '05-'06 season after his cheekbone was broken during a fight with Boogaard (who is a dirty word for that and so many other reasons). Anyway, he's a Star now and I spent a decent amount of the game camera-stalking him. He even had one fight that was sadly very short and ended up with Fedoruk losing his footing and falling flat on his back. I still love him, though.

Fedoruk's not just a fighter - he touched the puck a few times, I swear!

Boring Update

Okay, it has been forever since I've updated (but I have a good reason, I swear). So here's some of the stuff that has happened in the almost four weeks since I last posted.

A Month of Goodies

• According to last week's endoscopy, I have a sliding hiatal hernia. Not sure as to the treatment yet, though they have put me on some acid reducers (hasn't helped yet but then I just started it yesterday). We will learn more details on the 12th when the results of the esophagram I had yesterday are in. (Also, I have pictures, but I really don't feel up to spending the time to get them on here right now - when I am feeling better).


• I feel like a human pincushion - I've had 5 IVs in 4 weeks. Of those 5 IVs, 4 of them included radioactive material so I should officially glow now. Oh yeah, and I drank barium yesterday. I am my own nightlight.


• I am currently on short-term disability so no work for me. Which I feel horribly guilty about, but since I can't even empty the dishwasher without having to nap and/or begging for death, it's probably the right move.


• I have learned that you can, in fact, hit your out-of-pocket max with your insurance in one month. Of course, we have good health insurance, so that out-of-pocket max is just $1,500 but still. One month? I find that impressive.


• Of course the reason I have hit the out-of-pocket max is all the things that have happened in the past month (in no particular order)... Ambulance trip to the ER, stress test, chest x-ray, blood tests, CT scan, celiac panel, HIDA scan, abdominal sonogram, esophagram and endoscopy. I think that's everything. Of course, that is excluding the multiple doctor and specialist visits I have had. Pretty much now I'm either sleeping on going to the doctor for an appointment or the hospital for tests.


• After a month of this, I am getting whiny (like you couldn't tell that) and grumpy.

Anyway, that's basically what's been going on. Sorry for those that have not gotten calls or emails returned. Most of the time I lose my breath so easily on the phone it is not comfy to talk and sitting up enough to type quickly causes me chest discomfort. Thank goodness for Xanax, though - the only reason I can type this blog right now and just be a little uncomfortable. Apparently it relaxes smooth muscle, which is what your GI track is so I'm thinking that maybe the hernia slides back down-ish to a more normal and comfortable position?

But enough of the health whine. GREAT hockey news! THE DUCKS HAVE WON THE STANLEY CUP! That's right, baby. Stanley cup! WOOOOO! I told Dan that they'd win the Western Conference in 6 games (and they did) and the Cup in 5 games (and they did)! So good job, boys! I was so happy, I cried. Yes, I admit it, I cried. Just a few tears - nothing like Teemu who had tears running down his cheeks while being interviewed. But then he's waited 15 years to hoist the cup. And you can bet that pictures will be posted of cuppy-goodness in the future.

GO DUCKS!

Oh, and one more thing before I go recline in a non-typing-friendly position. Harry Potter comes out next month (both movie 5 and book 7) so I've been surfing to see what news is out. I ran across some fanfic and one livejournal that takes the worst fanfic summaries and lists them for others to basically MST3K. It's really in the comments that it is hilarious. Some of them kill me. But it is long, so maybe best if you have nothing else to do besides sleep or watch horrible daytime TV (which I've been boycotting, it is so bad). Anyway, funny stuff. (Tracy, if you see this, I keep meaning to email it to you but yeah, that hasn't happened. I think you'd get a giggle out of it).

Now, I'm off to nap.

Two Weeks of Updates

(Edited: Now with pictures! And more text - because, yeah, it wasn't long enough.)

Lots has happened in the past two weeks. I've been meaning to make this post for the past 4 days, but I just haven't had the time, energy or inclination. But I need a mini-break from all the work that has piled up on my desk, so I figured now is a great time to post.

I do have some pictures at home that I'll post (hopefully) later tonight and if not tonight that sometime this week.

So now, in no particular order, updates:

Duckie Goodness
Well, the Ducks won the Conference Semifinals against the Canucks in 5 games. Go Ducks! Their next game is Friday against the Red Wings in the Conference Finals. I hope that all the time off they've had (like a week) won't cause a problem. Sometimes they can get a little rusty. But I'm still looking forward to it. The last step before the Stanley Cup Finals, baby! Woo hoo!

Celiac Mama
My mom was officially diagnosed with celiac disease last week. It is basically a wheat gluten allergy, but it isn't like one of those "sweet" little allergies that make you puffy or break out in hives. Any hint of wheat gluten into her system and her small intestines basically start destroying themselves leading to gastro-instestinal damage, malnutrition and intestinal cancer.

Yes, it is an "allergy" that leads to cancer.
(Edited: I actually just looked it up and it is described as an immune system disorder. Okay, that does make much more sense.)

To prevent all this from happening and to reverse the damage that has already been done (which will take about 2 to 3 years to repair), she has to stay away from any food that has wheat gluten or something derived from wheat gluten in it. At first, it seems simple. Oh, avoid breads, pastas, chips, etc. No problem. No - it is more than that. Anything that has been prepared on the same surface as a wheat product is a no-no (she can't order just a hamburger patty at her local burger joint because they toast the buns on the same grill they cook the patties). Also, anything with maltodextrin in it (a wheat derived product) has to be avoided. I dare you to look at ingredient lists for a day to see how much stuff has maltodextrin in it. Even antacids have it! Sugar substitutes have it so anything with Splenda is outlawed as well. Some mustards and soy sauces are no-nos as well as some natural flavorings and colorings. So unless she knows that the flavorings, colorings, soy sauce, etc that has been used in an item is gluten-free, she can't eat it. And then even if the product itself doesn't have wheat or maltodextrin in it, they could use wheat flour (or something with gluten) to dust the belts in the processing plant! Are you starting to get an idea of how hard it is for her to find anything to eat other than fresh fruits and veggies? And man cannot live off of fruits and veggies!

Oh, and the true joy of the whole situation: celiac can run in families. So I have to be tested for celiac, as well. When I was at the hospital yesterday, I got my doctor to call in orders for a celiac panel so now I just need to wait for the results (which I'll get in about a week). Wheee!

And speaking of being at the hospital...
Yes, I was at the hospital yesterday, but it was a scheduled thing so no worries. I had my stress test yesterday. It wasn't too bad - more waiting than anything. But they did stick an IV in my WRIST!!! and I had to keep that in for about 4 hours. So not fun. The really not fun part came in that I couldn't take my medication for 48 hours before the test.

The treadmill part of it was blissfully short. My heart rate needed to get up to 160 bpm and the tech said it should take about 10 minutes. I told her it wouldn't take near that long since I couldn't take my medicine that I use to, you know, slow my heart rate. The morning of the test, my heart rate got up to 130 just brushing my teeth. (On the medication my resting heart rate is about 85 or so, which is on the high end of normal.) Anyway, it took 4 and 1/2 minutes for my heart to get up to 170 bpm. Yikes. The tech said that was the easiest test she had done - my heart rate got up there so quickly. I told her that the reason I went on the medication is my heart rate would go up to 160 when I just walked to the fridge to get water. She was a little surprised, to say the least.

Anyway, the doctor is reading the tests sometime today and I should get a call in the next few days from someone. I also have a follow up with my normal cardiologist next Thursday. And if they don't find something on this test or the celiac panel that was done, I'm not really sure what I'm going to do. Thankfully it looks like the problem has stabilized so I am still able to work. But Dan's been taking me to work because I have lots of problems if I'm not able to take about a 4 hour nap in the middle of the day. So something is going on still and someone has got to figure out what it is. Before I kill someone.

Speaking of killing someone...
I am so grumpy when I travel. For someone that loves to be in new places, I sure hate getting there. But our trip last week to St. Louis was actually okay. I was totally wiped out from the trip (even though we flew) and on the way back home, I wasn't able to take my medicine so I hated life (and poor Dan bore the brunt of that). But the part in between the travelling bits was actually pretty good.

We went to St. Louis for Dan's cousin's wedding and it was a bonus that the whole family was there so we got to see everyone and visit a bit.

David and Bridget (aka Bride and Groom, well, actually Groom and Bride) had a Catholic wedding in a lovely church (I love any place with stained glass, though). Me and Catholicism don't really get along (thanks private school), but it was still neat.

Handsome Usher Dan at the Church

Of course it made me think of my wedding so I started to tear up - but not in the aw-isn't-that-romantic way. More like the I-remember-how-much-I-totally-freaked-at-my-wedding way.

They also had a fun reception with silly toasts, a good buffet and dancing (though no chicken dance, much to Dan's disappointment).

Reception

I actually got to slow dance with my hubby so a good time was had by all. (I did also get semi-stalked by a little kid, but that's a whole 'nother post - and she didn't try to do my hair like she did with Dan at the rehearsal dinner/party).

At the Reception

Other fun stuff, we got to meet my in-laws new(er) kitty, Max (who is a little psycho, Princess-style) and get to know Simone (who is a doll and a half).

Mad Max

Sweet Simone Lovin'

We also got to play a little with my sister-in-law's babies, Duncan and Molly (who has an extra toe that I think is an opposable thumb!).

Leah's Chunky Dunkie

Molly - Check out the Opposable Thumb!

We also went to a Cardinals baseball game. Now, I'm not a big baseball fan (go hockey!) but I did have a good time. The energy is totally different from a hockey game. Much more social, slower pace. I can see why it is a summer time sport (well, that and if hockey were a summer sport, the ice would melt).

Me, Dan and Leah

It was a fun game and I'd totally go to another one but I'd prefer it if the home team didn't get demolished. Yep, Cards lost. 13-0.

Ouch. But Go Astros!

Yikes. But at least it was against the Houston Astros so a Texas team won. Dan didn't like it when I would clap for the Astros. I cheered for the Cardinals, too, though!

Pujols at Bat (I swear)

Can I just interrupt for a moment and say, stadium food prices are total high way robbery. $4.75 for a 1 pint bottle of water! Dan and I get a case of 17 oz bottles at Costco for 50 cents less than that! And I won't even talk about how much our lunch cost. I don't know how those concession people sleep at night. Anyway....

I even got a little more tourist-y stuff in while in St. Louis. Or one thing.

The Arch from outside Busch Stadium

Yep, saw the arch. Go me! As the man behind us at the game said, "It's an arch, not an arc. Do you see Noah around?"

Oh, Dan just reminded me. We saw the funniest thing on the way to the stadium for the game. Two college-age, maybe slightly older guys standing on a street corner. One looking across the street, the other focusing on the sidewalk asking if people had an extra ticket. The one looking towards the street suddenly burst out with a "HAMBONE!" Without even looking at what the other was doing, both the street and sidewalk guy simultaneously throw up their arms in a "the field goal is good" kind of way with the sidewalk guy joined in with the "HAMBONE!"-ing. It was the weirdest thing and so made me want to study college frat guys to see if there was some sort of mind meld that enabled them to do things like that. I hope I never forget that image because without fail, it makes me giggle when I think of it.

As nice as it was to get away from work and visit with Dan's family, it was great to get home, see my babies, and sleep in my own bed. But mostly seeing my babies. I missed them! Just thinking about it makes me want to go home and hug a kitty.

Whew, so this short break from work has turned out to be rather long, so I suppose I will finish off there. Hopefully, I will put some pictures up tonight but if I don't, I'll get them sometime. (edited: Woo hoo! I did get pictures up tonight!) Most of them are St. Louis pictures, but the Big Girl did get a haircut last night so I will add those two even though it isn't related to the St. Louis trip (or anything else I have thus far blogged about today).

Lion-cut Big Girl

A Kitty's Worth of Hair

And one picture that I had to add:

Ain't he cute? Hehe!

HAMBONE!

Kill Me Now

Wow, almost 2 weeks since I have updated. Shame on me. Quite a change from updating a couple of times a week.

In my defense, I have felt like utter monkey pooh. But I figured it was time to post so people could be reassured that I have not, in fact, dropped off the face of the earth. So, without further ado, updates:

Hockey
Okay, it might say something about my priorities that are a bit off since I just got back from the cardiologist and yet the first topic on my blog update is hockey. But this is the playoffs, baby. All other things take a back seat.

So, the Ducks didn't sweep the Wild in the First Round like I thought they would - they let the Wild win 1 game. But I can totally deal with the series going to Game 5. It gave the Ducks a nice rest before Round 2, which started last night. They are playing Vancouver and, if last night's game was any indication, this will be a very one-sided series. Ducks won 5 to 1. Ouch. Poor Canucks, huh? But I don't feel bad enough for them to want any of the next games to be any different. I am interested to see what happens in the Red Wings/Sharks series since the Ducks will play the winners. Not sure if I am interested enough to watch it, though. That could cut into some serious nap time.

And speaking of nap time...

Cardiologist Stuff
Yeah, as expected, the results from my last heart monitor thing were normal. Woo freakin' hoo. So we still don't know what exactly is going on. But I maintain if it keeps getting worse, I will no longer be able to drive, much less hold down a job. Dan's even driven me to work a couple of times. It's nice because then I can nap on the way home.

Anyway, the cardiologist said that when people come in with the symptoms I am describing, they usually have coronary heart disease. But due to my age and lack of strong family history of early heart disease, he thinks not so much. But he wants me to take a stress test just to make sure.

That's right. A stress test. Yet again, woo freakin' hoo. So Monday, May 7th, I will be injected with radioactive material and made to run on a treadmill. I. Am. So. Not. Excited.

The cardiologist did say that he is more inclined to think it is asthma. So I guess if the freakin' stress test doesn't show anything, I'll have to go back that route. The pulmonary function test I took back when came out fine which would indicate it isn't asthma, but apparently it doesn't always show up on those. Back when, I was using Advair and that seemed to be helping, though after the PFT showed up okay, the doctor said it most likely helped just because it was clearing up some inflammation issues left over from my last bout of bronchitis.

Anyway, the cardiologist suggested that I get back on the Advair to see if it helps, so I picked some up today and took my first treatment this morning. It is hard to tell if it is helping. Pressure-wise I'm probably hanging out at a 7 now, with forays into 6-dom, but I had a lovely spike into the town of 9 that made me start yet again contemplating exactly when I needed to have someone take me to the emergency room (the only thing Dan and I can totally agree on is if I do manage to pass out, I'm going). And yes, I've been rating my "discomfort" the past 2 weeks. I'm trying to find a pattern - if the pressure relates to how much sleep I get, if I have sugar, caffeine, if I exercise. So far - no pattern.

Okay, where was I? I got sidetracked.... Oh yeah. Asthma. Basically, the cardiologist said we could play around with which medication I am on (breathing-related or heart-related) but it was "a crap shoot" so he decided to leave me on the heart stuff and add the Advair to see if it helped. Yeah.

Anyway, I guess we will know more after the freakin' stress test. Oh, and did I mention the true joy that will be for the freakin' stress test? I have to stop taking my heart medication for it. I take the test Monday and I can't take the meds Monday or Sunday. Yeah, no meds AND a treadmill. I'm so going to pass out.

Okay, enough of that junk. Fun stuff...

KITTIES!
The babies are doing wonderfully. Princess keeps trying to eat Chloe and has been thinking about making a Bitty-snack, but otherwise is good. Cocoa is doing great with no teeth. Ashes is sweet, as always and Nibby has been super-balancy. Gidget is one giant fluffer kitty and I'm thinking about shaving her for the summer (shh! don't tell her that!) and Happy is her insane but lovable self. Yay for healthy and happy kitties!

Smile for the Day
And now for something that makes me happy: Cuteness! On that site, you can find adorable little pictures and videos that will make you definitely go "aww".

And with that, I'll leave you some supercute for the day:

It'll fit - I swear!

Forgot to Mention....

Okay, this may be hard to read, but this is our fantasy hockey bracket:

Pink Monkeys Rule!

The Pink Monkeys won! And who, you may ask, are the Pink Monkeys? Well, honestly, if you are asking that then why are you reading my blog because you obviously have no idea who I am.

So go me for winning it all in fantasy hockey! Especially since I got so frustrated with stuff that I barely even looked at it about 1/2 way through the season.

Now, if only my real-life team could win it all, I would be a happy camper! Go DUCKS! (Currently they lead the series 2-0 against the Wild).

In other news...
There are also other exciting things going on in my life right now besides winning the fantasy hockey league.

First off, I got hooked up to another heart monitor on Thursday. Woo-freakin'-hoo. This one was a 24-hour monitor, not an event monitor like the last one. So I only had to wear it 24 hours. Which was good because instead of 2 little electrodes like the event monitor, this one had five and a big ole black cable that was impossible to conceal. Total pain in the rear.

I go back to the cardiologist the 26th to see if anything new popped up on the results. He had me hooked up to a monitor again because the past three weeks I've had a horrible time, heart-wise. It feels like I'm not even taking my medicine (no, I am taking my meds, it just feels like I'm not because they don't seem to be doing anything anymore). So the doctor wants to make sure that we are dealing with the same problem as before. Then he will decide what to do.

Secondly, Gateway totally sucks. Never again will I buy another Gateway. Ever. I would rather set my eyebrows on fire than willingly pay to own such a piece of junk. One week (almost exactly) after getting my computer back from Gateway service (they replaced the fan which apparently stopped working so my computer would overhead and crash - that was fun), my hard drive went out. And not like before when it was starting to crash but we had enough time to rescue most of the information (I think I lost like 3 files). But totally, completely crashed. As in, Dan didn't think he'd be able to get ANY information off of it. Finally, though, if he held the hard drive still and at just the right angle and the rings of Saturn aligned properly with Uranus, he was able to access the drive long enough to grab some of the files that had changed since my last computer back up.

Dan is my hero.

And not just because he managed to get my info off my hard drive (though he's a miracle worker for that - any time the drive ran, it would sound a little like a small food processor trying to grind up rocks that were covered in caramel), but because he had an extra laptop hard drive in his car that he imaged with my last computer back up so my computer is still up and running while I am waiting for Gateway to send me a new drive. And then when I get the new drive, he will image that one so it will be like the crash never happened. Except for my abiding hate for all things Gateway.

Anyway - total hero. I just love having a systems tech in my house. Oh, and the totally awesome thing, he's the one that calls Gateway, tells them what is going on and within 5 minutes has them agreeing to send a new hard drive or send a box in for service. When I call, they make me walk through all these stupid steps - reboot, run a check, blah blah blah. For Dan they just smile, nod, and send stuff. It's so cool.

Thirdly, guess where Dan and I will be tomorrow night. At the American Airline Center, watching the Stars and Canucks. That's right - playoff hockey, baby. I got 2 tickets free from work (go ABM for taking care of the person that makes sure their $27k monthly invoices are paid on time!) I'm so excited to see live playoff hockey. Even on TV, playoff hockey has a totally different energy. Right now the series is tied at 1-1 so I think it would be exciting for the Stars to win and pull ahead in the series.

Fourthly, I'm sure there is something else, but I can't think of it. So that is all.

WOOOOOOOOO!

The Ducks did it! The did it! With San Jose's OT loss to Vancouver and the Ducks win in Columbus, the Ducks are the new Pacific Division Champions! WOO!

GO DUCKS!

WOO HOO!

Next stop - the Stanley Cup, baby!

I'm About To Wet My Pants....

With excitement, that is.

Tonight the Ducks play the Stars in Dallas. Dan and I didn't get tickets, but I'm still so excited. Why? Because if the Ducks win one more of their last two games (against Dallas then Columbus on Saturday) or else the Sharks lose their next game tomorrow against the Canucks, the Ducks will clench the Pacific Division title. It would be the first time in their franchise history. How cool would that be?

The Ducks have a 4-2-1 record against the Stars this year so the game tonight could go either way. Now, the Bluejackets aren't a great team, but the Ducks have this weird thing this year that they can beat up on the good teams in the league but get their butts handed to them when they play the suck teams of the league. The Ducks are 1-1-1 against Columbus this season so sadly that game can go either way, too.

But if they beat just one of those two teams, the Ducks will be the Pacific Division champs.

I.
Am.
SO.
Excited.

AUGH! I can't wait! Tonight - 7:30pm. Ducks. Stars. Will they win? Pacific Division Title up for grabs.

WOO HOO!

Oh, and something I just learned today while reading the Ducks/Stars game preview... The reason why Giguere wasn't in net in the last game against San Jose (which the Ducks lost in a shoot out) was because he had just become a father. Awww.

Jean-Sebastien Giguere missed the game to be with his wife, Kristen, who delivered the couple's first child. Maxime Olivier Giguere was born at 12:20 a.m. Wednesday and weighed in at 6 pounds, 8 ounces.

Okay, can someone tell me if Maxime Olivier is a girl's or boy's name? I'm thinking girl, but the Olivier is throwing me off....Anyway, congrats to the Gigueres!

ETA: Oops, apparently they had a little boy. I'm hoping he'll go by "Max"...

-----

(I realize my posts have been without pictures lately. Sorry about that. I've got some great pictures of our yard and Cocoa that I want to share, but with no computer at home, I am stuck blogging at work and my pictures are stuck on my camera. But my laptop is being shipped back as we speak, new motherboard installed. So I should be back to full capacity early next week at the latest. Until then, go Ducks!)

We Interrupt this Blog for Hockey Talk

Okay, I have to channel my inner hockey nerd for a few minutes. There are only a handful of games left in the regular season (the Ducks have 4 to go!) so the playoffs are just around the corner. I'm about to wet myself with excitement.

I am so happy for my Ducks - they currently lead the Pacific Division by 6 points (104 to the Stars 98), they are number 2 spot in the Western Conference (only 1 point behind Detroit), and number 4 in the entire league (with the top three teams (Buffalo, Detroit and Nashville) all having 105 points). How exciting is that???? Oh, and with all that, of course they have clinched a playoff spot.

Two of the remaining 4 games the Ducks have are against division rivals the Sharks and the Stars. Those should be interesting games (I'm hoping we can go to the one against Dallas but it's not looking like it).

I'm so excited for my Ducks. I hope this is their year. I still remember last year when their playoff run was stopped in the conference finals by the Oilers. I was watching game 5 in my hotel room in Hawaii (yes, I abandoned the beach to watch hockey). I actually teared up when (then still the Mighty) Ducks lost. Okay, I more than just teared up. But I wasn't sobbing or anything. What can I say? I was invested in my team. I still am.

Yes, I miss Fedoruk. But I've become fond of Thorton and Parros - well, more Parros's mustache than Parros himself.

The Parros 'Stache

And while I still can't seem to remember that May and Huskins are Ducks, I don't even have to see their numbers to recognize Pronger, Kunitz and Getzlaf.

And let's not forget Giguere.

Ah, Giguere

......
......
......

Okay, sorry - I'm back. My inner puck bunny took over.

One other thing I wanted to mention before I cage my inner hockey nerd up again (at least until the game against the Blues tomorrow) - have I mentioned that the Ducks are a freakin' tough team? I am proud to say, the Ducks not only kick butt in winning games, they just flat out kick butt. They have the most penalty minutes in the league with 1,360.

Sure, the Phoenix Coyotes are right behind them with 1,306 minutes, but honestly, the 'Yotes suck (I mean really suck - last in the division and 29 out of 30 in the league) so of course they are going to get a lot of minutes. If they can't beat you with goals, they are just going to beat you.
Of course, not all the penalty minutes are from fights. Lots of hugging (or as the refs like to call it, holding, but I think "hugging" sounds friendlier, yes?), tripping and what not. But still, it I like that the Ducks have the most penalty minutes in the league. And you have to think, they must have a pretty good penalty kill if they can get that many minutes and still swing number 2 in the conference.

Number 2, Baby!!

Go Ducks!

Congo Cowboy

Dan and I had a really productive weekend this past weekend. Which in itself is pretty amazing but made even more so by the fact that we weren't home for most of the weekend.

Things We Did This Weekend

• 5 loads of laundry
  
• Vacuum the house
  
• Get the back porch kitty ready
  
• Put the sweep on the storm door
  
• Dishes

Okay, it doesn't seem that productive, but it really is! And we still managed to spend Saturday and Sunday in Graham, go to a hockey game and make sure Danny from Congo completed a "Texas" assignment.

Hmm, maybe I need to explain that one a little more. My parents have a house guest this week - Danny. He's originally from Congo but has been a student in eastern Texas for the past 5 months. He came out to Graham to visit his girlfriend, Emily, who is the new youth minister for my parent's church. Emily is from Iowa, not too far from Cornell, actually. Anyway, the 6 of us (Dan, me, my parents and Emily and Danny) all went to the hockey game (Cats sadly lost, 6 to 3) and generally had fun chatting and hanging out (and eating - lots of eating) this weekend.

Action shot of a losing hockey team

Anyway, apparently Danny has been given assignments of things to do while he is in the US. For every assignment he completes, he gets a gold star and if he gets 5, someone (sorry, I forget who) will come visit him. One of his assignments was basically to cowboy up. Fortuitiously, he wears the same sized shoe as my dad, so Dad let Danny borrow some boots, hats, trucks and even a couple of guns so Danny could look like a true cowboy.

Cowboy Danny

I think he definitely deserves a gold star for that!

Things I Learned This Weekend

(ETA pictures and stuffs)

So this weekend was very entertaining and educational. Dan and I went to a basketball game. No, you didn't read that wrong. Not a hockey game. Basketball. Dan got free tickets (AWESOME free tickets, by the way) for a Mavs vs Magic game on Saturday so we went.

Look! Basketball!

Let me tell you: basketball and hockey - SO different. I still like hockey better, but I really did enjoy the basketball game. It was an experience. And very educational.

Here are some things I learned:

• Hockey music is so much better than basketball music, but the bballers did have a drum line




A drum line? Rock on with your bad selves!
Or rock on with one of the Smurfs.
Apparently they are Mavs fans, too.

• 6'0 tall can be considered "pocket-sized" in basketball




I seriously called this guy "Pocket-sized" the whole game.
I'm sure he has a name. I think it is Jose.
But to me, he's Pocket-Sized

• When a team scores over 50 times in a game, individual baskets/goals/points aren't that exciting


• I taunt the opposition better in hockey


• Dallas fans are fair-weather fans - they only cheer when the team is ahead (and something learned through hockey - Stars fans excel at taunting their own goalie)


• Basketball fans are more rabid than hockey fans, fair-weather or not (at least in Texas)




His sign reads "I'm AJ's White Son". Classy, yes?

• Sleeveless uniforms are very distracting - I spent a good amount of the game determining who had underarm hair and who "manscaped"


• Apparently they don't grow 'em with armpit hair in Eastern Europe

See? Totally educational. Oh yeah, and the Mavs won. Yay! Now go enjoy a short but thrilling bball video I took to cap off the educational experience. Watch it!

Kitty News
In other news, Cocoa is waiting on state approval for a morphine patch and then all of her toofers are getting pulled. Yep, we will have a toothless kitty. We tried pulse antibiotics and steroids and neither worked, so this is the final solution. Apparently, once she heals there is a very high likelihood that she will even continue to eat dry cat food. Crazy, huh?

Duck's Season

Guess where Dan and I were tonight? Watching the Ducks kick some Dallas rear, that's where! WOO HOO!

Face-off at center ice

The Ducks took on the Stars and, even with the Ducks missing so many big players, they managed to pull out a win. It wasn't the prettiest game - the Ducks seemed like they thought they were still in warm up during the first period - but it was a whole lot prettier for the Ducks than the Stars.

Pretty for the Ducks, not so much for the Stars

For once, Dan and I weren't the only ones cheering for the visiting team, either. There was a group of 6 of us all sitting together. And let me tell ya, it was nice to not be the only one standing and cheering when the Ducks put another biscuit in the basket (lol - love that phrase!) And we got to cheer a lot - Teemu Selanne got a hat trick and the three stars of the game were all Ducks players (Teemu, Andy Mac, and Cappy Scott Neidermayer). I just love it when the three stars are from the visiting team.

On a sadder note, though, my curse continues to hold - Giguere was not in net.

Not Giguere

Giguere's out with a groin injury so I was once again unable to see my favorite Duck. Boo. But he should be back in the line up after the All-Star break so I'm hoping to see him then. Bryzgalov was in net and did a decent job. He seemed a bit out of position a few times, but whatever. He only let one goal in so I'm happy.

All in all, a very fun night. And it is midnight so I'm going to bed!

ETA: This picture is from Yahoo!Sports but it makes me laugh so I had to post it:

Dallas goaltender Marty Turco after the 2nd Selanne goal

Caribbean Ducks

I think this would be fun - cruising with the Ducks, the specific Ducks being GM Brian Burke, Chris Pronger, Todd Marchant, George Parros, (TV analyst) Brian Hayward and EVP Tim Ryan. I mean - beaches, cruising, and DUCKS! It would only be better if Giguere were going to be there.

The details about where they stop and when is here. Notice that it is in July, so if anyone wants to get me an awesome birthday present, feel free! Hehe.

Sad Day for Duck Fans

Todd "The Fridge" Fedoruk has been traded. He's going to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for a 4th-round 2007 draft pick. You can read the story here.

I can't say that I am overly surprised that Fedoruk was traded. Excluding getting his cheek broken (because he really couldn't help that), he hasn't exactly had a bang-up start to the year. I can't help but think that he's worth a little more than a 4th-round pick, but I guess when he's going to be out for a bit to heal his cheekbone...

I am really sad to see him go. I just adore Todd. Yeah, he's a fighter, but he's a real class act. Looks like I'll have to start watching the Flyers!

Poor Fridge

As a Duck's enforcer, Todd Fedoruk hasn't get seeing all that much action so far this season, but it looks like he won't be seeing any action for a bit longer.

Todd "The Fridge" Fedoruk

"Ducks left wing Todd Fedoruk will be out of action indefinitely after his right cheekbone was broken during his fight Friday night with Minnesota Wild enforcer Derek Boogaard."

(The article continues here.)

Ouch! Poor Todd! I hope he heals quickly and cleanly. He's a class act in my book. Sure, he's an enforcer (aka: fighter) but you gotta love it that once he's knocked a guy down to the ice and the fight is over, Fedoruk will help his opponent back up and give him a friendly man-pat on the rear as they both skate off to the pentalty box.

Quick healing, Fridge!

Updated:
Apparently this isn't the first time Fedoruk had some bones broken in (ouch) his face.

Fridge, or more specficially Eric Cairns, shattered the other side of Fridge's face a few years ago. Broken jaw, cheekbone, orbital = 3 titanium plates + 13 screws + 10 games/3 weeks missed. I think it would have been better if Boog had connected with the left cheek...it's reinforced.

Yikes!

Fantasy Hockey - Week 2

At the end of week 1, I was in fourth place. Right in the middle of the pack. Nothing big enough to right home about - or in my case, blog about.

But this week, I am in first place. Woo hoo! Now that's something I have to post about, especially since who knows how long it will last!

Go Pink Monkeys! Yay for first place!

Now, you may be wondering why I am in first place when there are 2 other people with the same points. It is because I am simply that cool. Oh yeah. Well, that and the fact that I have more wins. But I like to think that the coolness factor really weighs in.

More Hockey News
Oh, and in news about actual hockey (Sadly the Pink Monkeys are not an actual team. But if they were, their uniforms would be totally snazzy!) the Ducks are 3-0-2. So the only 2 losses we have suffered were in overtime - both of them were shootouts, actually. So I guess that takes a tiny bit of the sting out. Last night the Ducks lost to the Stars. It's probably a good thing no one follows hockey in the US because if they did, I am sure I would have gotten picked on at work. As it is, since I don't watch the Cowboys, I may as well be a leper. Of course, if the Ducks would actually show up for any 2nd period they have, they might actually win some more, but that's a whole 'nother rant that Dan's heard too many times.

Last week the Ducks and the Blues played their first game against each other. The Ducks won, but the Blues put up a good showing, I think. And the Blues won their home opener last week as well. Of course, they've only won 2 games so far this season (out of 5), but if you are going to win a game, make sure it is your home opener, right? But even at 2-2-1, the Blues are in 3rd place for their division. But that really says more about the division than the Blues....

Let the REAL hockey begin!

Tonight is the season opener for the Anaheim Ducks - YAY! They play at home tonight against the LA Kings (Boo!)

I'm really looking forward to it, though I am also kind of waiting with baited breath to see if the Ducks are truly going to be the strong team everyone is expecting to win the Cup now that they have Pronger. (Though as an aside, why does one player make the difference between being a pick to win it all or not?)

The Ducks' preseason record wasn't all that hot at 3-2-3, but then preseason doesn't really mean anything. Rookies get lots of game time, the big names don't always play and when they do, they are more careful since, well, it's preseason. But tonight's game, well, that will mean something, especially as the Kings are a big rival. So let's kick some King rear!

Edited at 11:53pm: WOO HOO! Ducks beat the Kings 4-3. Giguere stopped an awesome 41 out of 44 goals and was the 1st star of the game. My heart stopped for a few minutes in the 3rd period when Giguere went down on the ice, but turns out he just had a cramp (he has some problem that makes him prone to dehydration and cramps) and was able to recover quick enough to finish out the game.

One game down, only 81 more to go!

Hockey Blues
Yesterday Dan and I stayed up way too late in order to watch the Blues vs. Sharks. It didn't end well. It was a great game, but the Blues were eventually beat in overtime, 5-4. Pretty good for a team that was ranked dead last in the conference last season and even better when you consider that they were playing against the former 5th place team.

Dan ready to cheer on his Blues

Of course, it would have been great if we had actually seen the end of the game. It ran long because of a couple of delays: a referee got hit in the face with a puck (ouch) and a player's skate made a hole in the boards. No one was really sure how to fix that one, but eventually they put something together. Anyway, I guess it was because the game was running long, but the game feed was cut near the end of the 3rd period at 12:30am. So not cool.

Of course, maybe it is best that Dan didn't have to suffer through seeing his team lose in overtime. Instead, his memories are of the Blues leading the Sharks or being tied for most of the game.

Go Pink Monkeys!

Today was the official start of NHL hockey. YAY!!!! I want to dance like a Muppet I feel so happy.

Dan and I watched the Ottawa - Toronto game. Ottawa won, which is a good thing since I was pulling for them. Mostly because Gerber (the Ottawa goalie) is a former Duck. Go (ex-)Ducks! Also, Peca is on Toronto and he's a dirty word, in my opinion.

YAY for the official start of hockey!

Oh, and my fantasy hockey team is called the Pink Monkeys, if you are wondering about the blog title. Let's hope they beat Dan's Blue Notes this week!

Le Sigh

Jean Sebastian Giguere

I just wanted to post some eye-candy for the day.

Now, how many months until hockey season starts back up?

Goodbye Might Ducks of Anaheim

Hello Anaheim Ducks!

As of Thursday, the Might Ducks of Anaheim are no longer mighty - the owners decided to give the Ducks a new image and (slightly) different name.

There has been some mixed feelings on the Duck's message boards about the new logos. Overall, not too many people are excited about the new logo, including myself. I'm good with the name change but I can't say I'm jumping up and down over the new look. It is more manly and I suppose that is good for a hockey team.

I do wish we had a good logo, though, not just a name. Maybe they'll use the duck-footed D as their logo for things next season. Not exactly scary, but shoot - we are the Ducks. How often do you hear news stories about rabid ducks attacking 20 people at a park or anything? Ducks just aren't scary animals.

When I first saw the new logo, I'll admit, I was disappointed. I liked the old one a lot - even made sure I ordered a jersey with the old logo because I just couldn't see willingly wearing the new logo but I really wanted a Giguere/Ducks jersey. Now that I've seen the logo on some actual players, I'm still not in love with it, but I admit it looks decent.

Corey Perry (left) and Todd Marchant (right) frame the team's owners at the new logo unveiling

Besides, I think Corey Perry (my favorite rookie!) looks good in it, so it can't be that bad!

Go Anaheim Ducks!

And please don't ever decided to do an orange third jersey!

Hurricane Season

Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup in Game 7

Game 7 of the Stanley Cup was last night - Edmonton Oilers vs Carolina Hurricanes - and the Hurricanes pulled it out and won! YAY!

I'm especially happy since I was pulling for the Hurricanes. The Oilers beat out the Ducks in the last round, so I wanted to make sure the Oilers didn't win the Cup. Is that evil? I did feel a little sad when I saw some of the Oilers players after they lost. They looked crushed. But the Hurricanes where ecstatic, so that made me feel a bit better. After all, the 'Canes weren't supposed to do anything this season, much less win it all.

So congrats to the Hurricanes - and to rookie goalie Cam Ward, the first rookie goalie win the Conn Smythe Trophy (for the playoffs most valuable player).

It's not as sweet as a Duck win would have been, but I'll take it.

Go 'Canes!

GO DUCKS!

Okay, I haven't updated in 2 or 3 weeks - shame on me. I need to correct some stuff on my other pages - I've found typos and junk. Need to get on that. But this weekend will be busy, I think, so I don't know if I'll get it done then.

Speaking of this weekend, we're going to do a little land shopping on Saturday. Dan and I have about 5 properties between 2 and 5 acres that we want to look at to see if we want to buy. We've just started looking so I'll be surprised if we hit on anything tomorrow, but we sure won't find anything if we don't look, right?

But on to important news. The Might Ducks won Round 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs!!! Woo hoo! Tonight is the first game of Round 2. The Ducks play the Colorado Avalanche today at 7:00pm PST. GO DUCKS!

And some cute Ducks' news... and duck news:

A New Duck Calls the Arrowhead Pond Home

While the NHL’s Mighty Ducks of Anaheim headed to Calgary for Game 7 against the Flames, one duck stayed behind to guard the nest… literally.

A new duck is calling the Arrowhead Pond home and she is not interested in goals, power plays or penalty minutes, she is busy working to hatch nine eggs.

Her nest is located just outside the Southeast concierge at the Arrowhead Pond and the arena has taken the necessary steps to protect her including barricade, signs and even her own security guard during the day and all arena events.

She has not yet asked for a television to watch Game 7 which airs tonight at 6pm on KDOC-TV. Check your local channel guide for KDOC-TV or click here for a complete Southern California channel listing.

The Newest Duck

See the original story here

Serious Butt-Kicking

First off, yes, it is 7:00am on Sunday and I am posting on my webpage. Why? Because I am sick and couldn't sleep and decided to go play on the computer instead of wake Dan. I mean, at least one of us should get more than a few hours sleep a night, right?

So in my early morning web-surfing while attempting to entertain my congested and miserable self, I saw something that just made my eyes bug out:

Check out that highlighted line to see how many point "The Popsicles" jumped yesterday - 94 points! Oh my goodness! And was I just complaining to Dan yesterday about how my team was sucking?

Now I'm not saying I should expect a 94-point jump every day, but shoot, I might have a hope of catching up with Dan's team, "Zambonis" if I have a few more of those days!

WOO HOO!

WOO HOO! Second Place, Baby!

My goal so far this hockey season was to get in to the top three of the fantasy hockey league Dan and I are again - a goal brought about by the fact that I spent over a good in last place.

Well, I've made it! I'm in second! YAY! I went straight from 4th to 2nd.

My team is number 2! (Yes, I named them The Popsicles. Well, they are hockey players... they spend a lot of time on the ice.)
Dan's the team in first, the Zambonis.

More Jiri Fischer News

I'm still following Jiri Fischer. Looks like he won't be playing this year but he doesn't want his heart problems to keep him from hockey. The Reuter's article is here.

Good luck, Jiri!

Update on Jiri Fischer

An article updating Jiri Fischer's condition

Good News / Bad News

First the good news: Jiri Fischer is out of the hospital. Yay! This article tells more about what happened to him during the game with Nashville and what they think the problem is (sounds like a pretty serious heart thing). Hopefully everything will turn out to be okay!

More good news: Dan and I got to see the Ducks take on the Stars. Go Ducks!

We're just happy to be there - okay, I'm happier

Now the bad news: The Mighty Ducks lost 3-1. Dang it! But, we did have really rockin' seats.

We were close to the action - 12 rows from the ice!

The Ducks were the first to put a point on the board and it was way cool seeing them in person. Even though they lost, I thought the Ducks played a really good game - until they forgot to show up for the third period. Oh well, no one is perfect.

The Ducks led for a little bit!

As enjoyable as it was to see the Ducks in person, it was disappointing that Giguere was not there. He's been put on the Ducks IR (injured reserve) list due to a hamstring problem. Double dang it! Poor guy hasn't had much luck lately. Groin, dehydration, hamstring... But Bryzgalov was there and put on a pretty good show.

Bryzgalov has always struck me as a really tall guy.
6'3", then you add skates...

A couple other Ducks were missing from the lineup including (but not limited to) Lupul and Fedoruk. Lupul was concussed from a dirty, dirty hit in yesterday's game against the Coyotes and Fedoruk has been suspended for three games due to a dirty, dirty return hit on the Coyotes. But Selanne, MacDonald, Vishnevsky, Carney, the Neidermeyers, Moen and other Duckie goodness were all there. Yay!

Ducks!

And one last picture because Scott Neidermeyer is cool:

Scott Neidermeyer

(And before you think I posted too many pictures - I actually took over 100 pictures so I was really selective about what pictures I posted. Really, I was!)

Safety First this Thanksgiving!

Be safe this Thanksgiving - don't catch your house on fire like Mighty Duck Fedoruk did in 2003!

He was a Canadian living in Philly now and wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving like a true American.

So Todd Fedoruk did exactly that - by nearly launching his house into space.

"We didn't read the warnings," the Mighty Ducks left winger said of that day two years ago. "It was like a bomb. Flames were shooting up five feet."

Fedoruk and then-teammate Robert Esche intended to deep fry only a turkey. But they almost turned themselves into Philadelphia Fryers. Too much oil. Too close to the house. Too inviting of a setting to not expose the real Butterballs.

"We had the pot set up on my old, dried-out wooden deck," Fedoruk said. "It was the perfect kindling."

Oops! I wonder if Fedoruk is going to try to deep fry his turkey again this year.

So y'all be careful out there!

Hockey News - Jiri Fischer

Dan and I were watching the Nashville / Detroit game when this happened:

DETROIT (AP) -- Red Wings defenseman Jiri Fischer had a seizure on the Detroit bench late in the first period of Monday night's game against the Nashville Predators and was listed in stable condition at a hospital.

Fischer was given CPR at the bench and a defibrillator was used before the 25-year-old native of the Czech Republic was removed on a stretcher.

The game was eventually cancelled. You can read the entire article here.

I just hope he's okay. How scary is that? For a bit, the announcers were thinking that he had been speared with a stick but apparently not. That's a pretty freaky thought because Dan mentioned a minor league hockey player that had been speared with a stick and it stopped his heart. He didn't make it. So hopefully a seizure will be much less serious!

Fischer is a free agent in my Yahoo!Fantasy Hockey League, but looking at his stats, he looks like a pretty good defensemen with 32 points (as scored by our league) so far for the season and higher than league average stats on all accounts.

You can bet I'll be keep a look out for any new reports on his condition. Good luck, Jiri!

Tragic - Child Abuse in America

St. Louis (AP) - A seven-year-old boy was at the center of a St.
Louis,Mo. courtroom drama yesterday when he challenged a court ruling over who should have custody of him. The boy has a history of being beaten by his parents and the judge initially awarded custody to his aunt, in keeping with child custody law and regulations requiring that family unity be maintained to the degree possible. The boy surprised the court when he proclaimed that his aunt beat him more than his parents and he adamantly refused to live with her. When the judge then suggested that he live with his grandparents, the boy cried out that they also beat him. After considering the remainder of the immediate family and learning that domestic violence was apparently a way of life among them, the judge took the unprecedented step of allowing the boy to propose who should have custody of him. After two recesses to check legal references and confer with child welfare officials, the judge granted temporary custody to the St. Louis Blues, whom the boy firmly believes are not capable of beating anyone.

Hehe. Okay, okay, so it isn't true anymore - the Blues finally broke their longest losing streak in franchise history on Tuesday night against the Blue Jackets. But it's still funny!

Guess who I get to see?

The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim! Lupul, Carney, Perry, Selanne, MacDonald, the Niedermayers, Fedoruk - and, of course J. S. Giguere! WOO HOO!

Dan and I are going to see the Ducks vs. the Stars on November 23rd. I found some great tickets on eBay for not cheap, but cheaper than most of the other seats we could get, especially such good ones.

I'm so excited! I've never seen the Ducks live. It'll be so neat!

I hope they win!

Hockey's Back!

Woo hoo! Yesterday was opening day of hockey! Dan and I have the Center Ice package from Dish Network, so I have a feeling our house will be all hockey all the time. (Though I did have to skip some of the hockey yesterday to watch Veronica Mars - can't miss that!)

Yesterday both the St. Louis Blues (Dan's team) and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (my team) played. The Blues sadly (and quite badly) lost to the Detroit Red Wings. It was a whopping 5-1. Well, at least the Blues got one goal.

The Ducks, on the other hand, beat the pants off of the Chicago Blackhawks. Okay, maybe "beat the pants off" is not the right phrase. It was 5-3. With the new rules, hockey games should end up with higher scores, so still think the Ducks rocked. Go Giguere!

No Happy Ending

Today my friend Han, Han's date Susan, Dan and I all went to a Dallas Stars hockey game. Well, Dan and I were really going to the St. Louis Blues game but since they happened to be playing the Stars, we all ended up in the same place.

We had really great seats - only 8 rows from the ice. Normally they were $90 seats, but thanks to the fact that it was a pre-season game, we got them for less than half of that.

The Blues led or were tied for almost the entire game. Well, until the end. Then they lost 4 - 3 in overtime. Afterwards, there was a shoot out (all pre-season games this year are ending with a shoot out, no matter the results of the game) and happily the Blues scored the first goal. Not so happily, however the Stars went on to score on the last two tries and the Blues lost the shoot out 2 - 1.

But, even thought the Blues lost, it was still a ton of fun. I'm looking forward to this season! YAY!