More fillah...less thrillah

DJC's dad is in town this week which means I have little time to do anything but go to my classes, clean the house, drive to and from San Francisco, and eat. This last thing is killin' me, but my god, I've had some amazing food and drinks recently.

I know I owe you all another pictorial post, and I've got it coming soon. Really, I do. But for now you all will just have to work with this hilarious video:

Have I gushed about how much I love Joe Thornton recently? Bloody hell, this is almost too awesome. He is arguably one of the best players in all of the NHL and he is such a goofball. Love how he doesn't take himself seriously at all. Classic.

Hear that, Sharks fans?

That, ladies and gents, is the sound of the fat lady singing. That's also the sound of the best season the Sharks have had to date coming to a screeching halt. The Sharks are out of the playoffs. They lost in six games (one more than my prediction). They simply gave up! I honestly feel a little like crying, but when I voiced this to DJC, he pointed out that no one on the Sharks bench displayed any sort of emotion during the course of this series, so why should I? Excellent point.

If I were Doug Wilson, who is the general manager of the Sharks, I'd unload the whole goddamn team during off-season trades. The Sharks have made some huge trades in the past couple years to acquire big time talent (from top to bottom..players and coaches) in order to create a team that is capable of winning it all. The only constants in terms of roster space are Captain Patrick Marleau, Jonathan Cheechoo, who has not been the same player since he took a crushing elbow to the head the year after he won the Rocket Richard trophy, and the bane of my hockey existence, goalie Evgeni Nabokov. Some people argue that Joe Thornton should be shipped out as well, but I don't agree with that. I say can Marleau, whose energy and leadership skills are similar to those of a sweet little field mouse, and make Thornton the captain. Let him step up. I think Joe has what it takes.

Now, here's where I'm really gonna start to rant. I've NEVER been an Evgeni Na-choke-ov fan. I think he is possibly the most inconsistent player in the entire NHL. I've never been on board with anything he's done. He has the ever-important job of STOPPING THE PUCK when the defense fails to clear the zone, but judging by the way he plays, its like his role on the team was lost in translation. I would have traded him three years ago if I ruled the world. But, and this is a BIG "but", Nabokov will be staying where he is, playing mediocre, pee-wee caliber hockey for years to come. Why, you ask? His GENIUS agent wrote an iron-clad no-trade clause into his contract which basically gives him carte blanche to TOTALLY SUCK night after agonizing night, without worrying about whether or not his job is in jeopardy...and Doug Wilson AGREED to it!!! Nabokov should give his agent a huge bonus, because if that clause were not in place, I bet Nabokov would find his ass out on the street faster than he could say "5 hole". If I were Doug Wilson, I'd have my best team of lawyers going over that contract looking for a loophole and a way out. Mark my words: The Sharks will never win it all, or even make it past the second round, while Nabokov is in the net...or even on the roster. Fuckin' A.

Ok, I'm done. Fuck hockey. Fuck cheering for a team. I'm done....until next season. Word.

Mmmm hmmm...told you so

Last night, the Sharks managed to win game 3 to push the best-of-seven series against the Anaheim Ducks to at least 5. Just as I said. They'd win at least one...just to make things interesting.

In other news, last night's game marked the return of my favorite inappropriate crush, Torrey Mitchell. Early in the pre-season, he suffered a very serious tibia/fibula (boot top) fracture that required surgery and lots of hardware to repair. Original estimates had the Sharks' center returning to regular season play roughly two months after surgery. When I heard this, I laughed. I've seen athletes with tib/fib fractures who, regardless of a successful surgical outcome, cannot return to their sport at all. A similar fracture, remember, ended Joe Theismann's career (If you've got a strong stomach, Google that shit. It's unreal). One can only imagine the immense stresses the lower leg experiences in a game like hockey, and to throw out a time frame of two months seemed a bit arbitrary to me. I turned to DJC , shook my head and said, "He won't be back before the playoffs. Trust me on this one." Seeing as that I really like watching the kid play, I was bummed. I think all Sharks fans were.

Aaaaand, I was right. Although Mitchell was skating and playing in AHL games several months ago, he had a few setbacks with the injury and extra rehab time was needed. Last night, in game three, Mitchell looked a bit tentative, but very eager to contribute. And boy do the Sharks ever need his speed and finesse! What else does this energetic youngster bring to the party? Well, have a look-see at this:

The video quality isn't the greatest, but one can easily see that Mitchell (in white) gets hauled down on a break-away, draws a penalty, gets up, maintains possession of the puck and manages to score a fantastic goal. Amazing. And coincidentally, he did all of this against Anaheim. I think I speak for all Sharks fans when I say that I hope we see more fireworks from #17. He brings something to the team that they seem to be lacking lately: desire, hunger,and drive. He wants it. Hopefully, the rest of the team will feed off of his energy and finish the Ducks off...

...but then again, probably not. I'm still sticking to my 5 game ousting. =(

B/R face time

A while back, I started writing for a site called Bleacher Report just for fun. Bleacher Report is an open-source sports network, meaning anyone could write about whatever they wanted and it would be "published" on the site. The point is to encourage constructive dialog about sports and for writers to improve their writing skills through the advice of B/R's excellent editors (thanks, Jay!)

I wrote mostly about hockey (shocking, I know) but also threw in some random articles from time to time just to keep things interesting. I wrote under the same name that I use here, and as a result, most of my readers thought I was a guy. For a while, though, I got some really good feedback about my writing style and content. I attained "Syndicated Writer" status after penning just 10 articles (B/R has a deal with CBS Sports Online to re-post the best B/R articles). All was well.

But then, around the time of the Olympics, I started to notice that there were people writing VERY opinionated pieces in very rude voices. They knew they were intentionally pissing people off and they didn't care. Flame wars took place in the comments section. Nearly all constructive conversation ceased in favor of comments like, "Dude, your [sic] a fucking retard. You should be shot for...X, Y and Z". I became extremely discouraged and pretty much gave up on writing for Bleacher Report.

It's not Bleacher Report's fault. The same thing happens with every open board or site that's not mediated. People think its cool to say whatever they want to say because they're hiding behind a computer screen. But for those who wrote to improve our skills and were in it for the right reasons like myself, it became something I no longer wanted to be a part of. And I'm exaggerating a little...that kind of behavior didn't happen all the time or on every article. But it still left a bad taste in my mouth and I didn't want to take the chance of one of those people finding one of my articles. I'm kinda sensitive and tend to take things personally...or so I'm told. ;)

Regardless of the fact that I wasn't writing anymore, I kept in touch with a few of the guys that worked for B/R who knew that The Enforcer and myself are one in the same. Recently, they had their first annual Bleacher Report meet-up in San Francisco. I went to meet the people face to face that I had been communicating with online and whose articles I had read. I'm so glad I did. Zander, Max, and Jay were SO friendly. Zander, in particular, seemed to enjoy introducing me to everyone, stating that I wrote "as The Enforcer" (and I admit, it was kinda fun to see the reactions on the faces of my readers to see that The Enforcer is actually a chick that writes about hockey).

I'm not sure if I'll start writing there again, but it was really great to meet up with the people behind the site. I don't visit it as frequently as I used to, so I don't know if the same characters are still up to their old antics, but aside from the bull, Zander and company have a pretty good thing going over at B/R. They continue to grow in readers and contributors and I wish them all the best. They honestly couldn't have been nicer.

I'm calling it now...

The Sharks will be eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs in Round One by the Anaheim Ducks in...wait for it...five games. The Sharks may take one game in the best-of-seven series, but holy shit, they're playing terribly, and if they keep it up Anaheim will have no problem dispatching the Presidents' Trophy winners in five games.

Make no mistake...it pains me to my very core to say this. I wish I had faith. I wish I could believe. But the Sharks are already down one game to Anaheim, and at about the mid-point of game two, the TOP RANKED TEAM IN THE WHOLE NHL looks like a fucking pee-wee team. The Sharks entered the playoffs as the number one seed, while the Ducks were ranked eighth. Right now, it looks like the reverse. Its just saaaaaaaad, ya'll.

After finishing the regular season with the best record in the NHL, nothing less than winning the Cup will suffice. And rightly so. But, I gotta be honest with you all, I just hope the Sharks can make the series respectable...even in defeat.

Dear Jeremy Roenick,

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways:

1. Your ridiculous sense of humor. On and off of the ice, you crack me the hell up. Exhibit A, from a pre-season exhibition game before you became a Shark:

Yeah, that's right. Work it, funky little white boy! LOL!

Exhibit B, from last night's Sharks' victory over Colorado, where Alexei Semenov (really?!) was named the First Star of the game and was giving and interview:

So unexpected! In all my years of rooting for the Sharks and watching post-game interviews, I've never seen anything like this. Frikkin' BRILLIANT! I rewound the DVR like four times to watch the hilarity again and again. Props to Semenov for taking it all in stride.

2. And daaaaaaaaamn baby, you looks good in a shirt and tie (Honorable mention for Ryane Clowe also all dressed up and looking dee-lish).

JR, I think I can speak for all Sharks fans out there when I say that I'm so glad you're a member of Team Teal. From your on-ice heroics to your off-ice antics, you keep us interested, cheering and wanting more. Keep the good stuff comin'!

I'm just sayin'...

We were lucky...last night, me, DJC, Lucky_girl, M and Miss E and boyfriend each had a ticket to the hottest game in town: The Sharks vs. the Detroit Red Wings. I'm tellin' you, the game was EPIC. I don't think I've ever cheered as much at a sporting event before, which is really saying something. And sitting in a heavily populated Detroit section made all that cheering even more enjoyable. Totally amazing experience. But, here's the thing that bothered me a little...

Between periods, there is a seventeen minute intermission during which most fans leave their seats in search of beer, nachos, hot dogs and other dee-lish game-time treats. But, choosing to do so comes at the cost of one's personal space. Seriously...it's all assholes and elbows in the lobby area. Unless my bladder forces me to move, I generally avoid the masses. Lucky_girl and I stayed put in our seats during one of the intermissions so we could catch up, tell stories, and laugh (because, damn, it's been a while). It was then I noticed that nearly everyone sitting around us and in front of us was playing some sort of game on their iPhone or iPod Touch. The folks not playing games were checking emails and text messages. People sitting right next to each other, not talking, engrossed in the technology. WTF?

As a society, have we gotten to the point where we MUST be entertained and visually stimulated every second? What ever happened to good, old fashioned conversation? Why actually turn to talk to the person you've come to the game with when you can just send a text message instead? Ya dig?

*Of course* I've got something to say about Sean Avery

Hello?! This is me we're talking about here. To think that I wouldn't comment on this...silly people of the internets. =)

Ok, here's how I feel about Sean Avery and the recent incident which lead to his indefinite suspension from the NHL...

Yes, he's a serious pain in the ass. Yes, if you let him, he will get under your skin to the point where you will want to punch him in the throat so that he shuts up. Yes, that's pretty much all he's good for nowadays. BUT, I freaking love the guy. He worked at Vogue, he can reference Dries Van Noten in everyday conversation, and he's DAMN good at what he does, which of course, is make people's blood boil, while playing some pretty decent hockey at that same time. So far, we've got fashion, a little hockey, and a WHOLE lotta shit talking. Some of my favorite things in life. I can respect that.

But, does it follow that because he made a crude remark about an ex-girlfriend, he should be suspended indefinitely? In a league that is painfully slow about enforcing stronger penalties on potentially crippling, dangerous head shots, this is what warrants an indefinite suspension? Really? Even Todd Bertuzzi was allowed to return to play after literally paralyzing Steve Moore. And Dany Heatly was reinstated after killing teammate Dan Snyder in a drunk driving accident. But Sean Avery mentions something about sloppy seconds and gets slapped with an indefinite suspension (Which I have to admit, cracked me up...someone's still got a broken heart, Sean?). Again...really? Priorities out of whack much, NHL?

Listen, Avery's a punk. He talks shit. That's his schtick. And judging by everyone's reaction to this, he's pretty stinkin' good at it. I have to say, though, I don't get the suspension. Last time I checked, this is a free country, yes? And one of those freedoms still includes freedom of speech, right? Yes? Well, then, seriously, WTF? And tell me again what this has to do with hockey? Riiiiight....

Its been suggested that Avery's tragic mistake wasn't saying what he said, but the fact that he said it in front of TV cameras. That seems fair, because if it weren't for the media sensationalizing this, us common fans would never know about it. If the same comment was made on the ice, would Avery be in the same boat? My guess is no. I'm sure that WAY worse comments are tossed around every night, during every game. Is it only the fact that there was media proof that sunk Avery (well, that and his reputation for being a loud-mouth jerk)? Maybe...

Due to my interest in this whole fiasco, I've been reading a fair amount of hockey blogs today and I've got a VERY important point to make. There's been lots of talk about how mysongenistic Avery's comment was. SO offensive! So degrading towards women, bloggers say. Women in general, or one woman? Personally, sepaking as a woman, I'm not offended. Perhaps its because I've spent a large part of my professional career around foul-mouthed athletes, and as a result became desensitized to talk of Avery's kind, but I just really didn't think it was all that bad. Classless, yes. But I don't think Avery was intentionally degrading ALL women with his comment. And I'm willing to bet there's a large group of women out there that weren't offended either. So, please dear hockey bloggers of the internets, do not lump ALL women into your discussion of how we should be so outraged . That offends me more than Avery's words ever could.

I liken Sean Avery to Eminem. I don't necessarily like what the guy has to say, but you can't take away his right to say it (or enforce an excessive suspension on him for shooting his mouth off). It's just silly. Should Avery be disciplined in some other way? Absolutely....by the team that signs his paychecks. But the NHL is setting a dangerous precedent here by essentially censoring Avery's words and by assessing an arbitrary, superfluous suspension that does not match the crime...if there even is a crime to speak about. The NHL's time could be much better spent than by focusing on this. Word.

A great Saturday

After conquering the caulking catastrophe early in the day, I settled in to watch the 111th Big Game with some buttermilk biscuits and strawberry jam from Trader Joe's. I know this makes me a bad alumna, but I didn't particularly like Cal's chances. They've just been so all over the place this season. But thankfully, the whole can of whoop-ass was opened on the Cardinal and the Golden Bears reclaimed The Axe. There were some seriously brilliant plays (Frank Cignetti WHAT WHAT!!) and MAN, when Jahvid Best is having a good day, he is pretty damn incredible. Even though the Bears season has been very ho-hum, it feels DAMN good to beat Stanfurd. Woot!

Around the middle of the third quarter, DJC and I headed to San Francisco for a quick stop at Lush, and then to find a beer store he read about on this blog. Apparently, the latest craze in the beer world involves putting beer in cans. Like, ridiculously expensive beer... in cans. Yeah. Novel concept, I know. Anyways, the store's called Healthy Spirits, and its on 15th and Castro. We went in search of the elusive beers from Oskar Blues. When we walked in, we saw this:

And then I heard the disctinct sound of drum n bass being played. Then we met Nate. He was standing behind the counter, manning the laptop that was streaming Bassdrive.com. I was liking this place more and more. After a great discussion about the San Francisco music scene, we met Dave, beer master extraordinnaire. DJC and Dave got down to business and serious beer talk ensued. I meandered around and decided to snag one can for myself of 21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon (it's a watermelon infused wheat beer) from one of these coolers:

We've been pretty loyal to City Beer for a while now, but after a not-so-pleasant experience a while back, we've been reluctant to go back. Despite the fact that you can actually drink your purchases at City Beer, I think I prefer the folks and the unpretentious vibe at Healthy Spirits. Nate and Dave were knowledgeable, friendly, and totally willing to talk shop with us for as long as we wanted. DJC and I feel like we made new friends. They stock over 500 different beers, so there's sure to be something for every kind of taste...even mine!

Armed with a ridiculous amount of good beer, DJC and I headed home to catch the Sharks game. Can I just say that I LOVE hockey?! Ok, Ok, you all know that, but the Sharks are on a freaking tear right now and it's just so much fun to watch. I've said it before and I'll say it again...Joe Thornton makes whoever he plays with better. He brings other players up to his level of awesomeness. This season's beneficiary: Devin Setoguchi. Those two make it look easy.

All in all, it was a great way to end a perfect day. Everything just worked out: Caulking, Cal football, Lush, Healthy Spirits, Dave and Nate, the kick-ass Sharks and spending the whole day with DJC. Good times!

The best game I've been to...EVAR!

Last night, DJC and I slogged our way down to San Jose to meet up with BL and a few of his coworkers for what can only be described as the awesomest Sharks game I've ever had the pleasure of attending. Here are the highlights:

After sitting in traffic for nearly an hour and forty-five minutes, we pulled a quick switcheroo on a busy street and I jumped into the driver's seat while DJC ducked into the Hotel DeAnza to make a pit stop. My job was to park the car in a nearby lot. I realized about 30 seconds too late that DJC had the cash for parking. So, I circled around the block and snagged a street spot, fee-free! Bonus!

Next stop was back to the Hotel DeAnza for our customary Jaeger shot at the bar before the game. We've done this religiously for a while now, and we weren't about to let the large bar crowd in Red Wings sweaters stand in our way. In hindsight, we should have skipped this part of the evening, because the bartender grabbed a used shaker glass off of the bar (sans rinsing), poured the Jaeger into it, LOADED it up with ice, covered it, and shook vigorously. He then proceeded to pour the frothy, watered down liquid into two glasses. It tasted faintly of raspberries. In all my years of drinking, I've never had a shot of Jaeger prepared in that fashion. It was naaaaaasty. But things improved dramatically when BL and his workforce entourage showed up. Entertaining, one of them was. Oh, so very entertaining, if not a little tragic...(OK, she was super tragic!)

Anyways, BL bought a total of eight tickets. We only had six people. He managed to sell the remaining two tickets on the street to two older guys named Greg and Nick. I've decided that I MUST sit next to these two guys at every Sharks game I attend from here on out. They were an absolute hoot. I love sitting next to fans who know the game and who like to get into it, but aren't too obnoxious. BL has a way of finding the cool people of the world, and Nick and Greg definitely fall into that group. The three of us were high-fiving, talking smack to nearby Red Wings fans and cheering at the top of our lungs. It was awesome. So much fun.

And the game itself was unreal. All NHL teams award something called the Three Stars of the game after it's over. Traditionally, the "stars" are the goal scorers, or the serious game changing play-makers. But, as we were driving home last night listening to Sharks Radio, color commentator Jamie Baker said that they had to pick three, but really, everyone could have been a star. And he was right. Every guy out there gave it his all. And with a 4-2 victory over the defending Stanley Cup champs, it showed. Special congrats go out to Jamie McGinn, who, in just his second NHL game, scored his first ever NHL goal and also tallied his first assist. The arena big screen showed a tight shot of him sitting on the bench after the goal smiling from ear to ear as Sharks fans cheered loudly in recognition of a great accomplishment. He was chosen as the very well-deserved first star of the night. Great job, kid! =)

Ok, that's it for my hockey ramblings for now. I just want to say a big thanks to BL for getting the tickets! I've never had so much fun at a Sharks game before!

Sharks fans can take a breath now

So, the Sharks have a new gaggle of coaches this year, a whole new corps of defensemen on the blue line and entirely new system to adjust to. Seeing as that they're 8-2 thus far, it seems like the adjustments are coming fairly naturally to most of the guys. But not to everyone...

The core of the Sharks offense consists of Captain Patrick Marleau, Milan Michalek, Jonathan Cheechoo and former league MVP Joe Thornton. While the first three guys look to be doing fine under new head coach Todd McLellan, there's been talk that Thornton's just not feelin' it. Whether it's skating off before McLellan has finished his time-out instruction, or blatantly ignoring the coach on the bench, #19 has really looked like he's not on board. And man, it'd be one HELL of a loooong season without him in the mix. Joe's amazing on-ice vision and ability to create scoring opportunities is what the Sharks' whole offense is centered around.

There's also been some talk that #19's on board, but is not completely healthy. Well, from where I sat on the couch last night, that may very well be true. He did sustain a groin injury during the preseason and perhaps he's still struggling with that. Groin injuries can be notoriously problematic, especially in sports that require so much lateral movement. As amazingly as he played, Joe didn't look quite as agile as he has in games past. What's really going on, here? Who knows.

But, after last night's routing of the Pittsburgh Penguins, I think it's safe to assume that whatever was chapping Joe's ass seems to be gone. He was really giving it a go as he finished his checks, made brilliant passes and generated scoring chances. Not to mention the big role he had in holding the very flashy Sid the Kid and then rest of the Pens to only 11 shots on goal...FOR THE WHOLE GAME. I think Sharks fans can collectively breathe a sigh of relief now that it seems that old Thornton appears to be back. And can I just say how much fun I had this morning razzing CBKWit about the Pens loss?! Loved it! =)

Tomorrow night, DJC and I will be joining BL at The Tank to watch the Sharks in an early season test against the 2008 Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings. It'll be a hell of a game. I'm really looking forward to it.

Now, if I could only get whatever bug I'm fighting to give it a rest long enough for me to enjoy some nachos and beer tomorrow night, that'd be great, kthnx!! GO SHARKS!

Move over Sean Avery...Craig Rivet's my new hero!

Here, we have former Sharks defenseman and now Buffalo Sabres captain Craig Rivet showin' 'em how its done 'round those parts during Monday night's game against the New York Islanders. In a heartbreaking trade, the Sharks sent Rivet over to Buffalo at the end of last season. I say "heartbreaking" because us Sharks fans LOVED the guy (and most of us still do!). But, as the "C" on his jersey and the above video shows, he seems to be doing pretty well with his new team. That makes me happy.

Thanks to the NHL's lame Third Man In rule (47.16...you'll have to scroll a ways to get to it), you just don't see fights like this anymore. Bummer, that. This one's a serious beat-down. And its doubly worth watching for the commentator's reactions to the goings on. Classic!

Enjoy! (Aaaaand the Sharks won again last night! That's 4 in a row! Sorry, had to sneak that one in there as this *is* my last hockey post of the week. You understand, right?) =)

Sean Avery: My new hero

A long time ago, at like 2:30am, I watched a documentary on ESPN about the Detroit Red Wings. They had recently picked up a fresh-faced asshole rookie named Sean Avery that year. The documentary followed him almost exclusively (or maybe it didn't, but I was so wrapped up in the guy that I hardly noticed when the other players had any TV time) and highlighted his incredibly abrasive, gritty style of play and shit-talker attitude. I liked him immediately. Not only was he a hell of a heckler on the ice (which I respect), he could back it up with his fists if opposing players took issue. He stirs the shit. He's even got an official NHL rule named after him. He constantly walks the line of being a little punk-ass, but somehow always stays on the cool as ice side of that line. In short, Avery was, and in many ways still is, MY kind of player. He loves what he does and plays with heart. Anyone watching one of his games can tell. Oh, and did I mention he's a fashion whore? Yeah. LOL!

Here's his online diary when he interned at Vogue during the 2008 summer NHL off-season. Fascinating stuff. And BT, Lucky_girl and Miss E, who does that pic instantly remind you of? Hee-hee!

Anyways, I thought I'd share this one with you all. I found the story, and Sean's diary really interesting...and somewhat distracting! I'm supposed to be working, but it took me about 4 reads to get through it entirely. Quote of the article:

If you feel like teasing this hockey player about an obsession of his that you might think is a little unusual, go right ahead. Just know that you may get your ass kicked by a very expensive pair of shoes — and that they'll probably match both my belt and my shirt.

Love it. =)

*Insert interesting title here*

So, yeah. Updates. I have none. I've allowed myself to get *entirely* too wrapped up in several things lately, and posting my thoughts about any of them is, well, boring. I don't know what it is, but I just don't feel much like writing. I'm sure you all know the feeling. But for the sake of keeping this thing somewhat current, here ya go:

1. Holy Christ on a cracker, the election and all its mudslinging hoopla...for whatever reason, it's become ridiculously fascinating to me. I wish I could read all of the news and listen to all of the rhetoric from an outsider's perspective (I think I'd get way less upset that way), but I have to say, I'm MUCH more worried about the future state of our country than I care to admit. The Bush administration seems like a joke in comparison to what's at stake these days. I've let the all political talk and bullshit get to me, and honestly folks, I'm scared, appalled, encouraged, hopeful, perplexed and downright befuddled all at once. No matter how you feel, you can't deny that this is definitely an interesting time in our history.

2. My IRA, or more correctly, what's left of it. Ugh. Thankfully, I'm not retiring any time soon. My parents, on the other hand...

3. Trying to buy a house in this market should be a slam dunk. Unfortunately, I think Warren Buffet would have a hard time getting a loan right now (not that he'd ever need one! Rat bastard.) Still, DJC and I awoke to the smell of sewage *again* this morning. Getting out has become priority #1 for us.

4. The Sharks have won all three games they've played in thus far. Three games. Big freaking whoop. Talk to me in two months or so. Yet, I'm liking this winning thing and I'd like to see more of it. YAY!

Yeah, that's about it. Any thoughts on any of the above topics? I invite you to post them in the comments section if you feel like it. If not, back to lurking for you, then... ;)

For what it's worth, I hope you're having a decent Monday. If not, it's almost over!

I <3 Hockey!

I was supposed to go to the gym tonight, but due to a POUNDING headache, I bailed. I now find my ass planted firmly on the couch, watching a classic San Jose Sharks game from last season. I know the outcome of this game and yet, its still totally exciting. Why is CSN re-broadcasting an old game? Well, I'm glad you asked (although you might not be)!

As of Thursday of this very week, it's HOCKEY SEASON again, kids! WOOT!! I know that along with So You Think You Can Dance, hockey has to be one of the least popular topics on this blog, but damn it, it's my freaking blog and I'm frequently occasionally gonna write about the Sharks. Deal with it. ;)

Anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I am a rabid hockey fan. And yes, its true...I was born in Florida and raised in Texas. Where did this love of watching grown men skate on frozen water and beat each other to a bloody pulp come from ? Who knows. Regardless, I got chills when I saw this commercial earlier tonight:

Aaaah, sweet sweet hockey. How I love thee. Now, if only the Sharks could WIN A DAMN CUP! *fingers crossed*

Cash Rules Everything Around Me, C.R.E.A.M, Get tha money, Dollah dollah bill, ya'll.

Whoo! Longest title evar!!

In light of the American economy's recent massive suckage, I thought I'd post a few of the frivolous consumer items that have caused my money and I to part ways...

LOVING the cool kick of Bare Escentuals Buxom Lips glosses. I'm a sucker for new makeup and colors. So much so that even while I was unemployed and damn near broke, I picked up Ginger and instantly fell in love. Last week, I stopped in to my local Sephora and snagged Brandi and their newest product, the Buxom Lips Full Color in Stella, which is more like a slick lipstick than a gloss. I'm diggin' it all the same, though. MUAH!

My old college pal Goose shocked us all when he packed up and moved to Hawai'i several years ago. Since then, he's been tirelessly working on a new beverage...one that has the opposite effects of the Red Bulls of the world. The delicate blend of native Kava root and chamomile mellows the drinker out, while imparting a sense of focus. Its called Ozia and its finally available in stores throughout Hawai'i. Its also available shipped to the mainland by the case. I recently put in an order that arrived on Saturday. I have to say, it's like nothing I've ever tasted before. It's definitely good, but its a bit of an acquired taste. In any case, I'm proud of him for having a vision and following it through. Cheers, Goose!

In other parts of the food and drink department, I enjoyed Trader Joe's chocolate croissants and a glass of Montevina Pinot Grigio on Sunday morning. It was totally indulgent, totally delicious and a perfect way to spend a day off from the gym. And Montevina always has something fun going on at the Big Crush, where I will most certainly be dropping a lot of cash. So soon!

And then there's Cal football tickets. And THANK GOD, hockey season is starting soon. I'm sure Lucky_girl and M and Miss E and JE will surely want to take in a few Sharks games. As for DJC and myself, we can't hardly wait...

It's only money and you can't take it with you...right? ;) Happy consumerism!

Stuff from all over

Ok, so we've got a lot to discuss tonight. First and foremost, dance. SYTYCD continued its current snooze-streak with another series of numbers that left me pretty cold...all except for both of Mia Michaels's choreography contributions. Here's the second one, featuring Twitch and Kherington in their PJs:

Oh goodness, Twitch is stunning. And I love the bedhead Kherington's got going in this one. The only negative...the excessive rose petals. The last time Twitch dropped them, it worked. All of the other throws seemed like overkill to me. The dance was gorgeous on its own. If you find yourself distracted by the flying rose petals, watch it again, and try to focus on the dancers. Lovely.

And despite the fact that I HATE the song, Will and Jessica's lyrical piece was also great. In fact, Will is my new hero. That leap at the beginning? WOW. (Thanks, as always, to kelxk3l for the uploading the vid! I don't know who you are, but you ROCK for always getting the clips up so quickly after the show. You must live on the east coast...)

Secondly, I almost feel like this news deserves its own post, but I'm just too lazy and writing about Brian Campbell is just something I can no longer devote any sort of energy to. The Sharks traded away my dear Big Bear (Steve Bernier) for the strawberry mountain man (Campbell) midseason and boy, what a flop of a trade that was. Bernier caught fire in Buffalo, while Campbell just sucked it up with the Sharks. All I can say is that the Blackhawks are a buncha chumps to cough up that much cash for an inconsistent Campbell. That said, good riddance, Soupy. LATES!!

At least five people came to my cube today to comment on my shoes, hair and clothes. Everyone stated that they all dressed like me when they started, but soon realized that the office is much more casual. Worth noting: I had trouser jeans on today...and yeah, I might have worn a pair of Beverly Feldmans, but sheesh! After my last wardrobe experience where I was constantly unprofessionally dressed, I'm not yet OK with how casual my new office is. It's OK, though...I'm sure I'll get there.

New song posted over there in the sidebar. Love this one. =)

Lastly, it happened again tonight. About two weeks ago during my Bodyflow class, I had an overwhelming urge to cry. I choked the tears down , but man, it was a strange thing for me. Crying during yoga? I've heard of such things happening, but had never experienced it. Earlier tonight, the same thing happened. I don't fully understand it, but I know it happens when we're going through the hip opening series...and I carry a TON of tension in my hips. I guess letting that go and giving in to the stretch is just an emotional thing for me. Weird shit, though.

Ok, that's it for now. Going to crash. Catch you back here soon. HUGS!

Tuesday morning couch potato report

MAN, the Pittsburgh Penguins sure made it interesting last night! Going in to Game 4, they trailed the Detroit Red Wings three games to one. Detroit had every opportunity to win the best-of-seven series (and the CUP!!) at home in front of tens of thousands of screaming fans. And with mere seconds left on the clock in the third period and the scoreboard reading Detroit 3 Pittsburgh 2, it looked like Lord Stanley's Cup was all but theirs.

But then, Maxime Talbot hacked and hacked and finally snuck the puck by the Wings' netminder to tie the game with just :35 left on the clock. Detroit tried, but time expired. I cheered. Loudly. DJC wasn't down with all the ruckus I had created.

Overtime, here we come... x3. Yep, that's right, TWO full 20-minute overtime periods and a little over ten minutes of a third. Ugh.

Both teams looked exhausted and totally beat. But the Pens...they looked worse. Case in point:

That's Ryan Malone taking a puck to the face. In super tough-guy styleee, though, Malone would return only minutes later. Sergei Gonchar took a heinous hit in the second period and didn't return until the final seconds of the third overtime, and Evgeni Malkin...who knows what happened to that guy. He was on the ice for most of the game, but based on his lackluster performance, you'd never know it (well, minus his assist on the GWG, that is).

Top honors of the night go to Sidney "One Man Wrecking Crew" Crosby and Petr "Call The Shot" Sykora, who actually did call his shot. In between the second and third overtime, he was interviewed and said that he would be the guy to step up and score the game winner. He was gonna be the hero. And he was. With assists from Malkin and Gonchar, who stepped on the ice solely for that power play, Sykora slammed a beauty by Wings' goalie Osgood FTW! Final score after five and a half periods of hard-core play: Pens 4, Red Wings 3. I cheered more, but not as loudly as I did the first time. ;)

Both teams displayed heart last night and never gave up. The officiating was terrible, with pretty much all the calls going the Pens' way. I felt like the officials were saying, "Here, Pittsburgh, we want you to have the game. We're gonna make some seriously crappy calls so you can win! Here! Take it! We're giving it to you!" And the Pens responded by saying, "Nooooo, it's OK. We don't want it. No, no, no!", but then a funny thing happened. The Pens started to look like they *did* want it. And they kept their legs moving and caused Detroit to take more silly penalties. And in the end, they prevailed to force a Game 6 back in Pittsburgh.

It was an epic playoff game. This is what Stanley Cup hockey is all about. Detroit has only one more game to win before the Cup is theirs for another year, but I am feel like after last night's amazing win, the Pens have the momentum. They have to win two more in a row. Can they do it? Stay tuned...

Major Penalty of the Day

Ladies and gents, I'd like you all to meet Dion Phaneuf. According to his Wiki page, he's 6'3" 212lbs of pure hunk-a-licious NHL beefcake. And this picture would indicate that, surely, he's one tough customer (Sean Avery is no slouch!):

Honestly, he'd have to be tough, because wearing something like this in public might garner you a serious ass-kicking:

Oh my stars, those are some loud shorts right there. You'd have to be pretty secure in your manhood to wear those out where people might see you. Fortunately, aside from the dire need for a tan, Dion Phaneuf seems to look the part. The trunks, though? Criminal.

I'd like to think that Elisha Cuthbert is laughing at his beachwear choice in the above pic. Because, honey, DAMN.

San Jose Sharks: It's all over...

Hear that? That's the fat lady and she is singin' the blues for the Sharks.

Team Teal's post season was cut short last night in QUADRUPLE overtime against a Dallas Stars team that wasn't any better than the Sharks, but that had luck on their side. The game ended well after 1am, CST. DJC and I were too beat down to shave his playoff beard last night. Tonight, we'll handle that. And I'll take pictures of the various stages of beard-dom...the fu-manchu, the chops, the handlebars.

I feel let down. I feel sad. I want to hug all of the Sharks one by one and tell them how much I enjoyed watching them all season. I want to tell them that I will still be a fan and that I'll be rooting them on next season and every season after that.

It's obvious that I am a rabid hockey fan, but this year's Sharks squad really made me fall in love with the game all over again. Their energy and enthusiasm was contagious. Youngsters like Torrey Mitchell and Devin Setoguchi made the game *fun* again. I feel like the guys are part of my circle of friends. I followed their ups and downs and really felt for them when things weren't going their way. It's like we're breaking up! NOOOOOOOOO!

My last hockey-related Bleacher Report article can be found here. And thus ends my hockey ramblings for another few months.

Here's to looking forward to October!

And in other sports/ political news, I give you this. Just. Amazing. (although I feel bad for the horse!)