Like being in college again

Pulling an all-nighter for work after getting home from hockey at midnight tonight. Made myself a double mocha in the ol' coffee machine (how is it that I pass a 24-hour Shipley's Donuts but not a 24-hour Starbucks on my way home?) and have been grinding away at it for the last 4 hours.

Not fun, but must be done. Sad thing is, it must be done because I'm maxed out on vacation and I need to Wednesday and Thursday off or I'll lose it. Not much of a vacation day if I have to spend it half or completely asleep.

I should get a boost from heading down to SLICE to check out Aeros training camp for a little while. Looking forward to that, though I always get a headache from it squinting to see who the guys are based on their helmet numbers. Maybe I'll just watch the goalies, eh?

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Game was good tonight. Played for the purple team, those hard-battling gals. Love them. Didn't see many shots and stopped all but two. One I actually DIVED for like I'm supposed to, but after about 3 tries, they finally got it in. Disappointing, but I was proud of myself for going after it like a crazed somethingorother.

What was funny is that I somehow missed the GWG going in and thought we were tied when the game ended. Then my team skates over to me for fist bumps and I'm like, "What, no shootout?" And they're like, "We WON!" Haha, oops. In my defense, my back was to the scoreboard. But how do I miss a goal? I'm not very good at numbers.

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I follow a kid on Twitter who has a tryout with Elmira, where Brusty's probably going to spend some time since the Senators are apeshit for wunderkind Robin Lehner. Anyway, Elmira and Bingo camps start today and Bingo finally has a beat writer, so that's good. Gimme newwwwwws. Though I do not understand this business of the B-Sens holding camp in Newfoundland. I think it's because the circus is in town or something in Bingo, but still. There's not a local rink they can use? Weird.

Anyway, in my early morning haven't slept in nearly 24 hours punchiness,  I have that old Oak Ridge Boys song, "My Heart's on Fire for Elvira" in my head, except it's Elmira. I'm pretty sure that's gonna happen a lot this season and it may be the thing that finally drives me over the edge. For what's left of my sanity's sake, here's hoping B-money is in Bingo a lot. Giddy up, oom poppa-omm poppa, mow-mow

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Tomorrow is a spa day for my gear. At least 3 teammates walked in the room tonight and went, "Eww, what stinks?" I figured I should just fess up and claim responsibility because it was all me. My bag is unbearably smelly right now. It honestly smells like something died in my car right now, even with an air freshener going that supposed to unfunk a 400 sq ft room. Gnarly!

I think my gloves are the biggest culprits, but also hardest to de-funk. I've got Oxyclean, a steamer, and time at my disposal so I'll do my best. I know I won't make them WORSE, so I have that going for me.

Okay, time to finish this damn work so I can have some fun, where fun = writing my "OOoooh, it's a new season!" article for PHN.

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Dreaming in bigger skates & other stuff

So, I had this realization Thursday that has had my head spinning for a couple of days: The Aeros defense sucks.

For the most part, anyway. And I mean that relatively. We've been spoiled with outstanding, mind-blowing, beautiful, hard-working, gutsy defense the prior two seasons. But I've just come to realize... the Aeros are no longer that team that will sell their souls to keep the puck out of the net. And this is the reason I don't care that much about them. Heart-wise. And worse, it hurts Brusty, so that pushes me into full-on dislike.

You wanna know how bad it is? (How bad is it?)

I go to bed tonight at 10:30. I warn Mr. C, "If I go to bed this early, I'll be up by 1:30." I just can't sleep through the night. My perfect world is 5 hours of sleep at night and then a solid nap during the day.

Anyway, I wake up at 2 (so I was wrong, but not really), but the REASON I woke up is a little freaky.

I jerked awake, yelling at a puck going into my net, because I was dreaming that I was Brusty and I was playing goal for the Aeros. In my sleep, I was trying to make a save on a shot coming back door but couldn't reach it. You know how your dog growls and barks and kicks its feet in its sleep? How cute that is? Not so cute when it's a people doing it. Trust me.

Now, I've played goal in my sleep before, and that's plenty weird enough. But then to do it as another goalie... super weird. Man, I was so good looking though. And tall. And... And...

What was I talking about?

Oh yeah. So, the newsflash is that somehow being a hottie doesn't make getting scored on any easier. I definitely woke up with a distinct, "Augh, goddammit my defense suuuucks" feeling.

For a team that was billed to be driven by Defense! and Character! I'm sure not seeing that dominance on D (how much do we really miss Luke Strand? I'm thinking lots and lots). And character clearly isn't enough to make up for lack of talent.

I'm not calling anyone out. Yet. I'm just saying.

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Every time I think about my trip to Minnesota this summer for hockey camp, I get a little more excited. I have visions of Pretty Woman-style* goalie gear shopping sprees in my spare time. Me, wearing a tiara, lolling around in a pile of leg pads, drinking champagne, and laughing at skaters. Ohhhmygod, it's gonna be great.

Gonna need a shopping buddy who knows goalie gear and the shops there. But it's Minnesota, so if they really are the state of hockey, I'll be able to round someone up, right? Suuuure.

*No kissing on the lips.

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Am I weird for being excited about putting new windshield wipers on my and Mr.C's cars tomorrow? Also get to change out some tail lights, which is fun, too.

I hope I get to use my socket wrenches. I'm such a whore for my socket wrench set. If you crazy kids ever have some nuts you need tightened, give Ms. Conduct a call. ;)

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Zombie Week

So I was up at 4:45 Tuesday after not getting to sleep until 1 a.m. dealing with hockey laundry and winding down from drop-in. Spent 3 hours driving to Austin. Spent all day in a brainstorming session (during which, I have to say, I had the pivotal idea that ended up being our solution... go me!). Then dinner with team, including a delicious Texas martini, which I could totally use another one of right now.

(And I suddenly remember my hotel has a bar... Wonder how late it's open and if I can stand to put my stiletto boots on again.)

Tomorrow, it's more fleshing out the results of today's brainstorming, though frankly, once I've had a big idea, I kinda check out. We'll see if I'm any use.

Then I'm heading back to get to Houston in time for the Aeros game, which I hear may include one Barry Brust on the roster. Lately all this means is just kinda waiting for the dreaded reassignment and ensuing feelings of bitterness for the misguided decisions being made.

To be honest, I just can't ride the highs and lows of this anymore, so don't expect hysterics. But it would be great to see him play. Fleeting greatness, but greatness all the same. I'll take what I can get and be grateful for it.

Meanwhile, I fell asleep exhausted around 10 tonight and then woke up at 11:30 and haven't been back to sleep. It's 4:45 a.m. now and I've gotten an hour and a half of sleep the last 24 hours.

Blessedly, my goalie gal Nicky is up to keep me company. Holla, West Coastie! I just said this to her in chat telling her about my latest beauty of an inner-thigh bruise from "a 5-hole slapper that beat me as I was going down" and decided it was about the dirtiest sentence I've ever written. At least by accident. Heh.

She also gave me the heads up on this new site called iCoach, which is kinda clumsy, but with video coming from Snik, maybe I can put it to some use with some of the goalie coaches on there. Assuming I'm brave enough to share any of it. :)

Speaking of which. OMG. Rawr.

And on that note, maybe I'm inspired to work on going to sleep. ;) Another long day tomorrow but I get to sleep in my own bed. And then I get to do this all over again next week, but at least I'll get to see a hockey game next time.

Ahhh, Vampire Weekend. Never really know what they're on about but I don't really care either. Just adore them.

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Poked awake

Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night. And when I do, my mind almost always goes to playing goal. And most of the time, I'm visualizing the many ways I can poke check shooters into oblivion. I swear I don't do it on purpose, it's just how my obsessive little brain works.

But it's not exactly a recipe for getting back to sleep, since my whole body tenses up and I get a little adrenaline flowing just thinking about stopping pucks.

I keep hoping that someday all this visualization will result in me becoming a masterful poke checker. That does tend to be my MO... I think and think and think and think and then.... BOOM... I DO.

Look out, boys.

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Man is it ever shitty out. And by shitty, I mean, poundyouintheass cold, at least for these parts.

It goes without saying, but I'm saying it anyway: If you're driving today, be safe and for the love of god, wear your MFing seatbelt. Yeahhhhh, I'm on to you.

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I hate Pascal LeClaire's pads. What are you? A circus tent? A candy cane? Licorice? Gag.

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Occupado....

So, here I am at 2 a.m. again, kind of in disbelief at the bevy of discomforts that strep has afforded me. Tonight, my throat hurts still but isn't the main thing. It's the cough that has ramped up to ridiculous levels. And all I got for that from the doc were these little pearl things that I'm only supposed to take every 8 hours, but wear off in about 3. You do the math there. Glad the coughologists aren't trying to get people to the moon or anything. "What? We're not there yet? And we're out of gas?"

I'm about to just start swilling whatever is in the liquor cabinet, except I think all we have is tequila, vodka, and cheap amaretto. (Fuck it. I just took Nyquil.)

But I guess there are few goalies out there who wouldn't mind if I put a shot or 5 of tequila under their noses tonight.

I'm glad I'm not playing for a few days. I always get a little edgy about watching On The Fly on a "bad for goalies" night. I'm afraid seeing all those pucks go in the net equates to negative mental imagery and I will fall victim, too.

Valiquette, for one, just got shelled. You rarely see a pro tender get left in a game for 8 goals against, but Lundqvist got lit the night before and was getting a needed break. So Vali was it. It was tough to watch the highlights because they all come boom boom boom (which is sort of how my real life games go sometimes... it's like GOAL! GOAL! GOAL! Routine save, but hey, at least it was a save. GOAL! GOAL!) and don't really give any context.

Biron and the Islanders were shellacked by Fatso and the Devils. And Deslauriers got yanked from the Oilers game. And the way OTF shows them in rapid succession, you can just see the body language start to sag a little more after each goal, but then by the last one, it's like, "*shrug* Of course it went in." Man, I know that feeling so well.

Meanwhile, on a personal front, it wasn't a terrible day for my darlings out in the hockey world.

Started with the Aeros picking up a 2-1 OT win in Toronto, which was a great way to end the road trip up north. And now they have a few days to recover and practice little details like scoring goals. Dubie was good but not overly challenged (21 shots) in the effort, it seemed to me. The defense was just solid in front of him.

Then it was up to Kalamazoo (wherever the hell that is... where's my map, Ms. South Carolina?) to check in on Brusty and the Blades. When the game started, Chris Beckford-Tseu (affectionately called "Chrissy" by my hockey-going buddies back when I sat in seats where I could yell things at goalies) was in goal.

Everyone in Florida told me Blades coach Malcolm Cameron NEVER pulls a goalie (insert goalie pulling joke, because I KNOW you're all pervs like me and want to). Well, 3 goals in 15 minutes on 17 shots (really not that outrageous given the shot count) is apparently Cameron's limit and he gave CBT the hook and put Brusty in.

B-squared was concentrating hard on being the best back-up goalie possible, though, and let in a quick goal. Amazingly, down 6-2, the Blades staged a 4 goal come-back in the 3rd period and tied it up in the exciting final seconds.

Can't say I enjoyed it personally, because I was too pissed it took two periods and busting the balls of two goalies for them to finally look like they gave a damn. I'm not gonna play games here: my interest in the Everblades relates 100% to getting Brusty back in the AHL where he belongs ASAP. This means plum stats and lots of Ws, because unless you're watching how bad the defensive play is down there, you're thinking, "WTF is going on with that guy?"

So, if the Blades are gonna dish out these endless breakaways and odd-man rushes and turnovers and forechecking like you might break a nail, well, I'm gonna have to dust off the big guns. *kisses biceps*

Of course, they played their cans off in the third and OT, and then can't get any of 9 (NINE!) shootout attempts past the Kalamazoo goalie. You just put 4 past him in one period and your 9 best shooters can't beat him once? OMG. If I had a mind to lose, I'd have lost it. I'd bag skate the snot out of those guys next time there's a couple of days off.

I said tonight that I'm thisclose to launching a "Free Brusty" campaign -- I've been kinda bored with not having the old Cal for Calder campaign to annoy people with. None of this piddly button business though. I'm talking t-shirts. Problem is... don't wear them in German-speaking countries, ladies... or if you do, carry some pepper spray. I'm just saying.

In the new tradition of the T3I stick figure drawings, I'm thinking something like this:

I'm not sure if that's a croc or a gator. Not even sure what it SHOULD be. But let's just assume it's the right one.

(BTW, it's now 3:30, I'm still coughing and wide awake, but clearly... CLEARLY... not entirely lucid.)

ANYWAY...

Then, I had an eye on the box score for the Brahmas, which also went into a shootout at 3-3. Sorry to say, Jaegs had a good game but let the first three shootout shots in and doomed the skills competition for his team. But I was happy that he finally had a pretty good game in regulation and OT, and his team showed a little more discipline than usual. They've been a bunch of brawling, PIM racking-up, angry mofos since the season started. It's been tough to watch all those PP goals go in.

BTW, here's a great photo set from their game the night before (and a great, descriptive write up here) in which Joe Palmer, Jaeger's partner in goal, got in a fight with the other goalie. They actually tried to go earlier in the game and the ref broke 'em up as you can see in the earlier pics. But they finally met at center ice and Palmer had his way with the other guy. Look at the other players faces in some of the fight shots. EVERYONE loves a goalie fight, even players (maybe not the goalies though).

And I wrapped up my night with a Wild win in Colorado. Always a great thing to beat the stinking Avs in their own oxygen-depleted barn, and even greater that Lats potted one. He's been a nice addition thus far, but I'm holding my breath for the reputed "lazy" Guy to emerge. No declarations on that trade coming for a while. And Aeros call-up Jaime Sifers played quite well on defense, proving pivotal in several plays as the night went on. It was a fun one for sure.

It's 4 now. I actually fell asleep writing this (just like how you fell asleep reading it... haha) and woke up... coughing!

Fuck yeah. Sleep is for dead people and babies, bitches. If I were a character on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, I'd totally declare myself "Awake Girl," the superhero whose amazing power is she never sleeps. And I'd make a cape out of trash bags and somehow try to make a quick buck off it, but would ultimately fail and go back to huffing glue and eating cat food.

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What's it like to sleep 8 hours in a row?

I know it's hockey season again because I start thinking things like, "My kingdom for an Ambien rx!" at 4 a.m. It's a bad combination: Hockey stuff happens at night, hockey stuff gets me all wound up, so I stay up late. Then I need a nap the next day just to stay conscious. And then I stay up late again, and the cycle just goes on and on.

It happens with my games all year but that's just a couple of nights a week and tolerable, but then add in Aeros games during the season and it's almost nightly that it's just me and the possums traversing the dark of night. Well, me, possums, and all the drunks on Washington Ave. by my house.

Add to that my excitement about my debut in goal at the Toyota Center tomorrow and my attempt to go to bed when I got home from a rather exciting victory for the Aeros (and if I may say, a really fantastic stick figure drawing of Al Montoya playing dead) fell short. I slept for 2 fitful hours, laid there for another hour thinking, "Girl, if you get up, you're gonna be up for hours and you're gonna hate life tomorrow."

But finally, I just had to. I can't stand to be in bed and not sleeping or otherwise, um, actively engaged. Neither option was on the docket. I'm hoping a few more hours of sleep and adrenaline will carry me.

So, I've gotten another day's worth of AHL goalie news pushed out to the world, including more mockery of Montoya. (Sorry, dude, I enjoy goalie antics, but don't f**k your team over like that in a close game.)

I didn't mention what Constantine said about his decision to play Khudobin tonight, but it certainly validates my feelings about Dubie, so I feel better about jumping the gun a bit on expressing my displeasure with his play. John quoted it in his piece on T3I and I'll use it in my next PHN piece next week. It suffices to say, I was surprised and pleased by his candor on the subject. Also, I very much enjoy being right.

Though I did feel like Anton was fighting it a bit tonight, and his team bailed him out a few times. But he could have fallen apart on that misplay of the wraparound. But the kid's got so much confidence, he was able to shake it off and hold down the fort. Doesn't have to be pretty. Just has to be done.

Okay, back to bed to try and get some winks. Have to be at the TC at 11:30 for my game tomorrow and then back at 6:30 or so for the Aeros game and hopefully mashed potatoes at the pre-game feed. No doubt, there will be a nap in between. And the cycle will continue. Argh.

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Quick Hits: 5 Things w/ a 2 Thing Bonus

First of all, my legs hurt and I'm tired. Just so you know.

Second of all, OMG are the Wild bad or what?

Thirdly, I did a little write-up on the Aeros for my pal over at Deuce by Definition. I really hadn't intended to start firing shots at Dubie yet, but I did so fully disclosing the goalie baggage I'm carrying. I didn't mention that I'm tired and my legs hurt, but that's probably part of why I'm cranky, so I'm disclosing it here.

I still want to give him a chance but really, the back to back of he and Dimples last weekend was like night and day. And I don't think it's just a matter of style. Schaef and Brusty both had quite different styles but I usually felt like their effort levels were on par with each other. I don't get that feeling here.

Promise that's all I'm saying about it until I've had more pudding (you know, because that's where the proof is). Prove me wrong, Wade.

Quatro: I fell asleep on the couch last night at 8. Woke up at 9 to go to real bed, put the Wild game on, turned the Wild game off, and dozed off about 10 times, but each time I was nearly asleep, someone shot a puck at me and I jumped awake trying to make the save.

Think I'm a little anxious about Saturday's Toyota Center game?

So I finally gave up around 10 and got up and watched the end of the Wild game, had a snack, played about 300 games of Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook, got today's AHL goalie news written up (I'd link it if I weren't so Dubie lazy) and finally went back to bed around 3.

I need a new game on FB that doesn't suffer when my eyes get tired. Or an Ambien rx so it just doesn't matter.

Random thought: It's amazing to me what beautiful people can get away with saying sometimes without annoying or offending anyone.

Fiverino: The only arena in which I just kinda hate all goalies is in fantasy hockey. Especially you, Dan Ellis.

6-Hole: You should see the bruise on my shin. I'm telling you, it takes some really REALLY bad goaltending to get a bruise on your shin, but I did it. It's like half a puck sized. If I weren't so embarrassed by the location of the bruise, I'd be pretty proud of it. It's a nice one.

Seventhly, in this day and age of cell phones, internet, walkie-talkies, and instant fuckin' everything, it's absolutely ridiculous that the 3 stars of a game are still decided with 3-4 minutes left in regulation play. Some of the greatest heroics in hockey have come in the final seconds or minutes or shootouts. I don't really know the mechanics behind it all, but is it really that hard to make a quick call to the appropriate parties and change the list?

Good day!

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Oh, and a few other things...

Criminy... I tried to go to bed and still couldn't sleep. I'm WIDE AWAKE and it's 4:22 as I type this. Ugh. Tomorrow (today) is going to Suuuuuuck.

Anyway, for anybody who thinks I'm a huge bitch about Pouliot, take a gander at the Houston reaction. Now, granted, the IA forum is often overly negative, IMO, so grain of salt, but still. It ain't just me who's prickly about the guy.

Blessedly, the John Scott bashing has died to a trickle there. I finally had to take the site out of my regular rotation and just check in occasionally, it was fouling my mood up so bad.

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My knees hurt. That's actually a good "sign of progress" thing.

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I can't even express how much I want a greasy cheeseburger right now. That bowl of frosted mini-wheats I just had was so unsatisfying.

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We live in a 3-story house, and I've been taking the stairs two at a time lately because that seems to work similar muscles to the ones I use when I'm getting up off the ice. I think it helped. I wasn't AS sucky in that regard tonight.

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The dog is snoring LOUDLY on the couch here next to me. Adorable.

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I'm wondering if confidence might be a bad thing when I have a good warm-up. Warm-ups are always just one puck, one shooter, which I'm ok with. It's when they get me moving, either by passing or setting up in a way where a pass could easily burn me, that it all goes to hell and I can't decide what to do.

I also let in my first totally screened goal tonight. It was one of Stinky's. My d-man scooted right in front of me and the guy has a pretty quick release and it just went through both our feet. Where was my stick? Not on the ice, I can tell you that. Dammit.

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Okay, I'm putting On The Fly on and gonna see if I can work up some ZZZZZs like the dog is knocking out here next to me.

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Goalie Insomnia

After Friday's miserable outing, and on the cusp of Sunday's new season of novice league, I find myself unable to sleep. The inability was so apparent, so quickly after the lights went off and I snuggled into my intricate pillow configuration, that I was back up and down to the living room within 5 minutes. I hate to lay in bed and toss and turn when I can't sleep.

Anyway, I was lying there making saves in my head and then realizing my whole body was tense. I'd relax and then the cycle would start over. I do this a lot. Most nights, in fact, but it's much worse tonight as I'm sandwiched between trying to let go of Friday's ass beating so I can get my head in it for Sunday night's practice (practice? PRACTICE?).

Doesn't help that I'm sore absolutely everywhere. The worst, though, is my Gaborik... er, I mean my "lower body." Holy mother of God. I was down on the floor tonight trying to stretch out a bit and it was absolutely at its worst when I got up off the floor the way I get up off the ice. So, that's gonna be a grimace-fest tomorrow night. Maybe I need to go to Vail and get fixed up. Suppose they'll give me and Gaby a Groiner Group Rate?


I know this will get better. But what the hell is the point of having a blog if I can't do a little venting every now and then? So here I am at 2:30 a.m. venting about not being able to sleep because every time I close my eyes, I'm in a mental butterfly making a sick glove save on some top-corner-picking bastard. I know they recommend visualization for athletes, but I think you're supposed to be able to turn it off, too.

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Hey look! It's 1:30 AM and I'm awake!

So much for hockey wearing me out and the subsequent beer putting me in a sleepy hockey coma.

I'm so terribly tired, but when I close my eyes, I'm rehashing swirling bits of hockey game at 90 mental miles an hour and I can't fucking shut it off. Gonna have a bowl of cereal and put the tv on a boring channel and hope for sleep, even if it's on the couch.

I'll go into more about the game tomorrow. Too tired to do it justice tonight. I will say, it was a helluva lot more fun than the practicing I've been doing for the last 6 months.

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Not hockey, but I'm awake and bored

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
Yes, my middle name (before I got married and dropped it like a bad habit) was a combination of two of my parents' students names.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
Today, but it was just a tear or two over a really sweet card a friend who is moving out of country gave us.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
No. I avoid writing by hand like the plague.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Ham.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Just the furry one and the 37 year old one

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Probably not because neither of us would ever approach the other.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
No. Never. Pfft.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yes

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Not even off a step ladder.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
I love granola with raisin. MMMMmmmm....

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Not if I can help it.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
In some ways, yes. In other ways, no.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Rocky Road

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
I'm stealing Tami's answer... whether or not they laugh at my jokes, or more to the point, how readily they laugh/smile.

15. RED OR PINK?
Um, red. There is no pink in my world.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
Laziness.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
Ron Hextall (had to work some hockey in there)

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
Eh, do whatever the hell you want.

19. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Uh, flesh toned?

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
Tiramisu, unless you count the Bailey's on the rocks I'm currently drinking to try and put myself to sleep

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Myself typing.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Silver.... sparkly but still slightly disappointing on paper.

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Hockey rink/arena (away from the dressing rooms), limes, baking bread, lemon tree flowers

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Coach Stalin

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Sweet fancy moses, YES!!! She's my sister from another mother...

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Hockey, and football a distant second

27. HAIR COLOR?
Red baybee. Until the roots grow out. Then it's grey and dark blonde. Blech.

28. EYE COLOR?
Blue

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Nope.

30. FAVORITE FOOD?
Tex-mex.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
I guess happy endings.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Bon Cop, Bad Cop

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
periwinkle nightgown

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Winter, bitches. Winter.

35. HUGS OR KISSES?
Hugs, by a long shot

36. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Um. Am I supposed to make a list? I'm gonna be weird and say Flan!

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
I hate questions like this. What am I? A fucking mind-reader?

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
See #37

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
The Hammer

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
The one I have but don't use since I have a laptop is just black with a lovely ergonomic wrist rest.

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
Austin Powers

42. FAVORITE SOUND?
skates swishing on ice

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Would have been insulted at even the comparison in my youth, I was such a huge Beatles fan, but I'm more of a Stones girl since I went to their concert a couple of years ago.

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Australia

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
I can be pretty funny. Is that a talent? I can skate the perimeter of a face-off circle for a REALLY long time working on crossovers without getting dizzy.

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Lubbock, TX

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?
See #37

I have a real problem with this stopping at 47. Come on!

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The Insomnia that Never Sleeps!

Honestly, I just lay awake in bed with every single worry about the game on Sunday swirling in my head. I have to be deliriously sleepy to fall asleep. Of course, this makes me incredibly tired during the day and as soon as I'm done with work, I pass out on the couch and then wake up for dinner. And here I am at 2:46 a.m. Fudge.

But at least I've gotten all my shows watched. Priorities, you know.

And I'm trying to read this book called "The Hammer" about Dave Schultz, but it's all about how he regrets being an enforcer in the NHL. Come on, Dave! It's not as badly written as I expected it to be, but the content is a bit disappointing. I mean, I know enforcers have the shittiest job on the ice, but this is kinda like how that Roe vs. Wade lady is now saying she things abortion should be illegal. Come on! You're ruining it for the rest of us, eh? So I get irritated with it before I get sleepy enough to fall asleep.

Went to the Galleria to skate tonight. It was good mentally but I'm not going back there until school is back in session. It was literally just overrun with kids. And I really wanted to work on stopping, but doing that on a sheet that's jam packed with rental-skaters is just asking for trouble and frustration. So I only skated for 30 minutes and then just bailed. It just wasn't worth the hassle.

Gonna do yoga tomorrow come hell or high water. My knees were hurting a bit on the ice and I clearly have some stuff that needs stretching out.

You ever feel like you really just need to get sloppy drunk? That's how I'm feeling this week. Like a bender is imminent. But other than some beer after the game Sunday, I'm not sure when I'm gonna pull that off. Oh! I have kaluha! A kaluha and cream (okay, 1% milk) will put me to sleep, right? If not, it will at least be delicious. Good night!

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Another one of those nights

The dog barking on the balcony woke me up at 1:30 and I haven't been able to get back to sleep yet. *yawn* And of course, when I wake up in the night and hockey enters my thoughts, especially during a critical stretch such as the one the Aeros are on, there's no hope of sleeping for a while. Maybe I'll sleep better when the season is over. :) I can't imagine what it's like for the coaches and players who actually DO the work. All I do is sit around and daydream about it.

Doesn't help that I didn't get a workout in yesterday. My back was hurting so badly from the yoga on Thursday. Really just soreness but teetering on the brink between bad sore and good sore. Very uncomfortable. So I gave myself a break.

I was considering going to spinning this (Saturday) morning, but I've got things to do around the house that I'd rather focus on and since I only skated once this week, I'd like to hit a real rink. As usual, Sugarland still has the March calendar up, but I think I'll go to Willowbrook anyway. Haven't been there in a while. Maybe. I dunno. I definitely prefer the ice at SLICE. Might call and check on their hours. Probably should consider their frequent skater card since that seems to be our preferred weekend ice lately.

I've also declared that I'm taking my birthday off and I'm going skating. April 25th if anyone needs to buy a gift. I really want this. It looks cheesy but the goalie board folks swear by it, and apparently they even offer a booklet of goalie-specific stretches. Nice!

Feeling sleepy again. Gonna give it a shot.

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Insomnia

Woke up at 1:30 a.m. and just couldn't get back to sleep. Makes me crazy to lay in bed and not sleep, so I got up to watch the Wild game, even though I knew the outcome.

Anyway, I haven't really ever sat down and watched a Devil's game until tonight (this morning), but wow, Marty Brodeur is f'ing incredible. And he's not incredibly creepy like Hasek, who I could not support due to the extreme heebie jeebies he gives me.

Marty looks like he's not even on ice, his movements are so sharp. His pads aren't enormous. He's just so agile and even when he's scrambling, he looks like he knows exactly what he's doing. I'd love to see him break Sawchuk's shut out record. That would be incredible. I'd root against my own team to see that. :)

Backstrom, on the other hand, had some good saves but needs to see the team shrink about his shoot-outs.

Kelly got hurt in the Wild game tonight so Pouliot is on the first flight to Minny in the morning and will be there for practice at noon. Man, I'd love to see that. Poor Steve though... finally gets another shot up and gets injured in his second game. But as I've said, everything happens for a reason... It was time for them to shit or get off the pot with Pouls. I'm excited to see what happens. He was SO BAD in the Aeros game tonight.

Darby Hendrickson is so much better looking when he's on the ice than when he's behind that desk commentating. What's up with that?

Okay. Gonna try for sleep again. Big meeting today at work and being zombified is a bad thing.

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Can't sleep

The Wild game was fantastic. Nobody punched Brad May like I'd hoped they would, but I didn't even notice amid the hail of goals and Giggy's temper tantrum.

Oh wait, there's video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUxqzrzM8Ng

What a beauty. As Jacques would say, "Poor goalie!"

Anyway, both the later games were mostly blowouts (well, the Sharks did have a little uprising against Calgary but too little, too late... cue "Ring of Fire"), so I headed up to bed early and did my easier/bedtime yoga video. Felt good to do that one, since it's been a while. It is truly a rest day video because, while there is one move I cannot do at all, the rest of it is pretty easy, but still beneficial.

Fell asleep about 11 and woke up at 1:30, desperately thirsty from the too-salty pizza I had for dinner and, like every night when I wake up, immediately started thinking (about hockey, of course... really need to learn to switch that off). All sleeping bets were off at that point. Now it's 4 a.m. and I have to be up at 7 to shower and shave (so poor Cheryl doesn't have to massage thru fur). Is it worth trying to get 3 hours of sleep even though I don't feel very sleepy right now?

Shaver posted a new Aeros Audio today with the defense/special teams coach talking about the guys he's working with right now. He doesn't sound very happy with Scotty or with Belle. Sounds like they're having a tough time changing their approach to suit the style of play the coaches are after from them. At least Scotty's a stud on the PK, blocking all those shots with his big body. How bruised up must he be after a game?

As someone who has spent some time lately pondering the prospect of having pucks shot at me, and even with all the goalie padding, it scares me, I really respect these defensemen who get in there and take those shots with just normal skater pads. Schultz does it for the Wild and nearly had me swooning in a game a while back where he really sacrificed himself during a 3 on 5 situation. It was downright heroic.

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