Just a day late

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SABRINA!!!

You're one of the best two sisters in the world! But don't think I completely messed this up. I did call her yesterday to wish her a wonderful birthday.

Congratulations

The Carolina Hurricane's are the 2006 Stanley Cup!

Good fight Edmonton. Carolina was expected to make it this far. Edmonton barely made the playoffs as the 8th & final seed. They made history by being the only 8 seed to ever make it to the finals... that's nothing to hang your head about.

I have to say, it's a very cool sight to see these players in their home rink, surrounded by their families, carrying around the Stanley Cup.

And now, it's time to get ready for the draft... this Saturday.

Something about Marley

I'm ripping the last of the CD's (ok, parts of CD's due to hard drive space) & just realized... sometimes I just HAVE to listen to Bob Marley. It's usually during or after a very stressful day. As strange as it may sound, nothing mellows me out like his music does. And no, I'm no rastafarian so don't even try to accuse me... yes Marion, I'm looking in your direction=)

So what about you? What the one artist that's always able to de-stress you?

Ouch!

I finally listened to my mom & went to get some immunization shots today. I think with my fear of needles, I had just delayed it as long as I could. I ended up getting a tetanus & a hepatitis shot. I don't care what anyone says, THEY HURT!!!! And now, 6 hours later, it still HURTS! You'd think that by now, these pharmaceutical companies would've developed a pill.

By the way, I found out after calling several places, an international travel doctor's office is the only place to get some of these shots. And don't even try calling the health department. All you'll get is a rather rude lecture about planning ahead & then phone numbers for one of these doctor's offices.

We're just too clean

I saw this article in the paper this morning. Strangely enough, I had a conversation this past week about something similar to this. Now we weren't saying we weren't dirty enough but we were wondering about the sharp rise in childhood allergies in the past few years.

At first glance, this seems to make a bit of sense. If you were anything like I was as a child, you were constantly outside playing in the woods and mud. These days, kids tend to stay inside more because parents are so worried about idiots in the world. So whereas I was coming in constant contact with all kinds of germs, kids today are living in a much more sterile environment with air purifiers & such. I guess time will tell if this is a valid study.

Tennessee's first draftee

Sometimes you just have to go read the article. What a great PR move it would be for the Predator's to draft this kid! Then again, that's why I'm not in charge of the draft, I decide with my heart instead of my head.

LOL!

A few weeks back during the softball college world series, people were calling into The Wakeup Zone (a local morning sports talk show) wanting to talk softball because Tennessee had made it to the world series. Of course one of the guys had to be a bonehead & say that he could hit a homerun off of Monica Abbott (Tennessee's star pitcher). And of course that guy wasn't either of the media guys, who knew better. It was the ex Tennessee Titan, Frank Wycheck. After much smack talk by the other guys and callers, a challenge was born. Frank, being a good guy, decided to make it a charity fundraiser.

Yesterday was the day. Unfortunately I wasn't in the car & listening while it took place. I did get to hear Frank talk about it later. He did not do well at all & I believe he now has a bit more respect for these players. Of course the local media was all over it - check it out here.

Just in case you care...

30 Days Until the trip!!!!!

I just finished buying our tickets for the Tube in London. As well as tickets for the Tower of London & The Original Tour (you know those cute red double decker buses).

And the icing on the cake... tickets to see Mary Poppins!!!!

Chills last night

I thought about writing this last night but I really am trying to hold back on some of the hockey posts. But today I was discussing it at lunch & it still was giving me chills, so I'm sharing...

Like all sporting events in the USA, they play the national anthem. Only with the NHL, since there are some teams in Canada & some in the states, whenever teams from both countries are playing each other, both anthems are played. Last night with the game in Edmonton, the singer sings the Star Spangled Banner & I was shocked to hear the crowd singing along. That gave me a small case of the chills. Then the singer began Oh Canada. He got just a few lines into it & then just held up the microphone. It was absolutely stunning. The crowd & Canadian players just continued to sing the rest of the anthem accapella. You could understand every word.

By the way,I love when the Preds play a Canadian team. Oh Canada is a really great national anthem... and no hard notes to hit. I like to sing along.

The next game will be in Edmonton on NBC Monday night 8PM EST. I'm not asking you to watch the entire game. Just check out the national anthems.


Update: It wasn't just me. I found this via Kukla.

Is it irony?

Last week at church we started a series of sermons about the importance of becoming more involved with the church family. Last week was the importance of being regularly involved in worship. Today, during the sermon on group Bible study, it hit me. I'm going to be away from my church family for 4 straight Sundays. I thought that was a bit ironic. Then again, there was a reason I was nowhere close to being an English major. I can never really get what is & isn't ironic straight. Maybe I should just call it freaky coincidence?

Cat Blogging

This isn't my usual Scully post but check out this tough kitty!

What most people don't realize

I know I seem pretty much a fly by the seat of her pants kind of girl... but I'm really a bit obsessive about details when I'm planning things. I'm sure most people would feel very good about vacation plans when with a month left they have flights & hotels booked.

That wouldn't be me. I like to make lists & have several going on at the moment to hopefully help me make decisions. Here are a few of them....

• which sights to see in Prague
• which sights to see in & around Brno
• which kind of ticket to buy for traveling around in London
• which theater show to see
• which of the many sights in London to see & what day to see them
• which option to use to get to the hotel from the airport in London
• which train/bus to take to Edinburgh from London
• which outfits to squeeze into my carry-on bags
• which songs to load onto my player

Hopefully I'll be able to get these things sooner rather than later... especially the tickets (since I can get several of them cheaper here than if I wait until we arrive). I'm just thankful that Cindy's given me detailed instruction on how to get from the airport in Prague to the bus that will take me to Brno. So any advice... other than "don't worry so much about it"?

Pet Peeve

People who have their dogs ride in the back of their truck. It's one thing if you live on a farm & want to take the dog along to check out the back 40. It's a much different thing if you are driving around in the city. I was running an errand this afternoon & found myself behind a SUV towing some kind of flatbed behind it. In that flatbed, completely unprotected stood a newfoundland (gorgeous dog by the way). I just hate what could've happened if the driver had to break suddenly.

What a day

I admit it, I'm a bit sentimental about my teams. That being said, today was not a good day for the sentimental fan.

First I wake up to see the big, above the fold, article in the newspaper being that the Titan's were trading away #9 Steve McNair. And you know you're in Tennessee because it's not above the fold in the sports section... I mean front page above the fold. The sports section only had 4 pages of articles on the deal. I knew something like this was most likely coming. But it still stinks! McNair's the whole reason I became a Titan's fan. He's one of the toughest quarter backs I've ever seen play the game. I understand professional sports are a business, so management sometimes have to make decisions purely on a financial basis... but why did they have to trade him to the Raven's?! WHY??? Just about any other team would've been better.

Then this afternoon I discovered that the Predators had decided not to resign the team captain Greg Johnson. I started expecting this a few weeks ago when they re-signed a couple of younger guys a few weeks ago that play the same position. He was one of 3 original players left from the first season. I was really hoping that he would be able to retire as a Predator. It just seemed like the right thing to do for the team captain. Unfortunately the team has a lot of young talent ready for their turn & he wants to keep playing.

I don't believe what I just saw

I keep flipping over to game one of THE Stanley Cup Finals. Edmonton looked to be in control of the game. I was about to write an "I'm happy" post & decided I should know the final score. So I turn it over to OLN. And Carolina had tied it up at 4-4!? And the back-up goalie is in for Edmonton!? What happened to Roloson!? It's under a minute to go in the game, so I'm thinking overtime. Then the unthinkable, a bad exchange between Edmonton's goalie & a teammate & Carolina wins. WHAT!?!?!?!?!

Looks like we're going to have a good series. Even though I'm pulling for Edmonton because of Rem Murray, it wouldn't break my heart for Carolina to win either. I mean Carolina's representing all of the "non-traditional" markets. Shoving it in the faces of those traditionalists... what's not to like there?

My cool new toy

My Zen player came in last week. It's so cute & cool! Granted I haven't loaded any songs onto it yet. Silly me is still deleting songs and adding other songs to my computer. I did however copy photos from my camera to it... oh how cool. Maybe, just maybe, I may be geeking out a bit. Next I have to figure out how to use the organizer/calendar thingy. Then I can use it to keep all the travel information on. But before you say anything, I'll also have hard copies of everything - one for me, one for Trina, and one for our parents.

The 4400

For some reason I thought this show was canceled. But I was wrong. These USA Network shows are so strange in that they seem to start once all the other shows have their season finales. It looks like today they're having a marathon of last season's episodes.

So just in case you care, the new season starts next weekend. I highly recommend it... especially if you like a little sci-fi mystery. Granted if you haven't seen any episodes, you might need some help getting up to speed.

I think I've found it

The best band name ever... I was driving home from work tonight & heard a commercial for some concert festival. As they're listing the bands, suddenly the announcer says "Les Honky More Tonkies". How fun is that?

I did a search & found this but since I couldn't get the music to play, I still have no idea if these guys deserve to have such a great name. A part of me doubts it. The website says they've been around... in the same city that I live... since 1995 & I've never heard of them.

FYI

When you decide that you want to rip your entire music collection to your computer, 1st make sure you have enough hard drive space to do so. Of course, I had to learn that the hard way. Who knew music files took up so much space?

A Pet Peeve

I do not like it when songs I love become extremely popular. Why is that, you ask? Well let me tell you... Once a song becomes popular, radio stations believe they need to put it on heavy rotation. Then I get sick and tired of hearing it, thus ruining a wonderful song. Right now that's what's happening to James Blunt's Beautiful & I'm hating it!

A Pet Peeve

I do not like it when songs I love become extremely popular. Why is that, you ask? Well let me tell you... Once a song becomes popular, radio stations believe they need to put it on heavy rotation. Then I get sick and tired of hearing it, thus ruining a wonderful song. Right now that's what's happening to James Blunt's Beautiful & I'm hating it!

Which Classic Female Literary Character Are you?

You're Elizabeth Bennett of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen!
Take this quiz!








Quizilla
Join

Make A Quiz More Quizzes Grab Code

Thanks to Dianne, I found this cute little quiz. But I don't really think I'm outspoken...

Time to help

The people of Indonesia need our help again. The devastation these people have had to endure is unthinkable. I don't like guilt trips but if you have the extra money laying around to pay for a computer & internet service, then you probably have enough to give a little to help those who've lost everything. Remember, even $5 helps.

If your excuse is that you don't know where to donate money, here ya go. I did some research on charities after the tsunami a couple of years ago & discovered Mercy Corps. I've been very impressed by them but I encourage you to do your own research to see if it's right for you. And just so you know, I'd never ask anyone to do something that I wasn't willing to do myself.

The Trip

I just did the math on the time differences & arrival times for the trip. All the arrival & departure times listed are local times. So when the flight from Cincinnati to Paris says it departs at 4PM & arrives at 6AM, your immediate thought is "no problem, we'll sleep on the plane". Then you do the math... It's only an 8 hour flight. My body will think it's only 11PM and I'm rarely even ready to go to bed at that time.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg. We have a hour lay over followed by a 2 hour flight to Prague. So, that means, when we get to Prague, my body will think it's 2AM. And the day's just starting. Since it's just 9AM locally, the plan is to walk around Prague for a few hours... see the Charles Bridge, the castle, and whatever other cool little things we see along the way. Then we still have the trip to Brno after that... It's going to be a long day.

Anyone have any suggestions on the best way to handle this? I've only traveled over multiple time zones once & I was not able to sleep on the plane... even though I had strep throat. Needless to say, that worries me a bit because I've got to be on my toes when we arrive. I'm leaning towards staying up very, very, very late the night before so I'll be so tired that my inner night owl will be forced to sleep on the plane. And then once we land, I'm thinking lots of coffee. Luckily Cindy says the coffee is great.

Yeah for me!

I went to the GEC this evening & picked out seats for next season! It's not the section that Michelle & I really wanted but it was the more practical choice. I tried to make a list of the pros & cons of each section. It ended up being a very short list consisting of good friends vs. money. Ultimately we realized that we can still upgrade to those seats for at least 20 games (approximately half the season) & it still be cheaper than season tickets in that section. And that is exactly what we're planning to do. Once the schedule comes out, we'll make a list of the games we want to upgrade & send it on to our account representative.

Only 4 more months until pre-season...

Sorry... I can't help myself

I just watched the craziest, most exciting period of hockey that I've seen in a really long time. (qualify that with a "that didn't involve the Predators"). Edmonton vs. Anaheim game 3 with Edmonton leading the series 2-0.

The only score prior to the start of the 3rd period was in the 1st period - a fluke goal by Edmonton. Early in the 3rd period, Edmonton scores 3 times in just a couple of minutes. So you think, it's over. But no! Anaheim then scored 3 times in less than 5 minutes. One of which was scored by bouncing the puck off the camera they had placed in the goal which made for a pretty cool camera angle. If that's not enough, both teams went on to score one more goal each. 8 goals in one period. Now that's a game! Go here for more.

I had forgotten that Rem Murray now plays for Edmonton. He played for Nashville last season before being struck with some disease that caused his neck to freeze. While he was still with the team, the doctors were trying all kinds of treatments just so that he could move his head enough to look forward. I guess they finally found something to work & now he's made his way back into the league. I've been looking for a reason to cheer for a particular team.. This seals it... as long as Edmonton's alive in the playoffs I'm cheering for them!

Time for a list

I'm in the process of getting my entire music collection onto the computer... no small task. It's times like this that I notice not just how many CDs I own but what artists I am strangely lacking. So here's tonight's list in no real order:

10 Artist I Like That Are Missing From My Collection

1. The Rolling Stones
2. Willie Nelson
3. George Clinton
4. Queen
5. The Beach Boys
6. Ella Fitzgerald
7. Nirvana
8. Elvis Costello
9. Lynyrd Skynyrd
10. Roy Orbison
11. Britney Spears... just joking

So there you go guys. Feel free to store this bit of information away for Christmas & help me complete the collection - as long as you don't get me #11 ;)

We survived!

Here's the Reader's Digest Condensed version of the weekend.

Trina graduated. She called it a "celebration of mediocrity". No one cried... much. No one argued. We had way too much food at the after graduation cookout. The cats do not like that many people in the house. Trina's cat Brooke somehow got stuck out in the garage. We couldn't find her for 5-6 hours. Do you know how hard it is to find small black cats in dark places? We didn't get too much sleep. We were all nodding off during church Sunday. Mom actually snored. It struck me as very funny & I lost it... right in the middle of the sermon. It was so so so hard not to burst out which made it even more funny. I think I snorted a couple of times while tears were running down my face. When there are less than 50 people, it does get noticed... by the preacher. And then I came home.

The End

Happy Anniversary!!!

I know I'm a day late but...

Happy Anniversary Belinda & Marion!!

I'm glad you're my sister & brother-in-law! And Belinda's a saint to put up with you when you become M. Fearghail :) I Love You!!

I'm not sure how it happened

But this cute little girl is graduating high school this weekend. I remember when she was born & I blame her mother for letting her grow up. However, she's become a great young lady & I'm so glad and proud she's my niece. Congratulations Trina!

I can't think of anything better to say so I'll let Will Hoge's Baby Girl say it all.

May the sunlight find your face
Even when the rain does fall
And get back on your feet again
Every time you slip and fall
Keep your heart wide open
And always taking in
And even when it's broken
Be strong enough to fix it up again

And I hope your hands are steady
And never need to make a fist
And I hope that when you're ready
You'll get one never ending kiss
And I hope that deep inside of you
There's a sweet eternal song
And I hope the words are pretty
And that you'll always sing along

And I hope your friends are many
And your laughter's always loud
To help you when you're lonely
And pick you up when you're down
I hope your eyes shine bright love
And learn to see the light
Take the time to listen
Decide yourself what's wrong or right

Oh little baby girl
Sweet little baby girl
Be strong in this great big world
Oh little baby girl

Why???

I've always enjoyed shopping. Need to find a good deal on shoes or purses? I'm your girl. Want some home decor or antiques? I'm there. How about some great new music? Happy to help. Want to know the best places to find artisan soaps? Try and stop me. Need a washer and dryer? mmm... not so great but I can be helpful. How about a TV, computer or MP3 player. Now you've lost me.

Nothing stresses me out more shopping-wise than buying anything electronic. I start to read all the specifications and I feel like I may break out in hives. I feel like I'm reading Greek or something written by Charlie Brown's teacher.

I've been looking at MP3 players for my trip. Simple buy you think. Oh no... Once I started looking at them, I thought it would be nice if I could also find something that I could download photos to directly from my camera. Well then I had to try & weed through which of the players show photos and which actually can download them from a camera - all while trying to read Greek. Then I started talking to a few people & discovered that most of these players have an internal re-chargeable battery. Once that wears out then you have to send the entire thing in for a replacement.

I thought I had finally found that fit the bill and sent a link to the web site to the IT guy at work & my friend Anne. I'm thinking great, it does everything I want & is less expensive than the only others that I had found. Only one problem... the IT guy, who apparently reads Greek very well, discovered that you have to buy an extra part so it can download. I read the same web site, I never saw that. So I go back to read what exactly comes with the player... I don't see the battery. Do they just consider the battery as part of the player? At this point I don't know. They sell batteries with the accessories... I start to stress out. Are the hives coming? Why does it stress me out? I really don't know. Anne told me to basically take a deep breath & buy it.

So this is what I'm getting. I'll let you know how it goes... I so need a mall & clothes & purses. I need to get back into my element!

Just slightly late

To all the moms out there.....

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!

Music

Here's what I bought the other night:

Snow Patrol - Eyes Open - very cool. If you haven't heard of them, I'd say their sound is a bit like Coldplay but not exactly. I have their last release Final Straw (which has been on high rotation on my CD player for a long time). When I saw that they had this new release and it was on sale, I actually bought it without listening. It's slightly less atmospheric as Final Straw. If you just want to check them out by sampling a couple of songs of this CD listen to "Hands Open" and "Set The Fire To The Third Bar". The later is a duet with Martha Wainwright & absolutely haunting. Right now, I'll give this 3 stars out of 5 (it may eventually grow to 4 ).

KT Tunstall - Eye to the Telescope -Wow!! They've played a couple of her songs on my favorite radio station, I just didn't have a name to put with the songs. This album was at one of the listening stations & I'm glad I found it. The reviews I've seen are saying Beth Orton & Sheryl Crow. I get the Beth Orton comparison a bit but that doesn't help most people. I don't really get the Sheryl Crow one except that they both use a lot of acoustic guitars. KT's voice is much more soulful. I might actually make more of a comparison to Jennifer Knapp. Anyway, check out "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree", "Suddenly I See", and "Stoppin' The Love". I'm already giving this one 4 stars!

Last Night

After work last night, I wanted to buy a book about Scotland. Since I am going there, I thought I should learn a bit more about it. I know, I could just look it all up on the internet, but I'm a bit of a traditionalist and there are some places you just can't carry a computer. So I could go to Davis-Kidd, a local independent bookstore in town. Which happens to be my favorite bookstore in the entire world. Or I could go over to Opry Mills, go to Barnes & Noble & look for a good raincoat in Bass Pro and Sun & Ski Sports at the same time. Being the practical person I am, I chose the later. I found a good but thin book on Scotland which can go in my suitcase. Then, I found a Columbia raincoat at Bass Pro at a very good price.

And then I succumbed. The draw was just too great! I had to go into my favorite store in the entire world - Tower Records (Target runs a close second). I occasionally buy my music online but mostly I go to Tower. Online, I can only hear snippits of songs & have bought my fair share of stinker albums and even stinker downloads. At Tower, I can use the listening stations to listen to an entire CD if I want. And I have to say I have done that a few times. Yeah, you do get a few strange looks. I have to say, going to Tower with me isn't a short, pop in, pop out trip to the store. I actually go around to all the listening stations in the store to see what they have (ok, I tend to skip the classical, & show tunes and if I'm in a bit of a rush I'll skip the country, folk, world, & bluegrass). Now they even have a couple of locations where you can type in a particular album and if it's in the system, you can listen to it.

So after all that, let's just say I found a few good albums to add to my collection. I'll let you know more on that later.

Just as I always known

Nashville's the #1 Smart City to live in the U.S., or at least that's what Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine thinks. And you know, I happen to agree with them.

"Our top pick offers affordable homes, a mild climate and a phenomenal entertainment scene that goes far beyond country."

While you're at it, try this quiz to make sure you're living where you should be living.

Why???

I know that it's said that crickets are good luck & you should never harm them. However, I don't think those people have ever been tormented by one of these little critters. I came home this evening only to be "serenaded" by one & I can't find it. Every time it starts making it's little noise, I try to find where it is only to have it shut up. As usual, Scully is completely useless - you'd think a cat would really want to capture a bug.

How does something so small make such a loud noise??? Trust me, I find this thing, it's a goner!

Sorry

I know I said no hockey until the draft, so I won't actually write anything specific. But if you want to know go here to see who got resigned today with a BIG raise.

The Trip

There's no backing out now. Before I left town on Friday, I paid for our plane tickets. Then on Saturday, I booked the tour we're taking in Scotland. We leave mid July & fly Nashville to Cincinnati to Paris to Prague. Then we'll take a bus or train to see my college roommate Cindy & her family in Brno. After a few days with Cindy, we'll go back to Prague & fly to London. We'll spend a few days in London then take a train to Edinburgh. In Edinburgh we'll take a tour with this company. I have to say, any company that uses Haggis in its name surely has a similar sense of humor. Once we return to Edinburgh we'll fly to Atlanta & then on home to Nashville.

Now all I have to do is reserve the hotel rooms & decide what we absolutely want to see in London. Well & there's the whole thing of training someone to fill in for me at work. I'm very excited but I'm starting to wonder if I'll survive??? I've already threatened Trina that I may strand her in Prague if she's too mean.

Then end of an era

I just finished watching the final episode of 7th Heaven. As I said before, this is one of my favorite shows. Amazingly, I didn't get as sentimental as I thought I would.

Anyway, here's you're spoiler alert. If you haven't watched the episode & plan to do so, do not read any further.


I have to say, it was a very satisfying way to end 10 years. First, I really liked that all the kids made it home. Well, ok, Mary didn't actually make it home - she was just in a dream of what the parents hoped would happen at Simon's wedding and shown talking on the phone. But almost all the loose ends were tied up nicely.

I loved that Simon didn't marry Rose. Granted she was nicer in the end but I never bought the entire suddenly sweet Rose routine. And I didn't like that the audience didn't get to see how they stopped the ceremony.

I liked that Matt & Sarah were finally getting their marriage back on track. I don't know why but I always loved the story line of how they met & married all in the same day. The actors has such great chemistry together that you just bought the whole storyline.

I was also surprised that Carlos & Mary were back together, even though I never understood that relationship. Granted they threw that one out there after the actress who played Mary had left the show full time so there wasn't time to really flesh it out.

But all the babies... please. Can we say overkill? Yes the parents have a set of twins. Did Lucy & Kevin, and Matt & Sarah, and Mary & Carlos all have to be expecting twins?? Seems a little insane.

Then there's the big question that makes you wonder if they're thinking of a spin off show in the future. At the end of the show, Sandy arrives at the reception (if you can call it that) & when Simon asks how her son is, she tells him that they "need to talk about that". And that's where they leave you. All along I thought there was a chance that Simon was the baby's father not Martin. But since Sandy & Rose were friends, Sandy went to long lengths to make sure everyone thought it was Martin's. This sounds more like the basis for an Aaron Spelling show than 7th Heaven ever did.

The Weekend

I did my part this past weekend in overusing foreign oil, but, I have to say, it was well worth it!

After I captured Scully & put her in her carrier, we made the 3 hour trek over to Knoxville to visit with the family (and yes, Mom insists that I always bring her grandcat when I visit & for the most part she travels very well). I was shocked to realize that my last visit was back in late February. I usually make it home more often than that but it's been a crazy spring. The last time I visited, there was an empty lot at their exit, now there's a Target about to open. It just proves that a lot of stuff happens in a couple of months.

Trina's church was honoring all the high school graduates on Sunday night so I had to stay for that... and I admit I became a little teary eyed during the slide show. But that didn't last long. I believe I may have taught her the art of sarcasm a little too well. She's well on her way to becoming a master.

So NoTORIous

Have you seen the new show on VH1 So Notorious staring Tori Spelling? It's a hoot. It's one of those shows that's based in reality but with an added zing. She makes fun of "the business", other celebrities, her family, and especially herself? The flashbacks are great. And her take on Scientology was so funny. So now that I've seen several episodes, I'm comfortable in recommending it to everyone. Go to the website to find the times because I never can remember when it's on but like most shows on VH1 it's constantly repeated.

By the way, nothing is worse than seeing one funny episode of a show, recommending it to friends. Then your friends watch the show and it's not at all good. Then you try to watch it again and discover that the one episode you had seen must have been the only good episode ever.

Some Navel Gazing

I promise... This is the last hockey posting... until... um... the NHL draft or maybe training camp. So you got a good month:)

Well, the navel gazing articles and posts have begun. Did they lose because of the "soft" division they played in? Or was it all the stupid penalties they took? Who will get resigned? Who will get released? Who made the grade? And who didn't?

The most amazing thing I discovered... David Legwand tore his ACL back in December. I was at that game & he looked to be in an amazing amount of pain. At the time, all they did was scope the knee & made it sound like it wasn't too bad of an injury. He was out until the Olympic break & then returned to play the remainder of the season with no ACL. Can you imagine?

There's a smile on my face now

I just saw that the Dead Wings are done. I tried to muster a bit of sympathy but... nope it's just not there. I completely respect the team. They have really great players & have the team concept down. I just don't care for their fans. I thought Vandy & UConn fans were obnoxious... they're cuddly little teddy bears compared to some of these guys.

There are a lot of Detroit transplants that came when the Saturn plant opened. I haven't decided which ones are worse: the Dead Wing fans that think they know it all & that we're all a bunch of rednecks or the PredWing fans who are Predator fans until they play the Wings & suddenly we're all a bunch rednecks.

A part of me had thought that it would be a good thing for the Dead Wings to win tonight since people around the league have said Detroit & Nashville's records were inflated since the other 3 teams in the division were so bad. If Detroit could get to the next round then those people would have to be quiet. But then I read this blog post & suddenly became an Edmonton fan. Wonder what they'll be setting on fire in Detroit tonight with this loss. Oh wait, that's what they do when they win.

At least the Predators were a 4 seed losing to a 5 seed, this was a 1 seed losing to an 8 seed. I've got to go send a few "sympathy" emails.

The Season's Over

I admit, I didn't have a good feeling going into game 5, down 4 games to 1 in a best of 7 format and feeling a bit sentimental, I took my camera with me to the game to take some photos & video. I didn't trust myself with the camera out during the actual game but here what the view from my playoff seat looked like during warm ups.

And here's a zoomed in shot of Paul Kariya in warm ups. He used this same shot during the third period to score Nashville's only goal.


I've been feeling a little philosophical today (& I use philosophical in its loosest terms since this is nothing life altering). In the grand scheme of things, sports are nothing more than entertainment. Some people get their entertainment from hearing the soprano hit that high C note, some from hearing the perfect guitar solo, and some from seeing actors... um... act. Then, there are those of us who find the best entertainment is that last second shot from the 3 point line, or a kick off returned for a touchdown, or a top shelf slap shot. The only thing that makes those things even better, is when those great plays happen for the home team and the home team wins.

So here's what I think. No, the Predators didn't win the Stanley Cup this year, but it provided the best entertainment for its fans. The Predators lead the entire league in home wins during the regular season. Only 9 times out of 44 regular season home games did the fans leave unhappy. For a team in only it's 7th season of play, I'll take that. This team shattered most of the previous season records. They turned a lot of non fans into casual fans & even more casual fans into serious fans. And they turned at least few people into fanatical season ticket holders.

I could whine & make excuses for this team in the playoffs but this season I won't dwell on that. The bottom line is that this team had a great season & exceeded expectations. Give the young players another year or two to understand the playoffs & I completely believe they'll be hoisting the Cup.

Gardening

I admit it, I have a brown thumb. Just about everything I've ever planted has died. When I moved in 5 years ago, I was in a gardening mood & planted a lot of things. I took some pictures today of the thing that's actually survived... pink lemonade honeysuckle.


And look here's a happy... um... scary looking little bee. Shortly after I took this picture, the bee started chasing me & I had to go back inside. I hate bugs.

"With the 3rd pick...

in the 2006 NFL draft, the Tennessee Titans select Vince Young, quaterback, University of Texas."

I can't believe I almost forgot about the draft today. I guess between work & the playoffs it had slipped my mind a bit. I heard all the sports talk radio guys talking about it but didn't really connect that with it being today. Who could blame me, they've only been talking about the draft since October or November. Most years the talk starts at the end of the season but this year the team was so bad that the fans got a head start.

I don't know how

I don't know how other bloggers post every single day. There are a lot of days that when I finally get home from work, the last thing I want to do is sit in front of another monitor. I could always post at lunch, but I think that would be frowned upon. Unlike at a lot of other companies, I can still get on the internet & go to ESPN. I don't want to ruin that. So if you don't see anything new for a few days, it's not that I don't care. It's that I can't string together anything coherent after a long day of work.

Best of 7

Today didn't turn out how I wanted. The Pred's laid an egg, losing 3-0. They looked sloppy & didn't take care of the puck. And like they've done from time to time this season, they fell in love with passing instead of shooting the puck on the power play - even with a 5 on 3 man advantage. Let's hope they get it together Tuesday night in San Jose.

Just got to keep repeating... best of 7... best of 7.... best of 7.

Interesting

I scanned around the web today to see what the media & bloggers thought of last nights game with the Preds. I noticed 2 constants. 1st, was the surprise in a Predator's win & in the play of Mason in net. 2nd was the amazement of how loud the crowd was.

Personally, I thought the crowd was a little quiet last night. It was loud but I've been in the GEC for some games that the crowd was so loud that you could feel the vibrations in your chest & couldn't talk to the person next to you. The loudest being the playoff shut out game from the last season (I believe game 4) where I left with my ears ringing. It makes me wonder what the crowds are like in the traditional hockey cities?

It's constantly stated in some of these traditional markets that Nashville should have never been awarded a team. And that people in Tennessee don't know anything about hockey & never will. blah, blah, blah.... you get the idea. It's just my theory, but I think sports fans in this city just took their knowledge of "THE SPORT" in this state & how the crowd can change momentum of the game & applied it to this new sport. We didn't know you weren't suppose to cheer & yell & boo. All I have to say is get used to it. We're not going away & we're not going to change.

(by the way, for those of you who for some reason may not know, "THE SPORT" in this state is football)

As promised

Michelle gave me a picture of me with the Stanley Cup last night. I had to scan it & apparently I have a few things to learn about that because it's a bit grainy. But, none the less, here it is.


As is typical for me, I don't care much for me in the picture. But it's funny that it seems I was so enamored by the Cup that I couldn't stop looking at it long enough for Michelle to take my picture. LOL. For those of you who don't know the coolness of this trophy, what looks like a bunch of little marks on the side of the trophy are actually the names of each player on every team that has won the cup. In other sports, the athletes play for the championship. In hockey they play to get their name on the cup. For more on the coolness of the Cup go here.

Just noticed something

I was looking over my recent posts & even though I said this blog would be random, it's looking a lot like a hockey blog right now. But don't be scared off yet. I promise, I will write about other things later. After all, hockey season won't last much longer. My life is just a bit consumed at the moment.

1-0 Predators

With the win last night, the Predators lead the best of 7 series, 1-0. Now only 3 more wins to go to get to the next round. Great game, great crowd. Paul Karyia was on fire, setting up 4 goals. And Chris Mason had some absolutely amazing saves.

The next game is tomorrow, starting at noon (central). I've already passed word to the preacher to keep it short. Luckily, services start at 10 & the building's only about 10 minutes from the arena. So I should be able to get there, get my lucky cherry icee, & get to my seat before the game starts.

It's like magic

Suddenly I got the camera to play nice with the computer. I didn't actually do anything different than I had done any of the other time, so who knows what the deal was. That being said, it's time for some cat blogging. Sometimes Scully is so strange, she'll just sit & stare.... at NOTHING. I took this picture the other night of her doing just that. But you know, she wouldn't be my cat if she wasn't at least a little bit strange!

How am I suppose to concentrate

The 1st round of the playoffs start tomorrow night! I've already got my ticket in my bag. If you got Fox Sports South the games on at 7pm central. Sunday's game on NBC starts at noon central (although it could be regional coverage & you may actually end up watching some other teams). Look for me, I'll be there!

Not a single site I went to in the past few days are picking the Predators to make it out of the 1st round. Who can blame them really. The Predators are now without their star goalie, Tomas Vokoun, who is now sidelined until next season. And the Sharks do have the points leader & the scoring leader in the entire NHL. So unless you've watched the Predators all season & realize that the team is more than just Vokoun, you'd think so too. But who cares what they think. I like cheering for the underdog. Go ahead, let them underestimate the Preds. And just like the new starting goalie Chris Mason says here...

"When you lose a guy with the impact of Tomas, everyone's going to think you're done. I hope other teams are thinking that. That's good. It makes it easy to get motivated."

LETS GO PREDS!!!

6 Weird Facts/Habits About Myself

Dianne's tagging everyone to join in. So here I go...

1. I hate mashed potatoes. I love baked potatoes, potato chips, french fries & just about any other kind of potato dish you can name. There's just something about the texture of mashed potatoes that I hate.
2. I like to watch all the cheesy kids shows & movies on Disney channel.
3. I prefer winter over summer. I can always put more clothes on but there's a limit to how much clothing I can take off.
4. I would rather add several miles to a trip & keep moving than to sit in traffic.
5. I can't remember phone numbers. I do good to remember my home & work number. I sometimes remember my cell number. And since my parents moved, I can't remember their number. If I couldn't store numbers in my phones, I don't know what I'd do.
6. I read magazines from the back to front.

Apparently I'm suppose to tag someone else now. The only other person I know of with a blog who might play along is SarahK. And if you want to play along but don't have a blog, just post your list in the comments.

The Trip

Well it looks like Trina's uncle will be in Tennessee when we're in Europe. How's that for timing. So I guess Switzerland's back off the agenda. I think we're going to go to Scotland instead. Granted, I've got to get this planned FAST!

One day I will get to Switzerland & go see my mountain. By the way, I now consider the Jungfrau to be mine. I saw a show on the Travel Channel where they went there & have been fascinated by it ever since. Granted it's not going do anything exciting like Dianne's mountain.

What's the Deal?

For the past month, on my drive into work, I've passed a homemade sign hanging from a railroad bridge that said "3/17/06 Cadance" (I may be slightly off on the exact date). It's just after the I-40W & I-24W merge, if you're in the area. Suddenly, last week, the date was gone & replaced with "I hate". So now it reads "I hate Cadance". I wonder what that's all about?

Oops

Question: What happens when a night owl takes a 2 hour nap during the afternoon?

Answer: It's almost midnight & I'm wide awake... tomorrow morning is going to be brutal.

I Just Realized

There's a bit of bad blood between the Preds & San Jose. The last game they played against each other was the 1st game Brendan Witt played for the team after the trade. This was also the game that a San Jose player being ejected from the game decided to jump over the glass separating the 2 teams' benches & started swinging. Since Witt was at that end of the bench, he started swinging back & unfortunately got ejected as well.

It's not quite a goalie fight or a coaches argument (which have happened with Calgary) but it should make for some interesting video & commentary.

It's Set

With the Preds being set in the 4th spot (& the last team with home ice advantage), all that was missing was the opponent. The teams in the 5th through 9th spots have been battling for the last 4 spot available for weeks. At one point it looked to be Calgary which I loved since the Preds have owned them this season, winning all 4 games against them. Then it looked like it would be Colorado which I liked since the team has played well against them, winning 3 out of 4 games. Then up until a few days ago, I was sure it would be Anaheim, which I absolutely hated since the team hasn't played well against them, losing 3 out of 4 times. Suddenly, out of the blue, the team we get to play is San Jose. I'm a bit mixed on playing this team. I like the fact that the Preds beat them both times at home & even that we took both the away games to overtime. But, you can probably gather from the out of the blue comment, that they've been playing red hot hockey as of late. So in that way, they are a very dangerous team to play. Guess we'll just have to wait & see how it goes.

Now if the league would just get the dates set. The rumor mill at the game last night was that the first 2 games would be either Saturday & Monday or Sunday & Tuesday.

Very Cool

Just to let everyone know, last night I saw the Stanley Cup!!! Michelle took a picture of me with it but I didn't touch it (I'll post it when she remembers to send it to me). For those who don't know, I'll have to explain why I didn't touch it as well as why the Stanley Cup is so cool later. For now, I want to go to sleep.... it's been one of those weeks.

Oh & the Preds clinched home ice for the 1st round with their win last night! Depending on when the games are played, I could very well be spending my birthday in the GEC watching the team!!

Happy Birthday Mom!

According to Mom, she's still hanging on to 32 & who am I to question her;)

In honor of her birthday here are a few sites to check out. Mom loves the Food Network & is constantly telling the rest of the family to go print recipes for her (since she doesn't like those "scary" computers). Her favorite personality on that station Rachael Ray. I think she could very well be another daughter. And I'm sure she & Paula Deen would be the best of friends if they ever met. They both have that same outgoing & cheerful personality.

Mom also loves crafts. She seems to be able to do any kind of craft but Christmas ornaments are her specialty. Growing up, all the ornaments on our Christmas tree were all made by her. So here are a few that I found that, if she would ever get on the computer, I know she'd love.
Joann Project Ideas
Michaels Projects

But I think everyone would agree, Mom's biggest passion in life is her family. And if you've ever met my mom, she considers you family! And well, there just aren't any web links that I can find for that.

So happy birthday to my most favorite-ist mom in all the world!

No-Koun

Preds fans got the bad news today. The goalie, the team MVP, Tomas Vokoun is out for the rest of the season. As a fan I'm thinking, ok... screaming "NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!" But looking at the bigger picture, what he's dealing with is something extremely serious, so I'm just glad they caught it when they did. I don't even want to think what could have happened if he took a bad hit out on the ice with those blood clots. So now it's time for Chris Mason to step up & show why the coaches have such a high opinion of him. And it's time for this injury bug to stop! This team's already had way too much.

On my heart today

Before the storms hit, this was the story that was breaking my heart today. Maggie Dixon's Army basketball team was one of the highlights of March Madness when they won the Patriot League championship and the cadets stormed the court. Unfortunately, after that they had to face Tennessee in the first round of the championship.

If you want to read more, Women's Hoops blog has several links to articles. If you only have time to read one, I suggest this one.

To me death is always sad. The only comfort I find is in a long life well lived and the knowledge that they've gone to live with the Father. When death happens out of the blue, for no real reason, to someone so young, I have a hard time finding that comfort.

I'm ok

Just in case you were worried about me with all the bad weather in the Nashville area today. According to the non-stop weather coverage on the local stations, most of the storms right now are south or east of town. So far, the worst hit has been in the north part of the county in Goodlettsville & Sumner County which is one county over (& the last place I lived). They've already reporting 8 deaths in Sumner County alone. They're currently showing video on the local stations that's just amazingly sad.

If you want updates via the local media, here are the television stations:

WTVF
WSMV
WKRN

I often call the people who live on the coast or in California crazy because of the potential danger they put themselves in with the hurricanes and earthquakes. I guess I need to remember that my favorite place on Earth has it's own potential dangers as well.

I've also discovered that scientist are a bit different. When we got the warnings this afternoon, the non-scientist in the office were concerned about getting to the safest spot in the building & asking if anyone had a battery operated radio and flashlight. What were the scientist doing, you ask? Well, we could all be found at the windows to see if we could see anything. That is except for the people who decided that it was the perfect time for a smoke break outside.

Kakuro

I like to work puzzles... Just about any kind of puzzle. And once I find something I like, I tend to obsess on it until I get bored. For a while it was jigsaw puzzles, then I got Scully & that was a little hard to do with her around. Then I went on a word search obsession, followed by fill-ins, and crosswords, and well you get the picture. Lately my obsession had been sudoku. To me, it was much easier than any of the word puzzles I'd tried - must be the math geek within I guess. However, I was starting to get a little bored of them. So when I was waiting for my prescription to be filled when I was sick a few weeks ago, I started looking through all the sudoku books & magazines trying to find something a bit different in them (I once found a magazine with a grid that you went 1-16 instead of the usual 1-9). But this time I wasn't having any luck. That's when I stumbled upon kakuro. It's a crossword puzzle but with numbers. Like sudoku, you can only use each digit from 1-9 once in a row or column. Unlike sudoku, you don't necessarily use all 9 digits but the digits have to add up to the sum given. Now this is a challenge! So much so that it wasn't until last night that I actually finished an entire puzzle.

They're Here!

After a tough day at work, I came home tonight to discover that my playoff tickets had arrived!! Now the Preds just have to get on a winning streak so I get to use them all.

Now what...

The national champions have been crowned. For men it was Florida (which by the way I had winning on my brackets). And for the women it was Maryland (& like my mom always says, if you don't have anything good to say don't say anything at all).

But now, after gorging on basketball all month, what am I suppose to do??

Daylight Savings Time

It appears that Indiana's joining most of the U.S. in springing forward (which I hate) & falling back (which I love). I discovered in college (when girls in the dorm from Indiana didn't understand the process) that Indiana didn't observe the time change. However, I was under the assumption that it was the entire state. Apparently it wasn't and I don't have a clue how anyone in that state was able to keep this straight...

"Under the old system, 77 of the state's 92 counties were in the Eastern Time Zone but did not change to daylight time in April. Instead they remained on standard time all year. That is, except for two counties near Cincinnati, Ohio, and Louisville, Ky., which did use daylight time.

But the counties in the northwest corner of the state (near Chicago) and the southwestern tip (near Evansville), which are in the Central Time Zone, used both standard and daylight time."

You have to admit, they had to do something. Can you imagine one of those math question with the trains & what time will it arrive if it were set in Indiana? Makes the head spin.

A Little Math

one girl
+ 7.5 hours at work Saturday
+ going to a hockey game
+ late dinner after the game
+ time change
+ up for 10 am worship
+ 5 more hours at work
= one very tired chickidee

The Trip

For those who don't know, my niece Trina is graduating from high school this year. As a graduation gift, I'm taking her on a 2 week trip to Europe. I know, it sounds a bit extravagant but she's my most favorite niece in the world (ok... she's my only niece) & she deserves a big reward for a job very well done (ok... & I've been wanting to go to Europe & haven't found anyone to go with me).

I thought I had everything all set. We'd fly into Vienna & spend the day walking around the city. The next morning we'd take a train to Brno to spend a few days with my college roommate Cindy. Then, we'd travel to Prague & spend a day in the city. Then the next morning we'd fly to London for a week doing what Trina wanted to do.

I was all set to call the travel agent this week but then Trina calls on Sunday evening & the conversation was something like this (not exactly because it's been a few days & I don't have that great of a memory):

Trina - I've been thinking...
me - don't do that too much, it could hurt.
Trina - Yeah I know. Any way, I was thinking... London is an expensive city. Maybe we shouldn't spend so much time there.
me - Well, that's sweet of you but I wouldn't have offered if I thought it would be a problem.
Trina - You remember me telling you about my great uncle who lives in Geneva?
me - Yeah
Trina - Well, if you wouldn't be too uncomfortable, maybe we could spend a few days with his family.
me - It wouldn't be any more uncomfortable for me than it will be for you having to stay with Cindy who you don't remember.

So with that, I'm now completely re-thinking the entire trip. Trains & multiple countries are now getting into the mix. In the original plans of the trip last summer, Switzerland was an early leader & I was really wanting to see the Alps but Trina really wanted to see London. So now it looks like Switzerland's back in, along with train trips across Austria, Liechtenstein, & France. If there's enough time, maybe we'll even spend an afternoon in Paris. Granted, we still have to find out that Uncle Louis will actually be in Geneva in July...

Now I really have to push the travel light plan with Trina. I got her to agree to one suitcase. Now I just have to try get her to agree to a travel-on size suitcase (& see if I can do the same).

I Love Toys

I was just channel surfing, saw that the final hour of I Love Toys was on VH1 & realized that I never let you know what was the #1 toy. Well here's the list:

10. Wiffle ball & bat
9. Slinky
8. Yo-yo
7. Star Wars Figures
6. Monopoly
5. Mr. Potato Head (did you know that you orginally had to supply your own potato?)
4. G.I. Joe
3. LEGO's
2. Barbie
1. Hula Hoop

The dancing is over

I guess this is the outcome I was expecting - although I was still hoping for one more miracle. The Lady Vols had to play the one team in the entire tournament that I knew would have the quick, athletic defense that would give Tennessee fits. And it did. So the streak of final fours is over - I believe it was at 4 straight. I guess next year they'll just have to start a new streak.

Granted I didn't see a lot of the game. I was recording the game for Betty so I couldn't do my usual things to keep the frustration & blood pressure down. (Why is it easier to watch a game in person than on TV?) I was afraid to hit mute & that's usually step one since it's usually the broadcasters that are getting on my nerves. And I couldn't channel surf & that's usually step two. So I turned the TV off & took care of the work I brought home with me. Maybe I'll watch it this evening, especially if this Predators game continues to frustrate me.

List Time

In honor of March Madness, here's a top 10 list of the stadiums and arenas I have to visit in my lifetime (FYI - if I've already been there, I'm not putting it on the list). I haven't put enough thought into actually putting them into any order - maybe I'll do that someday.

• Cameron Indoor Arena - Duke U. - what every student section should be
• The Big House - U of Michigan - just to see a stadium that's always in competition with Neyland as the largest college football stadium
• Lambeau Field - Green Bay Packers - great history but the wait list is generations old
• The Saddledome - Calgary Flames - every time I see this place on TV, the place is packed & the fans are going crazy
• Rupp Arena - U of Kentucky - more history & tradition than most schools will ever have
• Notre Dame Stadium - Notre Dame U - Just give me a good view of touchdown Jesus
• The Swamp - U of Florida - granted I may not wear my TN orange but they always look like they're having fun - oh except for the last couple of trips TN's made there:)
• Joe Lewis Arena - Detroit Deadwings - I just want the chance to return the "hospitality" I've received from their fans in the GEC
• Death Valley - LSU - just to see if they can register another earthquake
• Maples Pavilion - Stanford U - I want to see the Tree & I hear the pep band is... um... different

So agree, disagree? Or give me ideas of other places I should want to go?

And sometimes I love technology

I just renewed my drivers license online at 10:00 at night. How cool is that? Granted I have to keep that yucky photo for 5 more years but that beats standing in line for who knows how long.

I Don't Get It.

It seems that every time the Preds beat the Deadwings, they go out & lay eggs for the next few games. They just lost back to back games on Friday in Anaheim & then last night in Los Angeles. Last nights was especially bad. They had the lead with about 8 minutes left & then they let LA score not once, not twice, but THREE times. What?!?!

Act Naturally

Growing up, a Saturday just wasn't a Saturday unless we were watching Hee Haw. I looked on the front page of the newspaper this morning only to see that Buck Owens had died. The rest of the day I've been singing Act Naturally.

"They're gonna put me in the movies.
They're gonna make a big star out of me.
We'll make a film about a man that's sad and lonely.
And all I have to do is act naturally. "

Dear Wiskas,

Could you please start packaging just the gravy of your moist cat food. My cat does not like any of the different varieties of your food but she adores all the gravy (& yes, we've tried them all). I'm getting tired of throwing out the pieces of food my cat leaves behind when she licks all the gravy off the food. Not to mention the food she shoves off the plate onto the floor in order to get to the last bit of gravy.

Thanks,
Sonya

Zamboni

Once again thanks to Kukla's Korner I found a great article, this time about the Zamboni.

"Attribute the Zamboni’s popularity in part to its mesmerizing effect. “There are three things in life that people like to stare at: a flowing stream, a crackling fire, and a Zamboni clearing the ice,” said Charlie Brown in one Peanuts strip. Credit cartoonist Charles Schulz, who owned a Zamboni, for helping popularize it. Snoopy drove one. So did Woodstock, turning tiny ovals in his frozen birdbath."

What I really want to know is why in the world did Charles Schulz need a Zamboni? Did he have his own ice rink?

Happy Birthday Dad!

In honor of Dad's birthday, I thought I'd share some links to some of his interests & hobbies.

Here's the obvious one. Dad loves Lady Vols basketball. When he & Mom moved to Knoxville, the first thing he did was buy season tickets. So here are the best places to get your Lady Vols fixes.

Lady Vols Official Web Site
Go Lady Vols
The Summitt

Dad loves researching our family's genealogy. One of the interesting things he's researched is a group of people called Melungeons. Imagine, you think you're the first group of people to settle in the mountains of upper East Tennessee only to find a group of people already there. People who look more European than native. People who can't tell you where they're from.

melungeon.org
theory on melungeons
Tennessee Genealogy

Dad also loves church history, particularly the restoration movement.

Restoration movement
Restoration web links

For years all I knew about Dad's time in the Air Force was that he worked on planes. It's only been in the last few years that he's started really talking about what he really got to do during his years in service. And it's so cool - as part of the 7406th Support Squadron he got to work on spy planes!

7406th
Sneaky Petes
NSA National Vigilance Park

So go check something out in honor of my dad today. See Dad, I do listen... sometimes :)

Vokoun!

I know I'm a few days late on this but the Predators' goalie Tomas Vokoun was named defensive player of the week on Monday. I guess that's what should happen when you get 3 wins with 2 of them being shut-outs. Read more.

While I was looking for the link to that, I stumbled on this transcript of a live chat Vokoun did on the NHL web site last week.

And by the way... Tuesday the Preds beat the Deadwings in a shoot out in Detroit. I've thought all season that I'd like to see a Nashville shoot out go past the 3 initial shooters each team gets. I just wanted to see who all Nashville would use after Kariya, Sullivan, & Zidlicky. This game I got my wish & with the shoot out going to 6 shooters I was a little shocked by the next 3 players coach Trotz called on. In order, he used Timonen, Sillinger, & Erat. Of those 4, I would've thought Erat would have been the 4th shooter. Timonen wasn't a big shock but I think my mouth was on the floor when Sillinger came out. I actually expected to see Upshall before either of them and most of the team before Sillinger. It's not a slight against Sillinger's playing ability. He's a very good player. He's just more of a set-up man than a goal scorer.

It's Time For A List

Today's topic: My current favorite shows on TV.

These are in no particular order & like all my lists, the items are subject to change on a whim.

• House (FOX)- Dr. House is super sarcastic & you all know I love sarcasm.
• Grey's Anatomy (ABC) - I watched this the 1st time because there wasn't anything else on TV one Sunday night. It's very soap opera-y & I'd have to say it's my guilty pleasure.
• CSI (CBS)- I'm counting the Vegas, Miami, & NY shows as one show. I think just about all chemist want to be in forensics.
• Gilmore Girls (WB) - I've loved this one show from the get-go. Snappy & witty dialogue. And this season Lorelei got a neurotic dog she named Paul Anka. You have to see it to understand the humor there.
• 7th Heaven (WB) - As long as they aren't trying to promote something it's a nice family show. It bogs down a bit when they try to go all afterschool special.
• Numbers (CBS) - Using math to solve crimes. And that mathematician is just adorable.
• Related (WB) - I watched one night after 7th Heaven & really like the interaction of the sisters. Granted, some of the sisters are a bit... um... wild.
• Monk (USA) - I just want to protect Mr. Monk. He's so funny & neurotic.
• Bones (FOX) - ok, I admit, I watched this the 1st time because it has David Boreanaz (who was Angel on Buffy the Vampire Slayer) but I keep watching because it's good. I think there's a trend on this list with mystery shows.
• Mythbusters (Discovery) - sometimes you just have to prove & disprove a few urban legends. And laugh while you're doing it.
• Stranded With Cash Peters (Travel) - Cash Peters gets kicked out of a car with no money & no idea where he is & has to survive for 24 hours on the kindness of strangers. Granted I'm sure he has an easier time than most since he has a film crew tagging along. And I love his voice. Maybe he'll show up in Nashville & I can make him read my phone book in exchange for dinner.

Funny interview with Jussi Jokinen of the Dallas Stars on the Hockey News web site. I admit, I don't know much about this player but this interview is hilarious. Here's just a sample.

LC: Why did you choose the No. 36?
JJ: My favorite player growing up was Jari Kurri.
LC: But he wore No. 17?
JJ: And he played for the Oilers so wearing one of those jerseys would look really stupid wouldn’t it?

Thanks to Kuklas Korner for pointing it out.

The Lady Dunks

Finally! Lady Vol fans have only been waiting for this since the girl stepped on campus. The 1st dunk was what you'd expect if you've ever seen a woman dunk, on the break away. It seems like most women need a bit of momentum to get that elevation, so the break away is perfect to get that. Her 2nd dunk was the amazing one to me. It came in a half court set, a drop step on the baseline. And it looked effortless. I think we'll see more of these during her career.

Yesterday Was Busy

Yesterday was busy, even for me. It's beyond busy at work right now so I worked a couple of hours. Since my supervisor Betty had an extra ticket to 1st round women's basketball games being played at Vandy, I joined her for 2 afternoon games. I saw a very tight game played between Minnesota & Washington, followed by a blow-out game between LSU & Florida Atlantic. Betty had excellent seats & I could tell just how tall these girls are. Sylvia Fowles is HUGE! But the day wasn't over. I returned to the office & worked around another hour. Then it was off to the GEC to see a very fun hockey game.

It might have been a bit much since I've been sick. I woke up this morning, fully intending going to church & then another day of work. Unfortunately I woke up & was coughing so much that... um... no, I think I'll spare everyone the details. Needless to say, I didn't get to do any of those things.

I Don't Like Technology

... sometimes. I keep trying to download pictures from my camera & it's just not working. I got this great camera for Christmas. The 1st time, I had no problems at all & I didn't have a clue what I was doing since I left the manual at my parents. The 2nd & 3rd times, I had to try a couple of times before it worked. Now I can't get it to do squat. I even tried to plug it into the port in the back. Three different ports & the computer isn't recognizing it at all. I think I'll take my camera to work & see if my computer there would recognize it. If it works there, then I know it's my computer and if not, then it's the connector. I guess it's a good thing that I have such a large memory card in the camera. Now if I can only remember the story behind some of these pictures by the time I get this problem solved. Oh, & if you have any suggestions, just leave them in the comments.

I Did It.

I just filled out the forms to get tickets for the 1st 2 rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs (& to be eligible for the later round tickets too). And in order to do this, I had to go ahead & renew my tickets for next year. That's where I took the really big plunge. This season I have an 11 game pack, which hasn't been nearly enough. So, Michelle & I decided to upgrade to an entire season pack. The bad part of going with a full season package is that I have to give up this seat & this view.

The budget just won't allow me to keep it. When you're only paying for 11 games it's one thing. It's much different when you're paying for 44 games. We've been told that we can upgrade for some games, so that will be good. But we're so spoiled. I looked for a picture from the potential seats (we don't get to choose the exact seats until later) but I couldn't find anything. But just imagine, this picture is from level 1. The new seats will be in level 3.

It's My 2nd Most Favorite Time of Year!

My most favorite time of year is late November to early December. Football is in full swing. College basketball & the NHL are just getting started with the promise of great seasons. Then there's Thanksgiving & the start of the Christmas season. And the start of the Christmas season is the best part (now that there aren't any small children in my family) - before all the last minute shopping stress sets in.

Only slightly behind that, is March Madness. And now, not only do I get to overdose with college basketball this month, I get to take in the playoff push in hockey.

Last night they released the men's field of 65 teams & tonight the women's field of 64 teams. You all know what comes next? Yep the office pools. And yes I play. But it's all for bragging rights for me. I absolutely love all the smack talk that comes with playing, especially that 1st weekend when you get all the upsets. It's the best when a person who knows absolutely nothing about basketball takes down all the guys who follow every minute of the season. One lady I work with one year used mascots to pick the winners & another year used which city she liked better.

So my suggestion to you is this: unless your office pool has a steep entry fee, go play, even if you know nothing about basketball. You'll get to know some of your co-workers better & even become friends. And if it is too steep or you find spending any money objectionable, play with your family & friends. Your terms could be that the loser has to do dishes for a week or pay for dinner or just something fun.

This was out of left field

I'm looking through the newspaper yesterday & stumbled upon this article. How bizarre is it that Jada Pinkett Smith is a metal grrrl?

I've got to check this band out. My curiosity has been peaked. I'll let you know what I find.

Invasions

This weekend I experienced 2 invasions. One by my family - which I loved. And one from some stinking virus or flu or cold - which I'm hating! Looks like I will actually have to break down & see a doctor on this one. And ya'll know how bad it must be to do that.

Any way, Mom, Dad, & my sister Sabrina came out to take my niece Trina to Lipscomb for a special scholarship winners weekend. Trina stayed on campus with some girls from her youth group that are freshmen this year. And they brought their cat Brooke. And Brooke discovered a hideaway that in my 5 years of living here, I never knew existed. The panic was starting to set in before we discovered the spot (after about 3 complete sweeps of every hiding place I know Scully likes to use). Who knew there was a empty space in my lower kitchen cabinets? And that a cat could crawl into it? Granted I painted my cabinets a couple of years ago & you would think I would've noticed it then. Thankfully we were able to coax her out, although I was starting to dream about what new countertops would look like.

A Favorite

One of my favorite columns to read each week is written by John Buccigross. He's got a great sense of humor & writes in a way that even a newbie like me can understand. Plus, he loves great music & like to incorporate up & coming bands into his column. This week he's got a great story. If you don't want to read everything, scroll down to the section called "State Tournaments". It's a cute story about his son, told only the way a proud & loving father could tell. And this statement made me stop & think.

"As mite hockey practice began last fall, I told Jack that Cammi Granato was cut from Team USA. Jack has spent some time with Cammi and the two share a bond that sometimes happens inexplicably, despite having little time together. When it was time for choosing uniform numbers, Jackson Buccigross chose Cammi's No. 21."

This is a child that most likely already knows more about hockey & hockey players than I may ever know. And yet he decided to take the number of a "girl". How often does that happen? It makes you wonder, do little boys start off thinking that "girl" sports aren't as good as boys? Or is it the influence of the adults in their life? I tend to think it's the later. Let's just hope there will be more men like my dad & John Buccigross in the future.

By the way, the section called "Third Period -- Life of Podes" is pretty funny too.

I don't care for this part

Here's the background. Growing up, my first exposure to big time sports was the college games, specifically Tennessee. You learned early on that you only had the players available to play for a maximum of 4 years. You learn so much about all the players . By their 4th year, you know their tendencies on the field (& court). And by the time Senior night comes along, there's might even be a few tears because, once you're a Vol, you're always a Vol!

Fast forward a few years & I started watching some professional sports. First, I became a fan of NFL football. Basically, I was following one of my favorite Vols (Tim McGee - I think) because I just wanted to see him play more. It was then I noticed that loyalty wasn't as important in the professional game. Teams would cut a player at the end of the season if they thought they could find someone who could play the position better. Then there's the whole salary cap. So now, a player could be cut just because they're too good (& expensive).

That was hard enough. Now that I've fallen for NHL hockey, I've discovered this thing called trading. Right in the middle of the season, teams decide that they really want someone playing for another team to play for them. So, they trade players currently playing for them (or the "farm" team) in exchange for them. Tomorrow is the final day this season that these trades can take place. I'm so conflicted. My brain is saying, a trade would be good. The team needs a big defenseman & some extra power on offense to make it deeper into the playoffs. My heart is saying, no! This is my team, my players. I can't think of a single player that I don't want on the team. I don't even like it when they send players down to play on the farm team. Can you imagine the Vols trade Manning, White, or even Tee Martin for anyone else? Or the Lady Vols trade Holdsclaw, Catchings, Lawson, or Parker for anyone? Even if it meant another national championship?

Oh well, guess I just have to wait & see what happens. So far, there's not been any movement by the Preds.

UPDATE (3/12/06):
The Preds made one move & picked up Brendan Witt in exchange for this years 1 round draft pick & Kris Beech, a minor league player. Half the "experts" say it was a good move & the rest say it was a bad move. And since he got ejected from his first game as a Pred, my opinion is still out.

Is it just me?

I work on the 5th floor, so every day I have to ride the elevator. Usually I have my keys in my hand & I'm so paranoid that the keys are going to drop into that gap between the landing & the elevator. Yeah, it's probably just me...

I Love Toys

This week on VH1. Tonight was #100-81. It was a fun trip down memory lane. What can I say, I'm a sucker for a good list show. This is the kind of stuff I love on VH1 - not all that reality junk they've been showing lately. So if you have nothing better to do this week, flip it over to VH1. I wonder what the number 1 toy of all time will be? Oh I hope it's not Barbie. Maybe it will be something cool like Legos or Mr. Potato Head. What's your guess?

Just as I always suspected

Cheerleaders are freaks! Read On

I saw the clip on Sportscenter last night & was in complete disbelief. The girl was not just laying on a stretcher. Her head & legs were strapped down. The EMTs were afraid she had broken her neck & there she was cheering as they were taking her out of the arena. Not waving or clapping - which I might actually understand. No she was doing an actual cheer. I've never understood these people.

Ok, ok. There was a time that I wanted to be a cheerleader (or a majorette) but I was 7. None of us were all that bright when we were 7. :)

At Least It Went To Overtime

The Preds lost this afternoon... in overtime. To those who don't understand how the NHL standings work, you'd think this would be a bad thing. And you'd be sort of wrong.

Here are the basics. The NHL is divided into 2 conferences (the east & the west). Each conference is then divided into 3 divisions with 5 teams in each division. The Predators are in the Central division of the Western conference. The NHL standings are based on a points system & at the end of the season the top team in each division automatically gets home ice advantage for the 1st round of the playoffs. The team with most points in each conference after the division leaders also gets home ice. The next 4 teams point wise also make the playoffs. That means a total of 8 teams per conference plays in the playoffs. All rounds of the playoffs are best of 7 games - so you get home ice, you get 4 home games per round.

Here's how the points are awarded. For each win, a team gets 2 points. For each game taken to overtime, each team gets 1 point. The winner in overtime gets 1 more point (for a total of 2 points). And as expected, each loss is zero points.

So as yucky as a loss in overtime is, it's still a point. Currently the Preds are sitting in that last home ice advantage spot. As long as the team keeps getting points, they keep that cushion over the next team nipping on their heels. But still, 2 points provide more of a cushion - so wins are still very important.

SEC Champions!

The Lady Vols are the 2006 SEC Champions. It was a very tight back & forth game... and of course my stress was high. So I started watching Lord of the Rings & just checking in every few minutes. But what I did see was great!

It's The Details

Last night, I was channel surfing & saw that The Prince & Me was on TV. I'd seen this movie before & thought it was cute so I decided to watch it again. For those who haven't seen it, the basic premise is the playboy prince of Denmark decides to enroll at the University of Wisconsin after seeing some seedy girls gone wild type video. Once there, he finds a serious girl, changes his way & falls in love. (Actually after re-reading what I wrote, if you want to see the movie, stop reading now - I give away too much.)



Only last night when I watching, I noticed that the weather & location & time of year did NOT match. The girl (& no, I can't remember her name) invites the prince home to her parents farm, in WISCONSIN, for Thanksgiving. When they arrive, the grass is green, there are green leaves on the trees, & they're all wearing light jackets. Now I've never actually been to Wisconsin, but my college roommate's was from there & that's not how Cindy described November in Wisconsin. It was such a problem for me, that I double checked to make sure she the character said "Thanksgiving" & "Wisconsin". So I decided to go with it, that maybe the director was making a subtle commentary on global warming & it's a mild winter.

But then, they return to campus & all the drama happens when she finds out who he is during finals. You know - guy gets girl, guy loses girl, girl decides she can't live without guy. The scene where she decides she can't live without him is while she's taking a class final (a final for a class she was taking before Thanksgiving). If I follow that clue, it should be fall semester finals, so around Christmas. Anyway, by this time, the Prince has returned to Denmark, so of course she follows him. But the Denmark she goes to looks nothing like I'd imagine Christmas in Europe. Not only are there no decorations or mention of Christmas, it looks like springtime. Everyone's in short sleeves, there are flowers & green trees everywhere. The only logical conclusion I could think of was that maybe it was a 2 semester class & was finals for spring semester. But then that doesn't jive with the newness of the relationship.

I just realized what a long post this has become, but you know, it rather bothers me when people forget the details. You'd think at least one person would've questioned the weather of Thanksgiving in Wisconsin or how it suddenly becomes spring in Denmark. Maybe this is why I don't watch a lot of movies...

Lipscomb Is Not Going Dancing

I had hoped to title this "Lipscomb Is Going Dancing" - which I thought would be very funny. And all my fellow alumns understand why. Today was the finals of the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament. One more win over that nemesis Belmont would've meant an automatic invitation to the big dance (the NCAA tournament for my non-sporting friends). Unfortunately the guys just didn't hold on. I give them props to taking the game to overtime but now Belmont has bragging rights on who made it to the big dance 1st. That stinks. At least the women have bragging rights - they made it to the dance 2 years ago. And the Bisons get an automatic bid to the NIT...

Are We Still On Olympic Break?

Looks like the Preds were thinking that tonight. Argh. What a sloppy game. I couldn't even bear watching the 3rd period. And losing to one of the worse teams in the league. Not only losing, being shut out. Let's hope they get their minds off their vacations by tomorrow night. I just had a thought, isn't there a saying about March coming in like a lamb & out like a lion. Or is it just the opposite. Anyway, let's hope that since the Preds have decided to come into the month like a lamb, they'll go out like a lion. Oh no, I just remembered, I teased the Redwing fan at work today because the wings lost last night. Got to learn to just keep the mouth shut - karma.

Oh & Tennessee men lost to Kentucky tonight. And I already had decided what I was going to say to my co-worker who's a KY fan. Karma - it's all karma! I've got to learn to say nice things about other teams. The Redwings are a great team. Kentucky is an elite powerhouse. Oh, this is sooooo hard! But, I draw the line at saying warm fuzzy things about Geno & UConn.