Spring Break '12: Day 4

Day 4: Miniature Golf / Caps game

Today we had to check out of the villa so we could head to Tampa and see the Caps take on the Lightning... the impetus for this entire trip! We had another leisurely morning without an alarm. We packed up, checked out, and headed to the local Sizzler for the $4.99 breakfast buffet. Woo hoo!

Next stop was Pirate Cove Miniature Golf, where we had to decide between the easier, hillier course and the more difficult course. J-Mav chose more difficult. None of us thought it was all THAT difficult, but we had fun! The 16th hole ate both J-Mav's and Hubby's golf balls, which was rather humorous. But a guy came with a leaf blower and got them out of the tubing and play resumed. We also had fun chasing some little lizards around at one of the holes.




After we were done, we got in the car and turned the A/C up full blast to try to cool down. And then programmed the GPS and headed for Tampa. It took a little longer than it should have due to traffic around Disney, but not much, and it was a nice drive. We arrived at our hotel without incident, handed the car over to the valet (the only parking option we had), and proceeded to the desk to check in.

While we were checking in, I saw Joe Benenati (the Caps TV play-by-play guy) walk through the lobby in workout clothes, and at that point we knew the Caps had stayed in the same hotel the previous night. Pretty cool. We checked in and went to our room (on the 15th floor), passing (in the glass elevator) a skinny little pool outside on about the 8th or 9th floor.

We got situated in our room, changed into our Caps gear, and headed down to the lobby to try to find somewhere close by to grab an early dinner before the game. While perusing google maps in the computer kiosk in the lobby, we saw Karl Alzner and John Carlson (Caps defensemen) heading out to the team bus to ride the whole block to the arena. We didn't see anyone else, but we didn't go searching, either.

Also while we were standing there, a woman came up to us and asked if the Caps were staying at this hotel. We told her yes, but that it appeared they were heading toward the team bus and on to the arena with suitcases, so it didn't appear they would be staying that night. She went on to tell us that they were from England and her grandson plays hockey and is a huge Ovechkin fan. They were in Orlando and drove to Tampa to try to get his book signed. They didn't even have tickets to the game! We told her to go out by the bus and see if they could get it signed. We left to go find food, but I hope that he got to meet his favorite player! :)

We walked to the other side of the arena, to an area that is essentially the Tampa cruise port. Several restaurants that had been there appear to have closed down, so we just ate at a Hooters. Our food was actually very good. :-) After dinner, we headed back over to the arena. The doors weren't open yet... we had about 15 minutes. But there was a band and a little fan appreciation festival going on outside the arena. We were surprised at how many red jerseys we saw. :)

Once they opened the doors, we headed in, stopping (against J-Mav's wishes) to get a picture with Thunder Bug, the Lightning's mascot. The arena is fairly new, and it's very nice. We found out seats and they were awesome! Right by the tunnel from the Caps locker room. J-Mav even got a puck from one of the Caps trainers!

While we were waiting for warmups to start, we chatted with other Caps fans, and even ran into teammates from home... one kid from J-Mav's winter house team, and a kid from Keeper Boy's travel team. Small world, hockey fans. :) When the Caps came out of the tunnel for warm-ups, J-Mav leaned over the rail and got to do fist bumps with almost all of them. How cool. :) We also saw Olie Kolzig (who is now the Associate Goalie Coach for the Caps). Love him!

The game didn't end up in our favor, but we had a great time... and we were on TV during the first intermission. (One of John's friends sent a text with a picture of his TV, and there we are in our Caps jerseys... later, several other friends texted or posted on Facebook that they'd seen us on TV. Too funny.) We picked up a souvenir puck for Keeper Boy at the end of the game, and walked the block back to our hotel.









Another fun day in Florida done.

Well, there's always next year...

I feel like I say that every May. But once again, my beloved Capitals have been ousted from the play-offs shy of the ultimate goal: winning Lord Stanley's Cup. To add insult to injury, they were swept in the second round. Swept! Couldn't even win one game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Sigh. That's gonna be one quiet plane ride home tonight.

I fear for the coach's job. He has a great record in the regular season, and this year succeeded in completely changing the team's "system" mid-way through the year... with great success. It's not too often a team can completely change the way it plays mid-season without involving a coach getting fired. But he just doesn't seem to be able to get it done in the post season.

Then again, Andy Reid has had same problem for years, and he's still in Philly...

Thankful...

Day 20
... for hockey... that it's a great activity for us to enjoy as a family, and that it even brings together my extended family sometimes. This weekend we are thankful to have my cousins D&G visiting for our three-game Saturday (J-Mav in the morning, Keeper Boy in the afternoon, Caps in the evening).

FB status

Kirstin Mathers Mercer Hmmm... seems the Giants are going to pose a bit more of a challenge than the Reds did. (At least the Caps won tonight, though it took them OT to do it.) Wonder what the Eagles will do tomorrow...

11:00pm Saturday

Also changed my profile picture today... to the Phillie Phanatic. :)

Seen...

The whole family rockin' the red this morning in honor of our favorite hometown team, the Washington Capitals. The team opens Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs tonight at home against the Montreal Canadiens (aka, the Habs).

I am sporting a red silk blouse; Hubby is sporting his Caps jersey, with a red dress shirt beneath in case he is asked to remove the jersey. Keeper Boy is wearing a pink polo shirt because it's picture day today; however, he left the house with a red hooded sweatshirt over top. And J-Mav is wearing his red t-shirt with a caricature of Alex Ovechkin on it, complete with the missing tooth. AND red shorts. I wasn't there when he left for school, but I'll bet he was also wearing a red sweatshirt. He is definitely rockin' the red!

Unfortunately, we will miss much of the game as Keeper Boy has a baseball game tonight. You can bet we'll be following along on the Blackberry during the game!

C-A-P-S Caps Caps Caps!!

SnOMG!! '10

SUNDAY, 2/7/10

9:17am: Day three; still no plow in sight. Sun is shining bright, but it's cold. Feel like I got run over by a truck...

11:00am: Fetched J-Mav's best buddies and have three rowdy 6-year-olds downstairs. J-Mav's bud R. lives down the street. His other bud J. lives in another part of the subdivion. His mom is the one who had the baby yesterday. His dad plowed through the snow in his Land Rover and I met them at the bottom of the street. It's quit a workout to walk in 2.5 feet of snow!!

11:30am: School closed tomorrow.

3:05pm: Spent the afternoon helping a neighbor who needed to get to the store for his daughter (who is awaiting a kidney transplant) get off the street. It was a long process of ramming through snow, shoveling, backing up, and ramming some more. But he made it amidst all of our cheers! Also visited with other neighbors, including the ones down the street who have been in the Bahamas for the past three years. We didn't realize they were back. Good timing! NOT! They're living in an apartment while they have some remodeling done and were just here to clear the driveway and walks. Came in to discover the Caps had come back from being down 4-1 and won 5-4 in OT! Way to rock the red!!

SnOMG!! '10

Depending on what news source you are watching/listening to, our area is predicted to get anywhere from 18 inches to five feet of snow between now and tomorrow afternoon. I guess we'll wait and see.

9:54am: I don't know when it started, but I just looked out my office window and it's definitely snowing. A little ahead of schedule at this point. Nothing sticking yet.

10:30am: Snow begins sticking to cars in the parking lot. Told to leave work.

10:45am: Home from work. Boys are playing Rock Band... still in their PJs. Hubby working at dining room table... still in PJs.

11:30am: Make meatloaf for dinner and put in fridge. Banking on any power outages we may suffer kindly waiting until tomorrow.

11:45am: Mailman delivers mail. Wonder when we'll see him again?

12:21pm: And the bickering has begun in earnest.

12:56pm: Hubby headed to Giant for last minute provisions. Keep thinking of things we should've gotten. I didn't get bread the other night because we had almost a full loaf. Suddenly we're down to a few slices...

1:21pm: Kids have gone outside to sled/snowboard on the neighbor's hill. Ahhh... nothing but the sound of my keyboard tapping and the space heater and furnace kicking on and off.

2:15pm: Checked in with my friend who is scheduled for a c-section tomorrow at 11am. Asked what her plan is for getting to the hospital tomorrow... or if she just plans on heading there tonight and camping out. She says her husband says their Land Rover will get them there...

4:58pm: Sticking to the road now. Up to 6+ inches. Meatloaf in the oven. Heading outside to burn some energy off J-Mav. He's a wildman.

5:45pm: Inside again. The boys (big and small) are still outside pummeling each other with snowballs. Attempted to do down the hill on the snowboard. Fell on my butt twice. Hubby didn't do too much better on his first couple of attempts, but then improved a little. Time to get dinner together... Caps game at 7.

7:00pm: Wind definitely picking up...

7:45pm: Rink closed tomorrow. J-Mav's skating class and Keeper Boy's game both cancelled. We are officially off the hook for the weekend. Nothin' to do but hunker down and wait for the plow.

9:40pm: Over a foot of heavy, wet snow now. Caps game is over and the win streak is alive (lucky number 13 tonight). Tried figuring out my learn to knit kit... got the casting on, couldn't figure out what to do after that and gave up. Thought it would give me something to do this weekend. Oh well...

C-A-P-S Caps! Caps! Caps!

The Capitals' regular season starts tomorrow on the road in Boston! Let's go Caps!!

Seriously?!

So last night on the news, I saw that some 17-year-old kid from Chambersburg, PA (presumably a Penguins fan) has been accused of posting a death threat against Alexander Ovechkin to a web bulletin board. It is credible enough that law enforcement is involved and Ovechkin and the Capitals have additional security surrounding them now in Pittsburgh.

Seriously?!

Some kid is willing to threaten to kill Ovechkin and go to jail for it (that's what he said) so the Penguins potentially have a better chance at winning a playoff series? He's willing to potentially ruin his future so the Penguins POTENTIALLY have a better chance at winning a playoff series?

Dude. CHILL OUT. I know people are passionate about the sports teams they follow. I needn't look much further than my own house to see that. But at the end of the day, it's just a game.

It's not life and death.

Seriously?!

If this isn't bulletin board fodder for the Capitals, I don't know what is.

After last night's Caps win over the Pens (4-3), Sidney (or Cindy as he's known in some circles due to his incessant whining) Crosby explained what he was talking to the ref about in the aftermath of Alex Ovechkin's hat trick.
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From Dan Steinburg's (The Washington Post) blog post last night after the win:
If you're one of the best hockey players in the world, and you have a potentially undeserved reputation for excessive complaining, and you're asked what you were discussing with a game official following your rival's game-clinching playoff hat trick, you could potentially say, "Oh, it was nothing." Or, if you were feeling frisky, you could venture further afield.

"People kept throwing hats," Sidney Crosby said tonight. "I was just asking if he could make an announcement to ask them to stop. I mean, the first wave came and then I think they were all pretty much picked up, and then more started coming. So for us, we just wanted to make sure we kept kind of moving and kept the game going, wanted to try to get back in it. So wasn't complaining about anything."

Depends on the definition, I suppose. And I can't imagine any rambunctious Caps fans will start preemptively throwing hats on ice Saturday night. ..."
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He went on to rag on Caps, goalie, Varlamov and say that the Caps were nothing more than a lucky power play goal last night. Wow. Coach Bylsma might want to get a sock for that kid...

Back to the hats...

Good grief! Grow a pair! You're a professional athlete for God's sake. Throwing hats onto the ice after a player scores three goals in a game is a tradition that's as old as... well, I don't know how old it is. But it's older than me, so it's a tradition that's WAY older than you, Cindy.

Perhaps he's just mad because only one hat was thrown on the ice following HIS hat trick last night. Sheesh. He's lucky the red-clad fans at Verizon Center didn't throw purses on the ice!

Crosby's whining aside, last night's game was pretty epic. Arguably two of hockey's greatest young players each scored a hat trick during a playoff game. That's the stuff television ratings are made of! Executives at the VS network must've been giggling like school girls this morning.

As usual, an argument could be made that the reffing left a little (or a lot) to be desired. I didn't see the entire game--missed the first half of the first period. But two things stand out in my mind from the rest of the game. (1) The Caps got a power play out of a call where it looked to me like OV dived. Bad call. And (2) at the end of the game, the Caps' outstanding acrobat of a goalie was clearly cross-checked in the head just before Crosby scored his third goal. No call there. There were other zebra follies, but those are the two that stick out for me from last night.

So now it's on to Pittsburgh for Games 3 and 4. I'm sure the Pens fans will be just as loud and rowdy as the Caps fans here in DC have been. It'd be great to take a game in Pittsburgh--even better to take two. How great would it be to sweep the Pens right out of the playoffs? But I get ahead of myself. One game at a time.

In the meantime, I'll be watching to see what other crazy, idiotic, and/or unbelievable things pour out of Crosby's mouth when he opens it. The more he talks, the more motivated I bet OV and the boys in red will become. So blather away, pretty boy... blather away!

Bring on the waddling birds...

The boys in red (aka The Washington Capitals) came from behind (after the first four games of the series, the Caps were down 3 games to 1) and took the best-of-seven Round 1 playoff series from the New York Rangers. That result was in question as recently as, oh, last night in the third period of Game 7. However, for some reason I never doubted that they'd win last night.

With little more than five minutes left in the third period, Sergei Federov (who has been my "Cap of choice" this year after seeing his "model photo" at the first Caps game I attended) scored a beautiful goal, glove side. I was doing free step on the Wii Fit at the time and somehow managed to keep time while whooping and contorting to show my glee. My right knee reminds me of that obviously awkward glee everytime I take a step today. I'm sure my three-inch wedge sandals are not helping the knee any. But I digress.

In the other game of interest last night, the New Jersey Devils and the amazing Martin Brodeur seemed to have a series win in hand. Next thing I knew, the stupid Carolina Hurricanes had scored not once, but TWICE, in the last two minutes of the game and won the series. So, Brodeur IS human! Because of this, the Capitals will now face their playoff nemesis Pittsburgh Penguins in Round 2 (instead of the Devils, whom the Caps would've played had the Devils actually won).

The Caps have a bad playoff history with the Penguins, not to mention a hate-hate relationship. But I believe the Caps beat the waddling, whining, flightless birds three of the four times they played this year. So we just need to do it four more times. The Pens arrive at Verizon Center on Saturday with the league's leading goal scorer for the regular season; a new head coach who successfully turned the team around at the end of the season and just got a lucrative, multi-year contract this week; and a hot goalie (hot as in winning, not hot as in yowza...Federov is hot as in yowza...).

It's not going to be easy, but we have a pretty hot, young goalie, too. Maybe you've heard of him? Simeon Varlamov (pronounced Sim-yeon VarLAHmof... emphasis on the middle syllable). Yeah, apparently he got tired of everyone mispronouncing his name, so he corrected all the sportscasters. Pretty funny. Dude doesn't speak English (maybe THAT's why Sean Avery didn't seem to bother him at all during the Rangers series... he didn't have a clue what Avery was yammering on about), and played a total of five (FIVE!) games in the NHL before backstopping the Caps' comeback in Round 1 -- earning two shutouts along the way. I think Theodore should probably make himself pretty comfy on the end of that bench for the foreseeable future. No goalie controversy here.

I love, love, LOVE that it's almost May and I'm still vested in the playoffs. The Caps haven't won a playoff series since the Cup run in 1998, so it's been awhile since I TRULY cared about anything beyond the first round. Sure, I'd pick a team and root them on. It's hockey, afterall. But this is our beloved Caps. The Caps we adopted when we moved here 15 years ago and supported when there were, like, 3,000 fans in the arena cheering them on. Now it's "in" to be a Caps fan. Everyone is on the bandwagon. Everyone is "rockin' the red." That's cool. The more the merrier. We'll make room on the wagon.

But just so ya know, we (and many of our friends) have been on the wagon all along. And the wagon doesn't stop for waddling birds that happen to be in the way. Too bad they can't fly -- guess we'll just have to run 'em over...

And then I could breathe...

Last night was at once the one of the most amazing and nerve-wracking experiences in my ten years of motherhood -- perhaps in my life. Keeper Boy had the amazing opportunity to skate on the ice at the Verizon Center and defend the same goal as many legends of hockey have defended. He participated in the finals of the Washington Times Youth Hockey Shootout, sponsored by the Capitals. I wish I could say that I remember every little detail and can repeat it to you here. But, alas, much of the evening is a blur to me. I'll relay what I remember...

We arrived at the Press Entrance at the prescribed time of 6:30pm. Keeper Boy's teammate arrived at the same time. We all signed in and the unfortunate guy assigned to security unzipped Keeper Boy's and his teammate's bags and checked to make sure there was nothing in there but stinky adolescent hockey gear. Check. A Capitals staffer escorted us down the stairs into the bowels of the arena.

A funny side note: As we were going down the stairs, I had this weird feeling like someone was behind me. I finally turned around and there was Slapshot (the Caps mascot) decked out in a Santa suit and hat stalking me down the stairs with his arms raised over his head like Frankenstein. The kids got a kick out of that.

We got to the bottom of the stairs and started turning corners and going down halls. It's a good thing we had an escort because I have no clue where we were going. A photographer took a picture of the kids with Slapshot and then they all took off running down the hall. Hubby asked where the kids were a second later. I said, "Don't worry, they're with Slapshot." Only we would be okay with a seven-foot eagle in a Santa outfit watching our kids as they're running around the underbelly of the Verizon Center.

Anyway, when we arrived at the locker room the kids had been assigned to (after passing the practice court for the Wizards and Mystics), Slapshot was there (with the kids... not to worry). Keeper Boy unpacked some of his gear, and the coordinator gave us the instructions for when and where to meet. Then they took us upstairs via a super-secret stairwell, we got our Alex Ovetchkin bobblehead giveaways, and proceeded to our awesome seats on Section 104.

Most of Keeper Boy's team came to support he and his teammate (C.). Coach was nice enough to cancel practice... and he and his fiance came, too. Keeper Boy also had his own personal fan club in attendance. In addition to Hubby, J-Mav and me; my parents were there; my BFF and her Hubby, kids, and mom (Nanya) were there; and the family of one of Keeper Boy's teammates from his team last year was there. Oh, and we had friends who are season ticket holders sitting two sections over with two of their friends, so the inaugural meeting of the Keeper Boy Fan Club was 18 strong.

Only five minutes into the first period, it was time for Keeper Boy and Hubby to go to the appointed meeting place and head down to get dressed. I tried to concentrate on the game, but I could've made a mean cocktail had I had a cocktail shaker sitting on my knee with as much as my leg was jittering up and down.

The first period ended and all the sudden Keeper Boy and C. (and the two kids from the opposing team) were up on the Jumbotron. They had taken headshots just like they do with the NHL players, and put up their names and numbers. And the regular announcer for the Caps was announcing the kids and the rules of the shutout. SO COOL.
Rules:

• Three rounds.
  
• If tied at the end of three rounds, there will be a fourth round.
  
• If tied at the end of the fourth (OT) round, there will be a "sudden death" round. Because the other team won a coin toss and chose to shoot, the Sudden Death round would have the other kid shooting on Keeper Boy. If he stopped the puck, Keeper Boy's team won. If he didn't, the other team won. That's it. They had time considerations so it couldn't go on forever.

The other kids were shooting first. The kid skated down and Keeper Boy skated out to challenge. He had his glove up. The kid shot and Keeper Boy made the save. C. skated down and took a shot. No goal. End of first round: 0-0.

The other kid skated down again. The kid shot wide, and Keeper Boy just had to ensure it stayed wide. C. skated down and took his second shot. No goal. End of second round: 0-0.

Here comes the other kid again. Denied. C. skated down and shot the puck straight at the other keeper's chest. No goal. End of third round: 0-0. We're going to overtime.

Other kid skated down, and I don't really remember what happened, but the puck ended up in the net. Keeper Boy hung his hung just for a second, but then popped up and was ready to go again. C. skated down did a little deke and went to his backhand. SCORE!! End of OT: 1-1. We're going to sudden death. I thought I might throw up.

Remember, now it's all up to Keeper Boy. If he stops it, he and C. win. If he doesn't, they don't. The other kids skates down and takes his shot. Keeper Boy blocks the puck and turtles on it ensuring it doesn't trickle out and go in. RED WINS! RED WINS!! The crowd goes wild!!

Well, I don't know if the crowd went wild. I didn't notice much about what happened during the five minutes Keeper Boy was on the ice, other than what he was doing and what C. was doing. I didn't even realize that Hubby was on the visiting team's bench the whole time until we were home last night. I know the 50 or so people that were sitting right around us that were affiliated with Keeper Boy's team went wild, and our friends that have season tickets who were sitting in Section 106 went wild. That counts as a crowd. And they went wild. So there.

Keeper Boy and C. and their dads came back to the seats part way through the second period to appropriate applause and cheers and they were all grins. I think Keeper Boy (and Hubby) were still grining in their sleep last night. What an awesome experience.

On the way home from the game, Keeper Boy said that he really hadn't been nervous, but that he was aware of all the people (quite a few thousand more than he's used to at a typical travel hockey game), that he'd had fun, and that he'd totally do it again. He was interviewed by a camera man after he was done. Who knows what the Caps will do with that footage. But it was cool. There was a photographer there who is going to send us all of his photos. I can't wait to see them!

I was so happy and excited and proud for Keeper Boy. Outwardly he seemed very non-chalant about it. Calm as a cucumber. He went out there and he did his thing. And he ROCKED THE RED!! But Hubby said the enormity of it all seemed to have hit him a little bit afterward... that he looked like he was ready to cry when the cameraman was interviewing him. Like I said yesterday, for a kid who dreams of playing in the NHL, I can only imagine how exciting last night had to be for him. And I'm glad he had the opportunity to experience it. Who knows, maybe he WILL play in the NHL some day. But the odds are stacked against him. So if he doesn't, he will always have that night when he was 10 years old and he defended the net at the Verizon Center in front of thousands of people (and the Keeper Boy Fan Club)... and won!

As for me, my stomach STARTED to unknot after he made that sudden death save, but it's churning again just writing about everything! I kind of feel like I know might know what Michael Phelps' mom went through EIGHT times in Beijing last summer... I have no idea how she did it. Hats off to you, Mama Phelps -- I'd have had a bleeding ulcer after your son's second race!!

Tonight's the night!

I can't get that Rod Stewart song out of my head ever since I decided what to name my post this morning! Totally different meaning than my "tonight's the night," but whatever. Tonight is Keeper Boy's BIG NIGHT!!!!

Tonight, at first intermission of the Caps game, Keeper Boy and his teammate, the captain of his hockey team, will compete in the finals of the Washington Times Shootout Finals, Squirt division. The last time Keeper Boy was on the ice at the Verizon Center, it was called the MCI Center and he was standing in awe in front of his favorite Capital, Peter Bondra, as he signed his game-worn jersey over to him. He was, I think, four years old.

Tonight he will stand IN NET on the ice at Verizon Center... a net that has been defended before him by Olie Kolzig and Brent Johnson, as well as visitors by the likes of Martin Brodeur, Dominick Hasek, Roberto Luongo, and legions of others. Holy crap!

He will stand in net and face three one-on-one shots from his opponent. His teammate will take three shots on the opposing team's goalie on the other end of the ice. Whichever team has more shots at the end of the round wins. If it's tied, they each get another shot.

That's it. The whole thing will likely be over in about five minutes. But for this 10-year old goalie who dreams of one day playing in the NHL, it will likely be a memory that lasts a lifetime. Good luck, Keeper Boy... you'll be great!!

Olie comes home tonight!

Oh how I wish I was going to be at the Verizon Center tonight to witness Olie Kolzig's return. I suspect he will get a rousing welcome when he is introduced as Tampa Bay's starting goalie, or at least when he comes onto the ice for the pre-game skate -- at least I hope so. Any positive reaction given by Caps fan should be loud and long, and will definitely be well-deserved.

I understand that a coach has to ride the "hot hand" and that Cristobal Huet had the hot glove hand down the stretch last season. But it still seems like Olie got the short end of the stick somehow. Here's a man who gave nearly 20 years of blood, sweat, and tears to the only organization he'd ever played for -- as well as its surrounding community. And he was basically benched for the last month of the hockey season. He was a leader both on the ice and in the locker room. And he was loved in the community. In a town that is not known for its love of hockey, his was a face that people actually recognized.

From all reports, Olie left Washington a bitter man. I get that. Could he have handled everything better than what was reported in the papers. Maybe. But, again, 20 years of blood, sweat, and tears. When he thought he'd play his entire career for one team -- a rarity in these days of exorbinate salaries and behavior problems among professional athletes -- I can see how the way it ended would be hugely disappointing and cause a guy to take his puck and go home. Or in this case, to Florida.

So now, tonight, Olie the Goalie returns to Washington. I really don't know how his season in Tampa Bay has been going as I barely have time to pick up a newspaper most days. I hope that time and distance has wiped away some or all of the bitterness and that he has some time to catch up with some of his friends/former teammates. I do know from reading one article in the paper this morning that he is basically the backup in Tampa, that he sold his house here in one day and traded up for a waterfront home in Florida, and that he had dinner with his former Capitals backup netminder, Brent Johnson, and a bunch of other Capitals last night.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to see much of the game as I have class tonight. However, when I do make it home and sit down to watch whatever is left of the game, it is going to be odd to see #37 with a lightning bolt on his jersey instead of the familiar logo of the Washington Capitals. I think, for me, seeing will definitely be believing. Seeing him in another team's jersey will make it real in my mind (though I hold out hope that somehow, someway, he will retire a Washington Capital and his number will hang in the rafters at Verizon Center). I'm sure it will break my heart all over again. So I hope he plays well for his "homecoming."

But not TOO well... ;-P

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Tuesday Morning Update: Well, the Caps won last night 4-2 over the Tampa Bay Lightening. From all reports, it was a near-capacity crowd that showed the love to Olie. A tribute was played on the Jumbotron during a stoppage in play toward the beginning of the game, and apparently Olie received a standing ovation. That's awesome. He had a job to do, so he probably didn't react much, and I'm sure he was hoping his return to DC would end differently; however, I'm glad the fans were gracious. Sometime returning players get booed. Apparently the tribute video ended with a screen that just said "Olie Kolzig - #37 - Forever a Capital." Nice words. Actions would've spoken louder, but it is what it is. But hopefully when Olie decides he's done and it's time to hang up his skates, the organization will find a way to bring him home so he can retire a Washington Capital.

Left-hand larceny

So hubby and I were watching the Caps game on the VS network last night, and there was some idiot doing the color commentary. His name was Daryl Reaugh. We looked him up on the Internet Hockey Database(www.hockeydb.com) and discovered he was a goalie that didn't spend much time in the NHL, but had a pretty decent minor league career. Anyway, he wasn't an awful commentator... EXCEPT when he pulled out his thesaurus. Good grief, the guy seemed like he was trying to use big words and lots of adjectives whenever he wanted to say something. It made for a lot of WTF?! moments during the game. Here are a few of my "favorites:"

"This should be delicious."
[Said after a penalty shot was awarded to Alex Semin... which he didn't get to take, anyway... the refs said Michael Nylander had to take it... no matter, he scored. But delicious? It's a hockey game, not a gourmet meal!!]

"... rather than the rah rah sis boom bah."
[Speaking of the quiet leadership style of the Canucks' Sedin twins. I'm just trying to picture the Sedin twins with pom poms in front of their teammates in the locker room...]

"That was left-hand larceny."
[Said after the Canucks' Roberto Luongo made a particularly nice glove save... as opposed to right-hand robbery, I guess.]

I don't know, I just thought some of the things this guy said were goofy.

A few other items of note during the game, which was great, by they way. The Caps won 5-1 and dominated throughout. Netminder Brent Johnson earned his 100th win while facing only 10 (yes TEN) shots on goal--a new franchise record. Way to go, Caps!

Next up: Pittsburgh on Thursday. Thursday is going to be a marathon of channel surfing for me. Grey's Anatomy is on. ER is on. The Caps are on. And the Phillies will be trying to win he NLCS and advance to the World Series for the first time since 1993! The remote will get a workout.

And speaking of the Phillies... while watching the Phillies game last night after the Caps game was over, I learned in passing that the team's pitching coach is named Rich Dooby. Hee hee. Might explain something about the nights when the pitching is less than stellar. :-)

There's a new scent in the air...

... fresh ice!! The NHL kicked off its regular season last night, and spirits couldn't be higher in our house! The NHL Center Ice package has been renewed, and we are geared up for another season of watching any and all hockey games going on at any given time.

Of course, our first love is the Washington Capitals, who open the season tonight in Atlanta against the Thrashers (which, by the way, is a stupid name for a hockey team). Let's go Caps! We'll be cheering from the comfort of our [thankfully] now-skunk-odor-free-sofa.

And Saturday night is the home opener against the Chicago Blackhawks. How I'd love to be there to witness the return of netminder Cristobal Huet to the scene of his late-season heroics in backstopping the Caps to a post-season appearance. This is not so much because I jumped on the Huet bandwagon--I am a firm and committed Olie Kolzig supporter and fan (and I'm heartbroken that he's no longer a Capital)--but more to see how the crowd reacts to him.

But alas, we will be in Raleigh, NC this weekend with Keeper Boy's hockey team, which has two games against the Jr. Hurricanes. At least if we can't see the "big boys" play in person, we'll still be catching some great hockey!!

The date is set!

December 18th.

Keeper Boy and his teammate will be competing in the finals of the Capitals Youth Hockey Shootout for the Squirt I division during intermission of the Caps vs. Blues game that evening. Gametime: 7pm.

They earned this awesome opportunity after competing in the preliminary rounds at the Kettler Iceplex (the Caps' training facility) in mid-September. In fact, Keeper Boy's travel team has TWO teams competing in the finals. The other goalie and another teammate made the finals in the Squirt II bracket and will be competing in their finals at a Caps game in April. Way to represent!

Coach has made practice optional on the 18th, and several of the guys' teammates and their families are going to attend to root the kids on. Keeper Boy will have his personal cheering section of friends and family on hand, as well. We are up to 15 as of now. WOOOOO!!

Hockey!!!!

Tonight I am attending the Washington Capitals' pre-season game against the Flyers courtesy of my BFF (I believe that's the hip blog/text way to say best friend... if not, call me square and let me know what I just said.. ha ha). She sent me an email earlier this week that said something along of the lines of, "Want to go to the Caps game with me on Friday night?" My response: "Yep." Not many words needed... the answer to that question is pretty much a no-brainer!

So I'm decked out in Hubby's new-logo jersey (I haven't gotten one yet) and I'm ready to go. Soft pretzel, Diet Coke, and ice cream for dinner tonight, baby!!

C-A-P-S Caps, Caps, Caps!