Updates

It is the end of January and I followed through on some goals and am stumbling on a few.  Here are some updates on goals and blogs from the past month.
Goal 1 is to blog everyday - CHECK
This was difficult some days - if the day was quiet or I was in a bad mood - but I feel an odd sense of pride in getting it done everyday.
Goal 2  Run a half marathon - In Progress
We have set a date of April 14th and will travel to Virginia for what is hopefully a successful and fun weekend.  One month in and we have had a couple good, long runs.  I am keeping track and posting mileage which has helped me stay motivated.  Right now I'm pushing through a little tendonitis in my foot but everything else feels good.
Goal 3  One day a week be artsy/crafty - not so much
I do feel like I have a lot of ideas going on and things started but I just have to be more consistent and get stuff done.
Goal 4  Complain less and find the silver lining - Probably not
What can I say the silver lining might be getting to yell a little.
Goal 5  Cook twice a week - Complete swing and miss
It is just so much easier to make a sandwich or order out.
I'm still going to work on all 5!

Blog updates:
Greg is still single - come on ladies, what are you waiting for?
I have successfully avoided Finding Bigfoot since my blog about it on Jan 17th.

Tim Gleason...Four More Years!

Today the Carolina Hurricanes and defenseman Tim Gleason agreed on a 4-year contract extension for $16 million dollars.  Jim Rutherford, the Hurricanes GM, does not usually deal with any contract extensions during the season so I take this as a good sign that things are changing within the organization. What I hope happened is new coach Kirk Muller is deciding on who he wants on this team and who he doesn't and the GM is listening and making things happen.
I like Gleason and as alternate captain he has a lot on his shoulders so maybe with his contract being settled he can focus on playing more consistent hockey for the rest of this season and the next few.
I can't wait to see how this team changes around the trade deadline and over the summer because what they have done the last 2+ years has not been working.
Read about the signing here.

Nielsen TV Ratings

I don't often answer the phone when I don't know who is calling (thank you, Caller ID) and that's especially true lately due to all the political polls.  Today when the Caller ID said "Nielsen TV Ratings" while I was watching the NHL All-Star Game, I answered so I could tell someone that people in NC watch hockey.  I LOVE TV so I was excited to tell someone all the shows that I like and my TV viewing habits. I admit I don't know exactly what Nielsen does but they were calling me - I didn't track them down.
The call started as expected by politely asking about my day and the weather, which were both lovely, thanks.  Then the usual like "Are you over 18?".  The next question was "Are you Hispanic or Latina?" I am not, I told her, and then she thanked me for my time and told me to have a nice day.  But wait lady - I love TV and I want to talk about it!
Well, if any of your favorite shows get cancelled, it isn't my fault since nobody cares what I have to say.

Quiet Night

My husband is going to play poker with some friends so I am going to relax with a book.  Pretty exciting Saturday night around here.

 

I Wonder

What are my dogs thinking?

NHL All-Star Weekend

This year, watching the All-Star festivities on TV isn't as much fun as it was to be at all of the events last year.  Tonight we are watching the fantasy draft.  I like this idea since it gives us a new way to watch the players interact with each other.  I love seeing the players personalities and how some of these guys still act like kids in a schoolyard.  This year it seems the crowd is closer to the players and they're actually mean.  It's great seeing some of the players get rattled while getting heckled.
My favorite part of the All-Star weekend is the skills competition.  The different events show off the incredible talent of the players in a unique way.  Getting to see it live last year was more fun than the All-Star game.  My favorite part of game day is the introductions. What can I say - I like smoke, laser lights and fanfare.
Here are some of my favorite pictures from the 2011 NHL All-Star game in Raleigh, NC:

Goodreads

I was looking for a way to add the book I was reading to my blog and I found www.goodreads.com.  They had a handy little widget with the book I am currently reading and at the bottom is a list of all the books I have read and rated at Goodreads.  This website is easy to use and a great place to rate the books I read and then they also give you personal recommendations.  It isn't often I don't know what to read next but now I will always have a good list of books I will probably like.  I haven't looked around too much but there also seems to be some fun social networking aspects where you can see what your friends are reading and recommended.  I look forward to keeping this updated as well as this blog.

New Kicks

I already have a pair of these in Raspberry Lightning and love them.  They are last year's style so I got them online for a little cheaper and it saves me from trying on a bunch of different shoes, especially when I already know these feel great when I run in them.

Now I just need my foot to feel better!

Yucky

Just eh.  My foot is sore from running 6 miles on Saturday so I have to rest for a few days and I am frustrated by it.  I was in a good routine of running at least 3 times a week and going to Yoga but I really don't want this minor pain to get worse.
It was nice today that two friends called to check on me and my foot.
Hopefully I will feel better tomorrow!

GIANTS

What a crazy day of football.  Now 2 weeks of Patriots this and Giants that.

Happy Birthday Jack

Tomorrow is our puppy Jack's 2nd birthday.  I know I joke a lot about him but he is a sweet, happy dog and I wouldn't trade him for any other dog.

Happy Birthday Jack!!!

Canes Win!!!

Carolina Hurricanes shut out the Washington Capitals 3-0.  Great win and it was a total team effort.  It was also good to see Skinner back on home ice.  I don't have some crazy dream that this team can make the playoffs but it would be nice to string some wins together, especially at home.
Go Canes!

Good TV Night

Just going to relax on the couch after my run with some of our favorite shows: 30 Rock, Parks and Rec and The Office.

NHL Hockey: I Love You, Now Change

Before I get to my main point, here is a little back story to my life-long passion for the great sport of Ice Hockey.  I have a twin brother and being raised in the Northeast, we took a learn-to-skate program at about 4 years old.  At the end of this class everyone asked my brother if he wanted to start playing hockey.  I might be a little competitive so I also wanted to play.  My great parents spent the next few years buying expensive equipment for their growing children, suffering through two freezing cold practices at a time because we were not on the same team and endured hours of driving to get us to games and practices.  It stopped being fun for me after a while though I don't know if it was because I was on an all boys team or I just wanted to do other things.  My brother continued to play for years and as a family we supported our local NHL team, the Hartford Whalers.  In my playing days I was #16 and this being the early 80's, my favorite player on the Whalers was #16 Sylvain Turgeon.  This is when some of my strong opinions against and in support of some teams and players started.  With my devotion to Turgeon (who I still say is my favorite player of all time) I found myself hating Ron Hextall for slashing and breaking Turgeon's arm during a PRACTICE at a Team Canada Camp in 1987.  This began my list of players I like and players I hate.  After Turgeon left the Whalers, I watched him play in New Jersey, Montreal and Ottawa (and I still own an Ottawa #61 Turgeon jersey).
When the Whalers left it created a void and I no longer had a favorite team.  I still watched hockey and had my list of guys I liked and guys I hated and that is who I would root for and against.  In 2004, my husband and I decided to leave Connecticut and move south.  We chose the Raleigh area because of the great housing market and also because they had the Hurricanes.  13 days after moving into our new home, we found our perfect seats at the RBC Center and purchased season tickets.  I once again had a favorite team and I even had a history of rooting for this franchise.
On October 7th 2005, the horrible lockout was over and we had our first game of the season at the RBC Center.  It was Hurricanes vs Penguins and Cam Ward gets his first NHL win after stopping Palffy, Lemieux, and Crosby in the shootout.  I will never forget this game not only because of how awesome it was but because some jerk behind me asked me to sit down during this amazing shootout.  How are you any kind of hockey fan if you sit down while MARIO and Sid the Kid are shooting against a rookie goaltender in the first year of the shootout in the NHL???
The Carolina Hurricanes ended the 2005-2006 season on June 19th with a Stanley Cup Championship. Does it get any better? I don't think so.  That team and season will always have a special place in this sports fan's heart.  Well most of that team - Doug Weight is no longer a part of that after his hit on Brandon Sutter in 2008.  I understand this was deemed a legal hit but as a veteran of the league, why would you hit a rookie with his head down like that?  Weight had nothing to gain with that hit and it's hits like that that are changing the NHL for the worse.
I know that the NHL has tried to crack down on some illegal hits with suspensions and fines along with them being explained by Brendan Shanahan.  I don't think this is all that needs to be done.  First, these men have to start having some respect for their fellow players and not take these cheap shots.  As much as I hate to point out a guy who has been considered the dirtiest in the NHL, lets take a look at Matt Cooke. He has been suspended numerous times for dirty hits, elbows and reckless plays.  Hearing he had vowed to change his ways after an illness with his wife, I was skeptical but the numbers say a lot.  In the 2010-2011 season, Matt Cooke had 129 PIM (penalties in minutes) in 67 games with a couple of hefty suspensions in there.  In this 2011-2012 season, in 45 games Matt Cooke only has 14 PIM and no suspensions.  Matt Cooke's numbers say a lot of things.  No matter how many times he was suspended for a cheap shot or dirty hit, it didn't matter to him until he made up his mind to play a safer game and respect other competitors.  I also think it disproves the players who say the game moves too fast to stop some of the hits especially when a player has their head down and gets the first contact of the hit.  I hope Matt Cooke keeps his mind on the type of game he is playing now and doesn't fall back into old habits.  That being said, more guys have to stand up and play that way.  Like most fans, I have a list of guys I hate seeing on the ice against my team.  I still hate Brooks Orpik for the hit that broke Erik Cole's neck and after last night, dirty or not, the hit on Jeff Skinner was uncalled for.  One more problem with these hits is the equipment.  When you hit someone in the head with a hard shelled shoulder or elbow pad it isn't going to hurt you.  Maybe going back to softer pads where you have some pain when you hit someone else would make them think twice about a dangerous hit.
This is where my thoughts, feelings and emotions about hockey contradict themselves.  I told a friend during last night's Hurricanes/Penguins game that after the Skinner hit, if I was one of the players I would crash into Fleury until he was injured.  I know that isn't the answer but I think it happens when guys start to feel like an "eye for an eye" is better than "two wrongs don't make a right".  I admit I am a hypocrite since I stand up and root on a good fight at the game but when I read an article about the brain trauma and what some of these players go through, it isn't worth it.
The NHL players are getting bigger, stronger and faster everyday and something has to be done to make this game safer while keeping the integrity of the game we love.  I for one am tired of not being able to see some of the elite players of this league because they are out with serious injuries.

Finding Bigfoot

I don't know what draws me to this show.  I don't even like it but when I see it on I find myself watching and getting annoyed at the stupid things these people say and do.  The way they take this so seriously drives me crazy.  I have some questions for you BFRO:  Why, if Bigfoot exists, does no one have a CLEAR picture of one?  Where are all the bodies and bones of dead ones?  How do you know they like to knock on trees?  Shouldn't you say it is "probable" that they eat this and sound like that since you don't have any confirmed evidence of anything?
Saying things like "typical Squatch behavior" and "Dude, that sounds Squatchy" makes you sound like a tool.  The guy on the show with the beard (the "leader" of this group) is the worst.  His name is Matt Moneymaker and he is the Founder and President of the BigFoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO).  You know sometimes when you look at someone you instantly don't like them? That's how I felt with this guy.  He seems like a self-important jackass.  I find myself rooting against the existence of Sasquatch or Bigfoot just so this guy never gets any validation or credit.
I am not saying that some sort of Bigfoot animal doesn't exist but in my opinion there would be much more sound proof and evidence, like with, you know, real science.
I am really going to try to not watch this show anymore because as much as I tune in to laugh at these people I usually feel dumber for having watched.

Go Giants!

When asking my husband what to blog about today, he simply said "Go Giants!".  As I have mentioned before, we are big sports fans and the Giants are my husband's favorite team.  He has been reading articles from both NY and San Fran in anticipation of next weeks game.  Though football isn't my favorite sport, I don't mind watching it and I like a good exciting game so this week should be fun and full of every sports guy giving their very loud opinion on every detail of the games this Sunday.  This is one reason I love sports - a broadcaster's job is to watch every game and talk stats and pick winners and they all see different things and pick different teams.  On this past Sunday's pre-game show, 4 out of the 5 guys picked Green Bay over the Giants so even though they spend a lot of time going over the stats and the tape, they don't pick the winners better than we do. I guess this is what I must look and sound like when I talk about hockey.

A Couple of Books I Like

I first read Perfect on Paper The (Mis)adventures of Waverly Bryson by Maria Murnane because it was recommended to me on Amazon due to past purchases.  I really liked all the characters and the story was funny and well told.  I finished the book really quickly and with any book I like I was a little sad it was over.  I wanted to read more about Waverly and her friends Andie and Mackie so I was super excited when I realized there is now a sequel called It's a Wavery Life.  I just finished it and it did not disappoint.  I like a fun story with a happy ending and with some of those chick-lit books, they can be predictable. I didn't find either Waverly book like that.  Here's hoping there are more Waverly Bryson stories to come.

Canes Win!!!

The RBC Center was full tonight but there was way too many Bruins jerseys in the building. That, however, makes the Hurricanes win even sweeter.  Wasn't the Canes best game all season but they did what they had to against a great team.

Love a New Toy

While looking for an easy way to make a header for this blog I used Picasa and I can't stop playing with pictures.  Here are a few from a trip to Biloxi, MS in October 2011.  I had never been to Mississippi before so first thing we did was take a tour (www.biloxitourtrain.com).  The tour guide, Carla, was fantastic since you can tell she truly loves her city.  We were amazed at the damage from Katrina and how it has changed the city forever.
We went to Biloxi for a gambling trip and stayed at the Beau Rivage but my favorite part of the trip was the Biloxi Tour Train.

New Look!

Finally figured out something to put as the header of this here blog.  Took longer than I would have liked but I am pretty happy with how the whole thing is coming together.

I used picasa.google.com it was easy to use and FREE.  It's fun to add pictures and see what different effects do. I could spend hours making these fancy pictures like this one I took of the Sky Wheel in Myrtle Beach this summer:  

Let me know what you think or if you have any cool websites or ideas for me.

Maybe Tomorrow

Spent most of today trying to figure out how to make this blog more me.  I was hoping this blog post would be complete with a whole new look but unfortunately that isn't happening.  I will hopefully get something together in the next few days.

Find Greg a Wife!

When I met my wonderful husband we both had roommates that we love (well, at least I did) and are still all friends today, almost 10 years later.  My roommate has since moved close by and got married to a great guy.  My husband's roommate, Greg, however, is still unattached.  Unattached in many ways.  Just turned 34 and is only now moving into his OWN place.  He has been all over the world in the last 10 years and has lived with friends (us included) or gone back to school for a graduate degree and lived on campus or moved back into his mother's home.  The last couple weeks I am getting a few emails and calls about the simple everyday stuff to furnish an apartment.  Everything from towels to silverware, the options are overwhelming him since he's never had to get everything on his own before.  I don't mind helping at all but sometimes my advice gets forgotten for what the last person he asked told him.  This is where the thinking a wife would be helpful.
Greg is a good guy and has been dating but having trouble with finding THE one.  At our age it is strange to go out and meet people.  Do you go to online dating sites or bars or meet up groups?  I believe Greg is trying all of the above.
What does this have to do with me you ask?  My husband, his brother and Greg travel together a lot.  We are all very big sports fans and I love going on these crazy trips with them but would like to not be the only girl.  This being said I would like to have a friendship with Greg's wife so the trips we take will be as much fun and easy-going as they are now.  I know this may sound selfish but I also wish the best for Greg and his happiness.
We often joke about Greg and his dating because he is open to meeting anyone or trying new ways to meet people.  So I thought why not a blog.  So if you or anyone you know might want to meet a nice, normal guy I will post more information and pictures.

Ummmmmm

Can't think of anything to blog about today :(

I Love My Doggies!

This is C.T. (Chainsaw Tiberius)
Birthday July 11, 2004

This is Jack

Birthday January 22, 2010

These are my crazy, sweet, cute and funny boys!

Good Day!

Walked and ran over 4 miles.  Ordered girl scout cookies.  Had a great dinner with friends (beer and fried chicken wrap).  Watching the Canes vs Preds game.  Go Canes!!!

Caller ID: Hurricanes

The caller ID said Hurricanes so I answered the phone.  We have had season tickets with the Carolina Hurricanes since August of 2004 and I don't recall anyone from the organization calling the house.  It has been a rough year both on and off the ice for the Hurricanes.  I have always been vocal with my feelings about the Hurricanes with my friends and family.  Occasionally I will tell my ticket rep all the things bothering me about the whole Hurricanes organization even though I know it is not his job.  He is always great and lets me talk and helps when he can.  Today was my chance to let someone else know how I was feeling this season and maybe the last couple of seasons.  Every year we try to sell about 8-10 games if we are traveling or can't make a game.  This year we have only been able to sell one game and had to take a loss on the other game we couldn't attend.  It seems like this season more than in years past it seems every game has a special deal on tickets and makes it hard to compete with selling our own seats.  It has also been brought to our attention that StubHub has a large amount of Hurricanes tickets on sale and some fans have been able to buy seats to a game for $2.00.  My husband has been keeping track of the amount of tickets for sale online and it looks to be around 1000 for every game and almost always the same seat locations.  I asked the caller today about this and he admits ticket brokers buy a lot of tickets and can sell them for whatever they want even if they take a loss on most games to make a premium on other games.  They have these accounts with the team so if the team makes the playoffs they also can make a killing on those tickets.  If you know anything about the Hurricanes season this year, I did laugh out loud when he mentioned playoffs.  This makes me feel under appreciated as a season ticket holder and fan because we only purchase our 2 seats and the brokers purchase 1000 and never show up to a game to support the team and we are treated the same.  We also talked about what other teams do for their season ticket holders and he didn't really have anything to say about how the Hurricanes measure up to other teams.

The man who called was very nice and answered what questions he could and told me he would pass my comments on.  I thanked him and let him know I appreciate him and especially my season ticket rep for listening and I hope it makes some kind of difference.

I have been a hockey fan as long as I can remember and most of it was in Hartford rooting for the Whalers so in no way am I a fair weather fan.  My butt is in my seat at the RBC Center for every game we can possible attend and I buy the t-shirts, sweatshirts, jerseys and everything else with the logo on it.  I support the front office who do as much as they can with the little money they get to spend from the owner (that is a whole other blog about how I feel about Peter Karmanos).  I would just like to feel a little more appreciation to the loyal fans who show up every game - even cold weekday games against the Islanders.  I am not saying I have the answers or know what could be done but I can see a problem and don't want to worry about this small hockey market repeating the franchises fate from Hartford.

Walking, Jogging and Yoga

One of my goals for 2012 is to finish a half marathon.  My friend and I have been walking pretty regularly a few times a week since June.  She has already done 2 half marathons and is helping me add some jogging to our walks.  I don't expect to run the whole half marathon but want to increase my running and my endurance and she has been really helpful and patient.
Today I went out by myself and walked/jogged the 2 mile loop around my neighborhood.  I got my best time with 2.07 miles in 25:52.  I really had to pee by the end and it was getting pretty dark outside so that possibly made me go faster but I felt good and glad I got outside even if it was chilly.
Along with the running we are trying to go to at least one yoga class a week.  Last night was restorative yoga.  I love this class but my hips were a little tiny bit sore today.  I know this will get better the more we go.  The class really helps my stretching and I feel great afterwards.
Staying motivated...2 miles tomorrow!

First Quilt

I love anything crafty and for many years wanted to learn to sew and possibly be able to make a quilt.  I now have a wonderful neighbor who has agreed to teach me.  I am very excited since I have had a sewing machine for a few years but barely know how to turn it on.  We have been talking about patterns for my starter quilt for a little while and found something I hope to manage.  The instructions calls for flannel and I love flannel!  Today we went to get our fabric and they had so many colors and patterns I could have looked for hours and imagined all the beautiful things that could be made but I finally decided on the pretty flannel you see in this picture.

I will post pictures with status updates - wish me luck!

Why I Think Twitter is Great!

I have had my personal twitter account for a couple years now and have fun just reading other people's tweets and occasionally tweeting something random to my few followers of mostly family and friends. One day last year a retired hockey player I follow tweeted about a charity, www.hockeyplayersunion.com. Hockey Players Union sells cool bracelets made from hockey skate laces and other items to support underprivileged children who want to play hockey in North America. I like the bracelet and idea of the charity so much I bought a few for myself and some friends. When I received my bracelets I took a picture wearing them and tweeted it to the hockey player and politely asked him to change his avatar to one of him wearing my favorite team's jersey. I was honestly shocked when he retweeted my tweet to all of his followers and also sent me a direct message. As a huge sports fan this made my day!
Now that I have started this blog I have a new twitter account than links to this blog. I started following just a few teams and people that I think will have the most to do with my blogging. As a huge Yankees fan, they were some of the first people I followed. To my surprise today I received a message that Chuck Knoblauch was my first follower. His account was even verified. I can't explain how or why I choose my favorite athletes but Mr. Knoblauch was one of them so I decided to let him know and sent him a tweet of my old and well worn NY Yankees Knoblauch t-shirt. After a short time I received a reply with a simple "that's great and thank you".
I do not tweet very often and only a few times ever sent a personal tweet to someone famous. I hope these athletes and celebrities know how much these things are appreciated!

Winter Classic

I love hockey -  it is my favorite sport.  We have season tickets to the Carolina Hurricanes and often watch a couple of games a night with the Center Ice package on cable.  This year we got HBO just to be able to watch 24/7 Flyers/Rangers.  When the powers that be pushed the Winter Classic back until 3:00pm, I didn't mind because NBC said they would still begin broadcasting from Philadelphia at 1:00pm.  Imagine my surprise when I suffer through the end of the Tournament of Roses Parade to find out my local NBC17 decided they would air a repeat of Ellen and two episodes of Judge Judy!  To say I was annoyed would be an understatement.  We are a hockey market and we have an NHL team that is trying to grow a small but very loyal fan base and you take one of the most talked about and advertised games and instead of showing a live extra long pre-game show you put on repeats?  After a few minutes of outrage I calmly called our local NBC17 to ask why and found someone who answered the phone with a rehearsed response - no sympathy or explanation. She just kept telling me the game was pushed back until 3:00pm and I wouldn't miss the game.  I explained that I understood all of that but know for a fact that NBC is broadcasting a live pre-game program to its affiliates and I wanted to know why NBC17 didn't want to air it and she had no answer!  I also noticed on my twitter feed that some in the Hurricanes organization were just as upset as I was and tweeted the phone number for the station.  I hope they got a flood of angry calls from hockey fans in the Raleigh area that were deprived of this once a year event!

Watching the last three weeks of 24/7 Flyers/Rangers I was super excited to watch the game today and it didn't disappoint.  I enjoy seeing behind the scenes of the Flyers and Rangers but along the way I found myself liking some of the players I hate when they play the Canes.  I have a fantasy hockey team and am the proud owner of Lunqvist of the Rangers and Giroux of the Flyers so I already had a soft spot for them but I am shocked how my opinions of some other players changed from watching the show.  I am not saying I am a fan of any of these players now but I no longer think Hartnell is a monster with no heart and every time I see Callahan get hit I hope his Grandmother isn't too upset.  The game was fun to watch.  I don't know how I feel about the Mike Rupp salute after his first goal.  On one hand kinda crappy to do in front of Jagr and his fans but then again it certainly got his team fired up and into the game.  The Briere penalty shot was exciting and I can't imagine how that place would have erupted if he had gotten it past Lundqvist.  Like most hockey fans I like a good hard fought game and I think this was as good of one as you can expect on outdoor ice in that atmosphere and hype.  At the end of it I had a goal from Giroux and a goalie win from Lundqvist for my fantasy team so not too bad.

Happy New Year!

Starting off the New Year with some goals for 2012:

1. Blog everyday - even just one word.

Hoping this will keep me accountable for other goals and a way to keep track of new goals.

2. Run a half marathon - post mileage.

Hopefully maintaining a record of runs and workouts will keep me motivated.

3. Spend one day a week doing something artsy/crafty - post picture.

I love my arts and crafts maybe this will make it more of a priority.

4. Complain less - find that silver lining more often.

5. Cook dinner twice a week - once a week a new recipe.

Maybe we can find more food my picky husband will eat.

My goal for this blog is to write about my interests and keep track of progress with my goals.  I am sure there will be a lot of hockey and other sports talk.  I also plan on writing about TV, books and movies I like.  I have a very funny husband and two crazy dogs for some funny stories.

First funny husband story is about this blog.  I told my husband about my plans for this blog and keeping accountable to all my goals and resolutions for 2012. When I asked him about his goals for this up coming year he shrugged his shoulders and said "be even more cute!"  

Wish me luck!

Happy New Year!