Dreadful

The Carolina Hurricanes as a whole organization are the worst. Yes I am bitter! Fan appreciation my ass! They have to give free tickets to get people in the door and treat Season Ticket Holders like we are a dime a dozen. We have had full season tickets for 7 years and probably spent more than $35,000 over those years and since that building is very rarely full there is no one else that would purchase those tickets -  especially for the price we pay!
My reason for the bitterness tonight is I clearly explained to my ticket rep this year that we would keep our seats next year if I received a "Jersey off a Players back", a promotion the team does every year. He called my bluff and no jersey!  Up until last year I always thought random fans won these jerseys...nope! People are pre-selected before the game. So when I told my ticket rep I wanted one and after the time and money we have given the Canes I thought he would tell whoever chooses the winners. This leads me to think only friends get them! I understand that a lot of people would want these and there are people who have been ticket holders longer or buy better seats but as an overall experience I have NEVER felt appreciated by the Hurricanes organization! Yes, sour grapes and bitter but it sucks they still get all they want out of us because to watch live hockey we either have to give them money or move!!! Tampa is looking better and better! Not to mention for a lot less money I could buy a game worn jersey of the player of my choosing!

Frowny Face

The Hurricanes are eliminated from the NHL playoffs!  This whole season was a roller coaster but I like where they are headed if they can pick up some key players over the summer.  The Canes have a decent coach, good young players and some core players coming together. Now I just hope for no lockout.
Just a couple more home games and then it is GO YANKEES time!

The Big Bang Theory

"We built the pyramids!"

This blog post is only going to make sense to a few people. Sorry!

Maybe

I might actually enjoy running a little.  After the last few stressful days it was nice to get outside in the beautiful weather and go for a run. I even ran 2 days in a row!
I have been more excited about the shorter runs lately when I usually only looked forward to walking.  I don't think I will ever enjoy the long 2-3 hour runs but I can definitely say I will do more 5Ks and keep running with my partner in crime and look forward to it!

My Poor Puppy

I hate it when my dog doesn't feel good.  It is a helpless feeling.  My oldest dog, CT (7 years old), is having a bad week.  He has been throwing up here and there and coughing, burping and licking non-stop.  Today we took him to the Vet because it is not like him to turn down a meal and he was being more aggressive than usual, even to me.  They asked a million questions and did a bunch of tests with no definite answers.  They gave him a shot to help with nausea, antibiotics, special bland food and told us to come back if he doesn't get better.
He was so good at the Vet he had a thermometer stuck somewhere, blood drawn and a shot and still wagged his tail and gave the Vet kisses.  He ate his duck and potato dinner, with antibiotic pill in it, and he is keeping it down but having trouble resting because of all the licking, burping and coughing.  I wish I could magically make him better.  If I am this upset about my dog, I don't think I could handle kids!

Pictures from DC

Here are some of the impressive buildings, monuments and memorials we saw while in Washington DC: White House, Library of Congress, Archives, Capital, Washington Monument, Martin Luther King Jr Memorial, Roosevelt Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Iwo Jima Memorial and Lincoln Memorial.

There is so many amazing details of these buildings that you could look a million times and always find a something new to look at.  Here are some up-close pictures from the various buildings we saw around DC.

I can't wait to go back to this city and explore more details of this city - it is beautiful!

Allergies Yuck!

I never had allergies until I moved to North Carolina.  I hate this green-yellow crap everywhere.  Zyrtec and goodnight!

Hunger Games

Loved the books, liked the movie.  I am glad I read the books because I don't think enough of the emotions and relationships were explained in the movie.  I know they only have a short amount of time to tell a very detailed and complicated story and they did a good job.
I loved the casting. I couldn't imagine a better Cinna or Caesar Flickerman.  Peeta wasn't too bad either.
Hoping they hurry up and make Catching Fire!

So Annoyed!

It should not have taken 3+ hours to update my iPhone. First it made me update iTunes and then errors while backing up required me to take out my sim card and restart both MacBook and iPhone. Finally downloaded update and it's working.
All of this because my app for running wouldn't work until I updated my phone. Hopefully won't have to do that again until I get my new phone!

Catching Up

After vacation there is a lot to catch up on: rest, cleaning, laundry, friends, running, blogging, etc.  At least I caught up on some TV today - you know the most important of things to catch up on!
Hopefully in the next couple days I will upload my DC pictures and blog about my fun trip.

Home

I love traveling but there really is no place like home.

DC Day 5

DC Ghost Tour...need I say more? We had a delightful lady named Binny dressed like it was the 1800's tell us about life and death in Lafayette Square near the White House. I will write more about this with pictures when we get home.
Stay tuned!

DC Day 4

Jefferson Memorial, Smithsonian Museums of American History and Natural History, walking and more walking. Dinner at The Dubliner, which was very good, and now cupcake time!

DC Day 3

Spent a couple hours in Arlington Cemetery and saw all the Kennedys, the Challenger and Columbia Monuments, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and Arlington House. We walked from Arlington Cemetery across the Potomac to the Lincoln Memorial and past that we found a place to eat and then saw the Vietnam Memorial, World War II Memorial and the Washington Monument up close.
Crazy amount of walking but really interesting and moving. Going to relax and watch the Canes game tonight.

DC Day 2

President Lincoln looked right at me!

DC Day 1

After a roundabout drive we made it to our hotel around 1:30pm. We went for an interesting ride on the Metro and spent a little while at the Expo for the Rock n Roll Marathon. Early dinner and ready to watch some TV and relax before Jen is running in the morning. Good Luck Jen!

PNC Arena

The first Hurricanes game in the renamed arena is a success. The Canes win, we all got free pucks and I got one of the t-shirts they throw in the crowd.

First Zentangle

Working on my first Zentangle.  Sometimes it is a little difficult finding a pattern but once you start it just kinda flows.  I have been using a bunch of great sites that have step-by-step directions for some patterns: TanglePatterns.com
Enthusiastic Artist

This is my first attempt.  It is an Anniversary card for Mom and Dad!

(Mom - if you're reading this, SURPRISE!)

DC or Bust!

We are going with a couple of friends to DC this weekend and I hope to still be able to blog from my laptop or phone.  Probably mostly pictures.
I am looking to getting away for a long weekend and see some sights, cherry blossoms and museums.
Also want to wish Jen good luck for the Rock n' Roll half marathon this weekend which is one of the reasons we are going to DC.

Zentangle

If you don't know what it is, Google it!  I am obsessed lately.  I have ordered a book and am looking forward to posting some pictures soon.

Las Vegas

Watching some of the NASCAR race in Las Vegas today made me want to take a trip.  I have lost count of how many times I have been to Vegas but always have fun and great memories.  Twice we even went to the race and that was a great time.  Last March, we took a trip to Anaheim with my husband's brother and friend Greg to see UConn play in the NCAA tournament games and then drove to Las Vegas for a few days including my brother-in-law's 30th birthday.  Great trip to Vegas - the 2nd morning the guys sat at a three-card poker table and my husband got the best hand possible and won the progressive jackpot of over $2500.  I don't know if we will ever have a better trip to Vegas than that but I would like to try.

New Table

I know this isn't exciting for most but after looking for a couple years for a table to fit and match the hall by the front door, we finally found it.
Our dining room table is natural wood colored and roughed up a little with some tiny holes and looks scuffed up.  The chairs are all black and also made to look a little older with some paint sanded away in places.  Above our dining room table we have a light fixture that belonged to my husband's grandparents and means a lot to him and it is tiffany style with shades of red.  The dining room is open to the front hall and it was important for me that the table match and after all this time we found a table with a natural wood color top and black legs.  The black legs also have a shade of red that shows through a tiny bit that matches the light fixture.

This is a picture of my brother and me that I just got from my Mom and Dad.  Above the table we are going to put family pictures.

Weekend Goal

A rare weekend without too many plans so our goal is to get some stuff done around the house.  Looking for a couple tables and to get some pictures on the walls.  I hope to have some pictures after a successful weekend!

The Weather

It was over 70 degrees with white clouds and some blue sky.  The weather and my fantastic friend made running 8 miles today almost fun.  The unfun part was feeling light-headed for the last couple miles.  I guess 20 miles in the last 5 days might be a bit too many for me.
Feeling better now and happy I finished it.  Thanks again Julie!

Windy

Monday here was super gusty windy and we lost a roof shingle.  Now every time I hear a gust of wind I ask my husband if the roof is ok.  I am guessing this is going to drive him crazy in no time!

Fancy Pants

Jack got a haircut and bath today.  He looks like a completely different dog.  He has been looking like a lumbering, fuzzy bear and now he looks like a prancing, skinny fancy pants.

Before 

After

Hoardering

I just heard someone on the show Hoarders say "I don't like your hoardering!"  I shouldn't make fun - I know these people are struggling.  Good thing my husband hates clutter and goes through our house a couple times a year and sells anything we aren't using.

8 miles!

It is in the books - my first 8 mile run/walk.  We ran 1 minute and walked 2 minutes for the first 6 miles and then went to running 1 min and walking 3 minutes.  I will be happy if I can keep the run 1 minute/walk 2 minutes pace for all 13.1 miles.  Little tightness in my calf and some soreness but overall I consider my first 8 miler a success.
Thanks Julie for keeping the conversation going, the laughs and pushing me when I needed it!

Hurricanes vs Lightning

I am not going to write about the bad call by the ref who cost the Hurricanes the game but that was the worst call at the worst time I have ever witnessed at a game.
Now lets talk about Zach Boychuk...what a disappointment!  Drafted in 2008 and only played 2 games for the Canes in 08-09.  The first time I noticed him was in the pre-season 2009-2010 and I remember thinking he seemed lazy and unprepared to play in the NHL.  He did play 31 games that season and I didn't notice any improvement.  The next season it seemed like he played with an expectation that he had already made the team and only played 23 games in the NHL.  Now this year 16 games played and I think it is time we cut ties with this guy.  Called up for the first time under Coach Muller and it only lasted 3 games.  He gets pushed off the puck and gives up on plays.  Tonight he only played 7 minutes and looked benched most of the 2nd and 3rd periods.  As I am writing this Chip Alexander (who covers the Hurricanes for the News and Observer) tweeted he has been sent back to the AHL.  I hope Muller saw what we all saw these last few games and he doesn't have a part in this team's future.
That being said I would not surprised if he gets a spot in another organization and comes back to haunt the Canes. He is still a young guy with some potential and I just think we have spent too much time, money and effort on this kid.

Ancestry

It was the show "Who Do You Think You Are?" that first made me sign up for Ancestry.com.  Since then, I have typed in all of the information I have collected from my Mom, Dad and grandparents and started building my tree.  On my mother's side, my grandparents are still alive and provide a great deal of knowledge but we only go back 2 generations in the US and then the rest of the family tree is in Italy and it's difficult to get records online.  Ancestry.com does not have much either from Italy.

My father's side is very big and has been in this country for centuries and I have found a ton of information on Ancestry.com and online.  Growing up we lived about 1000 miles from my Dad's family and since he is the youngest of 4 kids I didn't start with a lot of data but have found some interesting stories and distant relatives.

The most interesting story comes from the research about my Dad's family.  Someone had written down what was known of both my Dad's parents and the only information known about my grandfather's mother (Della Mae Blake) was that she was an orphan.  I became intrigued with finding anything I could about her and her parents (they would be my great-great-grandparents) and I had already found 14 out of 16 of my great-great-grandparents.  I began with some simple internet searches of her name and possible orphanages based on where and when she lived and I found some old message board posts of someone looking for Della and her sister Cora.  Also, listed on findagrave.com was Della's grave information and someone was maintaining a memorial.  I contacted this person and it turns out she is my 3rd cousin - my great-grandfather's sister's great-granddaughter.  We have talked through facebook and IM and she had introduced me to another family member who was the person on the message board looking for Della and Cora.  The only information she had found was about Della and Cora being at the Odd Fellows Orphanage in Lincoln, Illinois.  I sent an email to the Grand Lodge of Illinois for the Independent Order of the Odd Fellows and was shocked to get an email back with a scanned copy of the record when Della and Cora entered the orphanage on January 22, 1895.  Della was 11 and Cora was 9 and then listed was the names of my great-great-grandparents Elisha and Margaret.  It was sad to read that the girls mother, Margaret, had died in 1891 of consumption and Elisha had also died of consumption in 1894.  Elisha also must have remarried after losing Margaret because the form states the girls were given up by a step-mother, Mary Elizabeth.  How sad to lose both parents and be given away by a step-mother, I know I don't know the circumstances of why she didn't keep the girls and I am sure it must have been heartbreaking for all involved.  Knowing what happened in Della's life I was curious about her sister Cora.  In a document from the Odd Fellows found in a google search I learned Cora never left the orphanage as she died in 1903 of Tuberculosis.  The documents had said she was sick for a couple years and reads like she was loved and well cared for while there.  

It was great sharing this information with my Dad and the relatives I know had been searching for it for years.  One of the cousins I have found during all of this has gone back farther finding information about Elisha and Margaret's parents.  I am also extremely grateful to the woman at the Odd Fellows in Chicago that received my email and went out of her way to help me find some long lost relatives.

Maybe one day I will make it to Italy and learn about my Mom's heritage. 

March 1st

What a beautiful day!  Ran 2 miles in the sunshine today and then a nice 3 mile walk with my husband this evening.
Now watching the Canes vs Rangers game. I usually loathe other team's announcers but these guys on MSG aren't terrible and have complimented the Canes a few times.