Saturday, January 30, 2010

God bless the st00pid people

david warsofsky :: bu vs bc at fenway park, boston :: january 8, 2010

Let me just start out by saying that I am pissed, PISSED!, that BU won’t be selling replicas of this jersey. Single. Most. Awesome. Jersey. EVAR. (Take THAT, NHL Winter Classic!)

Now, on to the entry…

We sit ice level, on the end BU attacks twice, just about at the face-off circle. Short of watching the game from the bench, they’re the best seats I’ve had at hockey game. You can see most of what’s going on, but most importantly, for me, I can read the players’ faces and get lost in the emotions. It’s almost like being on the bench.

That said, we often get people around us who don’t understand the game. In a majority of cases, their friends have given them the tickets - most of the people who sit nearby are season ticket holders, so we can tell the n00bs easily enough. Sometimes, we hear nothing but what I call the “wow!” factor: they spend the whole game amazed that the seats are so close. These people tend to fall into two groups - the ones that sit in the front row and consistently put their beverages on the dasher boards, and get pissed when a good hard check knocks it onto the floor, and the ones who jump at every loud play on the glass in front of us, whether it’s a hit or a puck. They’re annoying, but tolerable.

The second group, the ones I love more than anyone else, are the morons. These are the people who try to impress their dates or their friends with their vast knowledge of hockey. Unfortunately, most of these people only know the NHL game or they make stuff up. I know we have an awesome moron around us when I’m ready to go off on them by the end of the first period.

First, there was NESN guy. We sit TV side, there are a lot of checks, face-offs, goal celebrations, etc. in front of us. It wouldn’t surprise me if people started to recognize us… This guy got a call from his buddy - they could see him on TV. After that, they stayed on the phone and EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. the puck came anywhere near us, the guy would ask his buddy, “Can you see me? I’m waving my arms and jumping! Can you see me?” Then, almost immediately afterwards, “I’m on teeee veeee!” We joke about him now, but OMG, that day, he was lucky he lived.

Then, there was marketing girl. Her roommate does/did the marketing for Agganis Arena. Apparently, Roommate Girl is responsible for many of the little promotions I hate, including those godawful pre-game videos. Marketing Girl will forever live on in infamy because she insisted that they be on the “Kiss Cam.” I enjoy watching others on the Kiss Cam, but I *so* don’t ever want to be on it (AGAIN). I’m not one for PDAs on a good day. I definitely don’t want to be kissing my husband on the freaking jumbotron. Ugh. (We’ve been on it once in the 5 years we’ve had season tickets - I hope that’s the last time.) The less it comes down near us, the happier I will be. Begging her friend so that she could be on the stupid thing almost cost her her life. Seriously.

During last night’s game, we met Mr. I’m-Such-A-Moron-I’m-Really-Lucky-Tam-Didn’t-Go-Off-On-Me.

Oh Mr. Moron, where do I start with you?

How about the Beanpot? UMass wasn’t invited to play in it because their hockey program wasn’t around when the Beanpot started. I’m too lazy to fact check, but the Beanpot belongs to BOSTON. That’s why it’s comprised of four BOSTON teams. Last I checked, UMass (Amherst) was not based in Boston, and UMass Boston is actually an embarrassment to the sport of hockey. Making it 8 teams (and including UNH and Providence) would not make it the Beanpot. It’d be just another Hockey East tourney.

OOH! How about the matching minors? “Matching minor penalties means both guys get two minutes for roughing.” Uh, no. That particular matching was for cross-checking and embellishment.  Even better, two matching minors, called at the same time, do not equal a 3-on-3. Matching minors allow each team to play at full strength, so it’s a 5-on-5. Seriously, dude, have you ever WATCHED a hockey game?

His take on Frozen Fenway was pretty good, too. He didn’t even know who played in it. Then, he said he wouldn’t have gone since it was “all hype” and “too cold”.  I’ll give him the “too cold”, but a) it was an historical game, b) it’s the biggest hockey rivalry in the area and c) it had the last two National Champions facing off against each other. Plus, it was just a good hockey game. It totally deserved the hype. I’d be saying that even if BU lost - it was that awesome an experience.

Like most people, he didn’t understand why we yell “BC sucks” (we do it even when we don’t play BC - it’s just what we do). He also didn’t get the “ugly goalie” cheer. Best part was when we were psyching out Dainton (UMass’ goalie). He thought we were yelling at a different player just because he happened to be on the ice when we were doing it.

I can’t imagine he’s ever been to Merrimack - they do not have a “nice rink”. It’s like a high school gym, complete with wooden, pull-out bleachers.

Breaking news—college hockey DOES have TV breaks. It’s just that last night’s game wasn’t televised.

Unrelated, but also annoying, when he saw my iPhone he made a big point to his friend that when you buy one, you have to buy the data plan. If all you want is a cell phone, buy a phone that does nothing but make calls. You want an iPhone, you’re going to use it for more than just calls. The data usage is the best part of the iPhone contract, IMHO.

God bless the st00pid people because they make life interesting, but keep them out of section 114 rows A & B. OK?

 

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Hard to top that…

i hate two teams… :: bu vs bc at fenway park, boston :: january 8, 2010

Wow. It’s been awhile.

Whoops.

It’s not like there hasn’t been stuff going on - there’s been too much of it!

For starters, if you have access to my Tweets, you’ll know I’ve got something pretty big and potentially life changing brewing in the background. I’m supposed to find out for sure what’s going on tomorrow. I’m wicked sick just thinking about it… It’s that huge. If you’re my friend on Facebook, but blocked from my tweets, you probably think I’ve lost my mind. That’s fair and not too far from the truth. I’ve actually had fun the past few days sending out odd, random text messages and leaving even worse Facebook statuses. The creativity (if you want to call it that) has been keeping my mind off of The Thing I Can Not Talk About (Yet).

So. Moving on.

I don’t know - I had this whole rant about the NHL’s game at Fenway because there were so many people who got tickets who weren’t hockey fans, and we struggled to find some, any, that we could afford and failed. I may be a Rangers fan now (more on that in the next entry), but I used to bleed gold and black… and I would have liked to see the Bruins play there. It just really pissed me off that people went to that game because it was a novelty. I’m just happy it wasn’t a “real” game. They should have played the Habs. I would have mortgaged the house for a ticket to THAT game. THAT would have been a game… instead, I’m just bummed and annoyed that people who don’t even like hockey, who bitched about the cold, who got tickets for free, got to see the game. 

On the other hand, in my 29+ years of life on this planet, I’ve been able to experience several once-in-a-lifetime things. Some good, some bad, and some… OMFG! I CAN’T BELIEVE I WATCHED BU BEAT BC AT FENWAY FREAKING PARK!

Yeah. That.

I used to work in an outdoor rink, so I knew being outside was going to suck. I had an entire hockey season to practice layering techniques, and I am proud to say I remembered everything I learned back in the 1995-96 hockey season. (Here’s what I wore.) I had my ski jacket with me and I didn’t even put it on once, I was that warm. I had no idea it was 7 degrees with the wind chill, and I’m very glad I didn’t know it then, otherwise I might have actually felt it. That would have sucked.

I was an emotional wreck the entire game. Every once it an while it hit me that I was in Fenway Park, watching college hockey. Not *just* college hockey, of course, but my beloved Terriers and our biggest rivals. Not only was it BU/BC, which would have been huge in and of itself, but it was a game between the last two National Champions. Talk about amazing. It was such an historical moment, and I got caught up in it a couple of times. I still get emotional thinking about it. I can’t even begin to describe what it felt like to be there watching that. To make things even better, it was a HOCKEY game - not some prepackaged, family-friendly, unexciting, moving the puck from end to end game. The boys played like it was a National Championship game. Considering the rivalry - it might have been, it was that huge.

There’s so many things about the game that I will not forget… but the moment that will stay with me forever was how it felt to walk down Yawkey Way singing “The Song” at the top of my lungs.

one, two, one, two, three, four…

Wednesday, January 06, 2010

2009 year in review

i lurve my friends! :: michele’s holiday party :: december 12, 2009

I stole this from Michele—seemed like a good way to summarize what I couldn’t before

1. What did you do in 2009 that you have never done before?
Lots - went to Soyuzivka, received a CD of rough mixes from my favorite band, watched BU win a national championship, finally got hope that we could get Apache under control, went to the GTD Summit and networked my butt off, was put under a microscope by IBM staffers… I could keep going. 2009 was such an amazing year.

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions and will you make more for 2010?
I try to make resolutions, and I always fail at keeping them. I’m in love with the idea of the fresh start, but not so much with the follow through. 2010 is about little wins…  I want to drink more water. It’s like if I drink two glasses, that’s two more than I used to. I’m not going to stress out about not drinking eight glasses or four. Whatever I drink is what I drink. I hate water, so even a glass is progress. (I don’t really like the flavored stuff either. I’m just fussy.)

3. Did anyone close to you give birth in 2009?
A friend from high school, some friends from college… no one in my inner circle.

4. Did anyone close to you die in 2009?
“Close” is a relative term… my godfather died. I hadn’t spoken to him in years, but it affected me all the same. “Died” is relative, too. My aunt, my mother, Soulmate Boy - they’re all dead to me. Clarity, closure, cookies.

5. What countries did you visit this year?
No world traveling for me unless you want to count Soyuzivka - I was such the outsider, I might have well been in the Ukraine.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
A house in Connecticut!

7. What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Oh, man! There were so many! I’m going to go with BU winning the National Championship. It was such a great night all the way around - hanging out with my little brother, watching the game with the hubby, and getting to watch instrument all in one night!

8. What was your biggest struggle in 2009?
To remember that I’m the only one with the power to make myself miserable. False accusations and suicide attempts drove me out of my mind and into a deep, dark depression. I’m pretty disgusted by that.

9. Did you suffer any illness or injury in 2009?
I basically ‘dislocated’ my knee cap and fought hardcore with the bipolar, but I think it’s the two trips to the ER and the resulting diagnosis of SVT that I’ll never forget.

10. What was the best thing you bought this year?
My Forester! Now I don’t have to freak out about all the miles I’m putting on it!

11. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Boston University’s!  Apache’s. My own.

12. Whose behavior disappointed you?
Boston University’s. My own. Soulmate Boy’s.

13. Where did most of your money go?
In the Forester’s gas tank.

14. What did you get really really excited about this year?
Instrument, BU Hockey, the GTD Summit, my friends

15. What song will always remind you of 2009?
It’s a toss up between “Invincible” by instrument and “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz. There were a few by Fall Out Boy that really spoke to me this year, too.

16. Compared to this time last year, are you: much happier, much nicer or richer?
At the very least I’m happier. I’m not sure about nicer but I’m definitely not richer.

17. What do you wish you had done more of?
Spent even more time with my friends

18. What do you wish you had done less of?
Driving!

19. Did you fall in love in 2009?
I’m gonna go with “yes” since the question doesn’t specify WHAT I fell in love with.

20. What was your favorite TV Program in 2009?
Supernatural—Dude, SPN fans broke Twitter, pissed off PDiddy, and created the Minion Stimulus Group.  We totally rock!

21. What was the best book you read this year?
We Need to Talk About Kevin: A Novel (P.S.)—this was a difficult book to read, but it was worth it. VERY worth it.

22. What was your greatest musical discovery this past year?
Hands down, Black Mountain Symphony.

23. What did you want and get in 2009?
I got more stuff than I knew I wanted and all of it was good. Is that a good answer?

24. What was the best movie you saw this year?
I don’t know… nothing really stands out as the best movie. MST3K’ing Twilight was fun, tho.

25. What did you do on your birthday and how old did you turn?
I turned 34 and came to terms with the fact that my mother’s been dead exactly half my life. I also seemed to spend all my time in the week surrounding my birthday at instrument shows.

26. What one thing would have made your year more satisfying?
More time with my friends / less time driving.

27. How would you describe your personal fashion statement this year?
High five, dyke!

28. What kept you sane this year?
My friends, my husband, my dogs, my blog, my moleskine…

29. What celebrity did you fancy the most?
Besides Michael Stipe, those Winchester Boys certainly get me all WOO-HOO! I do lurve me some Freckles and Plaidapuppy!

30. Who did you miss this past year?
My dad…

31. Who were the best new people you met this year?
Soup and Skinny, my friends from the GTD Summit, and I’m going to count reconnecting with college and high school friends, too.

32. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned this year:
There’s nothing in life that a good friend can’t help you through.

Saturday, January 02, 2010

What a way to ring in the new year!

ucmb :: in honor of today’s uconn bowl appearance :: september 26, 2009

I had planned on going Connecticut a lot when I first moved back to New England. I had no idea that it would take so long for me to get around to it. I had no idea that once the seal was broken, once the ghosts were exorcised, I’d go back so often… more often that I originally planned.

We had a blast in CT, at Stellen’s NYE party.

We made a new friend, who I lost $5 to making a silly bet. I thought it was a sure thing! He stumbled upon a secret and the fact that it put everyone off their game made it an easy win for him. I lost an additional $1 betting him that he wouldn’t do something else. He may have wanted to, and I may have basically gave him permission. Whoops! Oh well. It was worth it to see the end result.

Also, and this is VERY important, remind me next year that I will not be kissing any one other than the hubby. S’all.  (And I was the sober one!!!!)

It was nice to crash and wake up to good friends, more good conversation, and a lot of laughs.

On the drive home, I was thinking about the epic parties my mom’s sister used to have in her 30s. They’d often have people crash, and I had kind of thought it was cool to have that may good friends to spend time with. I haven’t thought about that in a long time, but I was glad I’m able to have that kind of life now. Of course, in my aunt’s case, her friends would leave as soon as they woke up. In that respect, my life is much better. To have a circle of friends you don’t want to leave at 3 in the morning, even though you’re all staring to fade. To want to wake up and spend even more time with them… this must be what it feels like to be really blessed.

It really was the best possible way to kick 2009 out the door and bring in 2010.