And so it was Saturday. Actually, I was woken up rather early thanks to that stupid cat scratching repeatedly on the outside of our door. Twice, she had to get up and settle the bastard down. Finally, she stayed in her parents room just to keep them company. And I was too out of it to even notice. So she got up earlier than me, which I never thought could happen. She woke me up around 8 am to let me know she had indeed made pancakes for us. They were the standard Bisquick jobs, but it was nice of her. She was amazed when I told her i did not need syrup, just a little butter. She showed me her deal, which was to spread grape jelly on the pancake, then fold it, and eat it. I'm not even a grape jelly eater, I haven't been in maybe 20 years, but I decided to shut up about it and do it anyway. I will not do it again.
Her family was coming home later that afternoon so I moved my things down to the basement, where I cleaned up and used the Internet for a while. Around 11:30, we took off for the Central Park zoo. I know we took the M to the L to the R! We got a little lost in the park, but we did walk by the skating rink and the Checkers/Chess House. Eventually, we found our way to the zoo. Now I had been to the San Diego Zoo just three months earlier. So in terms of size, by comparison, this one seemed like a storage closet. It's just walking around a square with a pool of sea lions in the middle. We saw some interesting creatures like a red panda, a snow monkey, and a drooling polar bear. Our lunch was splitting a pretzel and feeding some leftovers to the pigeons.
We spent the extra $7.00 for admission to the 4D Theater. It was about polar climates with fake snow and wind. It was cool (no pun intended), but we felt a little shortchanged when the presentation concluded after just ten minutes. We walked into the gift shop and we didn't see much to get excited about. I did see one t-shirt with a Cardinal on it with the words "Early Bird" on it. Considering a cardinal banging on her bedroom window had caused Catherine to wake up early three straight days in the Poconos, I thought it was hysterical. She did not! So we left and walked down Central Park South, the street that of course, runs east to west along the southern edge of the park. I asked her if Mickey Mantle's was nearby, since I knew it bordered Central Park. She laughed and said she was just thinking the same thing. So we went inside and sat at the bar. It was probably my first time in there in maybe 20 years. We each drank a Blue Moon and the bartender was gracious enough to let me charge my camera behind the bar. Amazing how this stupid camera drains so fast. The lens cap doesn't close, I can't wait to get a new one. Anyway, I walked around and observed some of the memorabilia in Mickey's. I saw Robert Redford's New York Knights jersey from "The Natural." I saw an old WWF poster from a 1970's card in South Amboy, NJ. It was like going back to Dr. Galkin's orthodontics office again!
We went two stops to Greenwich village. It was finally time to eat. But on our way, we passed by a playground with about 20 guys playing street hockey. Catherine recognized this one Asian dude and they chatted for a minute and I stayed silent. After we watched a couple goals, we said our goodbyes. I asked who the guy was and she admitted she didn't even know his name! I thought it was just hysterical.
Anyway, we wound up at Arturo's around 4:20, so not too late after they opened. She promised me that this place would fill up fast and she was right! The bar was full and I would guess 8 percent of the table were already occupied. We got a tiny two-topper table. We decided on a 15-inch pie with bacon and roasted red peppers on one half and sliced meatballs and fresh mozzarella on the other. Beyond stellar! The sauce was bright, there wasn't too much cheese. The crust was nice and thin, but not too thin. The bacon and peppers balanced perfectly, and thankfully the bacon was not overdone. If I had one complaint, the crust tasted a little too burnt for my liking, but I could live with that. And my other disappointment was they don't offer free refills on iced tea or soft drinks. Thankfully, I asked them ahead of time so I didn't get scammed. I would certainly return.
After we finished, Catherine told me I had to go into the bathroom and to bring my camera. I look at her like she had three heads, but I did it anyway. Apparently this restaurant used to be an apartment building. And the owners kept the bathroom and as part of it, they kept the same bathroom. Including the bathtub! I did take a photo of the toilet and bathtub right next to each other.
So around 6:15, we arrived at the Molly Wee, an Irish pub about a block south of Madison Square Garden for the viewing party for the Rangers game in Toronto. We were immediately greeted by the Simos clan and Zach Budnick. I also met Peter for the first time and we hit it off quite well. I also met Bill Morrison, the Jerry Garcia-look alike, who from his FB profile, I couldn't tell if he was even a real person. Later on, I met the boisterous Helen Yoon, her assumed boyfriend Michael, George, Jimmy Tholke, and his very cute friend Grace. I even convinced Moe to show up and I was very happy she made it. After drinking a ton of water, I drank a Bass and a Yeungling, I decided not to eat. I don't remember too much about the game in retrospect. I had conversations with Peter about NY vs Chicago and with Claude about fitness and women.
I remember the second period intermission in particular. Catherine put her arms around my neck from behind and kissed my cheeks a few times, something she hadn't ever really done before. I could feel my face glowing. Jimmy took a photo and it's become my Facebook profile photo. Also during the second break, we had chocolate cake to celebrate Jimmy's birthday. Well, ok, a lot of people around me did, but I wasn't going to. Anyway, it was a happy finish as Ryan Callahan won the game for the Rangers in a shootout.
The bar emptied pretty quick and Catherine and I headed to the Fuse studios to watch Hockey Night Live. We think we made it on TV wearing our Callahan t-shirts, no one seems to have confirmed it though. There were some drunk/stoned jerk-off fans pretending to moon the studio and just yelling, trying to draw attention to themselves, but in a totally obnoxious way. Eventually, Helen, Michael, Moe, and Zach joined us. We met Ken Daneyko and Catherine got just another card signed. They took photos with Ron Duguay, I didn't really care.
We finally got home around midnight and the traffic light incident had finally been cleared from the street! We walked into the house and to no surprise, her mother felt like talking. One question after another question. No big deal, it's just her personality. Catherine and I went downstairs for a little bit, not too long though. The next morning, I reconnected with Angelo and Francis. I also offered Catherine's parents some opinions and suggestions on their upcoming trip to Chicago in May.
Willie drove over again and picked me up. I left at 11:45, said goodbye to her at 12:00, took off at 1 pm and landed around 2:45. Six more weeks of waiting to see her again, at least...
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
NYC Part 1-Return to MSG
I left work early at 4 pm and drive straight down 90 to Blue Sky parking facility in Schiller Park, about 10 minutes south of O'Hare airport. Although their whole staff talks in foreign accents, their service was pretty swift, I was at the terminal within 10 minutes of arriving. The security line gave me no issues and I was inside Terminal 3 by 5:15. With two hours to spare before my scheduled flight, I decided to grab some dinner. I went with the Cubano torta at Rick Bayless' Torta eatery. This sandwich came on a fresh roll and had pulled pork, smoked bacon, avocado, Chihuahua cheese, black beans, chipotle mustard, and cilantro crema. It was nice, though the beans on that sandwich tasted a little weird. I would go back for the refreshing lime agua fresca, but not for that particular sandwich if it costs $11.50.
I headed to the gate for the 6:10 flight since I was so early. I went up to the counter and politely explained that I was early and would like a seat if one was available. The gate agent told me sternly I should just wait for the 7:30 flight since it looked full. So I sat down, ate my sandwich, and left. Two hours of waiting. And it nearly turned into three as the flight filled up more than it was scheduled to. Thankfully, Mom pulled a few strings, I got on the 7:35 flight. And I came to find out that there would have been space on that 6:10 flight! But I couldn't really complain, I was on my way to LaGuardia airport.
Catherine and her crazy uncle Willie picked me up at baggage claim. Willie wore a Giants sweatshirt, which I didn't really need. During the whole 20 minute ride, the guy just talked about the 1986 World Series and that he didn't like the Mets at all. There were some mentions of gas prices and Willie getting lost. Catherine and I barely could get a word in.
So he dropped us off and it was already 11:30 by now. After "greeting" each other, we went straight to bed.
I am one of those people who hates being late. If someone says they will meet me at 6:00, I start to freak out if they don't show by 6:05. Now that I'm in a relationship, I recognize I need to show more patience. Catherine told me she wanted to leave the house by 10:30. Well, I was ready by 10:00. Catherine, not so much. She just doesn't hurry. Normally, I could handle it, but I was fighting off my cat allergy with two freakish felines in this house. We finally left at 11:15. We took a bus and two subways (including one stop at Citi Field) to get to the Corona stop.
And as I had suspected for weeks, we went to Mama's of Corona for a classic Italian sandwich. Little did I know the owner was also Catherine's first grade teacher! So I got the classic Italian special with salami, peppered ham, fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers, and marinated mushrooms
on a fresh semolina roll! Now I have eaten some good subs in my life, but only in NY, can I get them on semolina bread. There is just something about that flavor that adds the extra oomph that I can't get in any other bread. It was just a tremendous sandwich. We then went into their neighboring bakery and I was bummed that they weren't selling any sesame cookies.
So then, we took the 7 train and some other one to 34th street and Penn Station/Madison Square Garden. From there, we waited outside 31st St entrance for some players to show up. We ran into a few fellow Rangers fans, some of which Catherine knew, and made some small talk. Typical NY banter back and forth. It's like a contest to see who can be the most witty/biting. It's fun, but can be challenging at times too.
So we took a quick walk to the new Cosby's. We each purchased a Winter Classic team photo for $5.00 that I'm looking forward to framing and hanging. So then we headed back two blocks to the 31st street island near the Parking garage and Cafe 31. We saw a few players enter. Richards, Hagelin, and Prust all came in together. Catherine wanted Mats Zuccarello's signature on one of her cards. She took me to this other entrance that was under construction. Sure enough, this little hobbit in a suit shows up. She gets the card signed. I could only say "Good luck." Little did I know...and five minutes later, this handsome dude in a tailored suit came walking in our direction. Pretty fast pace. He had sporty shades over his eyes and earbuds in his ears and holding a leather suitcase in his right hand. Within two seconds, I knew who it was. The best goalie in the world, #30, the King, Henrik Lundqvist. I just stared at him with my mouth wide open as he passed us.
I also met a lot of people from Facebook. I met Rose, Meghan, Darcy, and Crazy Amy and her psycho husband. It wasn't too easy for me to fit in though. They're all talking about memorabilia, games they'll be going to, and who is the hottest Ranger. Somehow, I didn't have a lot to contribute to that conversation. Finally at 6, we were allowed to enter MSG.
We headed straight to Section 126 for warmups. It was cool sitting in such a prime spot at the Garden, if only for a little while. But at the same time, I was feeling a bit tired. I couldn't understand why, this was my first time in the Garden in 2.5 years. But I just wasn't into it, maybe because I felt surrounded by strangers. Then I got a text from my uncle Brian, asking where I was. After two weeks of hoping to meet up, we found each other by the penalty box and talked for almost ten minutes. Although he's been battling cancer for five years, he's still looking pretty good. He handed me a media guide with a Let's Go Rangers pennant inside of it, which was really thoughtful of him. He also told me a story from earlier that night. He was having dinner with a few friends in a club in the Garden. All of a sudden, Adam Graves just walks right up to them and asks if he can join them for dinner. How cool must that be?!
So the game began and while sliding down to block a shot, Zuccarello fractured his wrist. He's out at least 6 weeks. So much for the good luck. No goals in the first period, but it was a pretty decent 20 minutes of hockey. So I'm walking around the concourse and I see a sign that all authentic jerseys are 50 percent off in the Rangers team store. Usually these things sell for maybe $230 online, so I'm thinking this could be a solid deal. So during the second intermission, I head down with Catherine. The listed price is $355.00. So half of that is about $179, which is approximately the same price as a replica jersey in the team store. Pass! We also went over to the Steiner sports stand, which has lots of memorabilia to bid on ad purchase. Of course, Catherine won the giveaway, a signed Chris Drury photo of him scoring in the last game of the 2010-11 season against New Jersey. I was beyond ticked off. She has enough crap already in her bedroom. So I went to the men's room and trying to get back to my seat, I got lost. I must have walked around the arena at least twice. Even better, I thought Catherine had already left, but she was waiting on me for maybe 10 minutes.
The final period was a total disaster. Buffalo scored three goals on odd-man rushes and won 4-1. I even saw the second one coming as they turned the Rangers over. And I called it too. Just a sloppy performance all around, especially by spare winger John Mitchell and the defense.
Afterwards, Catherine said goodbye to her friends. I was too ticked to say anything. Finally, we took the E, the L, and the M. Actually, I have no idea what the hell we took, except the M was the last line since it ends three blocks from her house. As we walked down Metropolitan Avenue, we noticed two fire trucks, police flares, and a few cops interrogating some people on the sidewalk. Obviously, it was night, so I couldn't see everything perfectly. But I did see some sort of unusual object on the street. As i got closer, I realized it was a traffic light. It turns out this huge semi made this sharp turn and knocked down a traffic light and pole, wiping out the electricity for the whole block! And the brakes on the truck automatically locked so it couldn't even be towed away!
When we got back, she took care of the cats while I downed some Claritin. I wanted a bottle of Stella to chill, but I couldn't find a bottle opener for the Stella Artois, so I drank nothing. Finally, we settled into bed and watched "My Cousin Vinny." Well, we at least got through the first half...
I headed to the gate for the 6:10 flight since I was so early. I went up to the counter and politely explained that I was early and would like a seat if one was available. The gate agent told me sternly I should just wait for the 7:30 flight since it looked full. So I sat down, ate my sandwich, and left. Two hours of waiting. And it nearly turned into three as the flight filled up more than it was scheduled to. Thankfully, Mom pulled a few strings, I got on the 7:35 flight. And I came to find out that there would have been space on that 6:10 flight! But I couldn't really complain, I was on my way to LaGuardia airport.
Catherine and her crazy uncle Willie picked me up at baggage claim. Willie wore a Giants sweatshirt, which I didn't really need. During the whole 20 minute ride, the guy just talked about the 1986 World Series and that he didn't like the Mets at all. There were some mentions of gas prices and Willie getting lost. Catherine and I barely could get a word in.
So he dropped us off and it was already 11:30 by now. After "greeting" each other, we went straight to bed.
I am one of those people who hates being late. If someone says they will meet me at 6:00, I start to freak out if they don't show by 6:05. Now that I'm in a relationship, I recognize I need to show more patience. Catherine told me she wanted to leave the house by 10:30. Well, I was ready by 10:00. Catherine, not so much. She just doesn't hurry. Normally, I could handle it, but I was fighting off my cat allergy with two freakish felines in this house. We finally left at 11:15. We took a bus and two subways (including one stop at Citi Field) to get to the Corona stop.
And as I had suspected for weeks, we went to Mama's of Corona for a classic Italian sandwich. Little did I know the owner was also Catherine's first grade teacher! So I got the classic Italian special with salami, peppered ham, fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers, and marinated mushrooms
on a fresh semolina roll! Now I have eaten some good subs in my life, but only in NY, can I get them on semolina bread. There is just something about that flavor that adds the extra oomph that I can't get in any other bread. It was just a tremendous sandwich. We then went into their neighboring bakery and I was bummed that they weren't selling any sesame cookies.
So then, we took the 7 train and some other one to 34th street and Penn Station/Madison Square Garden. From there, we waited outside 31st St entrance for some players to show up. We ran into a few fellow Rangers fans, some of which Catherine knew, and made some small talk. Typical NY banter back and forth. It's like a contest to see who can be the most witty/biting. It's fun, but can be challenging at times too.
So we took a quick walk to the new Cosby's. We each purchased a Winter Classic team photo for $5.00 that I'm looking forward to framing and hanging. So then we headed back two blocks to the 31st street island near the Parking garage and Cafe 31. We saw a few players enter. Richards, Hagelin, and Prust all came in together. Catherine wanted Mats Zuccarello's signature on one of her cards. She took me to this other entrance that was under construction. Sure enough, this little hobbit in a suit shows up. She gets the card signed. I could only say "Good luck." Little did I know...and five minutes later, this handsome dude in a tailored suit came walking in our direction. Pretty fast pace. He had sporty shades over his eyes and earbuds in his ears and holding a leather suitcase in his right hand. Within two seconds, I knew who it was. The best goalie in the world, #30, the King, Henrik Lundqvist. I just stared at him with my mouth wide open as he passed us.
I also met a lot of people from Facebook. I met Rose, Meghan, Darcy, and Crazy Amy and her psycho husband. It wasn't too easy for me to fit in though. They're all talking about memorabilia, games they'll be going to, and who is the hottest Ranger. Somehow, I didn't have a lot to contribute to that conversation. Finally at 6, we were allowed to enter MSG.
We headed straight to Section 126 for warmups. It was cool sitting in such a prime spot at the Garden, if only for a little while. But at the same time, I was feeling a bit tired. I couldn't understand why, this was my first time in the Garden in 2.5 years. But I just wasn't into it, maybe because I felt surrounded by strangers. Then I got a text from my uncle Brian, asking where I was. After two weeks of hoping to meet up, we found each other by the penalty box and talked for almost ten minutes. Although he's been battling cancer for five years, he's still looking pretty good. He handed me a media guide with a Let's Go Rangers pennant inside of it, which was really thoughtful of him. He also told me a story from earlier that night. He was having dinner with a few friends in a club in the Garden. All of a sudden, Adam Graves just walks right up to them and asks if he can join them for dinner. How cool must that be?!
So the game began and while sliding down to block a shot, Zuccarello fractured his wrist. He's out at least 6 weeks. So much for the good luck. No goals in the first period, but it was a pretty decent 20 minutes of hockey. So I'm walking around the concourse and I see a sign that all authentic jerseys are 50 percent off in the Rangers team store. Usually these things sell for maybe $230 online, so I'm thinking this could be a solid deal. So during the second intermission, I head down with Catherine. The listed price is $355.00. So half of that is about $179, which is approximately the same price as a replica jersey in the team store. Pass! We also went over to the Steiner sports stand, which has lots of memorabilia to bid on ad purchase. Of course, Catherine won the giveaway, a signed Chris Drury photo of him scoring in the last game of the 2010-11 season against New Jersey. I was beyond ticked off. She has enough crap already in her bedroom. So I went to the men's room and trying to get back to my seat, I got lost. I must have walked around the arena at least twice. Even better, I thought Catherine had already left, but she was waiting on me for maybe 10 minutes.
The final period was a total disaster. Buffalo scored three goals on odd-man rushes and won 4-1. I even saw the second one coming as they turned the Rangers over. And I called it too. Just a sloppy performance all around, especially by spare winger John Mitchell and the defense.
Afterwards, Catherine said goodbye to her friends. I was too ticked to say anything. Finally, we took the E, the L, and the M. Actually, I have no idea what the hell we took, except the M was the last line since it ends three blocks from her house. As we walked down Metropolitan Avenue, we noticed two fire trucks, police flares, and a few cops interrogating some people on the sidewalk. Obviously, it was night, so I couldn't see everything perfectly. But I did see some sort of unusual object on the street. As i got closer, I realized it was a traffic light. It turns out this huge semi made this sharp turn and knocked down a traffic light and pole, wiping out the electricity for the whole block! And the brakes on the truck automatically locked so it couldn't even be towed away!
When we got back, she took care of the cats while I downed some Claritin. I wanted a bottle of Stella to chill, but I couldn't find a bottle opener for the Stella Artois, so I drank nothing. Finally, we settled into bed and watched "My Cousin Vinny." Well, we at least got through the first half...
Monday, March 12, 2012
Chi-town weeekend with CI: Part 2
Saturday
I set my alarm for 6 and by the time I woke up and looked over at my alarm, it read 7:17. I hadn’t even started packing yet!
After 10 minutes of driving, I realized I didn’t even remember my coat.
Walked in around 9:15
Corner Bakery for coffee and Wi-Fi
Discovered the Intimacy kit ($5.50)
Two condoms, lubricating jelly,and 2 obstetrical towlettes.
Kind of like an adult jelly sandwich
After ten minutes of laughing uncontrollably, we headed back downstairs where Mom was waiting to pick us up.
Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinder
Great American salad
They teased me for dropping a lot of lettuce on the table when I tried to serve everyone.
Italian combination grinder
No more anchovies ever again
Navy Pier
Stained glass display
Irish store
T-shirt
$25.00 minimum purchase to use a credit card.
So I paid my last $20 cash.
Zeppole
Sports store
Gnomes for Cubs, Bulls, and Bears. Thank God there were no Blackhawk gnomes
45 minutes in Capi’s
Powdered sugar on her lips
We started walking north on LSD and saw a small beach
It was still about 45 and the sun was still trying to be seen as it was approaching 5 by this time.
Took our shoes off
Snapped a few photos of the scenery and each other
Back to room
Set up Bolland and Gnome with intimacy kit on the bed
Yada yada
Water Tower Place
Five minute wait for newspaper
Francesca’s
8:45
Roast Chicken
Tilapia with sautéed shrimp
Rudy
More yada yada in the middle of the movie, I think we missed 30 minutes because of it
Sunday
Barely slept
Must have been 10:00 when we were going to be ready for Walker Bros and by that time, I could see from our window that the line was out the door already. So we settled for Corner Bakery Café.
Subway ride 10 minutes, hour to O’Hare
Took train two stops back to Cumberland
Home by 2:00 pm
Broken gnome
Chi-town weeekend with CI: Part 1
Thursday
Workout
Haircut
Library
Graham’s
Rest stop
Seven laps around the terminal
Took her 40 minutes from landing to getting to the curb
Parking space
Portillo’s
Big Beef
Hot dogs
Chocolate cake shake
Drove up Lake Shore Drive
Check in
Exchanged gifts
First kiss of the trip
Played CD and yada yada
Napped
DMK Burger Bar
Patty melt
Old school bookstore
Comedysportz
We sat front row center
Had a great time
Jokes about men’s studies for college majors and Number 5 for Chinese entrees
Red line back to hotel
Picked Nicole up
Dublin’s
Bass Ale
Took off around midnight
Friday
8:25 train, got me in around 9:30
I knew the girls had gone to the United Center.
I stepped outside, as I planned to take the green line from Clinton to State/Lake, then transfer to the red line and take that north towards the Magnificent Mile. And it was about 30 degrees, a little bit of wind, but it didn’t feel too bad. So I decided to man up and walk.
I met them at State/Chicago and we headed over towards the Hyatt where I had just been sitting.
But they also head about the Peninsula, which we passed by and they got the news that the Rangers were indeed staying at that hotel.
Bellhop douchebag wouldn’t let me stand under heat lamp so I stood outside
Freezing
Saw Boyle, Hagelin, Prust. I heard Richards and someone else was in the mix too.
They stayed there for three hours
After about 90 minutes, I’d had enough
Starbucks
Apple store
We met back up around 2:30 pm and headed back to the room.
While Nicole got ready, I massaged Catherine for maybe 45 minutes.
Gino’s East
Half cheese/half spinach
The girls had one slice each, Q and I each scarfed down 3!
Q drove recklessly, but got us to the building around 5:55, just before the doors opened.
Warmups, ran to bench
Hot girl from Indiana named Jessica
Blackhawk t-shirt, Blackhawk earrings, Blackhawk shoes, and a white Michael Del Zotto jersey
To minutes before warmups were going to start, I got kicked out when the asshole whose seat I was standing at showed up.
Q followed me like he was my freaking babysitter all the way up to my seat
No Del Zotto and no Dubinsky
Met Chris Frenzel during the first intermission
Prust scores, it’s 2-1 with eight minutes left.
Three fucking goals in six minutes
Richards finally scores with 40 seconds left, which meant nothing
Third straight loss
Fucking disaster
10:40 express train
Brooklyn Pilsner and John Daly at home at went to bed around 2 am.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
The most disappointing Friday ever
I just don't know what to say anymore. After such a good Thursday, I did not see such a slow, frustrating day coming. I'll recap, just to let out my aggravation, but I am under the influence of Brooklyn Pilsner and a bit of Firefly. So this will include random ramblings.
I woke up at 6:30 and left 8 to catch the train to West Chicago. That's about all that went smoothly. I was going to take the green line from Clinton to State/Lake and then take the red line north. But, feeling a little too macho, I decided to walk it. It took an hour. The girls were already stalking Hawks at the United Center. And they walked all the way down Madison which was just dumb. I had to guide them to get on the subway at Washington/Wells to State/Lake to Lake to Chicago at the red line. For a while, I was just hanging at the Park Hyatt because I heard a rumor the Rangers were staying there. They weren't, but at least I got to charge my phone.
So I met up with the ladies and we wound up standing in front of some hotel for three hours waiting for the players to show up. And indeed, a few of them did. But my idea of fun is not standing outside in 25 degree weather and heavy wind in the shade and not moving waiting to have cards signed by hockey players. So I took off and went into the Starbucks about 3 blocks away. I wanted to get away and warm up! I ordered a caramel apple cider with extra cinnamon and killed about 90 minutes. I may as well have been sitting in there for the entire weekend. I also ventured inside the Apple store and pretended to look like I knew what their different gadgets actually did.
Finally, we met back up and headed back to the room. Must have been 3 pm already. I gave Catherine a long back massage, maybe 30 minutes or so. Then we headed to Gino's East and Q met us there. We enjoyed a large half cheese/half spinach deep dish pizza although the ladies could only handle one slice each. Catherine was feeling really cold, I tried to warm her up by holding her, but...well, I tried.
The we left for the game. At warm-ups, I saw Kristen and gave her a huge hug. I also met this gorgeous girl from Indiana named Jessica who is a Hawks fan, but likes the Rangers. She had on Blackhawk shoes, Blackhawk earrings, a Blackhawk t-shirt, and a Rangers Michael Del Zotto jersey. I'm convinced she's Catherine's distant cousin! Damn, she was soooo cute. And i was getting excited about watching warmups from such a good viewpoint. I was so ready to see up close the Rangers players walk through the tunnel and step onto the ice. Then, the guy whose seat I was standing in front of showed up and I had to go. Literally two minutes before the start of warmups. And my ass gets tossed out. Just me, nobody else. I was so freaking pissed off. And, in truth, I still am. I feel like such an outcast.
I could not shake my anger and disgust. I didn't even applaud or make noise for Jim Cornelison's anthem. I never thought that day would ever come. And then the Rangers take two 1-goal leads, including 1 with 8 minutes left and of course, Chicago scores three straight after that. 4-3 final, after a meaningless Richards goal. I took off at 3-2, I couldn't bear to see the f'n Blackhawks celebrate. So the Rangers have lost three straight game now. Pittsburgh can't lose, and I'm convinced this team is going to lose in the first round of the playoffs.
I did get to meet Chris Frenzel, who is a very cool dude and i got to see Kristen Frendak again, which was great. Thought I saw Jackie "The Traitor " Lomba. Wanted to yell at her, but not worth it. Not worth my time, my voice, or my energy.
Took an express train home. Got in around midnight. Drank some Firefly sweet tea vodka and lemonade to end a sad day. I did chat with Katie a little. She really seems like a smart girl. I think she and I can be solid friends. The vodka is really kicking in now...
Damn these Rangers! I hate how they keep letting me down! Same with all these teams. And I will say it again, no matter what. Any idiot who uses the phrase "It's just a game" falls into one of two categories. Either they have no team that they invest their heart, their soul, and their emotions into or they have seen their teams win on a regular basis. I would like to meet one diehard Cleveland sports fan who truly in his heart believes that "it's just a game." Because one like that simply does not exist.
I'm not saying it's right or it's rational, it just is what it is.
I woke up at 6:30 and left 8 to catch the train to West Chicago. That's about all that went smoothly. I was going to take the green line from Clinton to State/Lake and then take the red line north. But, feeling a little too macho, I decided to walk it. It took an hour. The girls were already stalking Hawks at the United Center. And they walked all the way down Madison which was just dumb. I had to guide them to get on the subway at Washington/Wells to State/Lake to Lake to Chicago at the red line. For a while, I was just hanging at the Park Hyatt because I heard a rumor the Rangers were staying there. They weren't, but at least I got to charge my phone.
So I met up with the ladies and we wound up standing in front of some hotel for three hours waiting for the players to show up. And indeed, a few of them did. But my idea of fun is not standing outside in 25 degree weather and heavy wind in the shade and not moving waiting to have cards signed by hockey players. So I took off and went into the Starbucks about 3 blocks away. I wanted to get away and warm up! I ordered a caramel apple cider with extra cinnamon and killed about 90 minutes. I may as well have been sitting in there for the entire weekend. I also ventured inside the Apple store and pretended to look like I knew what their different gadgets actually did.
Finally, we met back up and headed back to the room. Must have been 3 pm already. I gave Catherine a long back massage, maybe 30 minutes or so. Then we headed to Gino's East and Q met us there. We enjoyed a large half cheese/half spinach deep dish pizza although the ladies could only handle one slice each. Catherine was feeling really cold, I tried to warm her up by holding her, but...well, I tried.
The we left for the game. At warm-ups, I saw Kristen and gave her a huge hug. I also met this gorgeous girl from Indiana named Jessica who is a Hawks fan, but likes the Rangers. She had on Blackhawk shoes, Blackhawk earrings, a Blackhawk t-shirt, and a Rangers Michael Del Zotto jersey. I'm convinced she's Catherine's distant cousin! Damn, she was soooo cute. And i was getting excited about watching warmups from such a good viewpoint. I was so ready to see up close the Rangers players walk through the tunnel and step onto the ice. Then, the guy whose seat I was standing in front of showed up and I had to go. Literally two minutes before the start of warmups. And my ass gets tossed out. Just me, nobody else. I was so freaking pissed off. And, in truth, I still am. I feel like such an outcast.
I could not shake my anger and disgust. I didn't even applaud or make noise for Jim Cornelison's anthem. I never thought that day would ever come. And then the Rangers take two 1-goal leads, including 1 with 8 minutes left and of course, Chicago scores three straight after that. 4-3 final, after a meaningless Richards goal. I took off at 3-2, I couldn't bear to see the f'n Blackhawks celebrate. So the Rangers have lost three straight game now. Pittsburgh can't lose, and I'm convinced this team is going to lose in the first round of the playoffs.
I did get to meet Chris Frenzel, who is a very cool dude and i got to see Kristen Frendak again, which was great. Thought I saw Jackie "The Traitor " Lomba. Wanted to yell at her, but not worth it. Not worth my time, my voice, or my energy.
Took an express train home. Got in around midnight. Drank some Firefly sweet tea vodka and lemonade to end a sad day. I did chat with Katie a little. She really seems like a smart girl. I think she and I can be solid friends. The vodka is really kicking in now...
Damn these Rangers! I hate how they keep letting me down! Same with all these teams. And I will say it again, no matter what. Any idiot who uses the phrase "It's just a game" falls into one of two categories. Either they have no team that they invest their heart, their soul, and their emotions into or they have seen their teams win on a regular basis. I would like to meet one diehard Cleveland sports fan who truly in his heart believes that "it's just a game." Because one like that simply does not exist.
I'm not saying it's right or it's rational, it just is what it is.
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