Musings of a Radical Redhead

little thoughts, big revelations...

2010-11-15T23:09:00.000-08:00

I was sitting on the floor of my house folding laundry and watching Conan when it hit me - I am so incredibly blessed to have the life that I've been dreaming about for years. [sidebar - the commercial for "Shake Weight" just came on... giggles! is it bad that i want one?]

I have a WONDERFUL partner. He is absolutely everything I've always looked for in a man, but I never thought I'd actually find. Every day I am blown away that he loves me and that he is willing to accept everything about me, positive traits, faults and issues. Every day I am thankful for that. Every day I try to be the best partner that I can be to him for us.

We have a beautiful home filled with laughter, animals, prayer and music. Eddie and Minnie are getting along quite well - Max is a little too excited about having a kitty in the house to be friends with Eddie quite yet, but it will get there. All of the boxes are close to being unpacked and most things have found their new home. I am in a new community and forming new friendships and relationships with great people here. I am finally able to start looking for a job here - but even that, he wants me to be happy, not just take a job I'm good at, but one that I will like. I've never had support like that before.

Living with someone who isn't just a roommate has been a bit of an adjustment. Luckily there is a spare room where all of my girly stuff can go - Sparkle Room 2.0, as it were. I'm constantly catching myself being careful walking on the floor or worried about neighbors below - I guess that's to be expected after living in apartments for most of my life. Sometimes I even freak out about the surround sound being up too loud when we play RockBand to the wee hours of the morning. Hopefully, I wont have to live in an apartment until Kim, Kristin, Molly and I move into our Raisin Ranch in Florida.

I met his sister, brother-in-law and nephew yesterday. I don't know why I was so nervous about it, they were all just as wonderful as his parents are. And his nephew - that little nugget had me giggling all afternoon! I am excited for him to meet my little brother and his wife tomorrow night, and for my parents to spend some more time with us. I know it's been hard for my mom, me moving away. It hasn't been extremely easy for me either, I miss all of my friends and family in TRI a lot - especially my lil sis and her nuggets, but I really couldn't be happier with my life right now.

AND with being a domestic goddess (and on his night-shift schedule) I must now away to the kitchen and clean up while the latest load of laundry finishes. :)

I neglect my blog.

2010-04-17T09:52:00.000-07:00

WOW. It's been some months since I even thought about updating this, but I'm laying here in bed and just read a friend's entire blog - yes, the whole thing. I haven't seen her in many many moons, but Facebook very kindly reminded me that today is her day of birth and after congratulating her on that occasion, I decided to snoop around her profile. She recently delivered a human into existence, which I find completely unbeleiveable because most of the time I still feel like we should be hanging out in her bedroom in Kennewick plotting our global domination in pop-star form. (Meaning although I'm in my mid-twenties, I still don't feel like we're old enough to be grown-ups)

All that aside, she posted an entry from her mother's journal from 1977 when she was first starting her relationship with who turned out to be the love of her life and her faithful and loving husband. What makes this so special is that her mother passed away when we were in high school after a courageous fight with breast cancer. (Have I mentioned how much I HATE cancer lately?) So I decided I should probably get back in the habit of writing down my thoughts, events and emotions because someday I'm going to have some little nuggets of my own and if something were to ever happen to me, I'd want them to have some pieces of my brain and heart in word-form.

I'll skip the long "this is everything I've been up to" post and hit a few key points. I now work for a National Laboratory - said goodbye to the Nuclear plant on March 12th. I REALLY love it so far - especially the 7-minute commute and being able to wear open-toed shoes! Hockey season is winding down - or up, depending how you look at it. The Ams are in the Western Conference Finals against the Vancouver Giants (we'll NOT talk about the actual hockey played last night in the Game 1 loss, but I did get conned into being in the Human Hamster Ball race by Miss Erin West... Running around an entire rink in a big plastic ball with no fresh oxygen is a bad idea, kids!) and the Sharks are tied 1-1 with the Avalanche in the first round of the Stanley Cup. I'm leaving for Las Vegas next Thursday for Jessi and Greg's wedding. Who knew when I met Bill almost 3 months ago that I'd be his roommate's Maid of Honor in such a short time? The four of us have a lot of fun here in TRI, so I'm pretty excited for the shenanigans that will be occurring in Sin City. (As long as I don't wake up to a tiger in the bathroom, I think things will be golden!)

In the past six months, I've also gotten back on track with my faith. Not that I ever lost it or doubted it, but it's come back to a more prominent place in my life. I guess the best way to describe it is that I have HOPE back. I have the knowledge that my plan for life may not be what is best for me. My "twin" Shannon (fantastic redheaded friend) sent me a devotional via email the day before yesterday that boiled down to this point:

Emotions are God-given, but when we let those emotions and other people's words and actions dictate how we feel and what we do, we become unstable. How we feel at any given moment probably has very little to do with what God is doing in our lives - He works behind the scenes. Our trust should be in Him that He is doing with us what He intends and our Hopes should be on fulfilling what He wants in our lives.

In other words, like my Facebook status said on Thursday, "Mer, Take a chill pill, I've got your back. Love, Jesus"

2009-09-01T19:53:00.000-07:00

Driving up to the Security Check-Point this morning, the reader board flashed, “September 1, 2009.” Wow. It really is astounding how fast this summer has come to an end.

Someone asked me the other night at hockey what I’d been up to all summer. Of course, the only thing I really did do most of the summer was “Godspell.” As I told everyone at the cast party, that show and the friends I made were a Godsend.

Thinking back on the whole experience, I can’t imagine anything going more perfectly.

Number one, how in the WORLD did I forget that I am a Theatre Person? Being surrounded by people who are like-minded in political beliefs, taste in the arts and with SO much talent, it’s hard to believe I’ve lived the past few years without people walking into my apartment, sitting down and starting to play random things on the piano – things that they’ve written, Beatles songs or Showtunes we all sing along with, or just random sounds. People singing Happy Birthday in 3-part-harmony (in tune!), suggesting new Indie artists I may like and accepting people no matter what their differences may be has awakened a part of my heart that I had forgotten about.

Number two, with the events taking place right before (and during) the show, I could have gone into a tailspin, but knowing I had a cast and crew depending on me kept me going.

Number 3, the amount of talent in our cast was astonishing. Every night people were asking if we were touring from New York or LA. There was one little lady from Yonkers who found it VERY hard to believe I hadn’t grown up around there as well. (I guess my “Abraham” was convincing.)

Number four, the whole cast was perfectly selected for their individual roles and brought something special and unique to the experience for cast, crew and audience. There were a few people, however, who I felt a special connection with.

Let’s start with Ellicia, our director-extraordinaire, one of my best friends and someone who has ALWAYS been there for me, no matter what, for all of the 11 years I’ve known her. Whenever I get down on myself, my life, my love-life, I can look at her and see that she has overcome these same obstacles in her life and ended up with a wonderful partner, a job she is passionate about, a beautiful home and two wonderful kittehs. While she’s really not that much older than I am, I do want to be her when I grow up.

Sue Schick… What a magnificent woman! Our Producer and my confidant, always exactly where I needed her with the exact words I needed to hear… Or even just a hug. SUCH a blessing. And Miss Emily… such a sweet, sweet soul.

I made fast friends with Anna at auditions, commenting on how Melissa was so adorable that I wanted to shrink her and carry her around in my pocket everywhere. Melissa and I still laugh about that being the first thing I ever said to her and how she wasn’t sure if I was talking to her or not. Anna’s dry wit and level head kept me sane during some tense rehearsals. Miss Banana Blueberry and I didn’t need many words to tell each other how we were feeling about certain situations – somehow we just understand each other. Thank you for accepting the roll that we are both usually type-cast in so I could try something different. ;)

Speaking of Melissa, I do believe she is my long-lost very-much younger, taller, skinnier and Jewish twin. Her style and heart are equally spectacular to me. She genuinely cares about people, their feelings and well-being. Like most, if not all, of the cast, wise and mature beyond her years. My favorite thing about her is when she is excited about something, her face lights up like a menorah on the eighth night of Hanukkah. (“YAY HANUKKAH!”)

Then there’s Scott. What can be said about him other than he is the “Jack” to my “Grace”? My court jester when I’m about to crack. I can’t count how many times he listened to me vent, told me to do something with my hair and knew exactly what my facial expression meant from across the stage. When I need a little pick-me-up, I watch this on my phone. There’s no one I would’ve rather looked at for the “frozen” monologues of “By My Side.”

Lauren (aka Lolo). How I wish we would’ve bonded earlier in the rehearsal process! Sitting at Shari’s Restaurant trying to help silence the 8 other (LOUD) people at the table, she turned to me and said, “We are the only adults here.” It was true, and it began. I thank the “Super Chill” (Albertson’s generic brand of soda - 10 for $10) and “puppy chow” for cementing the friendship in silliness and practicality. Her free spirit and love of all things… well, that I love, makes me feel as though I’m not so alone in the world in my desires. I’m so much looking forward to October 26, when we will be seeing MIKA in Seattle! (MIKA!!!! SQUEEE!!!!) Whenever we hang out, no matter how mellow the situation or how sick one of us might be, there are always good times had. No one in Tri has been more supportive of my new choices in life and direction I want it to go into. I am so jealous she is moving to Seattle. My tweet from last week, “Alas, the economy keeps me stationary,” rings in my head when I think of how wonderful it would be to pick up and move at the same time so we could share in the adventure of being the new girls in the City.

Yes, I’ve saved my IndyAndy Jones for last. When we started the rehearsal process, we joked around a few times, but I was still stuck in the mind-set that all young, good-looking guys were inevitably jerks and wouldn’t want to hang out with me or be my friend. Wrong. WAY wrong. After he laughed at me for almost blowing a gasket during a particularly aggravating rehearsal and hanging out at DQ, he has been one of the people I talk to the most about the widest range of topics. Without going into much sappy detail, I have never been complimented so highly with such a frequency as I have from Andy. Without any kind of expectation of anything but friendship - after being with him, I leave with the affirmation that someone (besides family members) believes I am a beautiful, intelligent, humorous woman with much to offer the world. The first thing he said to me after walking into Starbucks last night was, “You have a halo of beauty and grace!” What woman in their right mind wouldn’t love to hear that from someone you know isn’t trying to get into your pants?

Being in this show about love, life and community and surrounding myself with these wonderful individuals, my passion for life has been renewed. Peace, Love, Joy, Happiness, Live and Let live. Those are things all people should have in their lives. It’s my new goal in life to help whoever I can have those things by what ever means I can. When people look at me, I hope they see compassion, tolerance, grace and friendship. The only person I can control is me and I am the one who decides whether or not to have a good out-look on life.

So, there it is; the new me. I don’t know where this will lead me. And where that normally would scare the living snot out of me, I am now incredibly excited to see where my life goes.

I’m leaving you with a quote from one of my characters in ‘Godspell’,

“In every community, there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In every heart, there is the power to do it.” - Marianne Williamson

Maybe it's the heat...

2009-08-02T13:56:00.000-07:00

Or the paint fumes?

After painting my bakers rack with my dad outside in 95 degree heat, maybe I'm hallucinating. Maybe I just wish I was. I'm pretty sure it's the second.

Somehow I knew - I think that's why I never asked. Optimism is one of my strong-suits, but also a downfall at times. Then again, maybe it means nothing (there I go, being all delusional and hopeful again). I guess time will tell, but I think maybe I should give up on this one... it has, after all, been how many years?

I'm a magnet for unavailable men - either literally, emotionally or both. And, as I've said before, I'm a chicken shit.

Maybe September will be different. Probably not. I want to move to the next level in my life. I think I'm ready for that, but obviously someone else doesn't. *looks up* le sigh.

A lesson learned years ago is something I'm trying to remind myself of and strive for: "Patience is a virtue to be practiced in our homes and daily lives, and we must strive to set examples for our companions."

What a day...

2009-08-01T22:24:00.000-07:00

I woke up at 9:00 on the dot this morning. I chugged some water con 4 Motrin, made myself a chocolate soy smoothie (plus frozen raspberries) and realized that I'd only slept five hours. So I promptly returned to a state of slumber. Woke up again at 1:08. ONE-O-EIGHT! Ho-ly. Apparently I was sleepy. It was worth it, though. Hanging out with Kelly and the guys was a blasty-blast. Ran into a few people that I hadn't seen, litterally in YEARS, who oddly enough, ended up knowing each other. Ended up closing down the bar and helping load gear and merch into the trailer - pretty much par for the course when the guys aren't staying in town. Favorite moments of the night:

Chatting with a girl who had been at the same BBQ in Yakima 3 years ago and hearing that the shetland-pony-sized Great Dane was still alive and well.
Discussing the effects of hot weather on my hairstyle with Chris, who is growing his curly hair out. Things to look forward to, my friend.
It was nice to hear, "OMG, [MCP]!!! I saw you in the paper! I love you!"
The Manager walking up to Kelly with the band's money and saying, "You look like the responsible one." To which he answered, "Yes. Thank you for not giving this to Calvin!"
Being able to say, "I'm with the band" and it's not a joke, but still funny.
Kelly walking me to my car and joking about random things and walking through an impromptu acoustic performance of Mr. Big's "To Be With You" by some random people on the corner.

Back to today... I decided since I'd slept half of it away, I'd better make it productive. I cleaned my kitchen (dishes and fridge), laundry (4 loads and counting) and vacuumed, all while watching chick flicks on the various HBOs. Started with "Mama Mia", then "The Wedding Planner", "Where the Heart Is" and finally, "Sex and the City." That's a pretty impressive list for Eddie and I to cuddle through while procrastinating going to the store for foods in 106F weather. I also saved myself $15 and gave myself a pedicure. It's the first time I have had naked (aka non-painted) toe nails in... well, I don't remember when the last time was.

Eventually, once it was pretty clear that no plans would be made for the evening, I did get the energy up to head to Walmart. Something dawned on me while changing my clothes - You're never under-dressed for Walmart (save for nudity). Got everything I needed (and a few things I didn't) and headed to the self-check out and found a short line. EPIC FAIL - they had to re-start the computer when I already had my whole cart emptied onto the belt. There was a little girl roaming around he self check out area opening the doors to the soda fridges and rearranging the drinks - apparently she's not a big fan of segregation.

Got home and realized after carrying all of my bags up at once (I live on the 3rd floor - no elevator) that I had just climbed 3 flights of stairs with the equivalent weight of a skinny girl looped around my arms. I made some dinner after putting all of my goodies away, watched "Lewis Black: Black on Broadway" (HIGHLY recommended!) and now am trying to decide if I want to put on a sweatshirt and stay out her ein the living room and watch SNL or a movie.... OR if I want to do that from my nice, warm bed. Decisions, decisions.

I love days like this - getting things done, while feeling like I'm doing nothing.

What if I WANT to go into the water, hmmm?

2009-07-28T13:35:00.000-07:00

It’s already the end of July. My birthday has come and gone, which can mean only one thing – IT’S ALMOST TIME FOR HOCKEY!!!!!!

I took a small break from almost all things hockey after HM and I split – after all, it’s how we met. Now that my heart is mended and the season is sneaking up on me, I decided to jump back into my RSS/Google Reader and find out some dish on my fine, finned team. There’s a lot going on for nothing going on… if you know what I mean.

Draft… We got a couple kids. Let’s face it – the past couple years, draft day has been a let-down for Sharks fans. Nothing until round 2? BOOORING. Which is why I sang at a baseball game instead (you can read about the shenanigans Schultzie and I got ourselves into HERE).

Team news. Well, well, well…. What a tangled web we weave, Sharkies. If you know me at all, you know I’m a goalie-lover. Also, you know I’m not a lover of Nabokov. He is a fine goalie – if you like that feeling of your heart dropping into your butt when you can see he’s WAY too far out of position, but he makes the save by the hairs on his chinny-chin-chin. While doing research for this post, I decided to catch up on some Photoshop Expos at Fear the Fin and stumbled across this:
The first thing that popped into my head as I chuckled was the line by ‘Jack O’Callahan’ in Miracle, “They’re Russian. They get shot if they smile.” BUT, I digress…
He has said that if asked to by the Sharks, he would wave his NTC because he doesn’t want to be with a team who doesn’t want him. How sad is that?! As much as I complain about him, no one WANTS to be with someone they know doesn’t want them. I’m not sure how I feel about this news. Now that Boucher is gone (I still don’t want to talk about it), who IS going to be in net? Let us go over a few options:

· Thomas Greiss – Logically, Thomas is the first choice. He’s spent some time up in the Show and is already listed on the roster behind Nabby Barring any large trade deal, we need a back-up.
· Stalock – Played with Griess in Worster. Stats aren’t bad, but as a Gopher, he’s got to prove himself to me since he went to UMD.
· Dakers – Thinking back to when he played for Kootenay, I remember him not sucking? I think? Possibly there were jokes about him? Any of the Mafia remember that? I’m drawing a blank.
· Sexsmith – Don’t EVEN get me started on this one. I feel the same way about him as I do about Dustin-flipping-Tokarski. Both are goalies who won the Memorial Cup not FOR their team, but WITH their team. Actually, I think Sexsmith is quite possibly even more than Tik. GREAT teams in front of them made them look SO much better than they actually are. HM never failed to rub salt in the open wound that he was a Sharks draft pick whenever the Giants would come to town. Mother of pearl, if he’s in a Sharks jersey this year, he’d better damn well step up his game or I’ll have to slap a bitch.

Let’s move away from goalie news… I’m getting my feathers all ruffled.

Apparently there were talks of sending Cheechoo and Erhoff to Ottawa for Heatley… Hmm… I don’t know how I feel about that. I’m not emotionally attached to Cheech, but I do tend to love my big Dman from Deutschland. And I don’t have anything against Heatley ON the ice, it’s his Diva “I’m outta here” attitude that makes me a little gun-shy on the whole situation. Though, I guess I don’t have to sweat it since apparently Brian Murray schaid the Schensch wouldn’t acschept schusch nonschensche (for those of you who don’t read/speak Brian Murray/Sid the Sloth, here’s a translation: said the Sens wouldn’t accept such nonsense.)

Marleau… At the end of the post-season, all the haters were calling for him to be shipped to Abu-Dhabi in a crate like Nermal. I’m not hater. In fact, heart Cap’n Patty! And how could you not – especially since he has said he’s willing to do anything to put a winning team on the ice, even if it means giving up his captaincy. Je t’aime, Marleau! And NO, it’s not because I’m a closet Seattle fan… ok, so not COMPLETELY because I’m a closet Seattle fan.

Another player near and dear to my heart is my Old man, Jeremy Roenick. Rumor has it that he’s going to hang up his skates, at 39, he thinks his body just can’t handle it anymore. I was hoping for one more year (and hopefully a cup) for the big ham, but if he’s retiring, I wish him all the best and am REALLY glad he went out with my team.

Finally… I guess I have to face it… Big Joe is… Married. There. I said it. Happy? Le sigh. *pouts*

No matter who the team ends up being, let’s make it a good season, boys

Why?

2009-07-24T00:17:00.000-07:00

Auntie McP drank too much..... Chocolate Milk.... and was feeling a little weird and.... that's enough.

Number one - broken noses suck. Especially when there isn't a cloud in the sky and sunglasses are not an option. Apparently today should be the worst of it....

Why do I do this to myself? I think too much some times. OK, all the time.
I over-think what I'm going to wear in the morning and usually end up wearing the first thing I chose.
I over-thought a job opportunity until it was too late - the posting was gone, at least I still have my current job (which i love).
I over-thought a fear for a month - when I finally decided to face it, the piece of mind came in less than 40 seconds.

But I'm still over-thinking something that has been plaguing me... It's an easy fix. It's one question. I've asked it before. The answer wasn't what I wanted, but it turned out ok. I'm pretty sure it'll end up the same way this time.... AND there I go over-thinking it again.

I'm really impatient and at the same time..... a complete chicken shit.

Hope and Inspiration

2009-07-16T23:44:00.000-07:00

Ellicia and Geoff - my beloved friend and her beloved husband. A local and tangible example to me that while the hardships in your life may shape you, they don't define you and that good things happen to good people.

While watching "Jim McKay: My World in My Words" on HBO just now, hearing him talk about the 1980 US Olympic Hockey Team beating the Russians and the 1972 Munich games and the tragedy of the Israeli athletes, I was awestruck. To have not only lived through those moments, but being the person sharing that news with the world? Amazing and heavy. My favorite moment of the show wasn't seeing the US team pour onto the ice, but was what he said about his wife's smile,

"Our marriage has certainly been an unusual one, but from the beginning , quite frankly, our love for one another has only grown stronger. Now that I don't travel, we talk from early morning until bedtime about many little ordinary but important things. Her specialties are our kids and grandchildren. Mine are politics, liberal-democratic, and sports. And still she listens. And her smile. That incredible smile is still a thing of wonder to me."

That's what I want someday. Someone, when looking back at our life together, has that one thing about me that they still think of as a thing of wonder.

Birthday Musings....

2009-07-13T22:02:00.001-07:00

After spending the evening with G$, looking at random things on the interwebs (and laughing our butts off), we ended up on my blog. On the way home, I decided I needed to write a post.

The 26th anniversary of my birth is on Sunday. I realized this weekend that I am not in the least bit excited about it and in fact, I'm dreading it, which is strange for me. As G$ said, "But it's a day that's all about celebrating YOU!" "I know, but I do that every day."

My 24th birthday was amazing, I was newly in-like with a guy and MissRoomie was about to be named Miss TC. My 25th birthday blew a lot - despite the amazing birthday cake that exMcMan hobbled around and made me, the day itself was less than thrilling (including a too-small bridesmaid dress and having to help MissRoomie give up the Miss TC crown).

My 26th birthday promises to not hold something that I had grown accustomed to and really, cherished, the past few years: a birthday kiss.

The simplest of things is what I'm dreading and I think the reason why is that the lack of that kiss means the lack of some other things I thought I'd have by now - if not being married, at least being in a committed relationship headed toward marriage, maybe engaged. Maybe married and buying a house? Or a nugget on the way? And while in my head I know I still have plenty of time for these things in my life, that lack of the birthday kiss represents failure to me.

At least G$ said even if everyone else bails out, he's free Saturday night so I wont end up spending it watching a rerun of SNL with Edouard.

Draft Day number one...

2009-06-27T00:35:00.000-07:00

What? It was draft day? Couldn't tell it by me - since yet again, the Sharks had no first round pick. As a matter of fact, they don't pick until round 3 tomorrow. Therefore, when the minor league baseball team asked if I would be willing to sing the national anthems for the game against the Vancouver Canadians on the first night of the draft, I gladly obliged.

Let's start the day - I headed out to Ma and Pa's place where Ma and I colored my hair and watched the 20/20 specials on both Farrah Faucet and Michael Jackson. Both were great programs and I'm not gonna lie, I squirted a few tears at points in each of them. Two very talented and charismatic people lost in one day. Wow. Still kind of wierded out and shocked by MJ's death.

After finishing up there, I came home and practiced a few tricky spots in a few songs for "Godspell". I love being an Alto, but sometimes I think it might be nice to have the high note - so much easier to hear!

Met up with Mizzle for a little snack and some shopping as well as planning a bit for the show. I'm so stoked not only to be doing this show, but to be doing it with her as my director. I love spending time with her - we might as well be sisters, we're practically the same person!

Hammer got to town as Mizzle and I finished up some costume shopping and we headed to the baseball game. We had some CHOICE tweets... you can head to twitter.com/mcphizzle to check it out.

Highlights:

Hammer's comment, "Does he know he's gay?"
The fact that she's again a traitorous whore - but it's a little better this time because now she's a "Dirty Canadian Lover"
The girl in the SnoCone (aka SnoPenis) who was very reminiscent of the SnoPenis worker from 2007-2009 Ams Camp, (in to her cell phone) "Just a minute, I need to put their flavors on."
Yelling, "UGLY BATTER!" works just as well as "UGLY GOALIE!" when yelled at a crucial point in the game.

After the game, we drove through Sonic mostly to feed my face with some delicious tots and Cherry Limeade, a little to avoid the traffic. We took the short drive down here to the land of Hammer and now I'm firmly planted on her couch. Tomorrow morning we'll get up and decorate and finish stuff up for the Canada Day Festivities and then party like we just invented the Canad-Arm!

McP feels...

2009-06-14T17:22:00.000-07:00

Today is a time for feelings. Let's discuss, shall we?

Nervous excitement - I've got a Call Back tomorrow evening for the musical "Godspell." My first return to any kind of theatre in 6 years and my first venture into musical theatre since 2000.
Pride - I walked over ten miles this weekend with my "lil sis" for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. SUCH an amazing experience!
Love - McNephew saw a pictre of Carrie Underwear on my iPhone, pointed at it and said "Dat's you!" "No, baby, that's Carrie Underwood, but thank you!" "No, MeMack, that's YOU!" "if you insist my little nuggett."
Giddiness - The Penguins won the Stanley Cup!!!!!! I know, I know, I'm a Sharks fan, but if the Penguins won, that means THE RED WINGS LOST!!! AT HOME!!!! HAAAAAAA!!!!! (Sorry, Melmo)
Sadness - I just got home from getting most of my stuff from HM (formerly McMan)'s house. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be. My hands were uncontrollably shaking the whole time and nothing that i was trying to do to stop it worked. I had a few things over there that I had forgotten about and didn't have room for in my sedan. Suck.
Anger - Because I can't hate him - and believe me, people have done everything they can to get me to. It'd be so much easier if I could call him a douchebag, flip him off and tell him to take a flying leap. I can't' do that. I have to be a big kid. Being a big kid can bite my big toe.

I saved this one for last to remind myself of it:

Joy - My life is wonderful. I have a job, a beautiful and safe home, a wonderful family and amazing friends. I have talents and gifts and a God who loves me and has SO much in store for me. Patience, McP... Patience.

Also, 13 DAYS UNTIL CANADA DAY FIESTA 2009!!!!!!!! (i'm living for this, ladies and gents!)

McP on the mend

2009-06-07T19:38:00.000-07:00

Well, it's day 9 and I'm on the way to feeling like my chipper, sunshiney self a little more every day. I'm sleeping through the night, the smell of food doesn't make me want to vomit and I haven't cried since Wednesday. In a week or so I might be able to hold up to my end of the bargain with HM (formerly known as McMan) that I'll call him (we're remaining friends once I can handle it).

Eddie is still sniffing around the spot on the couch left empty by HM and freaks out when I play "For Good" from Wicked (the song I played before he got to the house to drop the bomb). BUT! He's made the transition from kitten food to big kitty food.

SO! This summer is for McP. I'm auditioning for a musical this week, I'm finally recording an album and I'm committed to getting healthy - mostly so my boobs get smaller *crosses fingers* and my back doesn't hurt as much. Also, I'll be helping out with Ma and her treatments.

I have an amazing support system of friends and family. They have made the past week of my life filled with love, laughter and wonderful "dates". I love you all.

Have I mentioned I hate tumors?

2009-05-07T21:49:00.001-07:00

For the past few years, a dear friend of mine has been dealing with tumors in her brain.

Last May, Fred reared his ugly head and ruined my June and July because my McMan was in pain

This May it's my Ma. After showing me the scar on her breast, she asked me what we could do to salvage her retirement job as a pole dancer.

Happily I can report the brain tumor is dead, Fred is dead and hopefully, in a few weeks, my mom's cancer will be gone.

Great time for my favorite Dr. Izzy Stevens to have tumors and start seeing Denny/Papa Winchester again. Hits a little too close to home, and I'm really wishing I hadn't eaten all of my girl scout samoas because those and a big glass of milk would make me feel better right now.

So, tumors? Fuck off. Fuck right off.

See you in September...

2009-05-02T10:33:00.000-07:00

The dust has settled, the tears have subsided and the profanities have been replaced with words appropriate for McNephew to repeat like the tiny parrot he is.

Monday was a bad day. Mama had surgery, McMan announced his trip to Calgary (sans McP) and my Sharkies were ousted from the playoffs by Finny's QuackQuack Ducks. She phoned me after the game amidst the celebration at Honda Center to hear me having an emotional breakdown. I know, I know, it sounds like I'm way too invested in my team - but let's face it, everything compounded, I deserved a good cry (not to mention a stiff drink and some sort of refrigerated baked-good dough).

My opinion of the season:
WOW. What a team. There was a reason they won the President's Trophy. They had great communication on the ice, the team was playing cohesively, and the scoring came from every line. Nabby and Bouche were great in net and made the big saves when they needed to.

My opinion of the post-season:
Brief, yes, but filled with passion (shitting the bed in game 4 aside). The Getzlaf line did exactly what they needed to shut down Big Joe, Cap'n Patty and the Guch. The fight between Getzlaf and Thornton was a BEAUTY (even though i only got to see it in higlights - effing Versus...) - Just when I think I can't possibly love that big man any more, he goes and feeds lefts to Getzy like he's asking, "Please, sir, may I have some mo'?"

Anyone who knows my love of goalies is perplexed when they are with me while watching a Sharks game. I realize that Nabokov is a good goalie, but I lack confidence in him for some reason. My cries of "I LOVE MY GOALIE!!!!" at WHL games turn into "I love my goalie?" watching Nabby. It's a love/hate relationship. I think after the two losses at home, and especially during game 4, Boucher should've been in net - if for nothing else than to send a message to the team. When that man is hot in net, the thing becomes inpenetrable. Would it have made a difference in the series? Maybe, maybe not. Jonas Hiller took on the role of the Jaws-killing "Brody" like Johnny Depp took on the role of Jack Sparrow - it was scary.

My thoughts on changes to be made within the team:
The cry all around, "Trade Joe Thornton because he doesn't produce during playoffs!"
I call bullshit on that. Like I said earlier, Game 4 aside, this was a battle against Hiller and the team in front of him knew exactly who to shut down to help their goalie on his superstar streak.
Sure some off-season changes will be made, that's going to happen anywhere, but I don't think trading Thornton is the answer. He's the assist-king. He's a passer that shoots when he has the opportunity (and those are usually in the back of the net).

To tell you the truth, I'm not a coach or a gm (don't look so shocked! lol) and I don't know what's going on inside the locker room, but it seems to me that with a season like this one, those HUGE trades would only break the chemistry down.

My inner-struggle with who to root for now:
I'm torn. While I don't want to root for the team who made mine look like their red-headed step-child (i can say that - i am one), one of the fibers woven into my being is the one that is Coach Carr from Mean Girls repeating in my ear "If you cheer for the Red Wings, you will get pregnant and die". (Seriously, it was almost a deal-breaker when first dating McMan)
Advantage: Quacks
Plus, if they win the whole thing, it makes the sting of losing to them in the first round not quite as bad.

My parting words for the Sharks 2008-2009 Season:
After the home-and-home to end the regular season, I was afraid of meeting the Ducks in the first round. They're a good team and they fought hard to win in the Shark Tank and got the job done. Had it been any other team, I'm fairly certain I'd still be rocking my Roenick jersey, rushing to the car to turn on my XM on my way home to plop myself in front of the HD feed, cheering my team on. It wasn't the Sharks' year, yet again. Maybe being an Ams fan through the good, the bad, and now back to the good has prepared me for this.

I ♥ my team. See you next season, Sharkies.

First two games: a reaction.

2009-04-19T21:55:00.000-07:00

EFF.

That's my reaction. EFF.

Jonas Hiller is doing the same thing Giguiere did back in 2003, and it's pissing me off.

Down 2 games, the Sharks need to figure out how to get more than a couple pucks past this guy. Powerplay needs to improve and Nabokov needs to get his swagger back.

I've got a massive sore throat, so the yelling, though massive in quantity, was quite subdued.

Come on, Sharkies. I freakin believe in you - you can do this.

Flying Monkey Report - Playoff Mission 09-01: Complete

2009-04-15T10:17:00.000-07:00

McPhizzle wanted us to get this posted yesterday, but we had a bit of a change in plans when we arrived at the inner sanctum of Girlwithapuck.com. You see, normally, being flying monkeys and all, we’re pretty good about getting in, getting what we want and then getting out. However, McP failed to warn us about the canine that has been added to Finny’s family. We hate dogs – especially dogs that don’t fall for our “go fetch” distraction techniques. Luckily, one of us had some beef jerky in a pouch that gave us enough time to move the photo of the Quacks hoisting the cup in 2007, console one member of the squadron who went into hysterics about how it should’ve been the Senators, and crack the code to (STRIKE) steal(/STRIKE) *ahem* borrow the list Ms. Finny had been keeping safe for Randy Carlyle. P.S. Finny, You should really change the combo on that safe. 37-55-55? Ducks-Lightning-Canucks? Anyone who has half an O’Brain cell would figure those jersey numbers out... If you’re picking up what we’re putting down.

Enjoy,
The Flying Monkeys.

Intercepted Communique Labeled Top Secret.

To: Randy Carlyle
From: Christy Finn

RE: Top 10

10. Cup Count. Anaheim: 13 players, total of 17 Rings. San Jose: 6 players, total of 9 Rings. The Ducks have more than half their roster full of men who’ve fully experienced the bitter battle and tasted the sweetness of Victory, drinking it freely from Lord Stanley’s Cup. They know what it’s like to heft that three foot trophy into the air, claim it as their own, and spend an entire summer celebrating their conquest. They also know the pain of watching something they’ve lain claim to pass on into the hands of another, the hands of an opponent, the hands of someone else. They’ll be driven to do what they can to give them another chance at re-claiming their lost treasure. And, more importantly, they know what they need to do, what kind of sacrifice, what kind of superhuman ability will be required – not asked – of them come puck-drop. Now, it’s go time.
09. Quacks No Longer. Once ridiculed as a joke, the Ducks long dropped their image as diminutive quacks trying to get people to take them seriously. Instead, they’ve adopted a rep for being a bully. It’s just like that kid you poked fun at when he was smaller, fatter, slower than you… until he grows up to become a lean, mean, hefty, muscled grown teenager with a long memory and a complex from all the teasing you put him through. Then, the funny business ends and the revenge of the one-time loser begins. Same story. Anaheim went from joke to yoked in a couple of seasons, bulldozing their way to the Cup in 2007. The 2009 Ducks aren’t too different from that squad. Some of the players have changed, but not the formula. Anaheim still boasts a line-up that doesn’t fear a pair of fists from the expected (George Parros) down to the unexpected (Bobby Ryan).
08. The Big 8. What can I say? I love Teemu Selanne. He’s a former Shark, so there’s a little added incentive to gain the upper-hand. Nevermind that the Sharks have a couple ex-Ducks who were part of the Cup-winning team in 2007, so clearly they have some added incentive to up their game against Anaheim. Still, with Selanne entering his waning years in the league, I’m sure he’ll be pumped up to make this run a good one. If anything, he’ll definitely be a problem for the Sharks if he gets the chance to. He’s ranked 5th in the NHL with 16 PPGs.
07. 4-on-4. No, not the play. I’m talking about Claude Lemieux’s four Cup Rings vs. Scott Niedermayer’s four Cup Rings. Lemieux, at age 43, may not have enough gas in the tank to push him through a grinding series against the Ducks. He’s one of those guys who can elevate his game when it comes down to playoff time and can provide veteran presence for the young Sharkies, but he’s got nothing but his age to beat out Anaheim’s four-time Cup winner, Scott Niedermayer. Scotty’s got a 8 year advantage on Lemieux at the ripe, youthful age of 35, and who’s still at the top of his game, all day, everyday. Scotty’s won every single major hockey championship in his career, from the Memorial Cup, World Junior Championship gold, World Championship gold, Olympic gold, four Stanley Cups, and the World Cup of Hockey. Advantage: Niedermayer. Come to think of it, Scotty always comes with the advantage… So, advantage: Anaheim.
06. Double D. As in, defense. Anaheim’s got the blueline special backing them up all the way to the crease, and the line runs deep. Two Norris Trophy winners beef up the blueline in Scott Niedermayer and rough-and-tough (maybe too-tough) Chris Pronger, and the newly returned Boom-Boom specializer, Francois Beauchemin. Added into that mix is Ryan Whitney who played a big role in defending his former team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, to the Finals in ’06.
05. Streaky Sneaky. The Ducks fumbled through much of their season, until they pulled it together to run a hot 7-2-1 record in their last 10. The Sharks, on the flipside of things, fumbled a bit with a 5-4-1 Last-10 record. If they keep that up, they’ll end up repeating history and being shown the door by their younger, southerner siblings. If the Ducks keep up their hotness, they’ll streak right on past the Sharks, but it definitely won’t be easy.
04. You Score, I Score. Anaheim’s offensive talent tips heavily in the direction of the Big Boys on the Numero Uno line, yet Scott Niedermayer, Rob Niedermayer* and Chris Pronger nailed over 10 goals each, indicating that offense can come off any line and at any given time. Most of the opposition will cite the chunk of goals bearing the Perry-Ryan-Getzlaf or Selanne name to mean that if they can shut them down, they’ll lock the quarterfinal up in their favor. I wouldn’t be so sold on that argument if I was San Jose since the name of the game is Step It Up (also known as: Win or Go Golfing), I’ll guarantee some playoff heroes will emerge when others are overly-focused on the moneymakers. [*No word on how many of those goals were empty-netters. Safe to say, a lot of 'em were.]
03. Monster Goalie. Okay, so he’s had his crappy moments this season, still J.S. Giguere has the ability to steal some games if need be (since it's a safe bet that Jonas Hiller will get the nod before J.S. does). But he’s done it before, he can definitely do it again. In 2003, he tossed the whole of the bench on his back and heroically carried them to within one game of Cup glory. In 2006, he brought us to the WCF where we lost to the eventual Cup-winners. And in 2007, he backed us up the distance and enabled us to snatch the Cup from Ottawa. Despite his less-than-impressive season, Jiggy still has it in him… he just needs to lay it all out on the ice and get the job done. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.
02. Chew Up Cheechoo. That’s not necessarily a real reason why Anaheim ought to win, but really, something’s got to be done about that little sniper. Anaheim’s got the manpower to do it. The question that remains is will Anaheim find a way to take Cheechoo-choo down?
01. SoCal > NorCal anytime, anyplace. ‘Nuff said. Bring it on, NorCal. The Ducks are hella ready.

Some interesting stuff up there. Needless to say, this will be a good series, filled with emotional, rivalry-filled games and a few choice texts and tweets swapped between McP and Finny. Yes, we’ve got plenty of beer in the fridge for game-watching. It’s a good thing, too – we’re on 24/7 patrol - Casa McP is on lockdown after the Radical Redhead herself found an intruder from GwaP hacking into her precious new laptop. Maybe Finny was up to the same tricks we were. Well played, Quack-fan, Well played.

Ask and Ye shall recieve!

2009-04-13T20:58:00.000-07:00

I called it in Hammer's Liveblog last week!

THE RETURN OF THE TIMBERFRO!!!

*does a little dance*

Ding dong

2009-04-13T15:55:00.001-07:00

"Hello, Quack quack?"
"Candy gram."
"Quack what??"
"Uh... Flowers."
"I'm allergic to flowers, Quack..."
"Stale bread?"
*duck opens door* "Oh no! Quack! Landshark!"

So it begins. The civil war of hockey in California. North versus South. McP versus Finny. We've already discussed it. Both returning to hockey blogging at the same time, this was bound to happen. We've vowed to remain friends no matter what the outcome is.

She's scared - as well she should be. My Sharkies won the President's Trophy this year - that's pretty impressive! Having a record of 32-5-4 at home this year bodes well for the fishes.

HOWEVER - The Sharks and Ducks have battled it out all year. I'm not thinking the Quacks are going to swim right over to an exposed dorsal fin or anything. The Sharks need to want this. The need to play for it and they need to work as a team to get there.

I'm not skipping ahead to any thoughts on the second round, because, well, the first hasn't technically started yet. Let's just say I have confidence in my team. And I'll be on my couch sporting the 27 of My precious JR every game I can catch.

Edouard says "me too, mama." (which sounds an awful like "meow")

Night night WHL playoffs...

2009-04-13T15:30:00.000-07:00

Well, it’s over. Spring and Summer are my favorite seasons. It’s almost ironic that my favorite sport, my “social life” and the place I feel most at home is someplace I only get to spend the Fall and Winter.

I wasn’t sure if I was going to make this entry or not, but after putting the sign up in my office that reads, “Yes, the Americans lost. Yes, the season is over. No, I don’t want to talk about it.” I figured I should get a few feelings out so that I didn’t flip out on the Corporate Express delivery guy when he will inevitably ask me how I’m doing with the outcome of the season despite the sign.

So the Rockets did some damage. Ok, a lot of damage. This time it was to the boys on the ice – not me. “Que?” you ask? Well, last time these two teams faced off in round 2 (2004) I got hit in the foot with an errant puck during OT. Bruised the bone – luckily I was wearing boots that night instead of my standard flip-flops. About two weeks later, I dot to gracefully walk onto the Miss TC stage for my audition with a lovely moon boot (aka walking cast). They beat us a few days later at home. Easter Sunday, as it were. Hmm... Maybe Jesus hearts Kelowna on his resurrection day?

It’s bittersweet, really. So many young men poured their heart and soul into this season, some veterans, some rookies. It’s going to be strange not to see a few faces on the ice next year.

Taylor Procsychen – I remember when that kid was a tiny, carrot-topped rookie taking photos with Wendy, Tawnie and I at post-game skates. Always more than willing to stop and say hi to fans big and small and offer a blessing over the meal and attendees at the Booster Club’s annual Christmas party.
You gave your very best effort on the ice to us for five years and led the team in so many ways. Please be very proud of yourself and the man you’ve become - we are. Let the Lord guide you in your future endeavors and please come back and visit whenever possible.

Jason Reese – It’s hard to even think that he once wore a Giants uniform. All I can think of now is the vocal forward in red, white and blue. As close as we’ve gotten to a “local boy” in a few years, it was great hearing his mom scream his full given name when he would drop the gloves and seeing his proud little sister always wearing his button and becoming a familiar face around the rink.
Thanks for helping me choose the quesadilla that night at Applebee’s – I’ll think of you every time I order it now – especially with a “Brewtus” sized beer!

Mitch Fadden – The other half of this year’s “Red Headed Wonder Twins”. I’m not gonna lie, I’ve been a fan of this kid since he played for the Thunderbirds (shut up, we all know I’m a traitorous whore). I’ve never seen an Am with better puck handling AND a great personality. When he asked McNephew for “knucks” after a post-game skate, he had my Auntie-heart on a platter. Now, whenever he has his finger up his two-year-old nose, we giggle and tell him to stop giving the “Mitch Fadden Salute”.
Good luck in your promising career, Mitch, and even though you only spent 52 games here, please don’t forget how much we love and appreciate how hard you worked for our team.

Chet Pickard – This one hurts. He’s most likely played his last game in an Ams sweater, and while I’m excited for him to move on and for his professional career to flourish, it’s hard for me to celebrate him not returning to us. One look at him skating back and forth after being scored on or up to the stands when Dan was in town to get feedback (via the famous hand signals) tells you how committed he was to playing well for the Ams. The same held true about his celebrations when a game had gone well. Possibly one of the most down-to-earth people I’ve ever met with his level of talent. That’s not surprising after meeting and becoming friends with his family.
Chet, you have no idea how much joy you brought to your little buddy, GoCamGo. Getting to skate with you is something he still talks about. There aren’t many little boys who can say that they took their first lap around the rink with a first round draft pick when they weren’t even two yet.
To the Pickard family – Thank you for sharing your son (and brother) with us and for sharing yourselves as well. I can’t wait to see you next year even though you’ll be cheering for the TBirds – Especially you, Kelly – I know this is supposed to be about your brother, but you’re one of the most fun people I’ve met in a long time and know I can always count on you for a laugh when I need one the most. I wish I had a hot, single brother for you to marry so you could be in my crazy-ass family.

I’m not going to speculate on which 19-year-olds will be back next year as it hurts my heart too much. Needless to say, with my “son” Jarrett being one of them, the 20 y/o deadline will be a nail biter for me.

To those returning to camp in August to earn their jobs back, have a good summer, but please be safe. There is so much talent brewing in each of you! I have a whole different perspective of the young boys this year for some reason this year. Maybe it’s because it has been three years since I’ve shared a house (and bathroom) with a rookie and have finally let go of the hurt that a certain player caused after leaving the team. Play hard, work out harder, do things that make you a little bit uncomfortable to broaden your comfort zone and do something nice for someone once in a while. (And Spencer, spend some time with your little sister – You’ll be gone from home for good in a few years and it really will mean more to her than you could imagine).

So, night-night, 2008-2009 Tri-City Americans. Thank you for an amazing year and another US Division Championship.

Oh yes, one more thing. GO GIANTS! BEAT THOSE DIRTY CHIEFS!

Ma McP and I cover the ACMs

2009-04-05T22:50:00.000-07:00

After the Sharks game (and after Ma called to comment on Carrie Underwear) I turned on the ACMs in HD - which took a few minutes since I had to hook up an air-antenna - stupid Dish Network and Fisher Broadcasting fued...

Our text-fest started when Miss Carrie was performing "I Told You So" wearing that beautiful, billowing, red dress.

Ma: That dress is either over-the-top or just all over!
McP: I want to be her when I grow up... You think the red dress was to symbolize "standing by her man?"
Ma: For sure.
Ma: He was hiding under there with the whole team.
Ma: (re: her acceptance speech saying she knew she was forgetting someone) Um... "my boyfriend?!"
McP: LOL!!! So True!
McP: (re: Blake Shelton) This guy called me Darlin' when I met him after the concert here.
Ma: You so sick.
Ma: (re: Taylor Swift) What's with wearing one dress all night?
McP: she's young, we'll forgive her.
Ma: Just this once.
Ma: Maybe Underwear can give her a yard or two off that train. Like she would miss it.
McP: I bet she would, she's a good Christian girl. I'll ask her - after all, she is my sister wife (refering to her relationship with myhusband Mike Fisher)
Ma: She's makin all you compound dresses - and all the sister children.
McP: As long as those compound dresses look like the white one she's wearing now, I'm down.
McP: (re: her acceptance speech for Entertainer of the Year) "mike, baby, I wish you were here!" what about me??
Ma: Wrongo. The cup - oh wait. She's got the fisherman soon!

Hey, Spokane..

2009-03-07T11:57:00.000-08:00

Ams lock up U.S. title with win in Kent

We're having a great time in Kent. So far, Kelly has biffed it out of the hotel shuttle, got to meet Calvin's superfan, got a quick tour of the Tbirds locker room (pretty sick, not gonna lie), and narrowly escaped seeing a naked man in the hall of the hotel. Oh yes, and lots of alcohol has been consumed.

Good times are being had by all... well, all Ams fans, that is.

UnClassy Spokane 2.0

2009-03-01T11:48:00.000-08:00

After talking with MaMcP who got the lowdown on the happs after the cameras quit rolling from the billet bro, I now have a couple other things to say:

I heart Bob Tory's passion for the game and his team.
I effing can't stand Tokarski and would tell him exactly how classless and immature he comes off to his face in an effort to help the young man not be a douchebag.
Mitch Wahl can lick my proverbial left nut. You're an 18 year old young man, which means you're an ADULT. You are someone that young players from the States look up to as a member of Team USA. Take the high-road. Pointing at your Mem Cup ring as you're walking by the bus holding a fellow member of the 2008 Draft class who YOUR TEAMMATE attacked is immature and unnecessary.

As a fan, my rivalry with the Chiefs used to end once they stepped off the ice. I had a billet brother who became a CHief in a trade and enjoyed his time there. I appreciate the Chiefs organization for offering free tickets to my parents for every game TRI played up there one year after they had a HORRIBLE experience in the stands (they turned it down and have only been back on rooter busses since) AND for what a great show they put on in that arena. That rivalry has changed. As those kids represent that organization as leaders, I now will be adopting the motto of my fellow Maple Leaf Mafia member, Hammer, "Spokanistan. This is war."

We'll see what all the suspensions and fines end up being after last night. I'm sure the Ams will get whats coming to them as well, but REALLY,Spokane?! Really?! No need to goon it up OFF the ice, too.

Completely UN-Classy, Spokane.

2009-02-28T22:34:00.000-08:00

In tonight's match up between the Tri-City Americans and the Spokane Chiefs at the Spokane Memorial Veterans Arena, things got a little out of hand. With the Ams clearly in the lead, goaltender Chet Pickard made a save on a Spokane shot and a clear 2+ second later, was hit in the head with an elbow by the Chiefs' Letts (commonly referred to by McBroInLaw as "that asshat monkey bitch"). This shot to the head ended the game for Chet, the Predator's first round pick from 2008. Letts got a 5 minute major and a game misconduct.

Now, I'm not saying that after this the Ams were angelic, but the game went downhill at 90mph after that. I don't have the energy to comment on everything we swore at in the basement at McMan's house, but I will say this:

1) I never thought I'd say this, but I want the screaming kids back - the new snowboarding, stoner, "song writing" neighbors that moved into the other half of McMan's duplex earlier this week are giving an impromtu concert in the basement tonight. Um, it's almost 11 - can we go unplugged? OMGsh - be careful what you wish for - they've busted out the effing bongos. Where's Matthew McConaughey?

2)You may or may not know that I'm not exactly a fan of Dustin Tokarski, but after tonight, that is an understatement. He could've taken the high road and stayed patiently in his crease toward the end of the game while Mitch McColm was being escorted to the locker room after having a "tender moment" with a Chief. Instead he skated to the blue line and beaked the known-fighter. Then, to beak the Ams as they're leaving the ice after the game? Pipe down, Tik. You were a little bit of a sieve tonight - it's all good, it's one game, every goalie has that night. You're already signed by the team that drafted you, skate off, go have a milkshake - hell, even a beer - and get over it. Tomorrow is another day.

For real. Bongos AND guitar now. Awesome. *rolls eyes*

ANYWAY - like I said to Tokarski, tomorrow is another day. We'll see what the league has to say about the suspension they should be handing to Mr. Letts, and we'll see if Chet is still seeing stars before the Ams face the Winterhawks at home tomorrow night. I know all the Ams fans are hoping McNephew was right when he was pacing in front of the TV saying, "My buddy Chet OK. My buddy Chet OK."

Another reason to Heart Carrie Underwear...

2009-02-17T23:09:00.000-08:00

There to see her man (and myhusband), Mike Fisher play the greatest sport EVER and not to draw attention to herself, Carrie hits the floor faster than a fainting goat listening to that Tatiana Del Toro laugh (you know, crazy-bitch from American Idol season 8?).

If you listen hard enough I think you can hear her say, "Are those Air Bombay Loafers?!" (10 points for those who can name that flick.)

I hate bad news.

2009-02-12T21:37:00.000-08:00

My birthdad called me tonight to let me know that one of my favorite crazy aunts had a massive stroke and heart attack today in the parking lot of a grocery store.

They're pulling the plug within the hour.

I'm so glad I went to see all three of those wonderful, beautiful sisters last fall in Yakima.

Tell me again why I'm watching Grey's Anatomy?

Dear 8 lb 6 oz Baby Jesus, Please give us beautiful babies!

2009-01-06T22:57:00.000-08:00

HOLY HOTNESS, BATMAN!

+ = ♥?

Doing my daily reading of PerezHilton.com, I came across the little tidbit that my girlfriend2.0 (Carrie Underwear - close second to my Xtina) and my HusbandMikeFisher are allegedly a couple. If this is true, Never before has there been a celebrity/hockeyplayer relationship I have endorsed more or as whole-heartedly! And if it's not... Well, It should be!

People who know me know how much I love and respect Mike Fisher for not holding back his beliefs and his giving back to the community that's given him so much. They also know that I feel a kinship with the American Idol winner (and former Miss America Organization Contestant) - not to mention, I want to have her babies... wait, that's not right... but it's true - i could look at her for days - and listen to her sing longer.)

I'm sending the flying monkeys to check on this...

Jingle Sharks

2008-12-24T23:43:00.000-08:00

Nothing better to lure Santa to Ma McP's house than a shirtless Joe Thornton singing Jingle Bells

Gotta love Ricci.. and the Euros - and Boucher pretending he's Nabby...

Hope everyone has a great Holiday :)

Buddy the Elf, What's your favorite color?!

2008-12-13T01:07:00.000-08:00

x-posted to HLOG

Well, since there is a huge wind storm here and I can't sleep, I might as well be productive. Getting right down to business, my job today is to report to Santa and let him know who on the Sharkies (or around the league) has been naughty or nice and let him know what a few people need for Christmas.

Naughty list - as a perpetual optimist, I tend to look for the good in people, so this list is rather short.
*Rob Blake - Match penalty for spearing last night warrants a lump of coal in his stocking.
*Brett Festerling (ANA) - The potentially dangerous hit on JR last night. Two lumps of coal and a flaming bag of poo for a present. **Personal note: Brett, Brett, Brett... I'm really excited that you made it to the show (especially since you played in TRI for so long), but can you please refrain from breaking my favorite players? He's old enough to be your father - Respect your elders and don't hit them in the numbers.

Nice list -
*Devin Setoguchi, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau - whatever they want, they should get. fer reals.
*Jonathan Cheechoo - a new upper body so that injury will go away.
*Dan Boyle - See suggestion for Seto, Joe and Patty
*Nabby and Boucher - See suggestion for Dan Boyle
*JR - scoring stats reminicent of his days in Chicago
*Vlasic - a jar of pickles... and some more goals - kid's doing better than all last season already this year. Keep it up!
*Jody Shelley - another crack at Parros
*Coach McLellan - Players who keep buying into his systems
*Little Joe Pavelski - More wins at the ping pong table
*Torrey Mitchel - A new leg
*Cavanagh, Clowe, Goc, Grier, Michalek, Plihal, Erhoff, Lukowich, Murray and Semenov - 6 more months of exactly what they have been doing.

In other words, Santa, without jinxing anything, my reccomendation is that you bring these guys something that starts with an "S" and ends with a "tanley Cup" You can deliver it via Bettman in approximately 6 months.

I heart XM Radio!!!

2008-10-30T19:30:00.000-07:00

So I would have to say that my investment in XM Radio has paid for itself time and time again, but yesterday (on a particularly stressful day at work) it completely made my day.

Not being able to decide on a music station to listen to, I turned to trusty channel 204, NHL Home Ice. First thing I hear is that the next caller/guest they were going to be talking to on "NHL Live!" was Jumbo Joe Thornton. Didn't have a chance to jot down too many notes about what he said, but he was adorable... well, as adorable as a large, hairy, hockey player can be. No wonder I'm infatuated with him - he's a NERD! He confessed that he plays Risk online constantly - always starting with Ontario, of course. His thoughts on the new season are that 1) it's still young, they're not getting ahead of themselves, 2) they've addressed their issues and it's all about playing well in the new system and working well together, which he thinks they're doing well.

A little later in the afternoon on "In the Slot," they completed the trifecta of McP's favorite power forwards - Jeremy Roenick and Todd Bertuzzi. I was emitting squee from my freaking pores.

JR –
He called Brian Boucher their “shut out king.” HA!!!!!! I for real LOL'd

On new coach, Todd McClellan – He's implemented a good system and he's all business, no foolin' around. The system is more like Detroit – which we all know works extremely well… high paced, center-driven shooting mentality. The guys accepting and enjoying it. He's excited for the game tonight against Detroit.

About his age and the late stage of his career: He's having so much fun even though ice time dropped. As much as he didn't know if he would, he enjoys being the roll player, setting an example for the younger kids by working hard – plus, he admitted, he's getting older, only so much a body can take, but it’s a great feeling. Pavelski, Setoguchi and Mitchell coming to him for advice gives him as much satisfaction as making the big hit or scoring the big goal because he sees that people still admire him and see his hard work. Papa JR even has the young guys over for dinner once or twice a week to make sure they’re being fed well.

On ending his career with the Sharkies: His buddy "Dougie" Wilson stepped up to the plate when he was looking for a place to go and he is very grateful for the opportunity afforded him. Roenick is happy to be ending his career with his head held high and with a team as classy as SJ.

On why Hockey players are so loved by their fans: There is no question in his mind that the egos and the personalities are far and away more likable and respectful in hockey in general than any other sport. If an NBA player was asked, "Who’s the best player in the league?" Jeremy says the only answer you'd get would be, "I am!" As a hockey player the same question, it's not gonna happen. Hockey players have a respect for the media and that the NHL has a nice clean slate (compared to other sports). The players are approachable and that not only makes them more likable, but more fun to watch.

Rossi and Espo didn’t want to jinx it, but they “have a feeling about the Sharks this year"….. if you’re pickin’ up what I’m puttin’ down...

Then there was *drumroll please* Todd "Toddball" Bertuzzi!!! My squee cup runneth over!!!

Why did he pick #7 when he got to Calgary? Funny they should ask him that, as Espo was the inspiration. He came up with it with some buddies over some beers.

How does he like playing LW? He Played RW majority of time he was in Van but when he was in Anaheim, he had a little eye trouble with left eye (fluid) and asked to be moved to LW so he could see the ice better... Makes perfect sense. Plus, he doesn't think he couldn't bump Iggy out of the RW position if he tried. As long as he's skating and moving the puck, he'll play anything.

Speaking of, how is it playing with Iginla? He's never met a more competitive human being in his entire life.

What about Andre Roy? "He's a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful man." Andre sits behind him on the plane - it's like own little commentator behind him.

Why Calgary? Spoke to Jerome a bit, and talked to Mike Keenan. He feels he also needed to get back into a hockey market. With no disrespect to Florida or Anaheim, he just felt he needed the pressure that he was being counted on.

When he was a Canuck, he was playing at around 250-245 pounds. He's now 225… skinny Todd! "Kids are too fast now, had to lose it to keep up!"

Todd enjoys passing – would rather have an assist rather than a goal. (To which Espo froke out - "You were born in Sudbury, not New York!") His goal is to get back to 4-6 quality shots a game to get back to 25-40 goal range.

Espo then brought up the little nugget of laughter he'd been talking about the day before - Interviewing Todd after the draft, the price tag was still attached to his brand new suit. A Buddy told him to leave it on. Hockey players... It's all about the buddies.

So after that interview ended, I was able to get back to work... I can neither confirm nor deny that I had a couple voicemails to answer.

Cutest, Fluffiest Sharks fan... a report by the flying monkeys

2008-10-28T21:47:00.000-07:00

This is Eddie. He's 10 weeks old, loves watching the Sharks and enjoys working on his goalie moves, giving himself baths and long naps next to the Mazel Tov picture frame on the piano.

His natural goalie talent came out at a young age. From the day after McPhizzle adopted him, he'd play with his track ball, stopping it and covering it. Auntie VonHammer was one of the first to notice - and the first to ref him. He covered the ball for two long, prompting her to call him for delay of game.

Full Name: Edouard "Eddie" Vesa Thornton McPhizzle
Favorite Food: Science Diet Liver and Chicken
Favorite Drink: Water or Organic Lactose Free Milk
Favorite Toy: Trackball Scratcher or toilet paper tubes
First Word: Meow
Favorite Sharks: Jumbo Joe and JR
Favorite Goalie Style: A little butterfly, a little pad stack...
Favorite Place to sleep: McP's keyboard or face... we're working on both of those.
Favorite TV show: Sharks hockey, Private Practice
Favorite Naughty Moment: Knocking the collage frame of Agnes down on the piano.
Favorite lap to sit in: McP... Take that, McMan!

The Feminist in McPhizzle

2008-10-19T17:06:00.000-07:00

A message to Sarah Palin from the Young Girls of America

Whoever you're planning to vote for, please become educated! and Please vote!!!

Weekend Updates

2008-10-12T20:21:00.000-07:00

Spent the weekend scrapbooking and relaxing with my Doodle and 'lil man while her hubby was duck hunting and McMan was finishing up his tour of Western Canada. Got almost all of the DisneyWorld 2007 scrapbook done! YESSS!!!

Ams did well last night... Can't say the same for Friday, but it was the end of a long road trip.

McMan is home!!!

After work tomorrow, I'll stop by my place to get the blueberry pie I just baked on the way to Ma's for Thanksgiving(CAN) dinner!!! I'm so stoked. I'm contemplating skipping lunch. Ma's invited some boys whose billets aren't celebrating.. Should be interesting.

Sharkies won again tonight. 1-0. Boucher in goal - nice to see the former American doing well and getting some ice time in the shadow of Nabby. 15th career shut-out for Mr. Brian Boucher.

THIS little nugget made me giggle... I try to keep my political views private, but since so many people are assuming I'm a Palin fan because we're both former Miss America Organization participants, I have to say, there's no way I want my Vice President dropping the puck and waving to the crowd like she should have something sparkly on her head or saying that her favorite theme of a pageant was "Amer-I Can!".

Don't go in the water....

2008-10-09T20:19:00.000-07:00

There seem to be some Sharks circling! That's right, ladies and germs, the NHL Regular Season has begun for us fans of the finned and I'm ready to dive back in! Well, at least put my feet in the shallow end.

A lot has changed over the summer for the NoCal team - A new coach and lots of different faces in the dressing room.

08-09 Season... My quick thoughts as I'm watching the game:

New Coach - I wasn't down on RW, but shaking things up behind the bench might be what gets them past the second round of the playoffs - but they need to make the playoffs first. He's been described as a good bench-coach, I can roll with that, hopefully the players can, too.

Revamped D - Gone are Campbell (no surprise), Carle, Rivet and Brown. Shiny and new are Blake (Will take a while to get used to that one), Boyle and Lukowich. If the D meshes well together, they'll make things even easier for Nabby, who we all know I have a love/hate relationship with. If they can put up a few points, I'll be a very happy fishie fan (Plus, who wouldn't love a kid with a nickname like Pickles?!). Also, would like to send my best wishes to Kyle McLaren in the AHL - I've always been a big fan of his.

Forwards - Familiar faces Thornton, Marleau and Cheechoo need to put up consistant points. I have every faith in each of them that they can - and every hope that they will. Please? Pretty please? Setoguchi looks good - like he spent the summer waiting trying to impress a girl at the gym - and it worked! Pavelski, Plihal, Michalek, Clowe and Goc are sure to do their fair share and Jeremy Roenick is going into his 21st season - how stinkin' impressive is that!?!?! Ok, ok, I know not everyone is a JR fan, but I have been for as long as I can remember - and the fact that he's spent the last two years of his career (for real this time?) with my team pretty much thrills me to no end. He looks good, too and is super hungry for the cup... will that be enough? ...my pretty please just worked, 0-1 Cheechoo from Boyle (Welcome!) and Michalek... PS. Get well soon, Mitchell!

My prediction: I know it sounds cliche, but if this team gels in a speedy fashion, it's hard to imagine they wouldn't be back in the race for the Pacific Division title, but it wont be easy. The Ducks and the Stars are a perpetual poachers looking for some shark fin soup. 0-2 PP Goal - Cheechoo from Thornton and Blake - ok, it's getting easier to read that name in teal. Sorry, Finny! As for playoffs, ever the optimist, I'm dreaming of being able to watch the 3rd ground without a scowl on my face, wondering who to cheer for while the hostess calls for "Bitter, Party of One?"

If the first two periods of this game are any indication of how the rest of the season is going to go, this could be the season we've all been dreaming of.... I'm not saying, I'm just saying...

Hockey season?!

2008-10-05T22:32:00.000-07:00

I'll update on the Ams and Sharkies as soon as I don't want to punch myself in the face with a flaming blocker.

It's really annoying how much I miss McMan as he is on his Eastern Swing adventure, taking in more hockey in 11 days than should be allowed in October. Especially without one's smokin' hot g/f... Who happens to have a Bestie in Saskatoon who she hasn't seen in approximately 5 years.

I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.

Hammer has Inspired me...

2008-09-07T01:04:00.001-07:00

I'm not gonna lie, before this weekend I had thought of blogging, but hadn't done it. Mostly because I was busy with my cousin's wedding last weekend (free wine - don't abuse the system - you will end up leaving the 2 bottles of wine that you ingested on someone's driveway - and I don't mean in the bottles.....), had to get Casa McP ready for the Mafia's visit this weekend, prepare for McMan's birthday (yesterday) and tend to my aching knee - which apparently has decided to to TU right before hockey season and the big gear-up for our huge evaluation at work. Joy of joys.

HOWEVER - In having Hammer and VonHammer here the past two nights and hearing of Hammers tales of blogging buddies, comment-fests and posts galore, I am re-energized.

Quick updates:
* My knee effing hurts. The Toyota center needs to invest in some hand rails so getting up and down the stairs can be done safely and with less pain to those joint-ily challenged like me. Or they need to allow flying monkies to enter the building - stupid no pets rules...

* I heart my goalie. I heart that my goalie is going to Nashville for camp. I, however, do not heart that we'll be without him for a time, leaving me with little confidence in who will be here in his stead. I know not everyone can be Chet Pickard... but at least when Carey was away, we had Chetter to fall back on.

* I need to get my Dish fixed. Damnit.

* *NSYNC's "Pop" came on the stereo in Hammer's car this night as we were leaving the rink. I can neither confirm nor deny that I almost put a McP-shaped hole in the roof of her car and squeeled like a ... well, let's face it, like a 19 year-old McP. I miss them. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who still listens to them on a regular basis.... or plays their songs on the piano when she's feeling low and/or blue.... I mean, I'm just sayin...

* Hammer's comment on the mix cd I have playing right now, "This CD is filled with songs I had forgotten existed."

* The shoe check we witnessed tonight was flinking amazing.

* It's HOCKEY SEASON, BITCHES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Update!

2008-07-22T22:46:00.000-07:00

*Miss Roomie was named 1st Runner up in the state pageant and will be traveling to Hoopston, IL for the national Sweetheart Pageant! YAY! I'm so proud of you!!!!!!

*McMan's surgery went well last week and he's home and off of the pain meds - still is in a relatively large amount of pain, but as long as he keep it elevated and stays hyrated, we're good to go.

*Starting to get minorly excited about hockey season... it's been a LOOOOONNNGGG spring/summer.

*Thinking of going back to the more auburn-side of brunette... I miss being "that redhead"

*Singing the Anthems tomorrow at the Little League Tourney in the big Wick. Hopefully my voice holds out... I'm starting to lose the "i'm NOT getting sick" battle

AAAND on a happier note...

2008-06-30T22:30:00.001-07:00

After chatting with Hammer a bit tonight, I feel much better about cracking under the pressure of Fred the GD Tumor tonight. Especially after realizing that even Cindy Crosby the Human cracks from time to time... even though, as Hammer pointed out, he copes by extreme amounts of exercise and i cope by eating too much teriyaki and drinking copious amounts of splenda-sweetened iced tea.

Without further ado, I give you the "Quotes of the Night" from the 2nd Annual Maple Leaf Mafia Canada Day Celebration.

Quotes from the NHL Monopoly pre-party:

"It's the Ryan Getzlaf House of Hairy Teeth and Balding" - Hammer re: Anaheim

"He looks like Bob the Builder!" - McP
"I fucking love it." - Hammer
re: Drayson Bowman in the Yellow Hard Hat

"It's the no juice juice." - Hammer re: KoolAid

"No one else likes playing Monopoly because they're sucky suckholes." - Hammer

Quotes from the Party:

"Put that wang away!" - SlutBucket

"Guess we're going to Dairy Queen." - SlutBucket re: Hammer forgetting about the grill

"I took her under my stinky armpit years ago." - Hammer re: Glitter being one of her former students.

"We almost had to stay in the Dalles!" - The Lumberjack on the commute from Portland to the party

"Did you take the wrapper off?" - everyone
"Ok, it's officially funny." - VonHammer re:Canadian Pride tattoos.

"WHO SHIT?!?!?!" - Hammer Re: Pims and Jake leaving presents upstairs

"Fuck off with the CanadArm!" - Hammer during the Great Canadian Board Game

"We didn't even have alcohol at that party. It was just funny!" - Hammer re: 'it rhymes with muffalo!"

"Two words, it rhymes with Paint Johns." - Hammer

"Fuck off! ... neh... I don't owe you anything!" - VonHammer re: helping the Lunberjack win the game

"My favorite people are here with no underware." - Hammer re: the dogs and McP

"Schon of a Bitcsch." - Hammer & McP doing their best Bryan Murray

"WHO shit in my kitchen!?" - Hammer

"PIMS! That's MY snow cone! Now it has dog slobber in it! You're lucky I'm drunk and don't care!" - Hammer

"Did you have a nice shit on my floor?" - Hammer to the dogs

"I'm not sure..." - SlutBucket
"Oh come on, it's the internet, what could go wrong?!" - Hammer

Summer effing Vacation

2008-06-30T21:32:00.000-07:00

I'm angry, I'm sad, I'm worried, I'm hopeful... I'm tired.

I hate hiding my feelings, but I'm trying to be really strong for McMan. Keeping a happy, cheerful face, while still being mindful and considerate of plans and things changing because of his tumor. I've grinned through all the jokes him and his friends make, coping with it, but I just want to hit them all. This isn't like his gallbladder, or his appendix. it's a TUMOR next to his BONE.

He's tired, he's frustrated, he's scared, even if he doesn't admit it to anyone but me. He's more than entitled to that... But I am too. And I'm sick of putting on the happy face about it. I fucking hate this damn tumor.

He's going over to Seattle on Monday with his mom to see the Dr. over there about treatments. My guess is they'll say, "ok, that's what it is, we're taking it out this afternoon/tomorrow."

I'm not even asking to go even though I'm going to be useless at work. I had to practically get into a fight with him to let me take him to the hospital in March and he wouldn't even let me stay until they took him in to prep him.

He's not sure now if he wants to take our trip this weekend for the holiday. I completely understand since it'll be 1o hours in the car round trip only to turn around and spend another 3.5 to Seattle on Monday.

I want to cry, but that doesn't seem very hopeful, does it? I want to scream and punch things, but that's not attractive or productive. I want to be with him right now instead of alone in my apartment, but I do wake up at an ungodly hour, and he needs his rest, especially if he's having surgery next week.

I effing hate being a big kid.

100th Post is a good one - My Miss Roomie!

2008-06-30T19:40:00.000-07:00

Miss [Roomie] has a story she wants to tell
By Michelle Dupler, Herald staff writer

Look behind the tiara and the sash, behind the perfect blond hair, the megawatt smile and the trademark wave, and there's a story.

For Miss [Roomie], the story began at the age of 12 when her mother was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Being on the cusp of adolescence, she thought that would be the end of the story, that a diagnosis meant the same as a cure. She didn't understand it was only the start of a long struggle she and her mother would share.

"We went through the rollercoaster together," [Roomie] said. "My mom is now managing her illness. One of the hardest decisions a person can face is continuing treatment. ... My mother finally reached the point that she realized long-term treatment is important."

More than a decade later, [Roomie]'s story still is being written as she prepares to compete in the Miss Washington program in Tacoma on July 11 and 12. She hopes to go on to Miss America in 2009.

[Roomie]in turn has become a storyteller, using her position as Miss [Roomie] to raise awareness about the realities of mental illness.

"She's been extremely outgoing and she never turns down an opportunity to teach people mental health awareness," said Melody Otness, president of the National Alliance for Mental Illness [Local]. "She's bubbly, she's fun, but she gets her point across and people leave knowing more than when she came in."

[Roomie], 23, of [town], said she didn't enter Miss [Pageant] with stars in her eyes. She needed the scholarship money for college.

"My mom struggled to make ends meet for herself," she said. "She couldn't pay for school."

Winning Miss [Pageant] earned [Roomie] $10,000 for her college education. She plans to earn a bachelor's degree in elementary education and teach kindergarten.

"Education ties in with anything that's happening in society," she said. "I hope to be a positive impact on childrens' lives. ... I think it's interesting how you can impact young children. You can really affect a child's life for good."

Teachers were a strong influence on [Roomie]'s life through her challenging adolescence. She said music teachers in particular helped her find an outlet for her emotions through performing. She'll play alto saxophone as her talent in the Miss Washington program.

But it's talking about her platform that truly excites her.

"I learned that it needed to be spoken about," she said.

She's spent her year as Miss [Roomie] speaking to community groups and getting active with NAMI to teach the community about mental health resources, and to try to erase the stigma attached to people with mental illnesses.

They're no different than anyone else who suffers from a chronic disease, she said. They're the people we know -- our friends, our neighbors, our loved ones.

"Everybody has a personal story," she said. "Everybody can relate it to their lives."

No Strings Attached?

2008-06-18T22:59:00.000-07:00

NBC busted out a new show - Celebrity Circus. Anyone who was a fan of *NSYNC during the NSA days was taken back in some sort of time machine. Joey Fatone is the host and was wearing a jacket reminiscent of the "good old days". Even some of the performers were wearing No Strings Attached-ish costumes (Peter Brady, I'm looking at you.) AND there was a performance with green laser lights (ie - Digital Get Down).

I'm not sayin... I'm just sayin...

"Fred"

2008-06-18T21:35:00.000-07:00

Like Molls had the ever-popular "Seamus" living in her digestive system, McMan seems to have a "Fred" living at the base of his right tibia. Fred is a Chondroblastoma (a large-cell tumor). He's most likely benign and his kind usually occur in young people aged 10-30 and in males at a ratio of 2-3:1.

They're sending McMan to a tumor specialist here (if they can get him in this week or the week after next). Or to Seattle/Spokane (if the dr. here is booked). Then we'll find out how (what kind of surgery) and when Fred will be put to death.

Here's to me trying as hard as I can to be "Supportive g/f McP" instead of "Medically Educated and Intrigued McP".

Fred is a bastard that is making my b/f worried and scrrrrd and ruining my summer plans. Die Fred, Die.

Marking a year...

2008-06-16T22:53:00.000-07:00

McMan and I marked a year into our relationship. Boy, when we do something, we do it big. Why not ring in year 2 of the relationship with something that shows you what's really important?

What?! No, I'm not pregnant!

McMan had an x-ray 2 weeks ago and an MRI last Friday and got some news today. He's got a tumor next to his tibia in his right leg, at the bottom, by his ankle. They're pretty sure it's benign, but we'll find out more when he has his appointment on Wednesday.

Apparently this is pretty rare, as in the ortho that looked at his films for him hasn't seen anything like this in the 30ish years that he's been practicing. I'm hoping that he'll get to be on some kind of Medical Miracles show - I told him we're holding out for TLC so I can meet Jon and Kate plus 8 and he chimed in, "And Dwarf on a Farm!"

While I'm making light of it in some ways to keep myself sane and from going deeper into my medical mind, we'd both really appreciate any prayers, good vibes, thoughts and or juju you'd like to send our way.

Un An

2008-06-16T07:27:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been one year since Carey's Calder Cup BBQ at the Williams' Residence where I discovered McMan didn't hate me (as I'd thought for as long as I'd been acquainted with him) and he discovered that I wasn't hitched (as someone had told him when he mentioned asking me out months before). The rest, as they say, is history.

So, here's to Carey Price and the 2007 Hamilton Bulldogs. Merci Beaucoup!

Coming out of the dark...

2008-06-15T23:23:00.000-07:00

As the immortal Gloria Estefan, I am returning from a hiatus. The flying monkeys and I have had quite the spring. I started a new day-job... one that doesn't allow me hours upon hours for mindless searching on the intermanet and time to ponder and blog it. But it does pay really well.

People have been clamoring for my thoughts on a few things:

McP, your thoughts on the Spokane Chiefs Captain Chris Bruton drops the Memorial Cup?
Since the Ams were the last team to beat the Chiefs this year and they are the Highway 395 rivals, I do admit, I jumped up and down while watching it happen on YouTube with McMan at the lake. How embarrassing to have the whole arena booing you for a hardware malfunction! But they deserved the cup - they were determined and worked as a team throughout the playoffs.

How much did you love the touring company of RENT?
Oh holy night... For real, people, the flying monkeys had to carry me out to the car after the show. I can neither confirm nor deny that I wore my "Measure in Love" t-shirt with my character name of "Maureen" on the back. I can, however, confirm that 'Mark', 'Roger', 'Mimi' & 'Maureen' all smiled at me when I was singing at the top of my lungs during the finale. I mean... what?

What about the Red Wings winning the Stanley Cup?
The what? Who? I completely have no idea what you're talking about.
Note from the monkeys: McP is still in a bit of denial, if you couldn't tell.

How's the new Casa McP?
WONDERFUL! I've just got a few things left to get done in the guest bedroom and to get a dining table to be completely happy with everything.

Excited about the Draft?
YES! Especially the goalies... Everything is better with Chetter.

What are your plans for Canada Day?
I'm heading south to the MLM-Milton branch for a WONDERFUL afternoon/evening of NHL monopoly, fun, games, prizes and dairy-free food! YESSSS!!!!

Speaking of the Mafia, any news there?
YES! I'm very proud to say that Hammer has not only been accepted into the wonderful sisterhood of HLOG, but has also been linked frequently by some bigtime bloggers in the blogosphere! YAY for famousness!

Shouldn't you be sleeping?
yeah, considering I'm now usually AT work between 6 and 630 (yes, that's am), I will very shortly be returning to sleepytown.

Former American Makes Team Canada Roster for Women's Worlds

2008-03-04T13:08:00.000-08:00

From TSN.ca

"In goal, 21-year-old Shannon Szabados will be the third goaltender instead of Sami Jo Smalls."

Shannon backed up Ams goalie Tyler Weiman early in the 2002-2003 season, becoming the first female to play in the WHL and made history when she played 20 seconds of a regular season game before being sent down to the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

It's always nice to see her accomplishments. Way to go, Shannon! We'll be rooting for you!

The story of a torn goalie lover

2008-03-04T11:07:00.000-08:00

Last night's Sharks game was rough. I was watching it with McMan at Ma's house. Everyone else on the ranch was rooting for Montreal because of Baby Carey Price and his affiliation with our local Major Junior team and our family. What's a girl to do? Root for the young man who is ultimately responsible for bringing together me and McMan and providing us with years of quality goal tending or root for my favorite NHL players and team?

The Sharks looked sharp despite a few bad penalties. They took advantage of defensive breakdowns (and non-calls) and skated with speed and determination and ended up winning the game. Marleau, Thornton and Cheechoo scoring along with Shelley's first of the season and Cambell's first as a Shark in his first game at HP Pavillion. If they keep playing like that, they've got a shot at passing the Ducks and possibly even the (Richards-boosted) Stars.

Carey was hung out to dry a couple times by his defense. He also was interfered with more than I like to see my team do to anyone - not just a goalie with a special place in my heart. His frustration was apparent through most of the last 30 minutes of the game - not something normally shown by the cool, calm and collected Price. But not to worry, Habs fans, in the past, he has used that and come back more determined than ever.

I ♥ My Goalie!!!

2008-02-21T09:50:00.000-08:00

Great article and pics about Jill and Dennis' visit to Montreal to visit Baby Carey.
Jill said last night that she took Carey to WalMart to go grocery shopping - somehow that doesn't surprise me.

Click here for article and pictures that are funny, but even better if you have ever been around the Williams Residence.

Something also tells me that we haven't seen the last of Carey here in TRI. Jill and Dennis do throw a mean BBQ!

Continuing the Trend

2008-02-06T19:49:00.001-08:00

Dear Cody McLeod,

I can't stand you. I haven't been able to stand you as long as I've known you were a human. You were a thorn in my side when you played for the Winterhawks and now you're a burr in my butt with the Avalanche.

Keep your effing stick down and keep your gap-toothed mouth shut. You're damn lucky the refs were checking out Jon Cheechoo's butt out and missed you getting your stick up on Big Joe Thornton's face. I hope that Mike Grier isn't the only guy willing to drop the gloves with you tonight.

You're cockier than most hockey players, and that's not a compliment. Your face makes me want to punch babies.

McPhizzle

Really?! Really.

2008-02-05T23:36:00.000-08:00

It's 11:37pm PST. My neighbor upstairs is vacuuming.

quiet hours are 8:00am-10:00pm every day.

I stop playing my piano at 9:58 at the latest.

Vacuuming. Really?! Really. really.

Update Re: People

2008-02-01T14:55:00.000-08:00

Then there are the people who are just mean and demanding.....

Not only did the family I have in right now (different family from the service this morning) change the times for public visitation up two hours ON THEIR OWN WITHOUT CONSULTING US REGARDING OUR SCHEDULE, they showed up 30 minutes early and have complained about absolutely everything. EVERYTHING. Dude, your mom was REALLY sick, she's not going to look like her pictures from 5 years ago no matter what the funeral directors do; you gave us no time to do anything the way we normally would've done it, btw, what we did, was a damn good job and in RECORD time.

I can't sympathize with you on what you're going through, but I understand that you're devistated. You're not the only family we're serving this week or even today. You're not the only one who has a loved one who has died, and at least your mother went peacefully and the things you're complaining about are because of a medication she took and now that you've given us the permission, we can fix it, but we don't normally do unnatural things to people. Your wife remained calm and explained things to us... you're acting like a spoiled 12-year-old who is just SURE that everything is RUINED FOREVER and NO ONE can fix it. NO ONE!!! *stomps into the bedroom and slams the door*

with that said.... and deep cleansing breaths taken.... and taking into account that i have not had lunch... or breakfast for that matter... and since this family is here early i WONT get anything to eat before i leave here..... i still.... kind of.... heart people.

Thoughts on the day...

2008-02-01T10:55:00.001-08:00

Working where I do (funeral home - office only, no bodies for this girl.) you see a lot of different people. As Finny said yesterday, "everybody's gotta go sometime" and it's true. Doesn't matter what your social standing is, who you are, what your job, class, creed, religion, it's going to happen.

So as I'm sitting here, watching people come in to the service this morning, it's running through my mind how equal we really all are. I admit that I'm a little bit elitist, even though in a town like the one I live in, there isn't really an "elite". I'm snarky. I try to look for the best in people, but words like "Overstuffed burrito" have come out of my mouth when someone wears a skin-tight outfit. (Not saying I'm skinny or the picture of health, but hey, i buy clothes that fit me - not that it really excuses the remark at all)

At times like weddings, funerals, birthday parties... we're all the same. Sure, the way we celebrate each occasion changes from culture to culture, family to family, but it boils down to human emotion. We all have it. Some of us don't show it as much as others, some show it in horrible ways and some in good, but deep down, it's there.

funny.... as I finished that sentence, the whole assembly at the funeral laughed at a photo in the slideshow DVD.

Even if I make snarky comments about hair or clothes, or supress odd looks, I know that deep down, under everything, we're all people, and as I believe, made in God's image. All that said, I love people.

Remind me of that next time I'm driving and talking to you on my bluetooth talking about how I hate all people, especially stupid drivers who obviously are high on meth :) (even though they probably are)

Really? Really.

2008-01-28T09:57:00.001-08:00

So on the morning radio show I listen to, like many others, there is a "Mystery Oldie" part of the program. I usually know the answer, or at least title OR artist, and most of the time, it is at least over 10 years old. Today, however, was a different story.

Being Joey Fatone's 31st birthday, (Happy Bday, Joe!) they played "It's Gonna Be Me" for the mystery oldie. Ok, so it was released in 2000, that's 8 years old... But does that really make it an oldie? I guess it's up to each person's descretion, since a google search produced no good answers. But honestly, couldn't they have chosen "Tearin' Up My Heart" or "I Want You Back"? At least they're 10 years old.

Jeebus. 10 years.... I guess, since it is the Fat One's Birthday and since my love of "the stinky boys" (As Ma calls them) has hit a milestone anniversary (10th is traditionally tin/aluminium --wha?) I'll post my very favorite *NSYNC blog-post ever made:

Originally posted by "Rainbeaux" at http://beaux.livejournal.com/100822.html on 7/24/2003

Think of how much you loved JC the first time you heard Blowin' Me Up. And then the first time you heard Build My World. And when he called you a bitch in Some Girls.

Think of how much you love him for "people" and "because yes" and "I'm 'bout to get groped" and every other piece of silly drabble that ever left those pretty lips.

Think of how much you love him in pink, and glitter, and low-rise jeans, and cropped pants, and flip flops, and more jewelry than any three boys you know combined own.

Think of how much you loved Chris for Icky Vicky. And how you loved him even more for My Shiny Teeth and Me. And how the "Word!" you and your friends always spouted from the Simpsons is now followed immediately by "Don't say that."

Think of how much you loved him when he broke up with Dani and had to have it dragged out of him on live television by an interviewer we all knew didn't know half a shit about him, her or them. Think of how much you loved him the day after his "off night" in Chicago when we found out Busta had died.

Think of how much you loved his dreads and his braids and his mohawk and his little purple streaks and how no ridiculous thing he did to his head ever seemed quite ridiculous enough to keep up with him.

Think of how much you wanted evil, creepy Justin stalking through Not Britney's house. And how the delicious chills turned abruptly to a sympathetic heartache with one twinge of his face in the last scenes.

Think of how it felt to watch him grow -- from baby Justin who owned it and didn't know it, to No Strings Justin who owned it and did know it, to Celebrity Justin who owned it, knew it, and worked it like it was going out of style.

Think of how much you loved him for the quiet "thank God" and the big hug he gave Joey when he got back to the Pop video shoot -- and, right before he backpedaled to allow for the obligatory two feet of "we're not gay" space, just how tight they held each other.

Think of how much you loved baby Lance, the towheaded half-redneck that bumbled helplessly through his first couple of years of showbiz -- shot down, spit on, downplayed, almost thrown out of the group -- and still managed to grin like he loved every minute. And of how much you loved watching the others dote over him, protect him, because goober he may have been, he was their goober.

Think of how much you love the old pictures -- drawls and y'alls and jazz hands and sequins -- and looking at what they grew up to become. And how much you love the brief moments where The Pop Star slips from his pedestal and the resignedly famous Southern boy peeks briefly around the facade.

Think of how much you loved how excited he was when he went to Russia (even if you didn't really want him to do it). Think of how easy it was to ignore the fifteen pounds he lost if you concentrated on his smile (even if you didn't really want him to do it). Think of how your heart broke when he managed to keep smiling when they sent him home (even if you didn't really want him to do it). And think of how fun it was to hear all the late-night comics talking about him, tasteless jabs or no.

Think of how much you loved Joey for taping Europe -- all of it -- and then letting us see. Think of how he pretended not to be in torturous pain during the Pop shoot, and cracked jokes about his fat legs saving him.

Think of him with a wife and baby daughter. Seriously. Just think about it for a second.

Think of how you went to see the goofy little indie film that could, before it could, just to hear him say "I have three testicles" in Greek. Think of sitting through the entire first two episodes of the God-awful sitcom they made of it, just to hear him gripe about selling fish. Think of the fact that he read the script for On The Line, and then, as an experienced actor, agreed to star in it anyway -- because, dammit, his little brother needed somebody to play his best friend in a movie. Think of watching NBC's half-assed American Idol ripoff just to see him in a tux.

Think of all the performances. The specials. Every song. Every note.

Think of *N the Mix. MSG. The Reel NSYNC. Making the Video. Driven.

Think of all the friends you've made with whom you have nothing in common but this.

Now take all of that, and put it all together. Look back at this list and think of all the beautiful things you have in your life because of them.

Think of how much you love them.

And realize that, for all this, for all we love them without ever really knowing them...

After eight years, nobody -- none of us -- can ever love them like they love each other.

And that's all I have to say about that.

All Star Shiz - part Un.

2008-01-27T22:52:00.001-08:00

I'm almost falling asleep, so this will be short... but will be continued at a later date and time.

East (Pretty Ricky) vs. West (Big Joe)... what to do, what to do?!
Canadian Anthem by Kathleen Edwards... now, I haven't heard anyof her normal repitoire, but she was out of breath, flat in spots and sounded nervous as hell. Not saying I woulnd't be... maybe she had to run to the ice? who knows...
Star Spangled Banner... Atlanta Boy Choir... Great tempo! The tune was snagged from an old drinking song, not a funeral durge. I heart choirs.... you can take the girl out of the choir, but never the choir out of the girl :)
Oh Em Gee... Pretty Ricky miked up... and scored upon... teehee, "I take that back, my hip's killing me." "Don't worry about it" oh jeebus.... you're one jabbery man, Ricky. as Knob Hockey once wisely said, "Maybe someone should've spent less time running their mouth and more time shutting their five hole"

game notes 1-27

2008-01-27T20:42:00.000-08:00

So, through the almost 8 inches of snow, McMan and I ventured to the ams game.
The other members of the MLM, for safety reasons, went home early after staying the night at a billet house. All got home safely.
Ma also stayed home. Not feeling too hot. I sat in her seat.

First of all, the game was BORING. I couldn't pay attention.
Secondly, Shawn Vey is going to drive me to drink. heavily. Birch could've had the third goal had Shawn not been skating in his sleep.
Tyler Schmidt needs to calm the eff down. Every time we're about to get a PP, Tyler has to be the tough guy and gets penalized, taking that PP away. There was once tonight where I'm sure Kirk (don't EVEN get me started on this guy......) warned him about it.
Birchy needs to play more if he's going to reach his potential as a goalie. Right now, he's ascribing to the Hasek School of Goal Keeping - aka, flopping like a fish. There were many times where (forget Chetters) there were some twinkies in MY pants at the close calls in net.
That said, the D was... well, missing. Toll had some good plays, Mestery was giving his all every shift he was out and Werbs .. umm... well, he was trying. TJ took a bunch of BS penalties (the one for elbowing was phantom, but still... ) and I didn't notice him at all on the ice besides his parade to the box.
Radek's goal was killer. Great for him against his former team and second in 2 nights.
Seattle's 2nd goal was PRETTY, not gonna lie. Knocked Birch's water bottle 1.5 feet in the air before returning to the same spot he'd placed it.
Well, that's about all i have to say about tonight's game. They cancelled the skate - probably would've been 10 of us and the ams out there. Not a bad thing, but I'm glad I started home when I did.

It's been a LONG time since I've said this, but I'm glad this weekend is over.... Hopefully this week will be happy times.

Miss Washington Places 2nd Runner-up at Miss America

2008-01-26T23:27:00.000-08:00

image credit to AP

Miss Elyse Umemoto, miss Washignton 2007 placed 2nd Runner-up to Miss America in Las Vegas tonight. She won a $20,000 scholarship on top of the $10,000 scholarship and shopping spree she won in being chosen as one of the three finalists in the Miss America; Reality Check series on TLC.

She placed higher than any other Miss Washington in Miss America's 87 year History.

The flying monkeys and I are SUPER excited for her and SO proud that we can say that she's OUR Miss Washington!

Starbucks redeems themselves? itself? whatever, they're redeemed.

2008-01-24T09:42:00.000-08:00

So I decided to try something new this morning. The Venti Soy Sugar-free Cinnamon Dolcé Latté just wasn't sounding as tasty as it usually does. I ordered a Venti Green Tea Soy Latté. I get to work, an after tasting the deliciousness, I went to trusty starbucks.com to see the nutritional information. Calories, not too bad for non-sugar-free; fat calories, not bad at all... Read the description:

An intriguing blend of premium green tea, soothing steamed milk and delicately sweet melon.

MELON?! JEEBUS! No wonder it's so tasty... I'm freakin allergic to it. WHY don't they list that anywhere else!? It's not a "Green Tea Melon Latté"! (See: Starbucks Rant #1) Am I drinking it anyway? Yes. Yes I am. That's $4.44, I'm not pouring it out... and no one else works at my office, so I couldn't give it to anyone.

So as i sit here with slight discomfort in my throat (no worries, there's no anaphylaxis going on... yet...) watching the clip from yesterday's Ellen show with Jurstind Timberlake, I noticed "The Way I See It # 264" printed on the side of my cup:

Every 20 minutes - less time than it will take you to drink your coffee - another child is diagnosed with autism. It's much more common than people think, with one out of every 150 children diagnosed. Learn the early warning signs of autism, and if you're concerned about your child's development, talk to your doctor. Early intervention could make a big difference in your child's future.
-- Bob Wright
Former chairman and CEO of NBC/Universal, co-founder of Autism Speaks

My first experience with Autism was with an old boyfriend. His youngest brother (I believe he was 5 at the time) was autistic. I didn't know all that much about it except that he wasn't social at all and that he wouldn't eat dinner at the table. One night, on the phone with said ex-b/f, he stopped in the middle of his sentence and said, "EW!"
"What?" I asked, concerned.
"Oh, I just stepped on a hot dog. My room must've been where Wayne ate his dinner."

Funny story, he stepped on a hot dog... But I started to do some research on autism at that point. There wasn't as much information out there as there is now, but I got the general gist of it.
Not too much longer after that, our community started to hear a lot more about autism because of Olaf Kolzig's oldest son Carson and the foundation Olie and his wife, Christin started (Carson Kolzig Foundation) to support families challenged by autism.

I encourage everyone, especially parents, potential parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles to help in any way they can, whether it be donations, volunteering or just becoming more educated on the subject, watching for signs and symptoms in children in their lives.

Photo By Kelly Pickard

See? Chetter is helping out! The #1 ranked North American goaltender in the upcoming NHL draft has the "autism awareness ribbon on the back of his mask.

Some Links:
Cure Autism Now
Autism Speaks
Athletes Against Autism

Love Child...

2008-01-22T22:15:00.000-08:00

McMan and I were watching the Sharks After-game report on FSN BayArea and he made a comment about "Mr Clean" Drew Remenda. I looked at him and saw it... the love child...

Drew Remenda is the lovechild of Mr. Clean and Tyler Schmidt.

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Can't believe I forgot this....

2008-01-22T15:18:00.000-08:00

So, last Wednesday night, I was at McMan's helping him do laundry and pack for his Weekend in the Great White North. The Sportcenter top 10 came on and one of the plays was Niittymaki making a great save. I was 1/2 asleep, but I woke up really quick to ask if I had just heard something right, "Niittymaki... Sounds like some kind of sushi!" I had. I laughed. I immediately had to go potty.

*********************************

While he was in the laundry room, I was watching Sportscenter and folding the clean clothes. All of a sudden he heard me yelling, "HOCKEY ON ESPN!" and immediately after, "OMG! Just when you think Barry Melrose can't get any greasier!!! UGH!"
He popped his head out and asked, "Ew. Does he have old, grey, ball hairs on his chin?"
My reply? "Yes." *shudder*

*********************************

Later in the broadcast (later... lol.. the whole thing was about 3 minutes long) Barry was posed the question, if the coach of a big game and you had the choice of Marty "Big Lovin" Brodeur or Pretty Ricky DiPietro, who would he put in net? He chose Marty, I chose Pretty Ricky and

McMan and I proceeded to argue about my decision all the way up the stairs:
McMan: Are you KIDDING?! But it's Marty Brodeur!
McP: No I'm not kidding, I'd choose DiPi in a heartbeat!
McMan: That's just because you think he's cute.
McP: Marty's cute, too... In that I-slept-with-my-sister-in-law kind of way. I would just rather have new blood in net. Plus he's American.
McMan: I'm still stuck on the slept-with-my-sister-in-law part.

I'm not a bad blog-mommy, really....

2008-01-22T11:04:00.000-08:00

The flying monkies have finally dug me out from the mounds of paperwork on my desk and pumped me full of Starbucks Venti Soy Sugar-Free Cinnamon-Dolcé Latté and pointed me in the direction of my blog. Remind me to give them extra treats tonight.

In Football News:
(FOOSBALL, BOBBY BOUCHÉ?! FOOSBALL IS THE DEBIL!) Ok, ok, I'm a hockey girl, but it's the friggen Super Bowl, who doesn't follow Football right now?! Plus, it's not really related to the game, just dudes that play it. What do you expect from a girl who was always shaking her pom poms and making sure the rest of the squad wasn't getting hurt while our team was going 1-11 our Senior Year?

Miss Tom Brady and his SuperSperm were hobbling out of that model's apt in NYC donning a moonboot (aka walking cast). Now, Sure, I think he's pretty, and if he wasn't a good QB, he wouldn't be where he is today, but I was a bigger fan of his when he was with his BabyMama. All that aside, I have to say that I don't really wish moonboots on anyone............ When I was hit by an errant puck during the 2004 WHL playoffs, I had to wear a moonboot for a few weeks - I spiced it up by putting NASA stickers on it. I even had to audition/interview for my first Miss America Local Competition with it on. Gave me a great conversation-piece that led into talking hockey for a good portion of the interview, but you can't exactly walk gracefully in them. Not that any of that matters to Tom Brady or the Pats, but how much would it suck to not only be wearing the moonboot, but have it be the week before the Big Game and have it splashed all over the media?
I heart that Eli Manning and the Giants are in the Superbowl. See, I heart Peyton and his fantabulous acting abilities and his willingness to totally sell out for kickass commercials. My new favorite? The Oreo Licking League.... CLASSIC. And the morning-radio spots where they've dubbed someone saying "Eli" over "Peyton" in some Manning-ish voice made me laugh so hard this morning I almost got hair product in my eye.

Hockey News:

TC Americans (WHL)

The ams are 1 point out of 1st in the Western Conference of the WHL. They've been playing pretty well as of late (let's not think about the game in Lethbridge on Saturday...) and now that we have Procsyshen back, I think Reddick will get his mojo back.
With Yellow being out last game, it forced the PP to be shaken up a bit, which, obviously we needed. When you can't "get it to Yellow" you have to fun something different - McMan said at the game in Lethbridge, even after the second 5-on-3, the 'Canes PK unit wasn't even tired - they read our PP like an all-picutre edition of FHM.
Midel seems to be fitting in well, Ma said he's shopping at A&F almost every day and that last night he came home with a John Deere hat. I ♥ Euros.
TraderBob didn't move ANYONE at the deadline. I can't remember a season that's happened. Is this a sign of the apocalypse?
Little Chetters is going to the Top Prospects Game this week. Schnacs is coaching the opposite team. Great honours for both of them. McMan and I think our goalie has been hitting the fake-n-bake and the whitestrips a little hard lately - his teeth are like a beacon unto the night. I still want to shrink him and carry him in my purse everywhere - that smile is like a flashlight.

Sharkies

#1 is the obligatory, I ♥ Big Joe. 56 Points and still as cute as a big, furry button.
Cheech... Where do I begin? His eyes are creepier this year... Maybe when he's back to 100% the creepy eyes will fade back and he'll be putting the points up again - or maybe the creepy eyes will stay and he'll score more. Hell, if I was in net and saw the crazy-man, intense eyeballs of Jon Cheechoo, I'd step aside and say, "Your net, sir?" in fear of being turned to stone if I didn't.
Trades... Hammer and I were talking about this on Saturday night while the Redwings were stomping on my already horrible hockey-night. We spoke of Cap'n Patty and how he's not flourishing under RW and maybe could be back to his full potential somewhere else, but I brought up the point that NO ONE seems to be flourishing. Plus, I don't know if we'd get his full value in a trade right now. (That and I want my former TBird to stay a sharkie!)
Goaltending. Haven't seen enough of the back-ups to say if they should be in net more, but I think anyone anyone who remembers how I went into mourning after the Toskala trade or who has seen or heard me watch the Sharks this season can tell you what I think of the tender who is normally in net. I'm a Goalie Girl... for me to roll my eyes every time he skates out is a BIG deal. le sigh.

Personal Life:

Got my hair chopped off. It's already growing back rapidly, so it was only about 3 weeks of constantly wearing it straightened to avoid the Poodle/Box-'do.
Had a hellacious week at work last week... the words "Illegal" and "L&I" came out of my mouth way more than I wish to admit. I now consider myself a UFA and am actually shopping myself around the business community. There are a couple things I've applied for that if I were to get hired, I'd officially be a high-roller in my own mind. Keep your fingers crossed for me
MissRoomie is landing in Vegas right about now to spend the week at Miss America. (I decided I couldn't take the time off work to take up the generous offer to go for free... which turned out to be the best decision I've ever made considering the job-situation) I'm rooting for Miss WA, Elyse Umemoto, of course. There are a few others I've kept my eye on while watching "Miss America: Reality Check" on TLC... If you haven't seen it, you MUST! Even non-pageanty's love it. Not a lot of cat-fighting or anything, but some great snarky comments by the Advisory Panel.
McMan and I are going out to dinner at my Ma & Pa's tonight. Have to help Ma with her new MP3 phone... this woman doesn't even know how to use call-waiting. This lesson could get really interesting. At least McMan will be there to help her when i throw my hands in the air and quit.

Attempt #2

2008-01-09T19:47:00.000-08:00

So I went to the Dr this morning - Bronchitis. Ick. Feeling much better, though.

#1 - WHOO HOO!!!! Chetters playing in the Prospects Game!
#2 - WHOO HOO!!!! Donny to coach one of the teams! (Promotion back to the E, A or N!??!!? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?)

made Coconut Shrimps for McMan and I for dinner. YUM! Washed it down with some Buckley's. YUK!

Brooks Laich scored the first goal for Washington tonight. havng a career year with this, his 8th goal. That's his total for all of last season. Go Brooksie, Go!

Olie kicks ass. In so many ways. And is beautiful. And a goalie. Enough said.

Hannan... Whenever I look at him i want to pinch the underside of his arm... REALLY hard! I'm still bitter he's not in Teal.

Watching the Dallas feed of games makes me want to light my face on fire when they play that Muzak during commercial breaks. But will I change it to the Chicago feed? No way. Then I'd swear at Jonathan Towes, or anyone who said his name, very loudly.

Everett scored first and second. Um.. Boys? Just because we're first in the league in PK doesn't mean you can take those shifts off. K thx.

PS - Hammer, your pancake made me angry.

First intermission recap comes on and they re-play the goal... McMan, who is sitting in the big puffy chair cheeered and raised his hands. I looked at him totally deadpan and said, "It's the re-cap."

"Wow. You are on Fuckin fire tonight, buddy." - McMan on the foxsports intermission report on the radio. (Heavy sarcasm implied)

Brent Seabrook. Remember when the (Lethbridge) Hurricanes had Seabrook bobble head night? I do. I was pissed it wasn't Firstborn bobble head night. Then again, I'm a little biased. Whatever, who cares if brent is in the NHL and Firstborn is in the English Elite league ;)

Stars win... Marty Turco is a freakin stud! Teddy bear, mickey fickey!

Ams: Jason misses the open net twice, Yellow misses the open net... How many times are we going to give Merrick a heart attack tonight?

McMan: "Notice Schmidt wasn't ranked."
McP: "Imagine that."

The girls on Deal or No Deal are hot. Especially in beaded cocktail dresses and leis.

Beach goes for High Sticking... Mestery refains from retaliation. THAT is why I heart #7.

McMan: You have a man voice right now.
McP: Does that turn you on?
McMan: NO! Thank God!

Goal tending change for Everett... Irving pulled with 2:46 left in the 2nd... maybe he has to poop? "Maybe they just traded him." - McMan

NO!!!!!! MY SON!!!!!!!! I don't like hearing that he's flat on his face after Bauer left his feet to check him from behind, but i LOVE hearing that Chetters almost went after Bauer. JEEBUS. My son is already more susceptible to concussion b/c of his broken jaw last year. 5 and a Game for Bauer - hopefully a suspension.

For real? did the rest of the league get together and decide that we were too good and to make us a team of conkies? Joseph, Abraham and Moses.

Oh yeah, classy, Everett fans... Boo the call.

Irving only out 37 seconds... Not enough time to poop... maybe just pee?

MY SON IS BACK ON THE BENCH!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you Jesus!!!

Sidebar- met Midel this morning. Pretty cool kid. As long as he stays out of the box.

Everett takes another stupid penalty and Yellow scores from Reese and my son on the 5-on-3! THANK YOU! Tied the game at 2:05 with a minute to go on the penalty from hit on my son!

Oh great... Another hook behind the play while we're tied at 7:55 left in Regulation. Jason Reece, I'm looking at you.

Oh, Tyler Keifer.... Retaliation is bad, mmkay? Wait a minute, we got the PP, good boy.

HAMMER! NO MORE PANCAKES! NONE!

HONESTLY?! 5-on-3 at the end of a tied game?! For crying out loud there is 2:12 left in regulation and our top goal-scorer is in the flinking box.

OT... i hate OT with everett... i hate SO's even more..

Westie just jinxed Midel. Stop doing that, Westie!

Jeebus... on to the shootout.

AND we lose.

I feel the urge to not blog anymore tonight. grrr... Son of a Beach.

cough cough cough... oh nevermind

2008-01-08T18:51:00.000-08:00

ok, so i'm sicker than the thought of OJ Simpson being the spokesman for Ginsu, so I thoguht I'd be a thought thief and live-blog a little (thanks, hammer)

I got my last textbook in the mail today. God bless Amazon.com. Graduation in June, bitches!

got a text message from McMan:
"New show on A&E st 7 called parking wars. Looks entertaining if you name's [McMan] and you don't have the hockey package..."

mom just called to tell me to go to sleep and i said i was trying, but pretty ricky was on my tv, so it was tough to not watch.

accidentally hit the "recall" button and ended up getting sucked into a show about the Duggar Family on Discovery Health Channel. 17 children. I checked out their website... Kinda cool, really hardcore.

I don't want to jinx it, but the coughing has slowed... and I think I might be able to last the whole day at work tomorrow if I get some extra sleep tonight.

wow... short liveblog.

OH MY GOOD LORD!

2007-12-19T10:58:00.000-08:00

Thank you, Baby Jesus!

I just got the offer of a freakin lifetime!

MissRoomie calls me and says, "If there was a way for you to go down to Miss America, have your airfare and lodging paid for AND a ticket to the final night of competition, would you go?"

DUH!

All I have to do is watch the cutest little twins in the world on Thursday and Friday nights and pay for food.

Freakin awesome!

Happy Birthday, Mami!

2007-12-18T15:57:00.000-08:00

A VERY happy 26th birthday to Mrs. Christina Aguilera-Bratman! Almost time for you to welcome your little nugget into the world! The world needs more hot Jewish men... (Can you imagine having Christina Aguilera for a mother in law?! oh jeebus....)

FYI:

2007-12-14T12:38:00.000-08:00

Do not watch Extreme Home Makeover while eating lunch at your desk and in the full throws of PMS.

There are only so many tears you can blame on the onion on your subway.

Christmas Miracle

2007-11-28T14:58:00.000-08:00

In the midst of one family's tragedy this Holiday Season, I witnessed their Christmas Miracle this morning.

Michael Blackketter, 9, of West Richland, WA passed away on Monday after a long and brave battle with cancer. He was a hockey and baseball fan and when they thought he was finally in remisson, his Make-a-Wish that was granted in September was a trip to Disney World, where he spent hours in the swimming pool. When he started feeling sick again, the doctors discovered that the cancer had come back and had taken over his brain, liver, pancreas and bones.

One of the hardest things I've had to do in my career so far was to help a mother pick out a casket for her son who had not yet reached his tenth birthday.

I was standing outside with one of the owners of our small corporation, discussing what kind of signage he was thinking about putting up in front of my building when an older woman pulled into the parking lot. "Can I help you?" I asked with a laugh, opening the door, "Well, besides getting you inside from the cold?"
With a sweet smile, she said, "I Certainly hope so."

She went on to ask if I was handling the case for little Matthew. I told her that one of our other locations was actually handling the case, but asked her if I could help her with anything. She then said the most heartwarming thing I've ever heard, "I'd like to anonymously pay for his funeral expenses."

I called the other location, got the total for the funeral, and when she saw how "small" the amount was, she asked if I could get the cemetery expenses for her as well. I handed them to her on the back of a business card and she returned a short time later with a cashier's check for the full amount, plus $500.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a warmed heart.

HA! quote of the night!

2007-11-27T21:20:00.000-08:00

McMan and I watching the Ducks vs. the 'Nucks

Me: Look at that creepy Sedin! He's creepy lookin! I'd punch a creepy Sedin, go ahead give me a penalty.
McMan: you'd look creepy if you had pubes on your face, too.

Panger: He tried the 'Forsburgian' move.
McMan: The 'Forsburgian' move?! What happened to the 'postage stamp' you fuck?!

Holy Cuteness!

2007-11-20T11:05:00.000-08:00

The Ultimate Canucks Haiku

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Not gonna lie, cutest video of little hockey-loving nuggets, ever. Ever!

Woooo VEGAAASSSS!!

2007-11-15T17:09:00.000-08:00

We're waiting at the gate. I'm buzzed... I believe that's a level 6buzz (out of 10) I had a drink called Captain Nemo. It had a gummy fish at the bottom. YUM. The Fuzzy Peach martini was more fuzzy than peach... even McMan said, "Wow, that'll put hair on your chest."

SO the next 3 days will be in Vegas. Limo's picking us up between 2-3 am to go to the boobie bar. YAY!!!!!

aight... I'm officially not typing well. typos galore. massive deleting going on.

more updates from Sin City!

Blog Hiatus Over.

2007-11-08T16:16:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I'm completely moved now. And without a kitteh. She went to be a city kitty in Seattle on Monday with my wonderful cousin, HB.

Worked until 8pm last night (yay for 11 hour workdays... well, when they're in preparation for the trip to Vegas with McMan next weekend) and flipped the Stars at Sharkies game on when I walked in the door. Mike Modano ties and surpasses the US-Born scoring record. Not gonna lie, even though it was against my Sharkies, I was happy for the pop-star marrier. Willa probably got some good lovin when the plane got back to the Big D.

McMan and I discussed the goalie situation in San Jose. "Guess they should've kept your boy Toskala." I explained to him that they didn't consult me on the trade, therefore they are reaping what they quilted into their team this year. They're above .500, but nowhere near where I feel they should be. Something just doesn't look right... grrr... And admittedly, I haven't watched them enough yet this year to really put my finger on where they're going wrong. Maybe I'm a jinx on Nabokov b/c of my bad attitude toward him. Maybe I should try to remedy that. Maybe not lol.

As I mentioned before, McMan and I are heading to Vegas next Thursday evening for a weekend o'good times. So, if anyone's going to be around there, I'm the only girl out of 5 of us going.... I'm going to need a little Estrogen. :)

I've been crazy busy at work today. Even the 15 minutes I stepped out to go to the post office, i got called on my cell to come back for a cornea harvest/donation. Grrr... At least all I have to do when I get home is get my mail and my Sensaria shipment... and clean. Now that kitteh is gone, i can get rid of all of the kitteh hairs and put some stuff in my laundry room for storage. ooh... and the kitchen floor!!! Now I'm kind of excited.

THIS is classic... and awesome

2007-10-23T11:11:00.000-07:00

HA! I LOVE IT!

Miss England Told to 'Fatten Up' to Win Miss World Title

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Twenty-year-old Miss England, Georgia Horsley, has a figure many women envy.

But the size-eight model, originally from North Yorks, England, has been told to “fatten up” if she wants a shot at winning the Miss World pageant, the Daily Mail reported Tuesday.

The organizers of the pageant, to be held Dec. 1 in Sanya, China, reportedly are looking for contestants with more voluptuous body types — ones representative of the average woman.

Click hear to read more from the DailyMail.com

"Miss World judges like naturally curvy girls and don't like the stick-thin women you see on the catwalks,” Horsley told the Daily Mail.

"They promote healthy eating and I want to help them get that message across, so I'm giving it my all."

The party that never was...

2007-10-22T20:42:00.000-07:00

That never was.

That's right. Spa Party to break in my new digs? Who showed up? Let's make a list:

Ma
McP
Agnus Muffin Mary Pat Kate Frances McPhizzle
Sensaria rep. aka spa lady

Yup. That's it. I had 5 positive RSVPs and 3 maybes. Ma, who has been ill with salmonella poisoning, was not on that list. She just came to order and go home.

Here are some photos to show what everyone missed.

My punkin that's carved with leaves and acorns and polkadots.

The set-up on the piano... there were tealights in the ladles.

the luminaries on the table welcoming all my guests in

The buffet. Salsa & chips, crunchy artichoke hearts, cheese and salami and caramel corn.

The set-up on the entertainment center.

Agnus. She's cute. i love her.

MIA McPhizzle

2007-10-16T10:05:00.000-07:00

Ok, so the flying monkeys have pulled me out of the cave that is my new apartment and plopped me down in front of a computer.... ok, so really I'm at work and have some down time, but that's neithere here, nor there.

I'm all moved. Ma, McMan, MissRoomie and Rabbi Herschel and I did it in a weekend. I have so much CRAP! it's insane!!! oh, and my apt is handicapped-accessable, so it's laid out a bit differently than the floorplan online. whoops. Luckily all of my furniture fits, but not the way I intended it to. The closet is about 1/3 the size of what I had before, so I had to get creative - like getting rid of a CRAPTON of clothes, finding creative ways to organize things and putting all of my hoodies and hockey jerseys in with my coats into the already jam-packed coat closet. I LOVE LOVE LOVE not having to share my kitchen with anyone. and my FRIDGE! omgsh... for real, it's amazing.

Agnus Muffin Mary Pat Kate Francis McPhizzle is LOVING being able to roam free in the new place. Little does she know she'll be moving to the big city when McHannah comes to town in November. My little baby fluffball will be moving to Seattle. The Apts let me keep her for a few weeks as I am "kitteh-sitting" without the pet fee. WHich is $300. NONrefundable. OUCH. You could re-carpet my apt TWICE with that amount of money. Whatever. I am trying to get excited about having my laundry room for storage instead of her food/water/litter/scratching area instead of my heart breaking about the little love of my life not greeting me at the door whenever i come home from anywhere. Good death I love that crazy cat... even when I warn her that I'll sell her to a taco truck if she doesnt stop chewing on my laptop cord.

McMan and I are doing well. We've laughed a LOT the past couple nights. We're heading to Vegas in November. I'm excited. The people we're going with are freaking hilarious... Too bad the only thing I'll be able to afford drinking is water. lol. Maybe he wont mind if I bring some low-cut tops and bring "the girls" out to get me some free adult beverages sent to me from across the casino. *shrug* what else are they for before you have to feed kids with them? haha.

I freaking miss MissRoomie! She's ÜBER busy with all of her royal duties, but she started a new job last night where she'll only be working Monday and Tuesday nights. YESSSSSSSSSSS!!! I mean, that's cool... We spent SUnday afternoon and evening together - Grand Opening at the new Target in West and then to McMan's for the Seahawks ~~Game~~ in HD. Pictures document the fun we had... you can check them out on Facebook/Myspace and I might just post a little photoessay here if I feel like it. lol. No promises on when that may or may not happen.

in other news, IT'S FREAKIN HOCKEY SEASON!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ams - WOW! What a start to the season! Sure, they've pissed their last two games away with bad penalties (POKEY.... I'm lookin at you) and they've got some ~~injuries~~ players out due to numbers (Uncle Mitch)... but they're still an impressive 7-3 - especially with all but 1 of those being on the road. They're a-top the US division with 14 pts (Spoke nipping at their heals with 12) and have been ranked in the CHL top 10 the first two weeks of the season. Maybe the 15-game homestand will get them back on their game.

The First Born - He's in England, havng fun, playing the game. He's happy, he's more in-shape than he has been in years and that's all we could ask for, really.

Carey - OMGSH! So watching his debut game in the NHL was so strange.... We were all huddled around the TV at his old Billet's house cheering. He's still the same old Carey: cool, calm, collected and sickeningly humble. The success really couldn't be going to a better kid - and Lord knows it's not going to his head.

Sharkies - Honestly, with all of the moving and unpacking and getting ready for my spa party, etc, I've had NO time to watch them. I've got 5 games on my DVR right now on High Priority. I'll catch up someday... I heart JR. I heart Joe. I heart Tosk.... oh, that's right, i've been watching him in BLUE. grrr... still bitter? me?! NEVER!

I guess I should actually get some work done, hey? le sigh.

Casa McP...Nuevo!

2007-10-07T22:18:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I've got everything in and the old apt clean and empty.

Thursday I worked a full day and went straight to the office to sign my new lease. Turns out my new apt is disabled accesible, so to compensate for the large bathroom, I've got a teeny closet and all my counters and drawers and cabnets are lower. But that's ok, because I'm short :) and I got rid of a lot of clothes and i'll be getting rid of more, I'm sure. I'm rotating my clothes out by season. It'll be all good. ANYWHOOZLE, I moved and cleaned and unpacked for 7 hours. (Ma, McMan and Rabbi herschel helped out). I was crippled by the time i threw myself into bed.

Friday, the movers came at 9 and were done by 10. ma and I decided that next time, they're moving EVERYTHING. Rabbi Herschel came over and helped me move all my clothes over. Waited ALL FREAKING DAY for an a-hole of a dish guy and ended up having to go buy my own damn tripod (i moved from an upstairs apt to floor-level) because he could only find them at RV places for $60 +tax and i called the satelite place down the street from me and got it for $27.08. Went to the Ams home opener.... freakin great game - won in OT. Wish I could've enjoyed the game more, just too preoccupied and stressed, despite the beers.

Saturday McMan wasn't feeling well so we opted out of his co-worker's wedding... i got a lot of stuff done at the new place, a couple loads from the old place and then we ate dinner, listened to the Ams win in a shootout in Spoke and then slept... kitteh even slept between our pillows all night! i guess we played too much with that peskey string.

This morning I got up and started working more on getting things put away - MissRoomie came over and helped me get most of the stuff out of our old apt and then cleaned it. We didn't think we ewere going to have to do much, but when we lifted the rug in what was her bathroom and then was Bonnie & Clyde's bathroom, the rubber backing was left behind on the floor. Spent a good amount of time scraping it off of the floor. GRRRRR... they must've spilled beer on it or somthing. McMan came over after a while and helped get the rest of the stuff that wouldn't fit in my car. He was so sweet - as he was leaving he said, "Can you be a little less stressed now that you're totally out of there?" yes. yes I can. I got most everything in it's place... well, all that i can get somewhere right now... because Hammer is coming over for Thanksgiving dinner. YAY!!!

oh, I LOVE living on my own so far. :)

Classless. (Warning, McPhizzle is McPISSED!!!)

2007-09-28T17:01:00.000-07:00

from the blog Slap Shots written by Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post

First impressions on the two newest members of the Regina Pats, C Tim Kraus and D Juraj Valach:
Kraus is thrilled to be here and can’t wait for a fresh start after a strained co-existence with Giants head coach Don Hay. Kraus reportedly worked his butt off in the summer to get into the best shape of his life. He seems eager to prove he can fit in with the Pats and be a major contributor. By all accounts, a motivated Kraus is a force to be reckoned with.

Valach was more disappointed to leave Vancouver than Kraus but he’s saying all the right things about his new team. If Pats head coach Curtis Hunt can light a fire under the towering rearguard, he could add another dangerous weapon to Regina’s already potent blueline. Valach’s English is decent, so communication shouldn’t be a huge issue. It remains to be seen if past reports of an attitude problem surface in Regina.Asked why he demanded a trade from the Tri-City Americans this summer, Valach explained he didn’t like his billets or the city and simply didn’t feel comfortable there. Tri-City GM Bob Tory took some parting shots at Valach after the deal, but there’s two sides to every story. The Pats are giving him the benefit of the doubt.

The Pats should watch their backs... .What a classless little ass... I feel like I can say this since my parents were his billets and after he flew off the handle at me for writing MY opinion of why he didn't get drafted in MY OWN EFFING BLOG, he sent me This little exeprt from an email titled "Redhead = BAD head!" (laugh, I did) :
.........I like [Ma] and I like [PA] but I hate you sorry
[McPhizzle]

You're on a new team (again) Juraj, You're playing hockey. Be happy for that, the past is the past... QUIT TRASH-TALKING MY FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

UPDATE:

2007-09-24T23:04:00.000-07:00

Good grief. I was NOT expecting what I got upon arrival at the home of Ma and Pa after work.

I got a check to cover my new deposit, part of my new rent AND enough $$ to hire movers to move my piano (and probably a few of the heavier furniture items. ).

I also got the title to my car. That's right, ladies and germs, the flying monkeys had to hold me up, because I still had about 2.5 years of payments left. Being the schmaltz I am, I squirted a few tears like a little bitch. Ma's comment, "What are you crying for? You didn't win a crown!"
My reply, "This is so much better than a crown!"

So I came home, Roomie2.0 wasn't here, so I called her and let her know the news. She took it pretty well... and I also told her that her felon wasn't allowed back here - oddly enough, she didn't come home tonight - well, at least she hasn't come home yet.

I've been packing all night. I have the living room, piano/dining area, hall cabinet and most of the kitchen and laundry rooms packed. My closet is clean, so I'll just take all that over as-is... after all, it's not too terribly far away. (and right next door to my friend Tracey, who I referred to the complex and should be getting my $250 "thank you" check soon) I need to pack up my CDs, the stuff in my armoir, my stationary (that'll be a chore for sure!) and the stuff under my bed. Oh... and the rest of my bathroom... jeebus.... well, at least I have a few days to do it, right? of course right!

I'm pretty devistated about my cat. I'm just not home enough to take care of her on my own. At least with Roomie2.0 and her felon here I knew she'd get fed if she whined. Speaking of whining, she's mewing her tiny tiny little mew outside my door right now b/c I wont let her into my room to chew on the papers and books i have under my bed while I sleep. I know, I'm a horrible kittymama. Plus, I just can't handle looking at her knowing that she's not going to be mine much longer. :(

GAH!

2007-09-24T12:49:00.000-07:00

Well, Casa McP is going to have a new address in 10 days or less.

That's right. I said it, 10 days OR LESS.

See, I got a call today from my apartment manager asking if I still had Roomie2.0 living there. I said yes, not knowing she hadn't turned in her application for living in our complex. Manager said, "Ok, you've got 10 days for her to vacate or we're going to have to evict you."

SQUWA-SQUWAH!?

This all stems from her b/f being arrested in our apt for felony charges the 2nd or 3rd day she lived at my place. She also got a ticket for obstructing justice - which is why she wont be approved to live at our apartments.

So we went over the options, I could stay in my fabulous apartment and pay ALL the rent until Dec. 31, Pay the $1400 it is to break my lease and move somewhere else or since I'm the only name on the lease now, transfer the lease over to a 1 BR apartment in the complex. Since I'm not made of money (although I do like to think I am) I went for option #3. Therefore, on or before October 5, I'll be living across the complex.

I've got PUD set up to be turned on the 3rd... and if I need it earlier, then I can call and change it. I need to figure out when i can get in so that I can call and have my sattelite dish moved. Need to start calling all of my credit card companies and magazine subscriptions to get those changed over to the right apt. number.

Oh. And Papa McP will be contributing greatly to the McPhizzle Financial Fund. His support is greatly appreciated... as are viewers like you. (but i'm not paying you back like i am him.)

While moving is TOTALLY stressfull and SO not fun, i'm STOKED to do it. Not only do I get into my own place where i don't have to share my kitchen with anyone (really, it's a huge pet peeve of mine...) but i also get away from the drama that is my new roommate situaton. YAY! Oh, and I'll be hosting Canadian Thanksgiving in my own pad. :)

Adoption Announcement!

2007-09-19T13:39:00.000-07:00

McPhizzle proudly presents the newest member of the Maple Leaf Mafia, who was adopted on September 18, 2007.

Her name is Muffin (McMan said I couldn't name her Toskala... party pooper), she's approximately 5-6 weeks old as far as McMan and I can tell, and since I'm refering to her in the female form, she's a chick.

Tiny widdle Muffin McP. More pics on the Facebook!

She's a fluffy little ball of puffness that Roomie2.0's friend found at the loading dock of the new Target out in West that she works at. Roomie2.0 (and her beau) were afraid I was allergic, however, I am not, tend to love kittehs (see: here) and instantaniously fell deeply in love with her and went on a kitty shopping spree at Target.

She slept on my lap and then on my bed all night... She woke up about 5:30 and decided my arm looked like a fun toy, so I took her back into the Laundry room for her to have some fun with her food, water, litter box and leopard print colapsable kitty tent.

I love her. You may love her as well. Especially when she starts chiming in on the upcoming hockey season!

Patriot Day

2007-09-11T09:53:00.000-07:00

I usually save my emotional, political and/or religious posts for my personal blog, saving this one for fun and humor. However, today is a special day. A day of remembrance, thankfulness, reflection and prayer.

9-11. As many Americans do, every year on this day I think of the horror that crept into my heart when I heard the news. My mother woke me up to tell me what happened. The sadness in her eyes as she saw me break down, knowing that this was war. My uncle Eric was in the Air Force, My boyfriend, a cadet, was about to be commissioned as an officer in the US Army. She lived through Vietnam and lost her first love there and hoped it wouldn't happen to me as well.

Driving to the post office today, I remembered why I love living in small-ish-town America - American flags up and down the street on different buildings. Homes, Businesses, Churches. Indeed, God Blesses America.

I heard this on the way to work this morning and it touched my heart and brought a peace over me. It was a poem written by Stacey Randall, voiced by Bob Holiday over "Silent Night". ( click here to hear it )

Met in the Stairwell

You say you will never forget where you were when you heard the news, Sept. 11, 2001. Neither will I.

I was on the 110th floor in a smoke filled room with a man who called his wife to say "Good-bye." I held his fingers steady as he dialed. I gave him the peace to say, "Honey, I am not going to make it, but it is OK...I am ready to go."

I was with his wife when he called as she fed breakfast to their children. I held her up as she tried to understand his words and as she realized he wasn't coming home that night.

I was in the stairwell of the 23rd floor when a woman cried out to me for help. "I have been knocking on the door of your heart for 50 years!" I said. "Of course I will show you the way home -- only believe on Me now."
I was at the base of the building with the Priest ministering to the injured and devastated souls. I took him home to tend to his Flock in Heaven. He heard my voice and answered.

I was on all four of those planes, in every seat, with every prayer. I was with the crew as they were overtaken. I was in the very hearts of the believers there. Comforting and assuring them that their Faith has saved them.

I was in Texas, Kansas, London. I was standing next to you when you heard the terrible news. Did you sense Me? I want you to know that I saw every face. I knew every name-though they did NOT all know Me. Some met me for the first time on the 100th floor. Some sought me out in their last breath. Some couldn't hear me calling to them throughout the smoke and flames, "Come to Me...this way...take my hand." Some chose, for the final time, to ignore Me. But, I was there.

I did not place you in the Tower that day--you may not know why, But I DO. However, if you were there in that explosive moment in time, would you have reached for Me? September 11, 2001, was not the end of the journey for you. But someday your journey will end. And I will be there for you as well. Seek Me now while I may be found. Then, at any moment, you know you are "ready to go." I will be in the stairwell of your final moments.

Remember. I love you.

God

Copyright©2002 Stacey Randall

Amen.

JR is Swimmin with the Fishes

2007-09-05T10:33:00.000-07:00

(x-posted to HLOG)

The Newest Fishie in the Bay

Doug Wilson (DW as I like to call him) called up his old buddy (and former teammate) Jeremy Roenick and got him to sign a $500,000, one-year deal with the San Jose Sharks.

"A lot of teams expected me to retire and thought I was retiring," Roenick said
Tuesday. "But it took the initiative of one person to make the phone call to
find out is that was really happening.

"This is not a financial thing for me," Roenick told reporters on a conference call. "I even asked for a bit less. My motivation is to win a Cup. My motivation is to try and gain my respectability as a hockey player back. ...

"The only reason that I would be playing this year is because of Doug Wilson and the opportunity that he's given me to play with, I think, the best team in the National Hockey League, and have a chance to win a Stanley Cup."

"We know Jeremy very well," said Wilson. "This is not a negative to where he's been in prior situations, but I think a player like this has to be in a situation where he perceives an ability to win and the ultimate winning being competing for a Cup."

I, Personally, love this. I've always been a big JR fan... (what can I say, I love loud mouths!) I think with the right linemates he could be a big contributer again. That's not saying I think he's going to have another 50-goal year or anything, but I don't see a down-side here. He's not taking up a lot of salary-cap room, and as long as he doesn't throw a water bottle at anyone, he's not a huge liability. (teehee... as inapropriate as that was, i loved it)

Welcome to my Sharkies, "Jer-my"!

Alumni Update

2007-09-03T20:30:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems that hockey season is fast approaching. YAY! As I said when CapsChick and I were chatting it up, "If the off-season was any longer, I'd call my brother and ask him to send me an old glove to sniff."

Which brings me to the updates:

It seems that the Houston Aeros are now the Houston "McPhizzle has a humorous anecdote about me"s... Not only do they have Clayton Stoner (former Am and good friend) and Coach Kevin Constantine (former coach of the Everett Silvertips), but they have also signed goalie (and former Spokane Chief) Barry Brust and (former Golden Gopher) Troy Riddle.
Big Bro is now going to be playing in Europe... Something he's wanted to do for a couple years now. He's going to be playing in the UK for the Hull Stingrays and oddly enough, one of his teammates is Nikolai Ladygin (another former Am)

really? for real?

2007-08-28T10:49:00.000-07:00

Tuesday... not usually a BAD day, per se, but this one didn't start out too hot...

I woke up late. On purpose, but late. Left the house at about 8:20 to stop in quickly at Dr. S's office and get a persecription for something to make what I thought was bronchitis go away. Get into the parking lot, slow down and stop behind a minivan that is about to park and all of a sudden, her reverse lights go on.... she starts backing up.... she ignores the sound of my blaring horn and all I hear is *crunch* well, before I said, "fucking shit" and put my car in park. No damage... And oddly enough, she was wearing one of the breast cancer awareness Ams shirts. Hmm.. Like I told McMan, "I decided not to comment on it in the fear that I'd tell her she didn't deserve to don the logo of MY team if she's going to back into me."

So, after she parks the van and i go down the few more offices and park in front of my dr's office, I go in, see the doctor and he tells me I don't have bronchitis or a sinus infection. I have asthma. Oh. Joy. And please please please tell me why it takes 20 minutes to put an inhaler together... I'm assuming they had to hand craft the plastic holder there in the pharmacy at Walgreens.

Yeah. It was an awesome morning.... and to think, I was all ready to wirte a hockey post about training camp so far.... SO i'm just going to post photos from the annual Todd Klassen Memorial Classic game, which was held at the buttcrack of dawn on Sunday. (photos by MLM photographer VonHammer)

Me singing the anthems after running around the arena... i thought they were going to re-zam the ice. oops.

Thrilling hockey action = painting the nails in the stands

Best Lunchbreak EVER!

2007-08-22T13:29:00.000-07:00

The morning started with an early rise from bed. I showered, straightened my hair and took myself to work. Once again, no blueberry scones at Starbucks. Someday I'm going to call and complain abut that. Get to work and most of Downtown K-Town has NO power. Even the traffic signals were out. (Ps- no one in this town knows how to use a freakin 4-way stop!) I sat out in the foyer and read the paper and drank my coffee b/c our phone system is also electric. After I read through the classifieds and saw 2 pianos for sale, I decided that's what I was going to ask for for Christmas from my parents. With that thought, I went into the Chapel and played the piano that one of the bosses is storing here until their new house is finished until the power came back on.

At about 11, I took a lunchbreak, which I normally don't do at all, but I needed to drop my jeans off at Buckle to get them hemed (yay for free alterations! 8 inches off the XXL jeans). As I was driving down Canal Drive, I saw an upright piano sitting on a trailer at Ernie's Car Place with a bright yellow tag on it that I thought said $250. That can't be right! I thought to myself. I turned my little car around and went to check it out. Not only did it say $250, but it said, "WAS $250 NOW $150 OBO". OH. EM. GEE! I marched into the office and asked if he'd take $100 for it. I am now the proud owner of an upright piano.

I emailed Roomie2.0 telling her that i made a BIG impulse purchase and that I'd be really flexible with any furniture arrangements she wanted to make lol.

It's going to cost me an arm and a leg to have it moved... From the quote I got from the company that I liked the best anywhere from $149-$225. Then in 2-3 weeks I'll have it inspected, cleaned and tuned to the tune of $95 (+$35 if it needs extensive tuning). But still, that's an upright piano in MY apartment in MY posession for $420 or less. YESSS. And then, about 1:10, my ma calls me and tells me to come out front because she has something for me. I meet her outside my office and she hands me a bag of money. $70 to help toward the movers. How much do I love this woman?!

I emailed Rabbi Herschel about it... his response, "That's awesome about your piano. I don't envy the movers getting it up the stairs to your apartment though... yuck... Let me know when it arrives, I'll play you a jaunty tune!" Jaunty tune party at my house!!!!

It's old and a little beat up, but it's a PIANO and it's got character. My own piano. I really didn't think I'd ever have one... well, at least until I was grown and married or something. I'm freaking out. I may or may not be a little fahklempt. Talk amongst ya'selves. :)

NEWSBREAK!

2007-08-20T14:14:00.000-07:00

Ok, so the title of my blog isn't exactly correct anymore. There will still be musings and they're still coming from someone radical, but technically I'm not a redhead anymore.

*pause for you to catch your breath*

I know it's a big decision, but I've been thinking about it for about a year and yesterday took the plunge into Brunettehood. I still surprise myself when i look in the mirror.

MissRoomie loves it, as does the McMan, although it took his Hetrosexual Life Partner (aka his roomie... aka MrRoomie) pointing it out for him to notice (see photos below for how redonkulous that was) - the UPS guy noticed within 10 seconds of being in my office. McMan held several conversations with me before he was tipped off.

MrRoomie: (2 seconds after seeing McP) Hey! You did something different with your hair. it looks nice!
McP: THANK YOU!
MrRoomie: Ooooh..... You're in TROUBLE!
McMan: I noticed, I just didn't say anything b/c she doesn't like it when people make a big fuss over her hair when she straightens it. (which is true - and he got brownie points for remembering that and saying it aloud)
McP: kind of fuming
MrRoomie: Dude! She changed the color of it!
McMan: She did? (looks at McP) OOPS!

Photos:

(ok, so my eyes are closed, big whoop... lol)

Damnit, Uncle Wayne, Help a sister out!!!

2007-08-14T10:05:00.000-07:00

Ok, for reals? Just when we get our hopes all up that the jolly green giants in Everett might not be the US Division "Champs" yet again, Uncle Wayne has to go and dash my hopes and dreams. Then again, there's always hopes that with Constantine gone to coach in Houston that they might not be the trap-playing bore that they have been the past 4(?) years. Hopefully they're still the WHL Diving Team, though.... they could win gold at the next summer games...

Peter Mueller --
The eighth-overall pick in 2006 has come a long way in a short time. That’s saying something considering that he was the Western Hockey League rookie of the year prior to being drafted and had a strong camp with the Coyotes last summer.

“We had a chance to watch Peter at our development camp recently, and we were very impressed by the amount of development he’s had between last summer and this summer,” says Treliving. “He knows what to expect a little more, and has a better sense now of exactly what it takes to be a pro. There was already a good foundation, and he’s building on it very nicely.”

This past season, the 6-foot-2, 205 pound Mueller posted 78 points, including 57 assists, for the Everett Silvertips in 51 WHL regular-season games. In the postseason, he had 16 points in 12 games. He sees the ice very well, and has worked hard to improve both his skating and his two-way approach.

“We really like the package of skills that Peter brings and we think he’s got the chance to be a special talent. Now, having said that, we’re not going to rush him,” says Treliving.

Mueller, who turned 19 in April, will come to camp with the big club. While there’s a chance that he could make Wayne Gretzky’s opening night lineup, another year of junior development and a potential shot at playing for Team USA at the World Junior Championships certainly wouldn’t hurt. He was invited to the Team USA camp taking place in Lake Placid, but was unable to attend due to a minor injury.

le sigh

2007-08-09T14:44:00.000-07:00

Let's catch up on a few things:

Casa McP will be changing a bit... MissRoomie is moving in with the Director of the pageant and so Roomie2 will be moving in at the end of the month. She's nice and cute and likes wine - it's all good to me! :) We'll be replacing a few things and rearranging. MissRoomie is still going to come over for slumber parties, etc. Honestly, I'm pretty devistated about it, but having a positive outlook. New life experiences.
the McMan and I made it official on Monday night - therefore, he is the McB/F. I'm sure as hockey season starts some of his comments and observations will show up here and at the HLOG. Oh, and he's getting dish so we can watch hockey in HD. YESSSSSSSS! There's nothing like being with someone who understands the love of the sport!
Went to the Martina McBride concert on Tuesday. OH. My. DUDE! She was amazing. She is now on my list of "Fem Boners" with Christina Aguilera and Idina Menzel.
The Canucks aquired a player from St Louis... I'm pretty sure his name starts with a "Z" and ends with an "ack Fitzgerald." HA!
The Bruins don't disappoint - they signed Zach Hammill (the player we love to hate from Everett) and (former Am) Sean Curry. Upon informing Hammer of the sitch, she said, "Wow! The tips might not be #1 this year! Wait, neither will the Ams, :("
Throwing a baby shower on Saturday for Prego Mego! SO stoked! YAY! Baby will be here in about 3 weeks!
I need a nap.
Finally got Quickbooks for the office - my life is SO much easier!
I was caller #11 this morning for Nickelback tickets - they were looking for #12. I sent the flying monkeys to throw some poo.

Warning! Funniness ahead!

2007-08-01T12:53:00.000-07:00

My bestie Chris is my #1 guy on the myspace (and the reason i can say, "It's OK, I'm with the band.). I filled out a bulletin/survey that you will read below... following that is the hilariosity that followed:

1) Who is he?
Chris... one of my besties and former neighbor before he and his pigeon-filled BBQ moved to a land far far away. (a whole 10 minutes instead of 10 seconds)
2) Do you trust him?
More than most people I know put together
3) When’s the last time you talked to him?
Saturday while I was at Targét
4) Does he have a girlfriend?
Negatory, Ghost rider, the pattern is full.
5) Is he one of your friends?
Um, Duh?
6) Where does he live?
the Land of Rich
7) Is he older than you?
Oui
8) Are you related to him?
Nope
9) Would you do anything for him?
I would... well, short of stabbing myself in the eye with a searing hot french-fry. We'll leave that to the crazy squirrels.
10) Do you have a nickname for him?
He's listed as "Stewart" in my phone... everyone calls him Blinky, but I usually just call him Chris... Oh! Or Rabbi Herschel.
11) How long have you known him?
about 2 years now
12) Do you think he will repost this?
Most likely not, but he might read it?

He repsonded in an email to me:

12) Do you think he will repost this?
Most likely not, but he might read it? You are correct! haha. I only post bulletins when they promote shows that I'm playing... we all know that I'm egotistical like that, haha.
So I'm not hip enough to repost this, but I will email it back to you:

1) Who is she?
Merrick McP-Dizzle

2) When’s the last time you talked to her?
Earlier today

3) Do you know her middle name?
I'm going to take a guess at this one and say Zambindosiaplasopheria

4) Does she have a boyfriend?
Hmmmmm.... I think that her and Mike made it official but I've honestly never gotten the official press release on the subject.

5) Is she one of your friends?
Friends is a word that's tossed around so lightly these days. Let's just say she's my favorite daughter of Israel ;)

6) where does she live?
In reality: Washington
In her dreams: Anywheresville Canada

7) Is she older than you?
No way. I think she's 19... maybe 20... ;)

8) Would you do anything for her?
I would not stab myself in the eye with a searing hot french fry, but other than that.... yeah, pretty much.

9) Do you have a nickname for her?
Mer Dawg, Mo McPhizzle, MC McPherson,

10) How long have you known her?
approximately as long as its been since the first time I met her.

11) Do you think she will repost this?
Not a second time... or will she... I shall ponder this in greater detail on the toilet.... or I'll read Maxim.... I haven't decided yet... only time will tell.

After exchanging a couple emails about his current g/f sitch (or lack-there-of) I replied with:

There's nothing wrong with that. Hopefully she feels the same way... and if she doesn't? (well, we both know how much i think of you - you're my rabbi, for moses' sake!) it's her loss... yours too, b/c she's a great girl, but if she can't be with you right now, for whatever reason, she's the one making the decision to give up - not you.

Either way, Chin-up Herschel, you've given this your best shot and put your best yarmulke forward. If she decides to let you go, there are a lot of shiksa's in the sea, my friend.

Ok, so here's the funny part:

Well, I’m glad you think it was the right move. Your use of Yiddish in our emails is quite entertaining by the way. Let’s see if I can get this right:

Rabbi: The guy in charge of saying things like “Oy” and “What are you talking about, $3.95?! for split pea soup?”

Moses: The guy in charge of saying things like “I’m schvitzing like a mohel over here!” and inspiring Mel Brooks comedic genius.

Shvitzing: Sweating

Mohel: The guy who nips the tip!

Herschel: Yiddish translation for Christopher

Shiksa: Yiddish translation for “Perks of being in a band”

My tearful response to him:

Today, my son, You become a man!

I get back:

So what type of mitzvah would this be? Bar or bots?

and finally:

Bar is when you become a man... Bat is when you become a woman... Bots can be when you become Optimus Prime

Oh good death... THAT was a good laugh...

The Return of McPhizzle

2007-07-26T11:28:00.000-07:00

First off, I'd like to thank my little pretties for updating everyone yesterday on what's going on in my life. I added them to the design of the page as a thank-you. Now, onto the good stuff!

Yesterday, Hammer had an appointment to get her car fixed at the Honda dealership up here, so when she was done, I met her for dinner at the preferred dining establishment of the Maple Leaf Mafia, Fiesta Mexican Restaurant. If any of you are ever in the Tri-Cities Metropolitan Area (*giggle*) we all highly reccomend it - Traditional Mexican Cuisine in a Family dining atmosphere with locations in Kennewick and Pasco. (No, we don't get paid, we're just preferred guests.)

Dinner was DELECTIBLE, as always, and Hammer gave me my birthday present - a limited edition mug from Timmy Hortons that had a little packet of Timmy Hortons coffee inside! YESSS!!

After we ordered Laces' to-go burritos, we crossed the street to Starbucks for some yummys - aka 2 Venti, Soy, Sugar-free Cinnamon Dolcé Lattés. So, I go through the drive through and order. The voice coming from the speaker sounded a little angsty, but whatever, right? Well, I get to the window and the girl was just a raging bitch with attitude. Just because I looked super foxy yesterday doesn't mean you need to be rude, you angsty whore.

So we get back to Casa McP and MissRoomie (as she will now be refered to) was getting ready to go to a 'football' (aka soccer) game with her dude. She brought the crown out so Hammer could see the sparkly and left, looking super cute.

Hammer and I looked around on the intermanet for a few minutes and found a place we can get our rubber stamp of the MLM logo made and contacted VonHammer for a version of the logo without the beautiful faces of the female members (the better to stamp you with, my love). Score big on that front.

Then we busted out with the Main Event: NHLopoly!
I had one of the flying monkeys keep a running log of some of the funnier moments and comments:

Hammer ADMITTED TO CHEATING!!! That just had to be noted.
(When it's only 2 players, they play the quick-start game, we each pick 4 properties to start with and then buy the rest as they land on them) Hammer got Pheonix (one of the purple 'streets/teams' right after you pass go) in the "lottery" and Florida (the other one) in the first couple turns. Her comment was, "With $500 I could build Arenas (hotels) on this shit right now!"
McP ended up with some nice draws from the lottery - including Dallas and Minnesota, who just happen to be of the same monopoly (red). Hammer's comment, "That red hair is a sign that you're Satan."
When McP bought the Pens, Hammer bitterly said, "OH yeah? Well, you're in charge of bailing Jordan out of jail now." It also should be noted that she also owned Carolina - and spent 12+ turns in Jail.... Karma or Coincedence? No one knows.
Hammer went straight from empty lots on the purple monopoly to Arenas. "Yeah. Suck it! It's a whole $200 if you land on it."
McP got a Get Out Of Jail Free card, "The Staals should've had one of these bad boys in their pockets!"
McP landed on Florida. The rent was announced at $450 with the Arena built. "$450?! For FLORIDA?! Oh come. On. No one CARES about Florida. Do they even have a TEAM?!"
Hammer's comment, "I know, that's what I thought. You must be Jokinen!"
For a while it seemed like McP had the NHLopoly mojo.... Hammer, never being the most gracious loser said, "As long as I win in the end, I'm ok." Fair enough.
"Oh. Awesome. You're building luxury boxes (houses) with the money I just gave you!" Protested McP after forking over a heft sum to Hammer for 'rent.'
"What did you expect me to do?" Hammer laughed, "Just sit here and look at it?"
McP giggled, "That would've been the polite thing to do."
"I'll look at it.... Look at it going into the bank with little houses in return!"
Landing on Pitsburgh with a luxury box built was a little steeper than Hammer thought it was going to be, as she begrugingly handed over the colorful scratch, she said, "Will this pay for young Jordan's bail?"
While speaking of Vinny Lecavilier, the girls lamented over his pretty face in a tux at the NHL awards and the subject of his (as Hammer called her) hooker-of-a-woman came up. Here's the convo that followed,
H: She's probably not REALLY a hooker.
McP: No, she really is.
H: Some Quebequois hooker... How do you say 'hooker' in French? Hook-aire?
Insert the break they took to read Margee's brilliant insider-recap of the Bachelor party that concluded with handcuffs - and not the good kind - for the Staal boys. (Affectionately refered to by the MLM as Staalgate 2007) And then for some tissues for the tears that were rolling down their cheeks from copious ammounts of laughter.
McP also needed to place her Arbonne order before 10:00pm PST so that it could be in the mails today, so that took a few minutes. She made a phonecall to the automated bank number to check her balance - after accidentally pressing a wrong button, the amount of $4,300-something was coming over the speakerphone - after almost losing her Fiesta, she realized she was listening to the amount remaining on her car loan. Oh well, jackpot shall be hit some other time.
Reviving the Great MLM Spit-Lisp, when Hammer landed on Nashville, she said, "Schea it ischen't scho!!" Ah, the Weber....
By far, the most landed on property of the night was Anaheim (the first magenta property after Jail). McP especially landed on it after the 4 luxury boxes and Arena was built. "$625 for a Todd Bertuzzi Booty Call?! Damn, this better be worth it."
"Obviously it is, b/c you keep going back!"
After the Arena was built on Phoenix, the rent went from $2 to $250. The girls figured that was the cost of the medical bills to cure the Syph one might contract from a few certain players who shall remain nameless (unless someone asks for them)
In the end, the Godfather of NHLopoly won again.... If you play with Hammer, chances are, you're going to be sleepin with the fishes...

All-in-all, a FANTASTIC night was had at the gathering of the MLM... as it always is.

Do you know how hard it is to type with no opposable thumbs?!

2007-07-25T09:56:00.000-07:00

This update on our dear McPhizzle is brought to you by the flying monkeys here at the Musings.

Our radical redhead has been a non-blogger the past couple weeks, so we thought we'd let you know what she's been doing.

#1) McP has a McMan. First time in a couple years that this has gone on, so she's pretty excited about it. We've met him. He's smart, funny, nice, cute, he's a huge hockey fan, he treats her like a princess and puts up with her Radical Redheaded-ness. And he's got the cutest (and smallest) cat in the world, Cika - she likes to attack McP's hair. We know the feeling, little feline!

#2) McP has left year 23 and started year 24. So far, VERY good. Then again, this year couldn't be any worse than last, that's for sure. Sister didn't make it up to visit from Vega$ b/c she flew over the handlebars of a Vespa and broke her wrist, but that's OK. McP, the McMan and his McFriends are planning a trip down there in November, so the family reunion is still going to happen... eventually. We're going to hide in her luggage and try our hand at the slots. "Big money, no whammies!!"

#3) Roomie won the pageant!!!!! She will be competing for Miss WA next July - then on to Miss America in January! (Yes, we know we're getting ahead of ourselves there, but we're confident monkeys). McP is absolutely elated for her. Actually, when they announced her as the winner, McP jumped up, screamed and started crying - much like if she had won herself. Don't let Roomie know, but when neither of them are home, we fly around Casa McP with the crown on. A monkey's gotta look good, you know? McP has also been inspired to lose a few more pounds, get back into "Physical Fitness in Swimwear" shape and run for Miss WA USA... She's got a few months til she wants to apply - we're rooting her on.

#4) The weather here has been... well, McP calls it awesome, we call it FREAKIN HOT! Highs in the upper 90's (F) and even up to 110! The McMan has a pool in his back yard and LURVES to BBQ, so McP is benefitting from the chance to be a little fishie without the screaming, splashing urchins at the pool at Casa McP and the deliciousness that is the McMan's grilling prowess. She said it's like having her very own Bobby Flay. We're just glad that he doesn't say, "Who's your daddy?!" when he's patting the hamburger patties into shape.

#5) She's a little battered and bruised right now. She and the McMan went out on the river with some of his McFriends on Sunday and whilst inner-tubing behind the boat, she was thrown off and according to the McMan, she did about 4 flips in the air before hitting the water. Her right leg is pretty bruised up... And the back of her left leg... and her right arm. But other than that and a stiff neck, she's ok - thanks to her trusty life-jacket! Boat smart, boat safe, kiddies!

That is it for now. We're sure she'll be back to her blogging self in no time at all. Less than 30 days 'til Ams Camp starts!

Our Jungle Love (oh-wee-oh-wee-oh),
The Flying Monkies

Oh no you di-in't!

2007-07-10T13:36:00.000-07:00

Watching this directly after lunch is not a good thing if your tummy is full - it may or may not have brought McPhizzle to the point of almost vomiting from laughing so hard. Luckily, the flying monkies showed her the logo of the Edmonton OilKings to bring her back down.

This video is entitled "Message for Bob"

I'm not sure, but I think it might have something to do with the cutest Edmonton OilKing in the VERLD. The little gnome is onto something ;o)

"A Whole New Teeeeaaaammmmm!"

2007-07-09T13:08:00.001-07:00

Imagine me singing that on the flying carpet ride at WDW....

In all seriousness, though, TraderBob has pulled another trick out of his bag-o-trades and traded Chris Inglis (aka "Heeead!") to the Lethrbidge Hurricanes for a 17 y/o Defenseman. (article)

New kid is big - 6'2" 205#... He'll be reporting to training camp in August.

We'll miss you and your huge noggin, Christopher! (and your mom and dad, they're a kick in the pants!)

Clarification

2007-07-09T08:33:00.000-07:00

After a rather angry email was recieved by the flying monkeys at the Musings, let me clarify some things:

1) This blog is filled with my personal opinions. in America, we can do that... freedom of speech is a WONDERFUL thing. I don't apologize for things I write here because I write what I feel and after years and years of holding things in, I'm done. I have to get it out or I get physically and mentally sick. If you don't like it, don't read it. I wont be offended, I promise.

2) Juraj "Big Guy" Valach was a great kid. I stuck up for him all season to people and fans who didn't think he was playing as well as he could, which he wasn't - he even said it multiple times. I stood behind that kid 100% and you can ask anyone about that. I was definitely his #3 fan in Tri (ma and pa being #'s 1 & 2). My mom and dad cared a lot for him and were very hurt by his words and decision not to come back to Tri. Being hurt and angry and not agreeing with his tactics doesn't mean we hate him or don't wish him well in the future... He's just got a lot of growing up to do, still.

3) I am a Christian by choice and practice, but Jewish by birth. That will never change. All my life I've grown up knowing the horrors of the haulocaust and what hatred and ugliness the Nazis stood for. A swastika isn't something I find humourous. I don't find ANY jokes about any of those things funny. I don't care if they're by stupid teenage boys who don't know any better or real Neo-Nazis.... Millions of people died for being who they were. If I had lived in Europe at that time, I probably would've been one of them, MAYBE one of the lucky ones who got out alive. Sure it's an emotional button that doesn't get pushed on everyone, but maybe it should be.

I'm stepping off of my soap box now.

It's a Hot Day, Charlie Brown

2007-07-05T16:28:00.000-07:00

Good grief. I was gonna update on the 4th (since i spent it at 2 different shindigs with 2 different hockey families), but it's flipping 108* outside.

ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHT!

I walked outside to turn the sprinklers on and it felt like I had opened the oven to check and see if the cookies were burnt.

Only 30 min until I blow this popsicle stand and grab my bikini on the way to Mike's to spend the evening in his pool. Oh, cold, chlorine-y goodness, I hear you calling my name. I'll be there soon.... And speaking of popsicles, i hope Mike has a grape one left... YUM.

O'CANADA!!!

2007-07-03T12:43:00.000-07:00

(x-posted to Maple Leaf Mafia)

This Lactose-free Canada Day is brought to you in honour of Matty Swaby.

July 1st... The day Canada celebrates their Independance! YAY!

Headed to M.F. for a day of celebrating the Homeland. Hammer had maple cookies ready and a maple leaf flag banner up. We started the afternoon with a rousing game of NHLopoly. I would've won if I hadn't have let Hammer cheat and stay in jail in order to avoid the "ticket prices" in Ottawa with the arena built. She won. Lame. Now I know not to be so congenial.

We tagged my car with red car-chalk. Violette (my vehicle) is still proudly rockin' "CANADA DAY '07" on her back windshield.

The roster ended up beign rather full - The whole female contingent of the Maple Leaf Mafia was there (Hammer, VonHammer, Laces and McPhizzle) along with 3 of Hammer's friends and 1 little nugget named Michael - the little 18-mo.-old cutie that totally stole the show.

We all wore "Canadian leis" (aka red mardi-gras beads that left our necks pink - Mike thought I had gotten sunburned when I got home), and most of us were wearing some combination of red, black and white (we let VonHammer slide with the HNIC shirt). We also put temporary tattoos on our faces. When Laces came in she asked, "Can't I put it on my guns?" Your guns?! No, now you HAVE to put it on your face for asking that way.

Before we ate dinner, the Canadian Anthem was sung reverantly at the picnic table.

the Alberta Beef Tenderloin with Gingered Saskatoon Berry Compote was AMAZING!! As was the potato salad (in honour of PEI's 65 varieties of potaoes, of course... Who knew they had that many?! "Is there enough land to grow that many there?" "Maybe a row of each?" "We found a new variety of potato, eh!" "Well, go plant it next to the other 64, eh!").

After dinner, the fun and games began. We took a Canadian History test... We should've studied. lol. Question #15 was "Which part of the US space shuttle was designed by Canadians?" VonHammer was QUITE excited that she knew the answer and when Hammer was reading the correct answers aloud, she shouted at the top of her lungs, "ROBOTIC ARM!!!!!" which we affectionately re-named the CanadArm.

Somehow the topic of Lester B Pearson (14th Prime Minister of Canada) and how he got the nickname "Mike." Apparently "Lester" didn't sound tough enough, so they picked a new name for him. Odd little tidbit there. Apparently Mike is a tough name.

After the quiz, we started playing the "Great Canadian Adventure" board game that Hammer uses as a Friday treat in the Canadian History course she teaches.

One of the questions Hammer gave to Laces was, "Who is the Canadian Hockey player who they call The Great One...." we all groaned and rolled our eyes at the easiness, especially since questions to the rest of us were freakin hard...
When someone landed on a "Heroes" space, VonHammer shouted, "TERRY FOX!!!!" before her sister could even begin to read the question aloud. Hammer's response? "Great, now I have to choose a new one."
To make up for the ease of Laces' queston, the next question posed to me was "WHo was the first Aboriginal head coach in the NHL... I matched VonHammer's intesity yelling, "TED NOLAN!!!!" (and as always, I added, "he's on LonGisland!")
Our little nugget got to roll the large, neon pink dice for his mom and dad. He beaned Laces with it once. (a Picture Essay will follow once they are transfered onto my computer from VonHammer's camera)
Hammer and I started fighting about how the only reason she won the NHLopoly game was b/c I let her cheat... when our voices had raised to their limit and I ran out of little sister things to say, to end the argument I said, "IT'S A GLITCH!" the laughter and thought of Brad and Vinny stopped the arguing at once.
As the questions got harder, Hammer gave us hints... She's a master of disguising names in hints.... here are a couple examples, "It rhymes with Schmick Schmanson" (Rick Hanson), "It rhymes with Meline Sleon" (Celine Dion) and my personal favourite, "It rhymes with Muffalo." (Buffalo)

When we'd been sufficently munched on by the mosquitos, we went inside for a little chatting and so Laces and The Nugget could play a little pick-up game of carpet hockey with the pink hockey sticks I picked up at Target in the Holiest of places, the Dollar Spot. Laces' comment about her opponent, "We're about the same height, so it's ok."

While the game was going on, the father of the Nugget gave us his opinion of hockey, "They serve beer and get in fights. Its a good game."

When he finished telling us about a game he'd been to in Seattle where there were something like 8 fights and 6 were the same guy on Seattle, my comment was, "I bet his name started with a 'Z' and ended with 'ack FitGerald'."

During the conversation about that particular T-Bird, the puck went under the little breakfast nook and behind a scrapbook organizer and it turned into a scrum along the boards at my feet, so i blew the fake whistle, bent down and dropped the puck back on the playing surface. VonHammer's comment, "The Ice Girls got that one."

When it was time for the Nugget to head home, he was QUITE sad to leave the Canadian and hockey goodness. We gave him his first taste of hockey and he's hungry for more!! :) Corrupting young minds. That's what the Maple Leaf Mafia is all about.

YESSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!

2007-07-03T11:48:00.000-07:00

(x-posted to Hockey's Ladies of Greatness & Maple Leaf Mafia)

My inner struggle is over! No reason for me to cheer for the Wings anymore!

Todd Bertuzzi says, "It's been real... Quack off, Detroit."

Teaming back up with former Vancouver GM, Brian Burke, Toddball inked a 2-year, $8 Million deal to head from Motor City to my Mecca, the land of Mickey, Anaheim.

Big Guy..... Bad Guy.

2007-07-03T10:26:00.000-07:00

My parents Billet for the local WHL team. THis year they had a very talented 6'6" hockey player living with them from Slovakia. Juraj Valach, affectionately refered to as "Big Guy."

Juraj and McP in happier times...

He wasn't the first Slovak they've had in (the former) Casa McP, but he was the youngest - he was 17 when he arrived and didn't have a drivers license to drive the car the 'rents provide the player living at their house (legal age to drive in Slovakia is 18).

His play deteriorated in the 2nd 1/2 of the season - no one really knows why except for maybe he was homesick? That makes the most sense b/c he picked his play up a little when the team flew his sister over from Slovakia in February/March. (she stayed at my parent's house for two weeks.) After that, with the exception of the game winning goal in OT of game 4 of the 1st round of playoffs, it seemed all he did was take stupid penalties (possibly b/c he wasn't taught how not to) and whine about not getting enough ice time.

So the day of the WHL Euro draft, my parents got a call from Annie Fowler of the TCHerald reguarding the comments Big Guy had made. Here's part of the article resulting from that phone conversation:

"Ams trade Valach to Vancouver, take 2 in import draft
This story was published Thursday, June 28th, 2007
ANNIE FOWLER HERALD STAFF WRITER

When Bob Tory lost veteran defenseman Matt Swaby in the Edmonton Oil Kings expansion draft June 5, he was confident the Tri-City Americans defensive corps would be solid with the return of Juraj Valach, T.J. Fast, Jarrett Toll, Tyler Schmidt, Eric Mestery and Brock Cornish.

What the Americans general manager did not foresee was Valach not returning to the team. The 6-foot-6, 210-pounder from Slovakia notified Tory earlier this week that he would not return to the Western Hockey League unless he was traded.

So, Tory traded Valach to the Vancouver Giants for their 54th overall pick in Wednesday's Canadian Hockey League Import Draft.

"We had a curveball thown our way," Tory said. "It was surprising and a little shocking. We spent a lot of time developing him. He said he did not enjoy his time in
Tri-Cities and blamed the team for him not being drafted last week (in the NHL entry draft). If he doesn't want to be here, I don't want him in the dressing room. He's not our worry anymore."

Valach's billets, Ma and Pa McP of Kennewick, went to the NHL Draft in Columbus, Ohio, in hopes that Valach would be drafted.

"He told us before he went home in April that if he wasn't drafted he wouldn't come back," said Ma. "He did not like having to make public appearances with the team. He didn't have the community spirit; he came to play hockey. I hope he's happy in Vancouver, but I don't think he will be happy unless he's playing at home (Slovakia)." ..."

SO yeah.... That kid was pampered here in the Tri-Cities. It came out later that he had even fired his agent and gotten a new one, which Bob thinks had a lot to to with the whole thing. Let me weigh in with my opinion of why he didn't get drafted:
note: I am not nor have I ever been affiliated with any NHL team, nor am I a coach/gm/scout.

When you aren't willing to buy into the system and be a part of the team, you're not going to put up the numbers/stats that you're capable of.
When you aren't willing to learn how to use your large, large body for something other than taking penalties, you're not living up to your potential or taking advantage of the opportunity you have playing in the Canadian Hockey League.
Constantly calling the coach an idiot isn't going to make him any easier to get along with. Maybe there's a reason you're riding the pine that doesn't have to do with your playing.
Many employers check the myspace of people they're going to hire. I think NHL teams may just do the same thing, it'd be something I'd do to see if the kid was someone I wanted in my organization. If those teams looked at his myspace when I did, they would cross him off the short-list - hell, even the long list - ASAP. I spent an entire day wondering if my parents were living with an anti-semite b/c the whole page was covered in neo-nazi/hitler crap. I emailed him to see wtf was up and he said that the guys in the locker room called him a nazi, so he put all that up trying to fit in. This little Jew was NOT impressed. At all. Tell the other teammates to come talk to my mom or I about the Nazis, the halocaust or the stars-of-david we wear around our neck.
Hockey players are the worst gossips of anyone I have ever met in my life. They're worse than high school girls by FAR. This creates a HUGE network of men who talk and talk and talk.... Maybe he forgot that his coach was a part of the Hartford Whalers (80-82), Edmonton Oilers (82-83 with Gretzky and Messier), and the Philadelphia Flyers (85-90). THEN he went on to coach in Seattle fron 94-00 and then for the Philly Phantoms before coming back to the Dub to coach here. That's a shit-ton of contacts, kid. And we all know Donny doesn't hold back on telling people what he really thinks about ANYONE. Think about that.

Don Nachbaur will seem like a kitten compared to Don Hay (who coached here 2 coaches before Schnacks). He will still be expected to be out in the community, he will still have a few asshat teammates who aren't as nice as he'd like and he's not going to have a billet that does EVERYTHING for him like my saint of a Ma did.

I know his comments weren't directed at my family. If he would've been unhappy in the house he could've moved like several other boys did during the season, but it doesn't make his actions any less classless or hurtful. He could've at least done it before the expansion draft so we'd still have Matty.... Ugh... our D... Please, LA, send TJ Fast back to us!!!

Draft...

2007-07-03T10:03:00.000-07:00

Seems kindof insignificant now, but I might as well finish the adventures of Steve and Teri.

Well, the rents went to cheer super loud when Big Guy got drafted and b/c they hadn't had a vacation without either me or the little bro or both since... well, ever. Long story short, Big GUy didn't get drafted (read my next post for my comments on that sitch) but my parents had a FAB time in Columbus.

Like I said in my first draft day post, they saw Rick Nash, Ken Hitchcock and Pascal Leclaire at a pub before the draft started.

All my mom can talk about were all of the little boys who were going around getting everyone's autograph.
They got draft shirts for me, dad's bosses and the little hockey boys from the rink, Jackson and Cubby and hats for themselves. I tend to love my parents and their gift buying.
Ma was appauled at the Bluejackets Fans for the booing... it didn't sound like any more than normal on TSN, but I guess some of the scouts, etc they were sitting by said that it was worse than they'd ever heard... other than that the hospitality was good though.
Dad got a picture of Brian Murray for me... SCHWEET!!!
Ma still tears up at the sight of The Great One - even in photos. She's a sap.
They went through all the exhibits of the trophies and the new jerseys, etc... Dad got a super cute pic of Ma peaking around the waist manequin. Yes, the waist. Ma McP Is getting close to being pocket-sized at 5'1" (don't let her lie and tell you she's 5' 3 3/4" call her out, she's in denial.)
Ma said there were several men there she wanted to club over the head and ship home to me... I'm still wondering why she didn't.
They hit an Ohio State sale at the airport, so we all got buckeye gear... It's super cute, but I do have the urge to hum a few bars of the Golden Gopher fight song while I'm wearing it to show my loyalty lol.

I guess that's really all.... the drama comes in the next post when we chronicle the rise and fall of Big Guy.

Procrastination at it's best

2007-06-27T12:33:00.000-07:00

Before I hunker down and get to work on my draft update, (shut up, i know i'm a slacker... a la chris farley in the Gap Girls sketch, "LAY OFF ME!") I thought I'd impart a little wisdom from one of my bestest dude friends, my dear Chad.

The talk of jubblies and shirtless men over at Sportsquee brought this to mind and made me chuckle, so I thought I'd pass it along.

This was about 4ish weeks ago and Chad, Chanel and I were sitting in a booth at a 24-hour restaurant discussing a boy I had recently taken a liking to who just happened to be a mutual friend of ours. He looked up from his plate-o-grease-soaked hashbrowns and said, "McPhizzle, How are you going to feel about dating a guy..." (insert me thinking, "with a kid" "with a drug problem" "with 4 testicles... wait, i didn't see 4...") "with bigger boobs than you?"

You see, the guy had a KILLER body - and seriously, his pecs rivaled my 34DD. Maybe it was funnier if you were there.... Yup, I think it was.

After the Rain....

2007-06-26T10:18:00.000-07:00

(nothin like a little Nelson to start the day, hey?)

Ok, while starting this entry (no joke, as I finished typing that first line) which was going to chronicle the rest of my parents' adventure in DraftLand last weekend I got the call that a very close family friend who has been battling cancer for the last 15 or so years passed away, so I figured before I did anything I'd give her a little memorial shout-out.

Linda Slick, 59, passed away on June 24, 2007.
"Slick" for short, beloved history teacher, treasured friend and talented vocalist.

And Saver-from-the-Carnies. Saver-whatzit-whoozle? Let me explain...

The setting is 1988... It was a hot August day in Eastern Washington and Ma McPhizzle and her BFF took their combined 3 children to the Benton-Franklin County Fair. While walking through the carnival, a precocious and curious Mini McPhizzle wandered off. Slick, who worked with BFF, was also at the carnival and noticed a curly-haired nugget wandering around alone - to her shock, it was McPhizzle (who she always called "Merk" to ruffle the little girl's feathers). She grabbed her hand and started to look for Ma McP. For the rest of her life, every time Slick and Merk saw eachother, she would remind the red-head that she had saved her from being taken away with the Carnies and if she didn't behave herself, she'd take her back.

Love you, Linda. I promise I'll never run away at the Carnival again.

Draft day #1

2007-06-22T14:16:00.000-07:00

Mom's called about 10 times so far, keeping me up to date on everything going on in Columbus.

they ran into Donny Nachs last night as they were leaving the restaurant. He proceeded to run his mouth until my mom started to point her acrylic tipped finger at him, to which he replied, "It's OK, Teri, I'm just pushing your buttons." (note to Schnacks: Don't do it. It bites you in the ass. Trust me.)
Saw Darrell May today and talked to him for a while.
Saw Darryl Porter and didn't fart in his general direction. I would've. Twice. After drinking REAL milk. (I'd suffer so he could suffer.)
They've been bar hopping b/c of a lack of places to sit and they can't get into the arena until 6:15 EST. So far they've been in the company of Ken Hitchcock, Pascal Leclaire and Rick Nash. That was all while I was on the phone with her.
She's a bit over-dressed, I guess. Oh well, I'd rather be the cute one than the scuzzy one... well, most of the time.
Thomas Hickey goes at #4. Mom called me, "CAN YOU FREAKIN BELIEVE THAT?! THAT T-BIRD!" Ma, he was good.
Text from Hammer when Zach Hamill went at #8 "Well good. No reason to start liking Boston."

I'm sure I'll be updating this later....

Starbucks, Latex and Contracts

2007-06-21T09:33:00.000-07:00

Sounds kinda kinky, no?

Really, though, I'm just loopy from an allergic reaction from sleeping in a room at my parents' house painted with latex paint. McPhizzle = Allergic to Latex. McPhizzle = Loopy and trying to correct it with an Iced Venti Sugar-Free Carmel Soy Latté. (and hoping i don't turn into a jittery mess... let's face it, i'm already there.)

Dropped Ma & Pa off at the airport this morning at 4:57. I didn't know my clock had more than one of those, honestly. Told them that if they saw "Uncle Wayne" or "Uncle Mario" in Columbus to give them a hug for me and to cheer real loud for me if when the Big Guy gets drafted.

Looks like my Sharkies aren't planning on re-signing Scott Tarz-Hannan. They signed Craig Rivet to a 4 year deal at $14 mil ($3.5 a year). Buzz is he'll go to VAN or LA... and the Sharkies will try to bring in someone else.

Looking forward to next season, I'm really hoping to see Devin Setoguchi have a good camp. Not only did he have 65 points for PG this year in 55 regular season games (21 in 15 playoff games) but has a bit of a mean-streak as well. Plus, his Dad and Sister (who, btw, is GORGEOUS) were amazingly generous when the Broseph got traded to Saskatoon (and then immediately to Lethbridge) and his stuff was pretty much abandoned by the Blades' bus - which if I remember correctly, caught on fire later that season in Cranbrook. If I'm right, Karma's a bitch. Edit: Ok, so I was wrong... It was just a couple years ago and it was the Regina bus at SaskPlace... I knew Megan was there and smelled the fire, I just thought it was when she was working for the Ice, my bad.

It'll be interesting to see what happens in the draft this weekend....