The Best Hockey Game EVER!!!

Last night, I attended the absolute BEST hockey game ever! It was between the Utah Grizzlies and the Idaho Steelheads. That doesn't really matter. The Steelheads won. That doesn't really matter either. I go for the cultural factor. I feel I am very well-rounded. I feel just as entertained at a hockey game as I do a Broadway play. Here is the night in review.

My mom and I didn’t like the seats we had purchased, so we moved over a section. We always do this. Plus when my Mom bought the tickets, the girl selling her the tickets totally pointed out the wrong seats. The original seats were down too low in the corner. Bad seats. We moved over a section toward the center and up higher so we could see the entire stretch of ice before us. Plus we had a better chance of getting hit by the puck if it happened to sail off the ice into the stands in our new seats! :)

Before the game started, we saw these little boys with huge earphones on. The earphones were like the kind you go to the shooting range with to muffle any and all sound. The little boys were about 2 and 4 years old. At first, I thought they were just wearing earmuffs, but no, it was definitely huge earphones. If you’re that overprotective of your kids’ hearing, why are you bringing them to a loud hockey game?? I was sure the noise wasn't any louder than the domestic abuse that was occurring in the apartment above them. Whatever! The kids weren't phased at all by having to wear those ugly huge things. Here's a picture of one of the kids. Sorry its a little blurry. I'm trying to protect the kid's identity! Just kidding! I was far away from them. I didn't want it to look too obvious that I was taking a picture of them with my cell phone. Child abductor??? The Mom in the gray is holding the blond kid in the black shirt. The two black dots on either side of his neck are the earphone things. I'm sure she would win the Mom of the Year Award but I just think it's ridiculous!

There were plenty of fights during the game. I loved how they would just hit each other in the face. That seemed to be the popular action during a fight. It was very entertaining. Many players from each team spent some quality time in the penalty box. One player from each team was ejected during the first period but returned for the second and third periods. I enjoyed the many times that I had the pleasure of yelling, "Hit him!" or "Trip him!" or "Get him!"

Between the first and second periods, the Guns vs Hoses game was played. It was between the police and the firemen. We cheered for the firemen because my cousin is a fireman (not in the game though). They didn’t have skates and they used snow-scraper sticks for hockey sticks. It was quite entertaining. I think the Hoses won, but I can't really remember.

Mom and I finally made it onto the jumbotron during the YMCA song. We got a lot of air time too! It is always our goal to get on the jumbotron at least once during a hockey game. Mission accomplished!

We sat in the section with the only group of people cheering for the other team. They were fun to watch and didn’t bother me at all. Apparently it bothered some people. Towards the end of the game, a guy (I use that term loosely) came over to sit among the other team cheerers and annoy them. I called him Joe Butt Crack because he couldn’t seem to keep his pants up. The majority of the section was behind him so we got quite a view.

As he was annoying the other team cheerers, he was annoying EVERYONE around him. He thought he was doing such a service to his fellow Grizzlies supporters but he wasn’t! He just looked more and more like a stupid idiot! His little sidekick managed to keep his pants up but he kept doing what I refer to as the Pee-Pee Dance so I called him Pee Pee Herman. He kept hopping from one foot to the other. He either had to go potty or he was high on something (but not life)! Just before the original game ended, both of them got ejected from the game. Everyone cheered as Joe Butt Crack and Pee Pee Herman got escorted from the stands by security. One of the security guards was pretty cute. I wouldn’t have mind if he escorted me somewhere….

Oh yeah, back to the game-The game ended up a tied score. During overtime, no goals were made. Then it went to a shoot out where the other time won. My other team cheerers were ecstatic!

On the way out, Mom and I decided to take the scenic route (we were lost) underneath the stands to the outside door. We didn’t really know where we were so we just kept walking. We met the nice Hispanic clean up crew. We ended up by the door closest to our car. That's pretty good, if I do say so myself! As we were going out the doors, security ran past us out to the parking lot. We looked for another fight but couldn’t find it. Darn!

Hauoli Makahiki Hou

Or Happy New Year's to all my non-Hawaiian readers. I went to Hawaii for New Year's. It was the best vacation and best New Year's I have ever had. Let's just say that 2008 was a rough year. It doesn't even deserve a year in review.

2009 on the other hand needed to start out with a bang. It did in the form of a spectacular fireworks show high above Waikiki Beach. I was there with my mom and my friend, Ellie along with thousands and thousands of our friendliest (drunk) strangers, including a very cute Frenchman, Xavier, that I had the pleasure of getting to know. Luckily his English was much better than my French. :)

My parents, my friend Ellie, and I were on Oahu for five and a half days and Maui for three and a half days. Oahu was rush, rush, rush to see everything (and buy everything). Maui was lounging by the pool absorbing as much sun and heat as I could day after day. There was plenty of eating as well. I doubted I would ever feel hunger again.

Since returning home to the freezing arctic and unemployment, I ask myself many times a day why I even bothered to leave??

Celebrity in the House

You can probably guess by the above picture who was at the show last night...Nicole Kidman! She is one of my biggest fans! :) Anyway, she was sighted backstage before the show began. She hung out in the TV Studio backstage until the show began. Then while the lights were out just before the show started, she was hurried to her seat.

I watch the first Act from the audience. I was just behind them as we made our way into the audience from backstage. Nicole and I have the same strategy so that we are not bombarded by our fans and other gawkers. We wait until the house (where the audience sits) is dark and then make our way to our seats. I sat on the side while they went to the center section. She had two people with her. I would have sworn one of them was her hottie hubby Keith Urban. But everyone who saw her backstage didn't even mention seeing her hubby which I'm sure they would have done if they had seen him.

During intermission, she went back to the TV Studio backstage and then was ushered out again to the audience just as Act Two was beginning. It was fun to perform for a celebrity. If only I had known she was coming, I would have traded her tickets for my show for tickets for her hubby's show when he comes to Salt Lake next. Darn it!

Christmas Cookies Spectacular

Well, since my last baking project (the fish) didn't turn out so well, I decided to redeem myself by trying my hand at some Christmas cookies. The cookies turned out so much better than the fish. I will admit that there was a lot of flour that got EVERYWHERE. I also relinquished the actual oven responsibilities to other people. There were also many possible cookies that didn't make it to the oven because I love cookie dough just way too much. The two cookies that didn't exactly turn out was at the hands of the oven people. Here are some pictures from the Cast's Christmas Cookie Spectacular!

The actual icing decoration is very art nuevo if I do say so myself. I was contemplating selling my cookies to the Museum of Modern Art in NYC but I was too hungry so I ate them!

Falling Fish

Here's a funny (and true) story that occurred last Monday night. I'm sure you will all get a kick out of it. Looking back, I think it is hilarious! At the time, I didn't think it was so funny.

I decided to make a good dinner since I didn’t have a show that evening. I defrosted a piece of cod (a white fish for all you anti-fish people) and some shrimp. I made some chicken flavored rice. I know, you are thinking chicken flavored rice with fish? Just remember, I am single and I can eat anything I want....So there!

Back to the story. I put the cod on a cookie sheet and baked it for about ten minutes. I pulled the rack out that the cookie sheet was on so that I could flip the fish over to bake the other side. I pulled the rack out so far that it wasn’t supported by the groove in the oven anymore so it tilted downward sending the cookie sheet and the fish crashing to the floor. Of course, the fish fell off the cookie sheet right on the floor!

I burned my finger in the process so taking care of that was first priority. I ran my finger under cold water for awhile. I was grateful my finger didn’t blister.

Next priority was the fish on the floor. I picked up the fish from the floor, rinsed it off, threw it back on the cookie sheet, and put the cookie sheet back in the oven to finish cooking. Then I ate it! Yup, I ate fish that had fallen on the ground! If Mom would have done this, I would have made a huge fuss about it and never let her live it down! Oh yeah, I would have refused to eat it too!

There you have it. I know none of you will ever come to a dinner party I hold and will now be very selective of what I will be allowed to bring to yours. I guess I'm off the hook. I hate cooking and this story was just one more reason why.

Week of Visitors

Last week was the week of visitors. Michael came out to visit his sister here in Nashville. He finally decided he needed a break from watching his adorable niece and nephew and came to the show. He had a great seat and I was even able to join him for the last two scenes. (I'm a quick change master!) I showed him all around backstage. He took tons of pictures with his iPhone. This is taken on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry with the church pews behind us. After the show, we enjoyed eating some dessert and catching up with each others' lives.

My parents, aunt Caren, Grandma (on my mom's side), and her friend Arnie came out to visit last weekend. I hardly got to see them because weekends are my busiest time for shows. I was able to go shopping with them Saturday morning and to church with them Sunday morning. Everyone came to see my show Saturday afternoon. Some returned Sunday for the matinee and Mom came to our evening performance. For the little bit of time I was able to spend with them, I had a great time.

Thanks to my visitors for bringing some sunshine into my life. I had a fabulous time with all of you. For those of you who haven't come to visit, what are you waiting for? My couch is always open for guests.

Picture Day

Last week was very busy. Don't worry it was a good busy. I had 12 shows, picture day, and many visitors. I will start by posting some pictures of the cast between shows.

The World Famous Rockettes

Me and Jen Dillon, Assistant Stage Manager (saved my life a few years ago, literally)

The Family Portrait (same Mrs Claus and Santa as last year)

Happy Little Elves (Me, Mike, Laura, Leann, Dana; Dale is missing because he was injured that day)

The Cast and Crew Nashville '08

One of my favorite pictures taken that day

The Ensemble Women (Aren't they colorful?)