Sometimes it's Good to be a Girl!

I had the most incredible, surreal night last night at the NHL awards and I have to admit that it's probably all thanks to being a girl! For those of you who don't know, the NHL awards have signed a three year contract with the city of Las Vegas despite the fact that we're not exactly a hockey town and The Palms is better known for scantily clad women than hockey players.

I spent most of the week trying to attend horribly publicized, unorganized hockey themed events around town (I'll get to more on that later); however, the actual NHL Awards ceremony and the red carpet photo op at The Palms were fantastic. I arrived in time to squeeze into a spot in front and then waited in the sweltering heat with a couple excited Canadians and two little boys in Penguins t shirts (which Maxime Talbot was nice enough to sign). Lucky for me, Kent French from The Element and his super nice camera guy were right across from me and my Ducks jersey, so after interviewing Bobby Ryan they sent him over to me for an autograph!

Bobby Ryan signing my jersey
photo by Duck Fan

Screaming and holding up a jersey is fun and all, but what made my day was the huge grin that spread across Bobby Ryan's face when he saw the Ducks jersey and the fact that he went out of his way and over a velvet rope to get to me. What a big difference from Nick Lidstrom, who didn't stop and smile or even bat an eye at the group of screaming fans in Wings jerseys. Just another example of the Ducks' character and another reason to dislike the Wings!

Penguins Head Coach Dan Bylsma with the Stanley Cup

I was disappointed that George Parros (my personal favorite Duck) didn't make it, despite being nominated for the Masterton Trophy. I'm guessing that walking the red carpet with a cast on your right hand is no fun, but I did hear that he made it to some of the events the night before.

At this point I figured I might as well stick around for a while, so I staked out a spot at a slot machine in front of the theater and watched a live broadcast of the ceremony. Just by chance I happened to meet another girl who's a Ducks fan (which I think made two of us in the entire casino) and she even has a Ducks blog And he shoots... he scores!! (An Anaheim Ducks Blog) It was great to meet someone willing to talk about Ducks hockey, Scott Niedermayer's future, and all the events that I miss living in Vegas.

Well, that's it for now... I'll have Part II of how great it is to be a girl up soon (including pictures from the official NHL Awards after party)!

There is Still a Wedding in Our Future...

The problem is that with an uncertain economy, the issues with my family that I can never seem to be rid of, and a busy schedule of school and work, we've put the wedding on hold. I'm still attracted to gorgeous wedding magazines and flower arrangements, but it looks like we're now aiming more for the spring of 2011.

My going back to school has put a strain on our relationship that we've never had before. Twelve hour marathon study sessions really cut into date nights, and at times I felt like I was already married to my study partner and longtime friend who is also an aspiring P.T. Things have gotten better since the semester ended, but it made me realize that time management (and dividing up chores, bill paying, laundry, etc.) is something that we really need to work on. I have no allusions that life gets any easier (children, careers, in laws... you get the picture), so the trick is to learn from the tough spots and keep going.

I'm looking forward to spending the rest of the summer with the Mr., taking a few vacations, saving up for next seasons Ducks' games, maybe doing a little wedding planning, and reminding ourselves that we're lucky to have each other.

All I Can Say is Wow!

Who would have thought the last five seconds of the very last game in the Stanley Cup playoffs would be so freckin' awesome! The Pens Marc-Andre Fleury, aka Flower, shut down the Wings with seconds to go in the third period, and I watched from a TV at work as all of the Penguins realized they won and rushed the crease. If it couldn't be the Ducks, I'm glad it was the Pens. Now I'm off to watch the full game that I DVR'd

In the Midst of Playoff Season... Where Do I Start?

So what exactly have I been doing in the months since I last posted? Being the nerdy girl that I am, there has been lots of studying involved (working full time and passing A & P with an A is no piece of cake). I've also managed to see a few Ducks games with the Mr., spend a day at the pool to celebrate the end of finals, and return my house to a livable condition, yay!


Lately, the Mr. and I have been watching the Stanley Cup playoffs, and all I can say is Let's Go Pens!!! The Ducks playoff series against the Sharks was awesome, their series against the Wings was aggravating (just like all things Red Wings), and now all I want is to see Marion Hossa's face as the Penguins lift the cup above their heads. It doesn't hurt that both Dan Bylsma and Chris Kunitz used to be Ducks.

Friday I'll be watching Game 7 and lamenting the end of hockey season... what's a girl to do with 3 months of free time and no hockey? I guess I'll have a lot of time to study for the GRE, get into shape, and return to planning this wedding of ours (maybe we can spend our honeymoon at a couple Ducks games!)