Alive in Wonderland

The Anaheim Ducks bring more than just great hockey to Orange County kids

“Mom, are you crying?” one of my kids asked me as we watched the tail-end of the last regular season game for the Anaheim Ducks. It was Teemu Selanne’s last game – excluding our Stanley Cup run – and the Duck organization and the fans were paying tribute to “The Great No. 8.”

Photo courtesy of OC Register

 

In true Selanne form, during HIS moment he extended one of the classiest, character-rich moments in sports history. The spotlight was on him – his big night after playing 21 seasons in the NHL – and he skated over to grab former Ducks goalie, JS Giguere (or Giggy to fans), who was playing against the Ducks that night for Colorado. 

But to us fans, Giggy will always be a Duck. He was the goalie who, together with Teemu and the rest of the 2007 team, took the Stanley Cup. He is one of the most adored and admired Ducks, so much so, that you still see his jersey worn, even years after being traded. This is his last year in the NHL as well.

Together Teemu and Giggy took to the ice and shared the applause and adoration together: Two legends taking a spin together after accomplished careers.  (I may or may not be tearing up right now, just thinking of the moment.) 

Photo courtesy of the OC Register

“This is why hockey is one of the greatest sports ever, kids!” I preach as I stand three inches from the TV, trying to take it all in. Looking back at the kids I tell them, “You’re seeing history right now! See how he is bringing out Giggy? That shows exemplarily character!”

I’m asked often how I became a hockey fan. We must seem like an odd pair to most. Reluctantly, I went to my first Ducks game during the 2007 – 2008 season. More specifically, it was my first hockey game ever. My penchant for man-food, tolerance for stadium rock and love of organized chaos came together at Honda Center that fateful Friday night. I was instantly smitten with the game and equally enamored with the fans. I fell hardcore in love with the sport and dedicated myself to learning everything I could about it. 

Through the years I’ve formed friendships with other fans based on our mutual admiration of all things hockey and even started a blog with sports writer and friend, Jenelyn Russo. We wrote on “When Girls Love Hockey” at OCFamily.com for years. 

We’ve been in the Ducks locker room, sat on the bench with players and accompanied them on their annual trip to visit patients at CHOC Children’s.

Through our close connection with the Ducks organization, I’ve come to appreciate how much the team does for our community, more specifically for our kids.

The Ducks’ S.C.O.R.E program (Scholastic Curriculum of Recreation and Education) is a classroom program that was developed in 2005 and its in-class and fieldtrip programs uses the sport of hockey to teach education fundamentals (such as science, math and reading). S.C.O.R.E also donates school supplies to local classrooms and encourages an active lifestyle by hosting street hockey games and sending classrooms of kids to skate at local ice rinks. 

The S.C.O.R.E program is funded by the Anaheim Ducks Foundation and provides all of these services free to more than 25,000 local students a year.

Math, science, healthy lifestyle – it all sounds great to parents, right? Yet, the real power play of the S.C.O.R.E is kids absolutely love it! I’ve seen them jump at the chance to answer questions about the Pythagorean theorem and laugh hilariously while learning about projectile motion during the First Flight Field Trip at Honda Center.

The Ducks’ “Reading is the Goal” program, which raises the reading scores of the children who participate, uses rewards systems to encourage students to read. Schools, classrooms and students win prizes — supplied by the Ducks — when they reach reading goals.  

 The Ducks organization also supports a place that is close to my heart, CHOC Children’s. For the last few years we were invited to follow a handful of Ducks players through the hallways of O.C.’s only children’s hospital. Teemu Selanne told us on one visit, “Our job can be kind of tough…but if we can make the kids smile, it makes it all worth it.”

Watch our video of the DUCKS tour here: 

 

For a sport that is known to be, let’s say “rough-and-tumble,” the common themes of commitment, character and charity unite the players, the organization and the fans of the Anaheim Ducks, making the sport more valuable to our community than someone not familiar with hockey might realize. 

As I write this, the Ducks have just begun their run in the Stanley Cup finals. I absolutely adore playoff hockey, especially because it brings the sport – which can be eclipsed by more popular SoCal pastimes such as basketball and baseball – to the forefront. People are talking about hockey. My kids get to ditch their uniforms and wear Ducks T-Shirts to school the first day of the playoffs.

We will all be watching closely. Let’s hope Teemu gets sent off with another Stanley Cup win! Go Ducks! 

Taken from my column at the OC Register, published April 22, 2014

 

 

 

 

 

CHOC Night at Honda Center

 

I'm not going to even *try* to hide it...The Anaheim Ducks?...CHOC Children's?...all on the same night?  It's one of my favorite events of the year.  I'm an unabashed Ducks hockey fan and adore CHOC Children's because of all they do for the kids here in OC. (Read more about that here) So when CHOC Night goes down at The Honda Center I have to be there...with a camera guy.  (Here's last year's CHOC night segment.)

CHOC Children's partnered with the Anaheim Ducks about 7 years ago and together they've helped raise money for OC's only children's hospital--CHOC.  The Ducks not only host this night at The Honda Center, but the organization also funds their own wing in the hospital and the players participate in a fashion show, put on by the Lady Ducks, annually to raise money.

This year I thought it would be fun to follow CHOC's 2011 Child Ambassador around for the night.  Tommy Conforti is a CHOC patient who was elected CHOC's very first Ambassador in February.  You might remember Tommy from this OC Family TV segment about Radio Lollipop.  It was his first hockey game and I'm pretty sure he's not a solid fan--though he was zonked by the end of the night.

Teemu Selanne and hockey

I know you're all broken up about it, but the hockey season is over for the Ducks so you won't be hearing more about them until September.  You'll be okay. The good news is I'm working on my very own hockey blog to premiere right before everything is in full swing again, so I will have a place to post my photos, tell my stories and tout the awesomeness of my favorite sport--hockey.  

I'm going to do that a little here right now...

 

 

This is Teemu Selanne and even if you don't know who he is, there's a lesson to be learned from this Finnish Olympian that even the non-hockey fan should appreciate and take to heart.  Selanne is famously unselfish, known just as much for his graciousness as he is for his speed and skill on the ice.  In every  interview after he scored his 600th goal, a big deal in the hockey universe, he was always recognizing the value of  the people around him; his teammates, his family, everyone who has helped him reach the uppermost peak of hockey greatness.  

Teemu Selanne symbolizes for me the kind of person, whether in business, friendship or sport, who strives for significance and excellence and finds it because they are his focus.  

His career hasn't been without its valleys. He has overcome points when it looked like he was done due to injury and slump.  This season alone he broke his hand...and his jaw and still came back to finish off the year. Like anyone really worth admiring its his triumph over adversity that makes his success important (because not all success is important). 

Simply put, he's the kind of athlete that is simply a joy to watch play. He so obviously loves what he does. Enjoys the sport. Values his teammates. Appreciates his success.  I aspire to be like him in that way, to love what I do so much it brings joy to other people.  

I get grief  sometimes for loving sports, especially hockey, but what some people don't see are the underpinnings of sacrifice and splendor that give the game a purpose and place in my life.  Thanks Teemu for being a part of that for me. 

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Other things  I've written about my Ducks:

Corey Perry fights robots, here

Why I love hockey, here.

How not to act when meeting Ryan Getzlaf, here

Best Shot Monday: Anaheim Ducks

 

The theme for Tracey Clark's  Best Shot Monday this week is "I **heart** These Faces" and I easily chose this one of Anaheim Ducks players, Teemu Selanne, Jason Blake, Saku Koivu and a boy who is receiving treatment for cancer at CHOC Hospital.  

I took the photo last night while I was doing a story on CHOC night at the Ducks game.  I **hearted** the faces of some of my favorite hockey players a little more after watching how friggin' awesome they were to the boy and his family. Given both Saku Koivu and Jason Blake are cancer survivors, the smiles and encouraging words were even more ***heart***felt.  

So, for the second time in Best Shot Monday, I'm submitting a hockey photo (see my photo and post of Giguere, here). Sometimes it's hard to be a girl that loves hockey, but I think Tracey understands me. 

Story and video coming...

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More things I've written about the Ducks:

Corey Perry Fights Robots, here.

Hockey Me vs. Girl Me, here. 

Why I love (**heart**) hockey, here.

 

 

 

Twitter brings together Ducks fans and also gives small window into my marriage

 

 

I attended the Ducks Tweet-up at The Honda Center this week and look who I sat next too? Blogger Adam Rogers and Brad, the husband of blogger Kara-Noel.  I chatter with them all night and since this was Brad's first hockey game, I felt I needed to rattled off statistics, player bios and NHL rules to him throughout the game; always ending with the phrase, "I'm I bugging you?"  He assured me each time I wasn't. Just trying to recruit more fans for the cause...

The Tweet up was organized by John T. Meyer of  "Pick my NHL Team",  and all in all I think there were about 25-30 of us seated up in the 400's (along with a large number of Red Wings fans, who I believe I was able to out-shout through most of the game). 

 

 

(Some of the Ducks fans attending the Tweet-up. Go to my Ducks hockey list on Twitter to follow them.)

Naturally I Twittered the whole game and my friend Debbie sent me this screen shot of my Tweet that came up right before my husband's, slightly more mature, adult Tweet from his meetings in Washington D.C. 

 

 

Hey, the beer line was long, okay? What can I say? We make it work.    

 

 

 

 

 (Saku Koivu warming up for the game.)

 

 

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If you live in OC you'll be seeing me peering over at you from the cover of OC Family at every Subway, Jamba Juice, Wahoo's, car wash and Dr.'s office for the month of February. 

I'm really proud of the article about Mom Bloggers which features some of my favorite OC Bloggers.  It also made my mom very proud--you can guess why...check out my story about it here.

Corey Perry Fights Robots

 

(Photo by me.)

 Yikes! Almost a week since posting. I've been busy and as you can see from the picture above there's another Anaheim Ducks story coming your way.  But, it's  a good one I think and even if you're not a hockey fan, which odds are, you're probably not, you might enjoy this.  

On Friday night I slipped on a sequins top and headed down to the Honda Center for The Anaheim Ducks "Center Ice Disco" Casino night.  

For my official story traipse to OC Family.

I've never  been to any of these "meet the players" type events (though accosting players in the dinning rooms of chain restaurants, I've done to death), so I was excited to go with my friend Sara.  Yes, I was there to work--so I had my Flip, my notepad and my camera--but I also wanted to tell the notoriously indifferent Corey Perry the following story and so, while in the V.I.P lounge I did tell him and his sweet girlfriend the robot story and this is how it went.

Me: "Hi Corey." (Blah. Blah. Introduction. Blah.)  

Perry: "Hi."

Me: "My 5-year-old son has that HUGE 6 ft poster of you from the Kids Club Kit in his room and every night he says he's not afraid because he knows you (Corey Perry) will protect him from the bad guys and monsters."

Perry: (Forcing half smile.) 

Girlfriend: "That's so cute!"  

Me:   "Anyways, (deep breath and now talking at breakneck speed because I can tell I'm losing him) for Christmas he got these two robots--Mike and Gib--and we put them up in his room right under your poster. Then, on Christmas night my son asked me to move his robots into the laundry room because he was scared of them and thought they might come to life at night."

Perry: (Totally and understandably checked out of the conversation at this point.) 

Girlfriend: "Awww!"

Me: (Relentlessly forging ahead) "So I asked him, 'What about Corey Perry? Can't he take care of them for you? You know, can't he fight them off?' Then my son said without a hitch and with total confidence, "Corey Perry doesn't fight robots."

Girlfriend, Sara and I:  (laugh. laugh. laugh.)

Perry: (Joining back in the conversation for a moment.)

Me: "So, do you?" 

Perry: (With knitted-brow) "Do I what?"

Me: "Do you fight robots?"

Perry: (Smirking) "I'll fight anyone."

And that's why Corey Perry is my favorite hockey player. The end. 

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Here's my video from the night.

 

 

Opening night of the Anaheim Ducks hockey season

More stories at Ducks season opener!!!

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Saturday night was opening night for Ducks Hockey at the Honda Center. So consider this fair warning: hockey season has begun and I might be a slight spaz for the next six months. I'll try to make it fun for you non-hockey fans. 

Take a looks at my Whrrl picture story to see why Larry is no fan of the new cup holders introduced this season, see him try to squeeze into the seats now and also check out some adorable kids in George Parros mustaches. (See this photo for explaination.) Then there's the photo of me and Andrew Ebbett on the red carpet. I'll say it again, if he's 5'9," then Bobby Ryan needs a dating service to get dates. (See photo for explanation).   

How'd the Ducks do against the San Jose Sharks? I'm sorry, I'm not taking questions at this time. (See the last slide for explanation.)

Check out my Ducks photos on Flickr. 

It's not hockey season yet, but...

For those of you new to this blog (and haven't read my About Me page) you might not know this yet because it's summer, but I'm a hockey fan: A big, crazed Ducks fan and come hockey season you will have to endure me chattering about my team and making some marginally funny jokes, like this:

Is it just me? Separated at birth?

  

Santa Claus / Todd Marchant 

(I have never seen them in the same room--have you?) 

Poor Ebbett, all alleged 5'9" of him. 

(Why am I so mean?)

...and another thing I like to do during the season-- favorite fan sightings.

Like Mickey and Minnie here. 

You'll get used to it and hopefully come to find it endearing and maybe even become a hockey fan yourself--but, please refrain from accusing me of become "all jock" on you (you know who you are) after the first puck is dropped.  I try to make the season fun for even the non-sports fans, like people who play golf. (Kidding.)

One of the best things to come out of last season--besides Jonas Hiller and Bobby Ryan--was connecting with all the Ducks fans on Twitter.  I would trash talk during the games, keep others updated when they couldn't watch, or just delight in the happiness of knowing there are other people out there as devoted to a bunch of guys skating and knocking each other around on the ice as me.  

We celebrated together and when someone scored big, there was nothing that warmed my heart more than seeing this fill my Twitter page:

See Queen of Spain? The lone Red Wings fan.  

Back to it, the reason I'm telling you all this a month or so before the first game of the season?  My friend Sara (Ducks and Pucks) and I  hosted a Ducks Tweet-up party at The Discover Science Center (on their Science of Hockey floor) on Wednesday night. We wanted to have a chance to connect IRL before the season starts. 

Here is my Whrrl picture story about the night.

These "Duckcakes" were supplied by Kristen of The Meringue Bake Shop. They were tiny, adorable, and very good (Just like Ebbett). She also made these other cupcakes this week, but assured me they were made in an entirely different pan. (I suggested she just go ahead and throw that pan away.)

One of the highlight of the night for me was meeting Jenelyn.  She emailed me after I wrote this post about J.S. Giguere last season.  We bonded immediately through email--which is very easy to do BTW--because our thoughts and feelings toward this particular player were aligned and felt deeply. Just another story of two girls brought together by their love of hockey. You've heard it a million times I know. We have been cyber friends ever since, but on Wednesday night we got to meet each other--meet, meet each other.   

This picture is just perfect. Just perfect.

So, this is probably the only Ducks related post until we go to our first game mid-September.  Then expect to hear lots more on the subject of The Ducks...that's weird. I didn't think you could actually hear eye rolling. Hmm...

How not to act when meeting Ryan Getzlaf

Last night I was out with my family at a restaurant in  Orange. The place was crawling with Angel's fans grabbing a bite before the game--red t-shirts and jerseys peppered the dining room. Then I saw him there; sitting in a booth with his beautiful girlfriend was Ryan Getzlaf -- Center for the Anaheim Ducks, Assistant Captain, future Hockey Hall of Famer.

Now, I know you're thinking, "She promised not to talk about hockey until next season." I did. But this is just too enormous an event and frankly, I need a little hockey fix. I hope you don't mind too much.

Getzlaf is the one pictured here in this post that I wrote about the Ducks after the last game of the season--Why I love hockey. 

Now, I'm certainly not a fame or celebrity hound, I refuse to read People Magazine on principle and I would rather watch old reruns of C-SPAN translated entirely in Portuguese than TMZ. In fact, I can't think of one actor I would approach for a photo, one politician, or musician, but Ryan (Flippin') Getzlaf, I couldn't help myself, not just for me, but for my kids, Emily, 8 and Ben, 5.

The thing that came to my mind when I introduced my kids to him was that someday they could tell their kids how they met him. They will have the photo. They will remember how their mom told them they were about to "meet greatness" and didn't know what she meant until later in their lives.

As a parent I find that most things that happen to me are experienced twice, once by me and once through my kids' eyes--like parental double-vision. I see what experiences will mean to them 5 ,10, 20 years from now, not only what they mean to me personally. This one was a keeper, for all of us.

Now a word of advice about "meeting greatness" in person...in the dinning room of a chain restaurant...camera in hand...after a few cocktails--have a whisper of a plan. I'm pretty sure I introduced myself at least three times. I know I shook his girlfriend's hand twice. I rambled on about this blog and how I had written about The Ducks for The Orange County Register, about global warming and the falling dollar--okay not really those last two, but I seriously might as well have. I was a tragic mess.

He and his girlfriend, Paige, were gracious and obviously used to blathering fans armed with cameras, random Ducks facts, and stupid questions. I think I managed to get out a "Good luck this season. You're awesome," but besides that, I barely acknowledged how grateful I am for his character, for being a good role model to my son, for his sacrifice to the game, for demonstrating to all of us what courage and good leadership looks like in an athlete.

So there. I just did it. I'm sure once he catches up on his Mom Blog reading, he will see this. Right?

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Other things I've written about The Ducks and you have been so kind to tolerate:

Girls and Hockey.

Or see my photography of the Ducks on Flickr.

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This was written for my blog at the OC Register. To see the original version please click here. 

Comments are closed on this post and many were deleted.  Please don't email me before reading entire post. I'm not Ryan Getzlaf's girlfriend.   Silly Girls. 

Why I love hockey, the memo

(Ryan Getzlaf, 2009. Photo by me)

Remember in the movie Jerry Maguire when he stays up all night and writes his Mission Statement (not a mission statement, a memo). Then almost immediately regrets distributing 150 copies to his colleagues. 

Well, after the Ducks lost game 7 of the playoffs on Thursday night, I wrote mine about hockey. It turned out to be about three pages and then, knowing most of the readers of The Mom Blog at the OC Register (ahem... and here, I suspect ) are largely uninterested in my amateur thoughts on hockey, chipped it down to this short, mostly related to momminess, blog post called, "Why I love Hockey."  

One thing I didn't end up including, but I'm going to impress on you now, is this; I love that in hockey, there is no spin.  When a losing players is interviewed after a game they will say, "We weren't good tonight" or "They were better then us and that's why they won."  

In a world where most everyone is trying to sell you something, trying to tell you they're the best, their product has no equal, or you didn't just see what you know you damn well just saw, hockey is the real thing.  The real heartbreaking thing...and that's good. 

If you don't want to click over, here it is  (But all the comments on The OC Register are worth a read.): 

My team lost last night. The Anaheim Ducks are my hockey team. I became a hockey fan two years ago after attending my first game at The Honda Center. I was hooked almost the instant I stepped foot inside its doors. (Read about it here). I have spent the last two years learning the game and deepening my devotion to hockey, and to the Ducks specifically. 

As a mom, the strange thing about hockey is that much of what goes on in the game is the opposite of what I teach my kids. I tell them to be a good sport; just walk away when someone is mean; respect authority; don't hit people in the face with your elbow or a long, heavy stick. That sort of thing. Not exactly a hockey player's marching orders. 

But there are other things about hockey that are exactly what I DO want my kids to learn and to replicate in their lives. And, in a surprising way, I think these lessons are even more important. Just as an example, in hockey, you never give up no matter what the score, you always stick up for your teammates and come to their defense, you don't turn your back on your opponent, and you shouldn't spend too much time admiring your pass (looking back). 

In the sport of hockey, you take some time to celebrate a victory and then quickly look ahead to the next battle. Speaking specifically about boys, I know moms who won't let their sons play hockey (or wrestle or play football) because it is "too violent." But, I don't see it that way. Boys need to learn how to push through the hardships and pain that life is sure to hand out. I believe it's good for boys to get a little rough and tumble. And though I don't know if I want to see my son spitting teeth or being checked by an angry Swede (they actually have those in the NHL) as a professional hockey player, we plan on putting my son in a hockey program as soon as he is old enough. I look forward to him learning some of the lessons taught by the game. 

The Ducks game last night was a prime example of intestinal fortitude (cough) and perseverance. Sure, we lost. We all lose sometimes. But the Ducks can be proud of the way they fought to the very end, even in the last second of play they were still in the game focusing on the win. I'm proud of each and every one of those guys. And that, my friends, is why I love hockey.

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A word about being a Ducks fan. I love going to games and sitting around the same people every time. This is my view at all the home games. Nice.

Ducks fans are devoted and love the game.

You can ask them "what just happened?" and they will take the time to shout over the crowd to tell you.

They will let you know if they spill their beer into your purse--not just quickly rescue the remainder of their drink and let you discover the soggy mishap later.

These fans let it loose when we do something awesome. I shot this video at a moment just like that. Don't miss my friend Cathy's face at the end of the video--classic. 

The Anaheim Ducks: Why I love hockey from Suzanne Broughton on Vimeo.

I can't wait until the new season starts!

J.S. Giguere

Wow. Have I really posted three photos of the Anaheim Ducks in the last two weeks? It must be the playoffs. This is a photo of J.S. Giguere, the goalie for the Ducks. I shouldn't say THE goalie, maybe one of the goalies is more appropriate. Jonas Hiller is their starting goalie now. 

Giguere (Jiggy) hasn't had the best year, after his father passed away last December he has been in a sinister slump. If you aren't a hockey fan, you can probably still relate to his mental rut brought on by personal hardship. It has been painful to watch him sit on the bench, game after game, knowing inside is a champion, a fighter, a warrior, who at this time simply can't make things work in the net. 

Like a wild lion who is forced to sit on the couch and watch Animal Planet on a giant plazma TV---he's been benched. I know the feeling of having something great inside, sure I have it in me, but for some reason, I'm unable to release it. I feel for Giguere. 

I love this photo of him I snapped last Thursday night during warm-ups. His eyes positioned perfectly through the grid of his mask. The colors of his helmet and the battered goal post. The white background of the ice.  

I ♥ hockey.  I hope even if you don't, you enjoy the photo. 

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This is my submission for Best Shot Monday over at Tracey Clark's blog. I can guarantee it will be the only sports shot of the lot. Though I know Tracey is a Ducks fan, too.

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This song came to mind for Giguere. 

Kate Bush and Peter Gabriel singing "Don't Give Up."

"Don't give up, you're not beaten yet."

Let's Go Ducks!!!!

I've been blogging about The Ducks over at MomCrush lately; go there to see my version of Trash Talk.  Thinking Wizard of Oz imagery isn't too intimidating though.

I snapped this shot of Selanne during warm ups a few weeks ago.  It reminds me of an old school hockey card--love Selanne. 

(Sorry Joey, I do).

If you are a Ducks fan, here are some of the Ducks Blogs I read:

Sara's Blog: Ducks and Pucks

The Ducks Blog 

Adam Brady

Also have a nice little Twitter rivalry going with Mom Zombie and Queen of Spain.  

LET'S GO DUCKS!!!

Mickey and Minnie are Ducks fans, too

Larry and I walked behind this couple on our way into the Honda Center last Tuesday night for the playoff game against the dumb San Jose Sharks. I love the way this couple has mixed together two of my favorite things in Orange County--The Ducks and Disneyland.

   

Though who is to say their names aren't really Mickey and Minnie? As they passed by other jersey clad fans and Ponda staff members I heard a lot of them say, "Hi Minnie." They must be regular season ticket holders. 

I'm not sure you can tell from the picture, but Minnie had her jersey custom made with a zipper that runs all the way down the back. Maybe she has some physical limitation and needs to put it on like a backward coat. But, I suspect it was made this way so she wouldn't mess up her perfectly coifed hair when putting it on.

 I love Minnie. 

I want to give Minnie a big hug. 

I want to BE Minnie when I grow up. 

Back to business, one hour until game time. I'm not going to lie, I'm feeling a bit nervous and jittery--though that might just be the Lo-Carb Monster 24 oncer kicking in. And on another note, Parros must not be up-to-date on his Mom Blog reading, I'm still waiting for a Thornton payback.

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If you want to follow Adam Brady, official Anaheim Ducks blogger, and his cronies on their road trip up to San Jose, click here. If you want to follow the Ducks on Twitter, click here. And if you think the Sharks have a chance of digging their way out of this hole and winning the series, click your heels together three times and say "There's no place like home." But, I don't think even that will help you this time, Dorothy...oops, I mean San Jose.

Go Ducks!

Squish the fish

Half an hour until game time! I'm feeling nervous about the playoffs--I hope the Ducks can squish those dumb Sharks. I also hope Parros takes care of Thornton for his little face wash on Bobby Ryan on Tuesday night while Ryan was pinned down. A girl's gotta have dreams. I snapped this shot of Selanne durning warm-ups on Tuesday at Ponda while I chatted with Sara from Ducks and Pucks. If you are a Ducks fan, reading her blog is a MUST! Let's go Ducks!

Hockey and the Holy Roller

(Ericka and Jill at the Ducks game on Tuesday night)

I took my girlfriends, Jill & Ericka, to the Ducks game last week.  We have shared season tickets and the same usual suspects surrounding us at every game we attend  (except this mean guy who made fun of me--remember him? He was a onetime deal). 

As we sat down to eat our Ruby's Tri-Tip Sliders--with horseradish mayo--the guys in front of us turned around and started a little conversation.  "So, is it girl's night out?" the most cunning one asked us.   "You girls here all alone? First game?" Said the another one, the leader of the group.  

"I'm here all the time!" I quickly corrected him.  "We're season ticket holders. I sit behind you almost every game with my kids."

At that, he craned his head all the way around and got a better look at me through his already  blurry eyes.  "Oh, yeah," he said vaguely, giving me the "beer-squint."

"We really tone it down when you're here with your kids," he said in a Eddy Haskell manner.  

Smiling big, "Really? I couldn't tell."  

But you know what?  After the second period it was  sharply obvious they HAD been "toning it down" for my kids. Ericka would roll her eyes at the back of their heads at every curse word and any insult thrown at the Kings' fans.  

Not all the crowd is raucous.  In fact, the guy that sits right  behind us surely is a devout Christian.  Throughout every game he calls upon the Lord to help the team, "Jesus, we just need some defense here!"  Or for Him to help the players, "Jesus! Jiggy, get some focus."  But mostly he just meditates, trying to lay a cover of blessings on the team by repeating, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus" during the rough patches of the game.  

The Ducks sure attract some Holy Rollers.  Ericka gave this guy the eye-roll (slash) head shake at every outburst--her most potent form of shaming.   As always, I had a good time and learned more about the game and, just as fun, the people around us made the game better.  I love the Ducks fans!

Confession # 10: Please like me

I really hate it if I think someone doesn't like me. I just simply can't stand it if a person doesn't find me charming and the thought that someone might actually think I'm annoying or pesky is intolerable.

I don't mean it in any significant way, like if I have an opinion that differs from a person and they choose to not like me because of it, well, that's fine.

I mean more in a petty, superficial way.

So, right, we're at the first Duck's game last night with our new season tickets and our four seats are right next to...

He was making fun of me.

I would shout, "Yay, Ducks!" and he would say "Yay, Ducks!" and wave his hands around spastically. I would scream, "Get it out of there Perry," and he would say, "Perry!" in a girl-voice.

Alright, so he found my perfectly appointed enthusiasm irritating. I get that...but I just can't accept it.

I assume that he has season passes, as well. So, I will be sitting next to him every other game. I have made it my mission to make this mean, hog-the-arm-rest-guy like me. I can't help myself. I will go to great lengths to make sure people I care NOTHING about think of me in a favorable way.

For confessions 1-9 click here and PLEASE try to keep the shred of respect you still have for me intact after reading: Confessions.

Hockey Me vs. Girl Me at The Ducks Game on Friday Night

My husband and I were lucky enough to be given tickets to the Duck's playoff game on Friday night. I know! This was my second hockey game (read the article I wrote for the Orange County Register about my first game HERE) and the game continues to swoon.

I was utterly blissful sitting in our borrowed seats at the Honda Center--The Ramones blaring, Ruby's tri-tip slider perched on my lap, and oh, yes, my big orange foam finger patiently waiting for the first goal...

Throughout the game I found myself locked in an internal dialog that pitted my new-found hockey me (my
masculine self) against my girl me. Kind of like when you see a little devil on one shoulder of some poor
conflicted soul and then a little angel on the other. Neither of my "me's" is good or bad, just indifferent
to the other's point of view.

It went down something like this:

Girl me: Oh no, that tri-tip must be a gazillion calories.
Hockey me: Frick! Is that horseradish mayonnaise?

Girl me: Is anyone going to clean up that blood on the ice? Someone is going to slip and fall...
Hockey me: Drat! Blood? I missed it, what happened?

Girl me: That's it Perry, playing well is your best recourse. Nice shot.
Hockey me: Make them pay, Perry!

Girl me: I think I will ask this nice gal in line at the women's restroom about the rules of the game.
Hockey me: I think I'll just react with the crowd--scream insults, look peeved and motion fiercely toward the ref--find out what the deal is later on Adam Brady's Blog.

Girl me: Why can't they still be called "The Mighty Ducks?" It was so paradoxical and ironic. (Wait, that's the "writer me" talking. Shoo, go read something...you're embarrassing me!)

Girl me: Oh, I hope his wife isn't watching.
Hockey me: He totally deserved that body check.

Girl me: I don't want Ben (our four-year-old son) to ever play hockey.
Hockey me: I want Ben to be the best hockey player that ever lived!

It was an exhausting night, as you can imagine, with all the quarreling and posturing. It's going to get brutal next season when hockey me insists on wearing a humongous Ducks' Jersey with "Ducks' Chick" sewn onto the back and a bright orange and black feather boa around my neck.

See you next year, Ducks! I still love you! Get some rest, maybe take some time for yourself to reflect. Treat yourself to a message. (That's girl me talking, alright.)