100 Things: Segunda Parte

Second Installment

More of more than you ever wanted to know about Flyers.Femme:

21.) My not-so-guilty pleasure on TV: Hockey, of course!

22.) Hockey ticket preference: PDF. Print it out and take it to the game. I use the reverse for game notes to write my singular posts.

23.) My guilty pleasure on TV: Telenovelas. Totally addicted since 1998.

24.) I wear SPF 75 sun block every day. I have fair skin. I do not tan; I burn. Skin cancer is not cute.

25.) Two things you can always find in my fridge: Water and cranberry juice.

26.) I can't eat milk chocolate. The mix is too sweet. Long live dark chocolate!

27.) My favorite food isn't limited to one country. I like Latin American dishes, whether it's enchiladas with mole sauce (Mexico), tostones (Cuba/Domincan Republic/Puerto Rico), or empanadas (Colombia).

28.) Favorite beers: Shiner Bock. (Yes, that means I've been to Texas. San Antonio, if you must know.) Mad Elf Holiday Ale. (A Christmas beer made in Pennsylvania. I'll be serving it at my annual holiday open house from now on.)

29.) I like to cook. I don't like to cook meat.

30.) I love ice cream. My favorite flavor was a limited edition Haagen Dasz flavor: Mayan Chocolate. I wish they'd make it again.

31.) I can’t wait for summers to be over. I like to run to stay in shape, but the heat and humidity trigger my exercise-induced asthma. (Bring on the fall, winter, and spring, baby!)

32.) I can't run on a treadmill. Short though I may be, I never feel that I can kick to my full stride on one of them. I am forced to jog. Ugh!

33.) I love to skate. One of these days, I’m going to screw up my nerve and give speed-skating a try. Then, when it’s too icy to run in sneakers, I can “run” in skates.

34.) I only learned how to drive an automatic car in driver’s ed. The family car was stick-shift.

35.) I live in Philadelphia and do not have a car.

36.) If you follow astrology - which I don't - I am a Gemini and an Earth Horse. According to my friend who does follow it, that explains a lot about me. *shrug*

37.) I don't like Ice Girls. They don't do anything for me. No rant.

38.) My brother Eli, the former goalie, doesn't really care for them either. Don't mess with his crease after he sets it up the way he wants it, or risk being checked.

39.) I believe owning one of the pink jerseys and wearing it for occasions other than cancer-related events automatically pushes you over the line to "puck bunny." Your team has real colors, wear them.

40.) Of course, that may just be the fact that I don't like pink talking.

Note to Flyers Communications & Advertising

2008-09 Slogan Yet?

'Cause "Vengeance" never really worked for me last season. Additionally, it no longer seems appropriate after reaching the FPoW Conference Final last season, y'know?

Please get something new! Before training camp starts, 'kay?

Flyers.Femme Tour

Dear HLOG gentle readers in the NYC to DC corridor,

I received a promotion at the beginning of this year. (YEAH!) It provided me with a slightly larger income. (NICE!) It also gave me eight - yep, 8 - additional vacation days. (SWEEEEET!)

Unfortunately (?), I have 12 vacation days, a floating holiday, and two emergency days to use up between now and the end of the year.

I believe in using vacation days, not cashing them out. I've already planned activities that will use the floating holiday, emergency days and 5-6 vacation days.

Any chance you can help me waste the remaining 6-7 with a mini meet-up and game in your city? Just a thought, since it'd be cool to meet some more of you!

Remix: Flyers 07-08 Soundtrack

It's all there: Hope, love/hate, good times, a black shirt and some torture, a few rockin' Aussies, an annoying pop princess, a little punk, and a feel-good summer song.

1. Shop Around - The Miracles

Homer canabalized the remains of the Bobby Clarke dinosaurish Flyers line-up from the season which shall not be named and went on a shopping spree last summer!

2. Whistle While You Work - Snow White

Coach Stevens decided to hie the boys to a ropes course in Whistler, BC for some team-building. (I was completely envious!)

3. Light My Fire - The Doors

Kick @$$ Western road-trip to start the season, when it looked like that Briere-Gagne thing would piss everyone in the NHL off for 82 games.

4. Welcome to the Jungle - G n R

First six homes games ROCKED! (Note to Wachovia sound guys during Flyers games: The proper place to play this is the intermission between the end of the third and the start of overtime. No other time is acceptable, unless your aim is to make them lose! And, in that case, you should be fired.)

5. Are You Gonna Go My Way? - Lenny Kravitz

The guys just turned horribly, consistently inconsistent for a good part of the season. Sometimes there were good streaks...like leading into the All-Star break. And then...

6. La Tortura - Shakira feat. Alejandro Sanz and La Camisa Negra - Juanes

The whole month of February was so painful...and I wore a lot of black.

7. Back in Black - AC/DC

Somehow we started clawing our way back into the mix.

8. Celebrate - Kool and the Gang

It was a nail-bitter to the end. Thanks to some timely wins - and other teams' timely losses - we actually made the playoffs!?! (See, I'm still a bit blown-over by it.)

9. Are You Gonna Be My Girl? - Jet
Actual video v. Live at Forum Melbourne (their hometown, yo!)

Okay, this one's just for the music. But, yes, I was! I ponied up the $ for a last-minute ticket to Game 3, hung with a bunch of Norwegians in town to see Patrick Thoresen play, saw Sami score another goal, and drank a couple too many 'ritas and beer. But they won! And took the series in 7.

10. Oops!...I Did It Again - Britney Spears

'Cause who'da thunk it? Knock out the Habs? Philly? But we did. We did! Somehow.

11. Basket Case and Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) - Green Day

And then, the Pens.

12. I'm Yours - Jason Mraz

PS track: 'Cause what's a Philly summer without some old skool rap? Drums, please!
(Just for you, Eli!)

Yep, they're on vacation. No hockey. Me, I'm just kicking it until August.

HLOG Creative Challenge

Dear Gentle Readers,

The creative challenge has returned to HLOG! The goal was for each rep to create a soundtrack for her team's past season.

For better or worse, here's mine for the Flyers. Each selection is accompanied by an explanation and links to YouTube so you can see the video. So, go, read, click and view.

Enjoy!

Podcasting Tonight: INAPB

Since I'll be participating in this week's "I'm Not a Puck Bunny" podcast, I'll have to break down and listen to tonight's game.

So check back sometime tomorrow for the player right over there -->. Here's hoping I don't make a total fool of myself!

Road Trip Anyone?

Guess what was waiting in my mailbox today? My new passport! (Well, so was my old one. I love mail-in renewals.)

I'm thinking about Ottawa in June? Any other takers?

1/16 Panthers v. Flyers

First Intermission

I don't care what happens in the next two periods. Four goals by four different guys (Kimmo, Simon, Danny and Scott) makes me smile three out of four times.

Guys, that being said, please play like you are on fire, 'kay? Thanks!

Second Intermission

Dudes, that wasn't quite the "on fire" I meant. Please check yourselves before you come back on the ice.

After some reflection, here are the keys to the third:

1. No unnecessary penalties against us. (None would be optimal, guys.)
2. No sloppy plays, Hatch. You've been around too long to do that.
3. Act like our blue line is your baby sister's virginity: Post a "No Trespassing" sign and lock it down.

Third Period Reflections

So, no, I'm not a Briere fan. But in a game like tonight's, I really don't mind his empty-net goal. Good on him, because insurance is nice to have.

And it's about time we win at home.

I'm calling Kimmo Timonen as a star of the game (1 G, 2 A). My other two votes go to Niitty and that Vokoun guy - just to show that I can be a good fan of the winning team. However, Richie is awarded the third star, which was the more likely scenario with his two assists.

Shameless Plug: Vote!

Fellow HLOGer Sherry's Scarlett Ice is nominated for "Best Sports Blog" in the Canadian Blog Awards. Congratulations, Sherry!

Now, I don't know if this is allowed. If not, I'll claim ignorance of the process by reason of being from the U.S.A. Anyway, voting is open but you can only vote once. Please consider casting one for Sherry.

1000 and counting

Yeah!

Happy 1,000 post to all of the Hockey's Ladies of Greatness, or HLOG, women! Whether we're setting the feminist movement back 30 years or a militant feminist organization, there's no doubt that we're committed fans of our teams and hockey.

A 1:00 p.m Start?

I'll set one alarm clock to wake me and a second to remind me to "get out of the apartment and down to the train station already!"

See you in Section 115 tomorrow. Yes, that's right. I sprung for a not-very-cheap seat.

Guys, remember. Bruins = Tricky.

We beat the Leafs!

1. About last night:

Had Pandolfo played last night, I would say it was Pando-monium. But he didn't, so I won't.

I have nothing nice to say about last night's loss to Satan's boys. I'll take a cue from my parents and grandparents and not say anything at all.

(Lack of posting last night due to a celebration with my best friend over my promotion at work. Nuh!)

2. Road game susperstitions: check

Tonight I observed them all!

a.) Wearing black sweater with orange cami
b.) No watching game on TV or listening to it on the radio
c.) Reading all of the new posts on HLOG

That second superstition means that I once again relied on the the Game Summary insta-refreshes to keep me on pins and needles.

3. Positives from tonight's game:

a.) We won.
b.) While Lucifer's minions have our number, the Leafs don't seem to have learned it just yet.
c.) Richie scored a goal!

4. Negatives:

a.) Sami took a puck to the face and is now the proud owner of 25 stitches. Yikes!
b.) Lups slammed into Hatch, had to be helped from the ice and, in all likelihood, will be out with a concussion, err, "dizzyness."
c.) Briere had a Cindy Crosby assist on Richie's goal. Grrr!

Side bar side note:

Since a few individuals have trouble keeping the members of my hockey harem straight, I created a list displaying their photos and the appropriate (current) order.

P.S.: Sportsquee's Bunker Christmas Party (parts 1 and 2) feature Kristin and I, as well as the other HLOGers and some other well-known hockey bloggers.

Mini HLOG meet-up: Caps v. Flyers

Dear Guys,

Yep, I abandoned you on Friday. Sorry, but I figured the whole "win one, lose one" streak would continue with or without me. (Nice to know I'm right. What the heck is Kukkie doing on the healthy scratch list? I can understand Eager, but Kukkie? Nope, sorry, I will not accept it. Put the Finn in!)

I see that Tiny!Briere and Richie are tied again in the Official (Unofficial) Points Race, brought to you by Nadine of Flyers.Femme. Danny, I love that you're challenging Richie to be the best "A" on the team. Richie, get back in there kiddo!

Anyway, guys, hope you had a good ride home from Denver. I had a fantastic weekend, as you will see!

Love yas,
Nadine


Dear Gentle Readers,

Why is it that everything goes haywire right before you travel? Internet security. Heat register in your apartment. Whatever.

Some of you may know that the Caps and Flyers reps for HLOG converged on our General Hockey contributor Teka's humble abode this weekend for a Philadelphia Phantoms v. Hershey Bears face-off. (God bless you for being stuck in Pennsyltucky while working on that Master's degree! I know you're itching to be in a bigger Hockeytown soon.)

I would like to take a moment to thank my travel sponsors, SEPTA and Amtrak, for their unwitting contribution to the weekend meet-up. I'd also like to thank my employer for being so accommodating of my hockey obsession as to schedule our Christmas Luncheon for Friday, so that I only had to work a half-day.

The trip to Middletown/Hershey was accomplished without any of the craziness that can occur when train transportation in the US is involved. I quickly located Teka (and Turco, her green Subaru). We off-loaded my (bright orange) carry-on in her place and settled in for a Flyers-Pens smackdown...err, friendly chat until CapsChick arrived. Long live the Battle of Pennsylvania!

CapsChick arrived, settled her stuff inside and we took off for dinner at a likely venue where we could watch hockey. (Caps on the movie-screen and Flyers on the TV next to it.) Nothing to report from that, except the guys at the bar were amazed by three women intently watching hockey and would not stop looking at us!

We returned to Teka's and shared a lot of video, courtesy of our teams and YouTube, about why we love who we do. It was a friendly chance to convince the other two that they should switch allegiance/affiliation, but no one did. (Um, because we're fans, not puck bunnies.)

On Saturday, we managed to rouse ourselves mid-morning to view a Bears game-day practice. It's so nice to see guys having fun, joking with each other, dropping F-bombs, and staring at the three of us as if to say, "Really? Females attending our practice? Watching what we're doing and talking hockey at levels we cannot observe among the jail-bait puck bunnies and scary old dust bunnies of Hershey?"

Yep, guys, it's a brief flare-up of HLOG syndrome. Don't worry, it usually only lasts one game.

After practice ends, we cruise to Hershey's lone Starbucks, do a flying tour through ChocolateTown, visit the Bears' former home (and watch little guys learning the game...I love kiddie goalies because they're so cute when their learning to skate wearing kickers that really don't fit them yet!), and witness a random siting of Chris Borque's huge, black Infiniti SUV.

Game Summary: Teka and CapsChick weren't happy with it because the Phantoms won. The Bears are having a major problem this season - all of their players are being sent to the Caps to fill-in for injuries (yeah!) which means their line cohesiveness is suffering (boo!). One day, there are 23 guys, seemingly overnight the ranks are reduced to 18.

We grab dinner together, head back to Teka's, catch the San Jose game on Center Ice Online (sorry Sharks), and then turn in as our weekend winds away with every tick of the second hand.

All in all, this weekend was fantastic. We were sorry Shmee and Kristin weren't able to join us after all, but it was just what I expected from three die-hard hockey fans: meet, talk hockey, watch hockey, have fun, and not have to explain that we aren't puck bunnies by virtue of our anatomy.

I can't wait to do this again, and hopefully with more of the HLOG women!

What's the difference?

[Author's note: The Flyers are gearing up for the Florida Kittens...err, Panthers. While they are on the road, my lack of cable and Center Ice Online will curtail personal reviews of the games.]

It's something I've been asked many times. I'm confronted by it when I read hockey blogs, be they about the Flyers or another team. It's probably most noticeable when I attend games.

I'm talking about the shocking difference between female and male hockey fans. Barring the immediate chromosomal differences, and excluding all puck-, rink- and dust-bunnies, I think it boils down to attitude.

So, uh, what's that mean?

Here's what I see on most guys' hockey blogs: B****ing, griping and moaning about freakin' stats. RFA/UFA hits to the CAP-this. PIMs, GAAs, and +/- ratings-that. Here a factoid, there a factoid...

In short, arm-chair GMing and sounding way too pretentious about it.

ENOUGH! Would you guys just sit back and watch the game?

I personally prefer to steer clear of stats because I dislike numbers...unless they're streaks. I'm more interested in the atmosphere of the game, the sights and sounds.

In regards to attending games, I'm deferring to my friend Teka's post on the matter. She's nailed it.

In the end, here's what's most important to me: I watched two teams playing hockey and had a d*** fine time doing it.

10/20 'Canes v. Flyers

See you in section 210A tonight! Watch for a recap tonight or tomorrow.

EDIT: Post-game review - I ponied up the cash for the cheapest ticket available for the game. I had to be present for this particular match-up since it would be a big test for the team.

Message for Kristin: I'm so glad we could meet-up before the game this time. Plus, I had fun watching the Phantoms' sweater auction, too. We definitely need to pitch the neutral away game idea to the Sisters Ookie. "Dustbunny" is in their IPB glossary.

Warm-ups

Ah, Margaritaville.

My fellow HLOGer Kristin over at Eager to Go Psycho and I met at the AT&T Pavilion for a drink, then meandered down to her right-behind-the-goal seats to watch warm-ups, chat a little, and make plans for hockey-world domination.

General topics ranged from the guy I saw when I came in that was rocking an old-school Whalers sweater - kudos! - to the fact that neither of us is a hater. (Specific topics related to the strategic planning are not up for public discussion with non-HLOGers...sorry, but we're keeping that under lock and key in a Pepto pink, Girls-Only ClubHouse.)

Of course, one of these times - probably the night I'll be joining her there for a whole game - we'll be shooting the breeze and Marty or Sami will skate up and say, "You ladies do realize we can hear you, right?"

First Period

As warm-ups end, Kristin and I head for our separate seats in the highest rows of the various 200s. I am blown-away by the hustle the guys show in the first period. Have they been reading all of the Flyers fans' blogs during down-time? It seems like it. Just as I am once again muttering about Briere and Gagne needing to just get an ugly but real goal, Gagne scores. Finally.

Of course, Kukkonen earns one of the infamous hooking penalties right aftwards, the 'Canes go on the power play, and freakin' Eric Staal scores on Marty. Okay, so no shut-out tonight. I can live with that.

Second Period

It looked like what I expected in the first period. I don't know what else to say about it. 'Canes (former Flyer) Justin Williams scores towards the end of the second.

Third Period

If I were the type to bite my nails when I am nervous, I would have been doing that during the third. Instead, I was sitting on the edge of my seat, watching and waiting, and being conned by several "almosts."

However, Richie scored about 1:30 into the period. Thank God. Mass signs of joy!

The Wachovia Center got louder as the period wound down. When the 'Canes called a time-out, the fans got even louder. Of course, the guys in the booth put on some really good tunes and showed more footage of Shawn dancing at the top of the stands. (I l o v e d the guy with the "Insert Here -->" sign.)

Even though it was still tied, our hope was bolstered. Hey, we can do overtime! We could even win it.

Overtime

And we did. 48 seconds in.

Hatch, you came coasting in and fired on Grahame. I am so proud of you for that. He stopped you, but couldn't hang on to the puck and Gagne shoved it in. (You looked downright fast in OT! I want more of that.)

Post-game: Phantoms game sweater auction

Kristin and I headed over to the Spectrum for the Phantoms' game sweater auction. It was highly entertaining. Highest cost sweaters: Boucher and Munroe. (Everybody loves a goalie!)

Some of Kristin's die-hard Phantoms friends know a few of the guys on the team. It was fun to see their interaction during the auction. (I loved the Matsumoto story!)