Nothing Much

I haven't been posting lately simply because not much has been happening. As I have said so many times in the past, my life is NOT exciting at all. But, I will do a bit of rambling, so here goes.

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We are leaving in the morning for a road trip. Just one of our usual overnighters to shop and have dinner with friends. Even though we just got home from vacation, it will still be good to get out of town.

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Went out and bought a new vacuum last night. It is a sad commentary on my life when new appliances cause such excitement for me, but that's the way it is. :D K came with me and I wound up getting a Dyson--even though I was all set to get a much cheaper Bissell. I think I like it, even though I have never been a big fan of upright vacuums--I have always preferred canister vacs, but they are hard to find these days. Anyway, the new vac has done a great job on the cat fur. I vacuum almost every day just to keep up with the shedding, but the Dyson picked up even more--I'm quite impressed. And here is what the thing looks like:


Dysons certainly look like something out of a sci-fi movie, don't they?

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There are two player names in the NHL this year that make me giggle whenever I hear them:

Cal Clutterbuck (Minnesota Wild)
and
John Oduya (New Jersey Devils)

I always wonder how many times an announcer has COMPLETELY screwed up the pronounciation of Clutterbuck--especially after having a few adult beverages. (And the way some of the announcers have trouble talking, you KNOW they indulge during the games!)

The name Oduya is pronounced oh-DOO-ya. I always think it should be pronounced like a question. The name just makes me smile! :)

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I have only seen these in person once--and that was once too often. I can't say anymore--I'll just post the picture.


If you really must, here is the site where you can buy these--in WAY too many colors.

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While I absolutely adore Valtteri Filppula, as a player he doesn't come close to my favorite, Pavel Datsyuk--although he DOES show some promise to be a Datsyuk-type player. (He's still young and has time to get more 'Datsyukian' in time.) Anyway, every game I watch makes me more in awe of Datsyuk and the things he can do on the ice. I would pay just to watch the man do his pre-game warm-ups or practice drills. And this short video is a great example of what he can do:

Absolutely amazing!

A Decent Win

The Wings beat Atlanta 6-3 tonight in a good game. If not for the bit of sloppy play in the third, the score would have been a lot more lopsided. But, it is a bit hard to keep the focus when winning by three going into the third--and then they got another, so the win was pretty much guaranteed and they slacked off a bit. Ozzie was quite impressive with some of his saves, so he may be getting into his groove. VF was back in the line up and he played a good game. It was his birthday--Happy Birthday Baby Boy!!!!--and I was hoping he would get at least one goal, but it was not to be. And he didn't even get an assist. :(

So, on to Calgary on Monday and Edmonton on Tuesday--we'll see if they can keep their winning streak going!

Florida Mornings

Almost the best part of our trip to Florida were the mornings. I got to step out of the house, onto the lanai, and feed the birds. It was GREAT! And the best part was that we never see these birds here in the Great White North. Here are pics of some of them:

Just plain ducks--not sure what kind.

Ibises--and a muscovy on the left.



Three muscovy ducks. They don't seem to be the Einsteins of the bird kingdom. They wag their tails like a dog, sound like they are horking up a hairball when they try to 'talk,' and pump their heads when they walk. Very weird birds--and quite possibly my favorites.



Also, the muscovy isn't the most attractive in the bird kingdom. But they WERE grateful when I fed them!



Birds near the pond behind the house.



An egret hunting.



Two egrets and a mystery bird looking for food.



The sandhill crane that came to the back door every morning looking for a handout. He and I played 'catch'--I threw the bread and he tried to catch it before it hit the ground. He caught it 90% of the time. I think I could have handfed him--I just was VERY scared of his beak. They are BIG birds with VERY long beaks.

The Death Toll Rises

We caught another mouse. Looks like we're infested. How much fun is this?

Just Doesn't Seem Right

I'm sorry, but I don't really want to see the President of the United States going on a late night talk show to try and explain what he is doing--as Obama is doing on the Tonight Show. I think this all stems from the first presidential candidate to make the rounds way back when. I think the issues are a bit more serious than late night talk shows--or any but the news shows. An epic FAIL in my book.

???

I have been having SUCH problems remembering what day it is for the last two weeks. And it is driving me absolutely insane! I certainly hope this changes SOON!!!!!!

RIP

We had a death today--and I was proven right! K came home from the grocery store and noticed a tail hanging out of the mousetrap--yep, we HAVE had a mouse in the pantry! He is taking the trap to work to get rid of the carcass and will re-set it tomorrow to see if any more of the vile little critters have found their way into the house. Oh, I can't wait for summer. (sarcasm is all OVER that statement!)

And They Won

Believe it or not, hockey fans, but the Brodeur story was NOT the only one tonight! There actually were eleven games played and a few were unexpected. (San Jose lost to Phoenix, for example.)

After a slow start--they gave up two goals before scoring themselves--the Wings managed to win the game. It was a bit dicey at the very end when Detroit couldn't BUY an empty-net goal--unbelievable--but all worked out fine. It was great to see Z, Pasha, and the Mule all scoring in the same game. Too bad Hoss didn't get a goal tonight.

It will be interesting to see how the Wings play when they get everyone back from injuries. Lilja should be back from IR later this month; Holmstrom is day-to-day, after injuring his leg only four games after coming back from surgery; and VF should (?) be back on Friday after missing three games because of back spasms. They have to start getting ready for the playoffs and there are few games left for them to begin.




--Philadelphia Flyers goalie Martin Biron (43) looks down after giving up a goal to Detroit Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg (40) during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Detroit, Tuesday March 17, 2009. Detroit won 3-2. (AP Photo)--

You Have GOT To Be Fricking Kidding Me!!!!!

VERSUS just announced that, if New Jersey happens to be winning their game tomorrow night, they will break away from the Wing's game so that they can show the end of Brodeur's record setting win. I am so tired of Brodeur and his records. And I am so tired of having to watch games on VERSUS. I am not a happy camper, indeed.

Happy St Urho's Day!!

As I have written about the holiday before, I will just post the link from mental_floss. Hope your day is great! :)

Monday Ramblings

Monday--my FAVORITE day of the week. Yeah, right. Monday is also known as 'You Mean We Have To Do Garbage Again?' day in this household. This is the job I have come to LOATHE over the years and usually put it off to the bitter end. Today we got the job done extra early and it feels good to NOT have that hovering over my head!

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The temp outside is around the 50 degree mark--absolutely gorgeous. Despite the fact I don't like warm weather--meaning summer ;)--it is nice to be able to open windows. I DO love the smell of fresh air--too bad it has to come with bugs.

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The cat and I have decided that we have a mouse in the pantry. We have seen no evidence of it, just been hearing 'things.' K, being the sweetheart he is, went out and got an enclosed mousetrap and set it up--even though he doesn't believe we have a critter problem. Isn't he adorable? (The shopping trip on Friday did WONDERS for my state of mind--even though I didn't buy myself a damn thing!)

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C called today and was having an 'I REALLY hate my husband' day. She is sure the reason he won't let her get a gun is he KNOWS he wouldn't live to see his next birthday. :D Of course, I have NO idea why she would feel that way. {said with an innocent look on my face}

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No word on whether my Baby Boy will be playing tomorrow night or not. It isn't surprising, though--I'm sure they had the day off after playing back-to-back games this weekend. Although, if there was anything VERY seriously wrong with him, it probably would have made the news or some blog by now. Still keeping my fingers crossed and having good thoughts.

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K is starting the first of three night shifts today, so this means I will have lots of ME time. YIPPEE!!!

What A Relief

The game today proved that the Wings haven't forgotten how to play the game the right way--they beat the Blue Jackets 4-0. This wound up being Ozzie's 49th career shutout and he now is tied for 11th place on the all time victory list. And he looked good doing it! The Wings were the first team to clinch a playoff spot and now have made the playoffs for a record 17 years in a row. They also are the first team to top 100 points nine straight seasons. And it was rather nice that they were able to do it while showing that Mason is human, after all. Revenge was so sweet.

The sad note today: my Baby Boy is day-to-day with a back strain. Why this happened is anyone's guess--he didn't take a hit or anything. So, he has to rest and hopefully be better sooner rather than later. Almost one year ago, to the day, VF had knee/hip problems and was out of the lineup for several games. I guess this time of year isn't exactly lucky for him! Thinking good thoughts and hoping he will be back this week--although I don't think it will be as soon as Tuesday when they play Philadelphia.


--Detroit Red Wings' Chris Osgood, left, makes a save against Columbus Blue Jackets' Manny Malhotra during the second period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, March 15, 2009, in Columbus, Ohio. The Red Wings beat the Blue Jackets 4-0. (AP Photo)--

A Very Full Day...

...for hockey games, that is. I am watching my fourth one for the day. You definitely can tell how close it is getting to the end of the season by how many games are broadcast. I wouldn't have seen four games--one was just the overtime and shootout, actually--if the Wings wouldn't have played an afternoon game. I am getting myself ready for the playoffs and the amount of games I will be watching--can't wait!

The Wings beat the Blues today in a pretty good game. Ozzie got his 300th win in a Wings' uniform--way to go Ozzie! Quite an impressive statistic. With the win, the Wings are now at the top of the league again. If Nashville ties or loses the game they are playing, then the Wings will be the first team to clinch a playoff spot for the year. Not that there is any chance they WON'T make the playoffs, but it will be nice for it to be official. They will post another 100 point year--and break another record, which they set LAST year.

The most impressive part of the game: the Wings got three goals in 45 seconds in the second period! It was very nice to see. My Baby Boy got another point and now has surpassed his total from last year. The worst part of today: Baby Boy had to leave the game in the second with back spasms. He didn't come back for the rest of the game. He wasn't hit or injured in any way--just back spasms. Back problems--as well as knee, hip, and groin troubles--are way too common for hockey players. Z has a notoriously sensitive back, unfortunately. VF will not play tomorrow and, hopefully, the rest is all he needs to get well. Damn, and he was just getting on fire, too.

I watched the Montreal/New Jersey game earlier and was torn between who I wanted to win. I guess it was fine that New Jersey won, but it meant that Brodeur got his 551st NHL win--to tie Roy for best ever. I'm NOT a Brodeur fan--way too much hype, if you ask me--but it WAS good that Roy's record will be broken. (Patrick Roy is the biggest douche bag to EVER play the game of hockey.) I just can't wait till a European goalie breaks these records--hopefully I will be alive to see it. I LOVE seeing European players do well--the Canadians HATE European players so much. It just makes me smile to see. I think the Canadians just need to get over themselves already. The hatred of Europeans is one of the main reasons the Wings are so despised: over half of the players the Wings have are NOT North American. And they STILL win. Oh, well, cry me a river. ;)

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Ready To SCREAM!!!!

If K doesn't stop that fricking 'clear the throat cough' that he is doing CONSTANTLY, I will get a shovel and take care of the problem. Permanently.

I am NOT in a good mood today. I think I will go shopping tonight. Spending money ALWAYS makes me feel better--especially if I'm spending on myself! Look out--the debit card will be too hot to handle by the time I get home.

Early Tee Time?

It is far too late in the season for the Wings to piss off a three goal lead and then lose the damn game in a shoot out. There are too many things they are doing wrong and not enough time left to fix them. My pessimism is clutching at my throat and won't let go. Such despair.

The good news, though, is Baby Boy is on fire. He got another goal tonight and was a +1, making him +15 on the year. He now has the same number of points that he had last year--albeit, less goals, but still. He's in the middle of the pack in hits and blocked shots and continues at slightly above 50% in face-off wins--he's doing quite well. While this probably won't be his break out year, he will finish well. Hopefully that will be the end of the trade talk among the fans.

Back to back games this weekend should show just how bad or good the team is doing and whether they can pour it on for the playoffs. And they get to play Columbus on Sunday. yippee


--DETROIT - MARCH 12: Valterri Filppula #51 of the Detroit Red Wings tries to control the puck in front of Michael Cammaleri #13 of the Calgary Flames during the third period on March 12, 2009 at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. Calgary won 6-5 in a shootout. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)--

Just Rambling

Thank goodness tonight's game is an early one--7:00 PM--cause I'm a bit tired today. I slept in the spare room last night so that K could have our bed to himself and I didn't sleep well--NOT a comfortable bed. I'm SUCH a great wife. ;) Anyway, he is feeling much better and there is a good chance he will go to work tomorrow.

The weather is finally supposed to be getting warmer tomorrow. Last night we went down into the single digits and tonight should be the same. Oh, well, spring WILL get here eventually.

I HAVE to get something done--haven't had enough energy to even move today. Hopefully I'll get a better sleep tonight. I can only hope.

LOLDogs

Funny, funny--it applies to my part of the Great White North, too! :)



And your 'AWWWWWW' moment of the day:

Sick

Once again, K is missing out on overtime shifts because he is sick. Poor baby. (And I REALLY am sorry he is sick--I know that sounded a bit sarcastic.) A couple of days ago he went to see our MD and was told he had rhinitis, but NOT an infection. Our doc REALLY hates to give antibiotics unless you are on the verge of DYING, so K came home with a prescription for a nasal spray and instructions to 'wash' his sinuses. K was under the impression that this meant using a saline nasal spray, but I knew better. The doc wanted him to use a neti pot, or equivalent. After a couple of days of doing it HIS way, K finally broke down and bought a neti pot. I guess it is working on him.

Now, if you aren't familiar with one of these things, you must not watch Oprah. (I guess she had it on her show a bit ago.) This is the 'newest'--actually this is quite an ancient procedure--thing among people who have colds or sinus problems. I have a lot of sinus problems--THANK YOU dust mite allergy!--and my allergist suggested I use one of these things. NOT. GOING. TO. HAPPEN!!!!! What you wind up doing is pouring water in one nostril, having it circulate through your sinus passages, and letting it pour out of your other nostril. EWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!! I get a panic attack just thinking about doing this. And to make things worse, YouTube has TONS of videos showing how to use one of these things, such as this:

Nope, NOT going to happen.

Last night, to make things even better for K, he developed conjunctivitis. In BOTH eyes. So, today he had to go to the walk-in clinic to get eye drops. Poor baby.

Now I'm going to say something that I never thought I would: Summer can't come fast enough. (Okay, I threw up a little in the back of my throat when I wrote that.) Actually, I AM hoping for some warmer weather if it will help K feel better--I REALLY hate seeing him sick. He is SUCH a big baby when not feeling well. (I shouldn't have said that.)

Wings 3, Coyotes 2 In OT

On his first shift of the game, just 78 seconds after the puck was dropped, Filppula scored--his 9th of the season. He also got an assist on the game-winner. He was named one of the stars of the game--got the first star from Yahoo sports. He was +2 on the night--+14 (?) for the season. I think Baby Boy is on a roll! It is good that he is FINALLY getting into a groove--not that he played TERRIBLY so far this year--hopefully it will continue into the playoffs. Good show tonight. Bring on the Flames!


--Detroit Red Wings' Valtteri Filppula puts a goal past Phoenix Coyotes goalie Ilya Bryzgalov in the first period of their game at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit on Tuesday, March 10, 2009. The Red Wings won 3-2 in overtime. (Daniel Mears / The Detroit News)--

Boston lost tonight, so they are in second place in the league. San Jose won, so they are tied at the top of the league with Detroit. It will be interesting to see what the standings are like at the end of the season. I don't expect the Wings to win the President's this year--and that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Staying Clueless

I am absolutely amazed at how relatively easy it is to avoid all news. There are a lot of things happening in this world that I choose to ignore. It helps to keep my blood pressure down to stay in my own little world. ;)

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Why Do I Think These Things?

I went to the tanning salon today--I usually go twice a week--and had the uncontrollable, frightening thought that I have WAY too often: What if there was a camera filming me? Now, believe me when I say that me, nekkid, is not a pretty sight, so it would serve whoever was doing the filming right to have to see me in all my glory--and they would NEVER do it again! I KNOW there are no cameras, but I can't help having the thought every once in awhile. I've gotta stop thinking these things.

Let's Get Ready To Ramble

I do plan on doing a long post--or several posts--about our vacation, but that won't be happening until I get the pictures organized. So, I will just do a rambling post right now.

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One of my favorite parts of our trip was my being able to feed birds every morning. I would go out of the back door and several birds would come up to the lanai/pool area for food. It really was a highlight for me. I'm SUCH a dork.

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We really have been quite lucky whenever we go to the warmer climates for vacations. The weather in Florida was JUST to my liking for the most part--temps around the 70 degree mark. Only two days were around 80--TOO warm for me--and a couple of days actually could have been warmer than they were. I guess February/March is a good time for Florida, just as October was the right time to go to Las Vegas.

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And speaking of Las Vegas...K wants to go back. SOON. I think I may be going to Sin City next month--at least if K has anything to say about it. There are such fantastic deals going on right now that it would be a shame NOT to take advantage of them. Another vacation so soon--just HOW can I manage! ;)

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Looks as if we might be getting another winter storm. Right now they are calling for strong winds and heavy snow tomorrow night. We could be getting five or more inches before things are done. Yippee!

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While we were in Florida, we had to hire a cat sitter. Pretty darn good, we are empty-nesters and yet we STILL had to pay someone to sit for us! Anyway, the girl didn't see the cat the entire time we were gone--I told her she didn't need to search every day. By monitoring the amount of food that was eaten, the sitter knew the cat was living, so... I think the cat lost weight while we were gone, despite the fact she never stopped eating. I have ALWAYS thought she would never survive if she couldn't be with us anymore--poor baby.

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Things are getting back to normal around here: K begins overtime tomorrow. I don't know how long this will last, but I have a feeling we won't be making a road trip anytime this month! At least he is smart enough to quit working the overtime whenever he feels as if he's burning out--then he takes off a few days and recharges.

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I pretty much came home with a whole new wardrobe from Florida--I bought 10 (11?) new T-shirts! I got shirts from just about everywhere we went: from Disney World to the Kennedy Space Center to the Hard Rock Cafe to the House of Blues and all places in between! I will do a photo array and post it before too long. My T-shirt drawer now has Red Wing shirts, shirts from Florida, and concert T's--what more could someone want?

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And speaking of the Wings... (As if I could do an entire post WITHOUT speaking of them!) It is now just a little over a month till the playoffs begin and I am NOT optimistic about how far the Wings will go. They still are having problems with the 'D' and the goal tending is quite mediocre. With losses like they had two Saturdays in a row--and the fact they gave up 8 goals each time--they have a LOT of work to do in very little time. I REALLY have my doubts that number 12 is coming to Hockeytown--but I MAY be wonderfully surprised! I can only hope.

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As far as upcoming trips, I'm hoping we will be going to the twin cities in June. Not only do I want to see A and her husband, but Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood will be in concert at the Xcel Center on the 18th! K hasn't said whether we will be going or not, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. How great would THIS concert be!

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And to finish up, I am posting the picture that I am using as my desktop wallpaper these days:

Yep, that is my Baby Boy! Isn't he absolutely adorable? {sigh} And he is so very, very young. ;) (Looks like his nose has been broken at least once, right?) Quite the typical Finn he is--with amazing blue eyes.

First Overall!!

With tonight's win, the Wings are in first place in the NHL. Of course, this won't last, but it is nice right now. ;) AND, for the second game in a row, my Baby Boy scored! I certainly hope he has turned a corner--he definitely looked good out there tonight. Unfortunately, he had to take stitches to his finger in the second period--right now, anyway, they are saying the finger isn't broken. I hope so--he's broken fingers before and it isn't easy to shoot the puck if you can't hold the stick very well. The Wings have two days off, so they can prepare for Saturday and the Blue Jackets.

He Shoots, He SCORES!!!!!

At last, after 18 games, my Baby Boy scored a goal! AND I managed to miss it! Anyway, during the Wings win against St Louis, VF finally got a goal--hopefully it is the first of many. Congrats to VF and the team.


--Red Wings center Valtteri Filppula reaches for the puck in front of teammate Brad Stuart and the Blues' Patrik Berglund during the second period of Detroit's 5-0 win over the Blues on Tuesday in St. Louis. (Kyle Ericson/AP)--

Looking To Go Home

It is the last day of our vacation. Tomorrow we will be flying out of here and should be home some time around midnight--as long as no flights are delayed. I had hoped to post more while we were here, but the internet access has been very hit-and-miss. I relied on using someone's unsecured network and things didn't always work out very well. ;)

To put this last 12 days in a nutshell: Floria is a very nice place to visit, but I definitely wouldn't want to live here. I like the cold--it helps preserve me. :) We have had a wonderful time, but it is going to be nice to be back home in a regular, familiar routine. I will do a series of posts about the trip and I have pictures to share, so come back in a few days and I will have a lot to say!