"That shot hit Hillen up high. Oh mercy."

Last night the Capitals took the ice against the New York Islanders and won 7-2. 7 goals, and NO points for Alex Ovechkin. Hard to believe right?

Well, that's not the point of this post.

Late in the first period, Ovechkin collected the puck on the powerplay and fired it at the net, striking Islanders Defensemen Jack Hillen up high. Hillen instantly fell to the ice and the whistle was blown. A hush fell over the crowd as Islanders team staff were escorted on the ice, and then a stretcher was pulled out. After about 2 min or so, Hillen got up under his own power and skated to the locker room, not needing the stretcher (hey, he's a hockey player).

Watch here:


Today there are reports that Hillen was rushed to the hospital and he suffered a broken jaw and lost some teeth. He will miss 6-8 weeks, which is a huge dissapointment for the Islanders which are a team fighting for the playoffs.

Not a pleasant sight indeed, but it got me wondering...

In this particular instance Hillen was not laying out his body to block the shot, he was just unlucky. In many other instances, players do whatever it takes to get their body in front of a 100 plus MPH slap shot and try and block it away. How crazy is that?

For example, Capitals rugged fourth liner Quintin Laing took a puck to the face and also broke his jaw back on November 17, 2009. Video below (go to about 1 min into the video):


Known on the Capitals team as a shot blocker, Laing did whatever it took to not let the shot through. In this instance, that meant laying out his body and using his FACE to block it. Like Hillen, Laing suffered a broken jaw and missed considerable time. But unlike Hillen, Laing meant to block the shot.

I have played some hockey in my time and have been hit with a puck and a one of those hockey ball things. I remember once taking a shot to my shin and playing it off, only to have a huge welt there for days after. But, that shot was nowhere near the velocity of an Ovechkin shot. I cannot even begin to fathom taking a slap shot to the face. It's lucky these guys walk away with ONLY a broken jaw.

Last night Ovechkin skated over to Hillen, after the shot, and visibly felt terrible. Unfortunately, it's a part of the game and it rears its ugly head every now and then. Here's to hoping Jack Hillen has a speedy recovery and is back out on the ice this season.

Neti Pot

Well, I would blog all about the weekend except that Rachel did that already (here).

What I AM here to write about is my first Neti Pot experience.

Yesterday I went to get lunch with Scott at Wegmans (read here to see how I feel about Wegmans). While at lunch Scott started telling me how he has recently been getting headaches, and that they have been deemed by his doctor as sinus headaches. I too have been getting a lot of headaches, and taking ibuprofen to combat them. I didn't even really think about the fact that it could be a sinus issue... that is until I talked with Scott.

He recommended I try using a Neti Pot. For those who don't know what that is, it's a little pot with a spout attached to it (kind of looks like a plant watering can). Anyway, what you do is you pour a packet of this saline solution (essentially salt) into the pot, and then mix it with water. Then, you literally take the spout and put in your nostril and pour the mixture into your nasal passage. The water will then pass through the passage and come out the other nostril. You do all of this while leaning over the sink basin and opening your mouth so you can breathe. Once done pouring all of the water into one nostril, you repeat the process in the other nostril.

It doesn't sound like the most appealing thing, but let me tell you that it is quite refreshing if you are like me and have sinus issues/congestion. Let's see if it helps with the recent stint of headaches that I have been having too. I sure hope so.

Unleash the fury.

A love affair is happening in our Nation's Capital. No, President Obama is not cheating on Michelle.

No no, Dan Snyder and newly acquired Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan are not sleeping together (at least I don't think they are).

I am referring to the red-clad fans that pour into Verizon Center two to three times a week to watch their beloved Washington Capitals.

Finally, after years of "rebuilding", DC is on the map when it comes to hockey and the Capitals are near the top in the NHL. As of this morning, they lead the Eastern Conference with 68 points, one point ahead of the Martin Brodeur-led New Jersey Devils going into tonights games.

You want goals? You want lots and lots of goals? Look no further than the Caps, who have scored an NHL leading 185 goals. The second place team, the San Jose Sharks, have 14 fewer goals but have played two more games.

You want locker room drama? Nope, not going to find that here. Besides a head-turning trade on December 28 that saw captain Chris Clark and defensemen Milan Jurcina go to Columbus for 30 year old Jason Chimera, the Capitals locker room has remained drama-free. Goaltender Semyon Varlamov has missed some time over the past month because of injuries, but the Capitals keep motoring on.

Because of the departure of their captain to Columbus, the Capitals went a handful of games wondering who would take the "C". Would it be fan favorite and emerging leader Brooks Laich? Or new teammate Mike Knuble? Maybe Tom Poti would take the reigns. Or, the logical choice, back to back MVP Alex Ovechkin.

On January 6, Ovechkin took the ice wearing the "C". He became the Capitals first European-born captain, and had the endorsement of the entire team.

"He's been the face of the franchise for a long time and it's well-deserved and well-earned," defenseman Tom Poti said.

Tomas Fleischmann, fourth on the team in goals with 16, added: "We wanted it to be him to be captain."

In Alex Ovechkin's rookie season, 2005, you could look around Verizon Center and notice many empty seats and sometimes entire sections without fans. "It was bad," forward Brooks Laich reflected. "We would look up in the stands and the running joke with the players and coaches used to be, 'Hey, It's Dress Like A Seat Night.' "

Well, "dress like an empty seat night" has turned into "dress in all red and go absolutely crazy night"... aka Rock the Red.

DC is such a tough place to play for opposing teams that the Capitals own the best home record in hockey, going 17-3-3 there. And, if the Caps continue playing the way they are, the Cup run for any team will have to go through DC.

Yes people, there is a love affair in DC and it's for the Washington Capitals. Here's to hoping this affair lasts all the way up to the Stanley Cup being hoisted for the first time in Washington, DC.

Let's Go Caps!

We are pretty lucky

I am here to talk about Wegmans. Most people who live in Baltimore City/County know that Hunt Valley houses a Wegmans grocery store. And we are better people because of it. For the holidays, one of my co-workers so graciously gave me a $20 gift card to Wegmans. I had not really gone to Wegmans in awhile because I normally do my everyday grocery shopping at either the brand new Giant across from the Fairgrounds, Food Lion, or at Target. Plus, Rachel does not like Wegmans (makes her feel overwhelmed).

So, on Christmas Eve Day I decided to use my gift card and have lunch at Wegmans. I brought a book I was reading and a hungry stomach to the store, and left with a smile. I decided to go with a turkey wrap. You have three choices on what kind of wrap, so I went with the wheat wrap. Then I had them put on some provolone cheese, olives, lettuce, tomato, and some honey mustard. I also got some soup (chicken noodle). It was a very cold day out, so soup seemed appropriate. Then I got a green tea Wegmans brand drink, and paid. Yes, it was a little expensive (I think it was $9 and some change) but it was worth every penny. For those of you who have not gone to Wegmans, it has an upstairs for people to eat lunch/dinner (and maybe even breakfast?!) that overlooks one half of the massive grocery store. I went up, food and book in hand, and ate every last bite of my meal. Tasty, fresh, and filling. Afterwards, I walked around the store to check out their tea section and ended up buying two boxes of tea (decaf vanilla chai and decaf orange). I contemplated the variety of food samples they so graciously offer, but was too full from my amazing meal to indulge. Thinking about it now almost 4 weeks later, that was one of the better meals I have eaten in awhile. Derek and I got lunch there on Saturday, and it was also just as tasty.

When it comes to regular food shopping, it's definitely easier to go to Giant, but for lunch or fresh ingredients (and organic foods... they have a huge assortment), Wegmans is where it's at.

Paul Thomas Anderson's "Magnolia"

I watched a very compelling and one of the most interesting pieces of film I have ever seen last night: Magnolia. I know, I know, I am over ten years (!) late to the party on this movie, but I have always been that way about things. I sort of stumble upon things. Anyways, I digress.

Magnolia opens with three coincidences that occurred in the past.

One is the robbery and murder of a man by three people with the last names Green, Berry, and Hill. The area where the murder occurred ending up being called Greenberry Hill.

Then there is the case of the blackjack dealer who also likes to scuba dive. One night while dealing cards, a patron ends up not getting the hand he had hoped for, and jumps over the table to fight the blackjack dealer. Later, this same patron is piloting a firefighting airplane that fills its tank with water in the same lake that the blackjack dealer he previously fought is swimming in. Accidentally, the airplane scoops up the blackjack dealer while filling up with water and the dealer dies of a heart attack. Hearing this news and feeling guilt, the patron/pilot commits suicide.

Lastly, a 17 year old boy attempts suicide but is instead shot by his unsuspecting mother as he tumbles to his death. This 17 year olds parents fight constantly, and even threaten each other with an unloaded shotgun. Not being able to take it any longer, the boy loads the shotgun hoping that the next time his parents fight and they "threaten" each other with the shotgun that one of them actually pulls the trigger and kills the other. Little does he know that at the SAME moment the 17 year old decides to jump from the roof of his apartment complex, his mother actually does take a shot at her husband (not knowing the gun is ACTUALLY loaded) and the father dodges the shot, but the son who is falling right by the window to his supposed death is struck by the shotgun blast and killed instantly. Had he not loaded the gun in hopes that his parents would shoot one another, he would have survived his fall because of a net at the bottom of the building for some window washers that he did not know existed.

The narrator, who has been taking us through these events, then says "...this is not just 'Something That Happened.' This cannot be 'One of those things...' These strange things happen all the time."

Goosebumps formed on my arm at this point.

What followed were a slew of characters and events all interconnected (ala Crash or Traffic). The thing is, Magnolia was made before all of these.

There isn't really a moment when everything comes together (like in a Seinfeld episode) and all of the characters meet one another and figure it all out. No, not this time around.

But, there is a part when frogs start raining from the skies. And, Tom Cruise yells "Respect the Cock" in one of his best on-screen performances.

Like I said before, I stumble upon things. For example, the band Brand New released "The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me" and it got great buzz. I listened, never hearing Brand New before that, and then listened to the rest of their albums, missing out on them when they first hit the scene.

The same thing happened with Magnolia, me stumbling upon the film because of a book I am reading called "Rebels on the Backlot" which discussed six directors from the 90's who changed Hollywood.

From the opening frame to the closing frame, Magnolia is a film you will not be able to look away from. The performances are spectacular (with John C. Reilly standing out as a policemen who likes to narrate to himself when on the job like he's on an episode of COPS). If you haven't seen it, check it out.

The stress that is Linus

Linus is our cat. He is named after one of the most manipulative characters in history, Benjamin Linus from Lost. His name suits him well.

Every morning he scratches at our bedroom door within an hour of when I am supposed to get up. I am a light sleeper, so the second he starts the scratching, I wake up. Rachel is like a rock and doesn't budge. Sometimes I can get back to sleep after he gives up the scratching, but sometimes it's so close to the real time I am supposed to be up that I just lay there.

Once I am up, I take a shower and Linus sits on the bathtub ledge looking into the shower at the water. I don't know what it is about water, but he LOVES watching it go down the drain or run down the shower curtain. Sometimes though, he gets adventurous and decides that he wants to try and get into the shower with me. This has happened a handful of times, and the outcome is always humorous. He will jump in, start getting soaked and look for a way out. Then, because the shower curtain is in the way, he will have trouble getting out so I have to reach down and pick him up, dripping wet, and put him on the bathroom floor. Normally he is nowhere to be seen for about a grand total of two minutes, and then BAM, he is back on the ledge watching the water, licking his soaking wet self.

After the shower, I brush my teeth and whatnot, and he once again shows his interest in water (I swear, the cat should be a friggin' plumber or something) by jumping up on the counter and watching the water in the sink. Once I am finished brushing my teeth, and the water drains, he jumps into the sink to lick up the remnants. Sometimes he doesn't wait until I am finished and jumps into the sink while the water is still running, once again getting soaked.

After all of this is done, I need to get dressed, and the fun continues with Linus. We have closets in out apartment that bend when you open them (like an accordion). Linus loves them, but they're dangerous as hell. As soon as I open them, he sticks his paws in the tracking part of the closet and then moves his paws to the opening where the closet bends. Crazy cat. Next, while I am picking out my outfit, he loves climbing into the closet and playing with my belt, which hangs from a hanger. Then he hides in the littlest nook and waits. Because the closet is so dangerous and he is so interested in it, I have to lure him out of it before I attempt to close it. That can be a chore in itself since he sometimes sits there looking at me dangling a toy thinking "haha, you want me out of this closet so that you can continue with your morning. I know this, AND I am going to sit here and be cute and look at you with big eyes. I won't of course jump out of the closet until you least expect it, and then I will claw your hands at the same time." Those reading might say "why don't you just lock him out of the room with the closet?" Well, if I did that then he would scratch at our bedroom door and wake up Rachel. And besides, he is just so darn cute.

After I am done getting dressed, he bolts all over the apartment and wants to play. Uh, sorry bud, I have to go to work. I prepare my coffee and grab my lunch while dodging him as he jumps at my legs or attacks my shoes.

Then, it's time to deal with ANOTHER closet, the one with my jacket in it. Normally it's not too tough to get him out of this closet because it's small, and there are not many places for him to hide.

Finally, I am ready to leave, which is also known as "pick up a toy and throw it and then race to the door before he tries to get out". Lately Rachel has been there to pick him up, which allows me to slip out easily. But, when she leaves she has to deal with him trying to go out the door, and it stresses her out as well.

He is only a kitten, and all of this behavior is normal/cute. One day he will just plop himself on the floor in the mornings and not move until he is fed, and I will miss the days of him taking a shower with me, or trying to attack my pants leg. Rachel said her friend Jen has a crazy cat like Linus (John Locke??) and that the cat is 8 years old and still hasn't grown out of the craziness. Oh joy...

His name is Linus and he's crazy.

Swoosh

Hear that? That's the sound of your mid-20's flying by. Well, it's the sound of mine.

I don't remember turning 20 very much, but I do remember when I turned 21. I was at Towson, living in Towson Run apartments and I had a party. But, after that things kind of speed up, and 5 years of my life all ball up into what feels like 2 years or so. I have memories of my birthdays (going to Fells for one, going bowling for another, etc.), but I can't place exactly what year things happened.

I remember moving from Towson Run to Walker Manor with Kevin my "sophomore" year and having some damn good times. Kevin and I have always thought that of all the places we lived in college, Walker Manor was the best. There was just something about it. Good place to sleep, good place to be artistic, good place to be in the fall. Just an awesome awesome place. Of course there was that one night where we both heard someone threatening another with a knife in our foyer. And then the one time Kevin was drunk as hell and some guy knocked on our door asking for some money for a cab and saying he would pay us back, and Kevin handing the guy 20 bucks or something (Kevin never saw that money again haha). Or the time there was a package at the place next to ours that sat there for a good month till we decided it was ok to take the package and see what it was (for those who care, it ended up being Focus Factor, a pill that you take that makes you FOCUS more. Kevin said it worked...). Then there was the time the cops came to the door because I was playing my bass guitar and the woman above us decided to call the cops instead of come down the stairs to tell me to keep it down.

I decided I was kind of missing out on "college life" by living in Walker Manor, so I moved back onto campus to Millennium where I met Jawhar and Jake. It was pretty cool, but my room was like a closet pretty much.

From there I ended up meeting Steve Shaw in class. He needed a roommate in his Cockeysville apartment called Briarcliff. At this point, which was my 3rd year or so at Towson, I had only been to the Target in Cockeysville so I was unaware of the area. I took the place, and had some good times there.

Then, Kevin and Scott decided to make the journey to Cockeysville (as well as Rachel, Lindsay & Karen). So, I moved from one apartment in Briarcliff to another. I actually remember Scott and I putting my mattress on the roof of my car and holding it there while driving the 2 blocks or so to the new place. Highlights there include our Hween party, cookouts, making Two Orange Brains, Noah trying to steal my blanket in the middle of the night, etc.

Then, Scott and I got a place at Century, also in Cockeysville. It was quiet. Never really had any parties there, but I liked it. Hurtruss.com's amazing pepper spray incident was filmed there. Kevin moved in for a little too and crashed on our couch.

Well, every weekend we were finding ourselves downtown, and we all worked downtown too. So Kevin, Scott and I decided to get another place together. This time it was in Hampden. I loved it there. We had many parties, and it was cool living in a house. Soon thereafter, Rachel and I began dating and since they hated their house in Mount Vernon, her and Lindsay moved in as well. One big happy family. Five people in that house... you would think it would have been crazy. At times it was, but we made it work and I wouldn't change anything from the experience.

Then, Rachel and I decided it was time to get our own place. So, we first thought we would stay downtown in maybe Hampden. Then it changed to maybe getting an apartment. We decided that since we both loved Cockeysville, and on the weekends we were now finding ourselves going to the movies in Hunt Valley, or at Target... we should just live there again. So, we moved to Steeplechase, got a cat, and the rest is history. We both love it there, and are starting our lives together (awwwww).

Swoosh...

Some things you just never expect to hear...

About a week or so before Thanksgiving my mom, who lives alone in a row home in Hampden, was walking down her steps. She was wearing socks, and this coupled with the hardwood steps made her slip, and tumble down to the bottom. She actually ended up dislocating her shoulder. Now, she dislocated her shoulder previously in her life when she slipped on some ice, and I have heard that once it happens, it is more prone to happen again. Well, needless to say, she was alone lying at the bottom of her steps in some serious pain. According to her, she picked herself up, limped over to her couch and sat down. Luckily her cell phone was in her pocket, so she mustered up enough strength to call 911. Then, once the call was completed, she picked herself up again and walked to the front door to unlock it, and then walked back to the couch to wait. It's funny how the easy things like making a phone call or unlocking a door can be so tough when you have an injury like a dislocated shoulder. Soon thereafter she was taken in an ambulance to the hospital, and they put her shoulder back into place and all was fine... at least we thought.

So, normal protocol is for her primary care physician to do an Xray on her shoulder to see if there was any ligament damage from the fall, so he did. There was no damage to the shoulder, but there was something that showed up and was puzzling: two lumps in her lungs. A PET Scan was needed before anything could be determined, but this news was not favorable to my mother or the rest of our family. So, she had the scan and then had to wait about a week to find the results. It was around the holidays, but I think the waiting was not abnormal. Well, my mohter had to suck it up for Thanksgiving and try and have fun. She did, and we all had a wonderful holiday at Rachel's parents house.

Well, the next week or so she found out that she actually had Stage 3A Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. We were all taken aback. My mother is not and had never been a smoker. She is one of the healthiest people I know. Why her? The only connection would be my dad who was an avid smoker from the day my parents met till about 15 years ago or so (roughly the first 10 or so years of their marriage... they are no longer married).

Well, the news was just so unbelievable, and something that you just never expect to hear. It almost seemed like it was all a dream and that at any moment I was going to wake up. Or maybe it was a bad April Fools joke and that someone would let me in on it soon. Nothing like that happened. It was reality.

Well, over the next month or so we all spent time together and supported my mom. On New Years Eve Day, my sister and I went with her to her first consultation at Johns Hopkins, the place where she will be starting her treatment. We met with the doctor and he seemed fine. Kind of doom and gloom though, but it's not a doctors job to be emotionally involved with a patient. During the consulation, we found out that the cancer was actually in her bloodstream because it actually had spread. Not good news. It seemed like the doctor thought we already knew this information, which was not the case. When my mom got home, she decided to email the doctor and ask that if it was in the blood, then how could it still be Stage 3A? He responded saying that it is in fact in Stage 4. News to all of us.

My mother is the strongest person I know, and is continuing her strength through this all. She does live alone, which makes it hard on her (and us). But, she is not letting this get her down, still going to work, still going out on the weekends... still living her life. She starts chemo in the next week or so, and will be getting a full body treatment intravenously.

It's going to be a tough next few months, but the support we give to her and the strength she emits will be some of the best medicine. Some things you just never expect to hear...

The weekend

Well, it's Monday in these parts... and that means the weekend is OVER. It also means a recap of the weekends events is in order.

Friday after work I got home and Rachel and I quickly cleaned up our already spotless apartment in preperation for Kevin and Lindsay who were coming to hang out and see Linus. As always, Linus entertained and everyone loved him. Then we went to Noodles & Co. in Hunt Valley for dinner. The weirdest thing happened while we were there. So, Lindsay and Rachel ordered their food and then Kevin and I ordered ours. Well, when we were done ordering, we went into the restaurant area looking for our GFs. They were NO WHERE to be found. We both looked at each other like we were in an episode of Twilight Zone. So, we thought maybe they both went to the bathroom. Almost 10 min passed, and still, no sign of them. By this time, Kevin and I had taken a seat and were talking about things like "maybe we never had girlfriends" and re-enacting scenes from our lives where a girlfriend would be there (like signing a lease to an apartment) and looking crazy because we really had no girlfriends. Then, we saw the guy with our food and our GFs food going to a secret area in the restaurant. So, we followed and finally, there they were. Why they didn't come looking for us is beyond me.

Next, we went to Caribou and L & K got some coffee. Rachel didn't get anything cause she was going to get popcorn at The Charles for the movie we were going to see... or so we thought. Well, Kevin and I played checkers for like 20 min and the girls sat at another table and chatted. Then, It was 8:40 and I said we should leave soon for our 9:25 movie. Kevin was like, "you mean 9:10 movie?" Of course he was right about the time, and we had to bolt out the door and get downtown and park and buy our tickets and get our seats in a half hour. We actually did it though, so that's good. But, Rachel did NOT get her popcorn :(

We saw "Precious", and it was remarkable. Some of the most real movie scenes I have seen (ha) in awhile. Comedian Mo'Nique plays Precious' mother, and like Rachel said, "they should just hand her the Oscar right now". I don't know if Mo'Nique grew up in a house like the one portrayed in the movie, but man oh man was she terrifying. Definitely chilling to watch some of those scenes. I also thought Precious' teacher was great, and I actually liked Mariah Carey in the film too (Precious' guidance counselor). Precious herself was great, but she may be the odd one out come Oscar time. I thought the direction was good in the movie, but some of the choices of shots were questionable. Overall, definitely a good movie, and The Charles was a good place to see it.

Saturday morning Rachel and I slept late, mainly because Linus decided to scratch at the door from 7 am till we got up, once every hour pretty much. When we did get up, I worked on freelance and Rachel went out with Jackie. Then, when I was done working, I went to the AT&T store and found a new phone I want. I am getting it online though, cause it's cheaper.

Then, my sister and Jamie came over to see Linus since they were in the area. That was cool.

Then the night rolled around, and Rachel and I went to Hairspray at the Lyric. What a great show! I had only really seen Cats on Broadway, and then A Bronx Tale at the Hippodrome before this show. Hairspray was non stop music. All of the roles were acted very well. I liked the dad a lot, and I thought Seaweed was great, and of course his sister too. And, the main role of Tracy Turnblad was well done. Overall, a great show. Our seats were awesome too.

AND, I did not have the Cowboys score ruined for me. I had my headphones on at intermission, and then when we were leaving, and no one ruined it for me. But, then when we got home... I almost ruined the game for myself. I pressed a button on my cable remote, and it went to the game LIVE. Luckily I didn't see anything, and I didn't ruin it. (Oh yeah, the Cowboys won 34-14... first playoff victory in 14 years).

Sunday, Rachel's family came over for some of my pizza and the Ravens game. Good times! THe Ravens won too, so that was good for her dad and everyone. Linus was entertaining again. Everyone loves him haha.

Then Sunday night Rachel and I watched a movie (I let her pick because she was very understanding with the whole Cowboys thing on Saturday night). We watched Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Interesting movie, and I can see why there is a huge cult following. I liked it! The lead role was great, and the guy even directed the movie.

Overall, awesome weekend!

I knew it would happen

Well, the Dallas Cowboys have won the NFC East and host the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card first round of the playoffs this weekend. The game time? 8 pm on Saturday night. The same time that I am going to see Hairspray with Rachel (a gift from her parents... no fault on them at all!). The reason I entitled this "I Knew It Would Happen" is because I knew this would happen!!

About a month ago or so, Rachel told me about the Hairspray show and that I needed to see it and I agreed, having heard great things about it. She told me it was going to be playing at The Lyric Opera House in Baltimore, and that we should go. I said sure. So, then I forgot about it, till a week or so later when Rachel mentioned that her parents wanted to get us a gift for the holidays and that them getting us the tickets would be a good idea. I agreed, and thought that would be a great little night for us. Then, I looked at when the date of the show was. It was on January 9... which, if the Cowboys made it, would possibly be the night of their first playoff game. Not wanting that to be an issue, I tried to forget about that and let the season play out. For all I knew at the time, the Cowboys could have missed the playoffs entirely, or they could have gotten a first round bye.

So, the holidays rolled around and we got the tickets as a gift (great seats too!). I still hadn't mentioned to Rachel the potential of the Cowboys playing at the same time as the show because I thought, if I talk about it and think about it, it will happen.

Well, it happened. They will be kicking off the game right at the same time that the curtains will come up at the Lyric. I just have to say one thing: Thank the Lord for DVR!!

Here is my plan: I am going to obviously DVR the game so that it is waiting for me when I get home from the show. That is a fail safe thing (unless the power goes out or something). But, then there is the potential for someone to blurt out the score at Intermission of Hairspray or when we're walking out after the show has ended. With the whole world in your pocket these days, people can check on the score at any time and let others know... even while they're at the Theater. So, assuming that during the show no one will be looking at their phones for the score, I am going to bring my iPod and my headphones with me for the times I may need to get up and use the rest room, or when we are leaving. I know this sounds crazy to some, but can you imagine if I get through 99 percent of the night and I am about to get into the car and the parking attendant or something yells over to his friend "The Cowboys are up 24-10 in the fourth". Not taking that chance, I just am not. I DVR Capitals games all the time, and it is easy to avoid that score around here, being that no one really cares about hockey. But, the NFL is a pop culture thing, so the chances of the score being blurted out in public is very high.

Let's hope my plans work out and I get home Saturday night and know NOTHING about the game. I think I will be successful... I hope.

How long has it been?

Hello out there in virtual land. Rachel decided to start blogging, and said that I should join the fun and blog as well. I actually already did blog, about a year ago. It was mainly about the Capitals and their unforgettable 7 game series in last years NHL playoffs vs. the Penguins (the Pens won it in a seventh game where the Caps laid an egg).

Now, I am back. And, I am going to try and keep this blog up and running. Yes, I will talk about sports (mainly the Capitals and the Cowboys), but I also want to explore other things such as music, television, and life experiences.

We'll see how long I keep up with this. I really don't lead that interesting of a life, so there isn't much to say. Recently though, some things have come about that are definitely good and bad. They would make for good blog entries, but that is for another time...