25 Random Things

My good friend Joe tagged me in one of those notes on Facebook where you list 25 random things about yourself. I thought long and hard, and here is what I have come up with:


1. If I hadn't transferred, I'd be graduating in 89 days. But I'd also be miserable.
2. In 36 days I'm flying to California for a band. This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever spent money on but Megan and I will definitely have the best 5 days ever while we're there.
3. Sometimes I think about moving far away, but I think Boston has always and will always be my home.
4. NESN should fire Kathryn Tappen from hockey commentating and hire me instead.
5. Officially, I own 100 pairs of shoes and I don't think that's enough.
6. In addition to shoes, I collect shot glasses that I have never used to take shots from.
7. One of these days I'll visit all 50 states. So far I'm at 17 plus DC.
8. I have seen Guster upwards of 30 times in concert but have yet to meet the band.
9. What the hell am I going to do with a PoliSci major?
10. If only every day could be Christmas Eve - except then I'd be really, really fat.
11. I'm glad my friends come to me for advice, I just wish I could follow it myself.
12. Ten months from now I'll have a degree but will also be 40k in debt. To start paying it off I'd like to become a flight attendant.
13. Dr. Pepper is my least favorite beverage. I also hate ketchup. And cherries.
14. Embarrassingly enough, I have Titanic memorized. Including the deleted scenes.
15. Dana Carvey's Broccoli Song is the best way to turn a bad day around. Either that or cuddles.
16. I have grown up a lot in the last year. I think I have better goals and ideas about what I want out of life.
17. I am only slightly addicted to my Blackberry.
18. 22 was, by far, better than 21 as far as birthdays go. I have some amazing friends.
19. If nutrition was not an issue, I'd eat crepes every day. With Nutella. And whipped cream. Oh okay and strawberries and bananas too.
20. I'm still not convinced college was right for me or that I was really ready for it.
21. 8 months ago, without even trying, a really amazing guy saved me from a really awful situation and I hope he knows how much I appreciate it.
22. It's a good thing I don't make more money or I'd be covered in tattoos.
23. I have questionable taste in television shows and I am okay with it. The same is true of movies.
24. Owning a panda bear would kick ass. Or a penguin. Or a llama. I'd settle for a cat though.
25. I hope the Bruins don't win the Cup until I can afford season tickets!

I was surprised at how difficult that was. But I think the thing I learned the most about myself is just how much I have grown up and changed in the last year or so. I'm pretty gosh darn proud of myself!

Don't Die, It's Only Hockey

... only hockey? After all my ranting and raving over the Bruins this season, how my boyfriend can honestly think telling me that "it's only hockey" is a rational idea is beyond me. The list of things that will always cheer me up is as follows:

1) Hockey
2) Dana Carvey
3) Titanic
4) Forehead kisses

In that order. When all else fails, it's hockey. A sport that has somehow always been so easy for me to get wrapped up in. I live and die by the Bruins and make no apologies for it. But beyond my love for this team is a love for this game that is absolutely unparalleled.

I'll spare you all the details, if you care to know why Olympic hockey is superior to the NHL, about.com does a great job of summarizing it here. I recommend reading it if you are both unfamiliar with hockey and also planning to watch some of the upcoming matches. If you're in it for the fights, don't bother - they are nonexistent in international play.

"Hockey is entertaining but I don't share your passion for rule variations. I enjoy it for what it is: grown men skating with sticks." Seriously? How I am dating this boy is sometimes far beyond me. But apparently his less-than-obsessive interest in hockey is on par with my absolutely hateful feelings toward Dr. Pepper, we agree to disagree.

The thing is, it's not just grown men skating with sticks. The USA/Canada game yesterday was played well. The most basic of fundamentals were adhered to for a solid sixty minutes. The Canadians out-skated USA but the Americans were able to take better advantage of the elusive powerplay. Each team was comprised 100% of NHL players. So why was that the best hockey game I've seen in a very long time?

Two words: salary cap.

Olympians, by definition, are the best of the best. Salary caps prevent these teams from ever being duplicated by the NHL and I am in support of that. The last thing the NHL needs is the hockey version of the New York Yankees taking over because this would also lead to teams that become the equivalent of oh say, the Padres. Because of the nature of the Olympics, the best of the best from every country are pretty damn good and there aren't too many teams at a disadvantage (okay, if Jamaica had a hockey team, then maybe).

And so, you see, it isn't "only hockey." It's Olympic Hockey. It's sixteen days of the best hockey the world has ever seen. Sixteen days of hockey fundamentals that just aren't a part of the NHL. Sportsmanship that isn't part of the NHL. Beyond anything, it is sixteen days of hockey played the way hockey has always intended to be played. It isn't "only hockey," it's hockey. Plain and simple.

An Update on the Best Team in Sports (my opinion)

I like that I can usually count on the simplest things to cheer me up. For those of you who I've talked to in the past few days, you know it's been a pretty tough week. Luckily for me, the Bruins have been turning it up and rocked out a win against Tampa Bay last night. It was not without it's drama, they were up 5-0 but the final score was 5-4, but in the end they pulled it off and I was easily able to forget about everything stressing me out.

As we go into the Olympic break, the Bruins are now in 6th place in the confrence and they have one more game on Saturday. They've come back from a ten game losing streak to win three in a row, and I hope they keep it up.

My hope is that two weeks off will do them a lot of good. Yes, five key players will be in the Olympics, but the rest of the team will be able to rest up and practice and regroup. When they come back there will be twenty-two game left for them in the regular season.

The way I see it is that they need to win about 75% of these games. Ideally, we need to finish top five to ensure making it past round one of the playoffs. If we go in lower than fifth, they're going to need one hell of a miarcle to win a seven game series against any of the teams they could possibly face. From there on out, I think the confidence of getting past the first round can carry them through a bit more.

But what's keeping me nervous is the number of games going into OT and SO. For those of you non-hockey fantatics, playoffs don't have SO, they just continue to play OT periods until a sudden death win. While I love this rule (especially since we are struggling with SO) it's not going to be good if we can't win in regulation. The more OT a team plays, the more tired they get. A seven game series is already tiring and draining on both teams, carrying it past regulation is even worse.

So these are my hopes and dreams for the Bruins. Beyond that, I hope they can work out one last win before they go on a break. I'm anxious to see how it all goes.

I don't need a boyfriend... I have the Bruins

My relationship with the Bruins started like any other. We were introduced by a mutual friend, and it was love at first sight when I saw how talented, confident, and generally charming the team was (oh and the side of "badass" didn't hurt either). It was from this first meeting that our relationship really began to develop.

Like all good relationships, we're dedicated to each other. I rarely miss a game and even when they lose, they rarely let me down. Sure, sometimes I'll be too busy to watch but it evens out when they have a night of sloppy skating. They make me laugh and they make me cry; they keep me on the edge of my seat and always know just when to surprise me. The emotional roller coaster ride I go through during the hockey season is similar to the one every single boyfriend has ever taken me on.

Our relationship has variety. They keep it spicy and interesting, never using the same tricks too many times. Sometimes it's a good sixty minutes of foreplay with no real action until overtime, sometimes they even keep me waiting in a shootout. But other nights they're down and dirty and score in minutes.

They fight to keep my affection. The second the other team does anything impressive, I can count on Milan Lucic, Shawn Thornton, and Zdeno Chara to throw some punches. You don't mess with the Bruins, they can out-fight anyone in the NHL.

There's a skanky girl on the side that you have to hate. Her name, in this case, is Katherine Tappen. They've been friends for years, she knows everything about them, but they keep her on the sidelines. I still get jealous of their quality time together, though.

Oh and did I mention they're good looking?

Of course, I have a boyfriend; and keeping up two relationships is hard, let me tell you! But it's okay, he's got this thing on the side with the New York Rangers. It keeps things interesting.

Why 2010 Is Already Better Than 2009

I'm going to keep this one short. I'm tired and hungover and generally not feeling well - but that's why today is a day off, right?

But I just have to brag - 19 hours in and 2010 is already shaping up to be amazing! For starters, the Bruins had a ridiculous win over the Flyers and it was a great game to watch. I was so glad to see Timmy in his Team USA jersey!! I am a huge fan of the Olympics and so very excited that they are in Vancouver this year. It's going to be so great to watch!!

The other memorable moment so far is something that I am half embarrassed about and half really impressed with myself for. Shortly after midnight when I was still sobering up, I took out my phone and decided to text a very special and very adorable boy and tell him that I missed him and wished I could have kissed him at midnight and that I hope he had a great show with his band and that he needs to come home from NY soon. So after six months, I finally told him. And of course, his response was, "Yeah, wouldn't that have been nice? :) Happy 2010."

Gearing Up for the Winter Classic

Let's talk hockey today. While I've always considered myself to be a fan, I've never really thought of Boston as a hockey town. That is, until our amazing season last year and the buzz about the winter classic in two days. But while these newly found lovers of the greatest sport on Earth are excited, I must say that I'm actually a bit nervous for my beloved Bruins.

For starters, we're playing the Flyers, who have managed to crush us so far this season despite being in last place in their own division (granted, the Eastern Atlantic is a tough division). Meanwhile, we are playing four games in just six days: playing back-to-back Sunday and Monday with another game tonight, and then of course the Classic on Friday. While I typically complain that I sometimes have to wait 5 days to see another game, these guys need (and rely on) the rest they get.

My last concern rests in the uncertainty of the love of my life and the morale maker of the team: Milan Lucic. Lucic is currently out with an upper-ankle sprain and though he has been skating with the team this week, his status is still a bit shaky. Hopefully he'll be back in it, the team performs better with him on ice due to the intensity of his play.

Now don't get me wrong, I am looking forward to this game. I'll be drinking beers and cheering my team on from the (warm) comfort of my living room - there was no way I was about to spend $200 on crummy seats just to freeze my butt off in 2 degree weather. Despite my doubts of a sure win, I know we have one of the best teams in the NHL and players who aren't going to give up a win easily.

My biggest hope is that this Classic will bring back some lovin' for hockey here in Boston. I dream of the days when the Garden sells out for them night after night. I remember going to empty Celtics games a while back, and now they're packed to the ceiling - that energy here is unbeatable.

But of course, this is just a regular season game for the B's. It's really the playoffs I'm looking forward to (though my wallet, I admit, is not).

The Winter Classic will be aired on NBC(HD) in the US and CBC(HD) in Canada - coverage starts at 1:00pm January 1st.

Realistic New Year's Resolutions

Yes, I make resolutions every year and no, I have never really succeeded... so this year I'm going to try to be at bit more realistic about them:

1) Get my GPA back to somewhere around a 3.5 - this should be pretty attainable, I have a much more relaxed course load and no 8am classes this semester!!

2) Save more, spend less - my internship is really helping me on this front, I shop without spending!

3) Embrace fearlessness, trust more easily, forgive more easily, and love more - this is a lot, but baby steps, right? I think I'm already half way there!

4) Cook more - I have no excuses here, I'm just lazy most of the time. I know how to cook, I have everything in my kitchen needed to do it, I just have to take the time. I'm going to aim for 3 meals a week that do not consist of take out or pasta or canned soup. We'll see how it goes from there!

5) Figure out what I want to do when I graduate - there will be just about two and a half weeks left in 2010 when I graduate college. I should probably decide what to do when school is over! For the time being, I have the ability to work full time at my current job, but it's not my dream or anything. I'm not really sure what is...

So we'll see how all of this turns out. I think I've kept it realistic this year, and when it comes to number 5, I don't really have a choice!

In other news, I'm ringing in 2010 with some amazing new friends and then spending the next day watching the Bruins kick some butt in the Winter Classic v. the Flyers. I honestly can't think of a better way to start off the new decade!