CafeChatNoir

I’ll admit, I was pulling for Edmonton in the series, and I was THRILLED they managed to make it a 7 game series. But once again. the Cindy kiss of death kicked in, and they couldn’t hold out for that last game. That being said…

– Cam Ward (Carolina goalie) is PHENOMENAL. To be a rookie and thrown into that and maintain the level of composure & skill he did is amazing. Totally earned the Smythe trophy.

– I can’t grudge Carolina the win because they earned it. And, yes, I’m happy they had to fight for it - I’d rather see a team win that had to go 5 to 7 games than a 4 game blowout.

– I still think the empty net is the damn dumbest strategy on the planet. Yeah, I know it supposedly works enough to justify it, but every game I’ve seen with it, you don’t just lose, you REALLY lose.

And watching the Carolina players after they won - well, I couldn’t help but smile - they were SO happy - how can you not smile along with it?

The post-game loser press conference - I hate this in ALL games, regardless of sport or series. They lost - leave them alone for a while, OK? Go bug the winners - they’re in a much better mood!

Holy crap, what a game!!! Edmonton pulled it out in overtime tonight - just a fantastic game to watch.

So, the series now stands at Carolina 23**, Edmonton 2 - they’re at least keeping it interesting!

**I shouldn’t post late at night.

Heartbreaker of a game if you’re an Edmonton fan to be sure. Rolonson (Edmonton goalie) is out for the series with a knee injury - took a wicked freakish hit from the front that also sent him into the goalposts with 5 minutes left in the 3rd period. Conklin (backup goalie, now starter) ended up whiffing a pass behind the net which unfortunately turned into a goal for Carolina. He’s probably still puking up his guts in the locker room over that one. (I was proud of him that he didn’t toss his cookies on the ice - I certainly would have.) I was literally screaming, “Honey, get your ass in front of the net!!”

Overall, a kickass game to watch no matter what - very physical, fast paced game - with Rolonson out, it will be interesting to say the least to see what the rest of the series brings. At least Conklin will have a chance for a decent warmup, which he really didn’t have this evening.

Have to say, Carolina’s goalie is incredibly impressive, and a rookie to boot.

I discovered this evening that either I go to an Edmonton bar, or the Carolina folks around here have jobs and have to work tomorrow. The final Carolina/Buffalo game, you’d almost think the place was a hockey bar - and maybe a 50/50 split as to fans. Tonight, a much smaller hockey crowd and all of us rooting for Edmonton. (Confused the hell out of me when the Nats won and half the bar cheered.)

If you can’t go to the playoffs, take someone out with you. It was a fantastic game, great seats, and we knocked the Thrashers out of the playoffs. Got a cool practice jersey and generally had a TON of fun. I think we’re going to be looking at some ticket plans for next season.

Then hit GD’s for nightcap to discover that it’s their 10 year anniversary - could have sworn they’d been there longer, but hey, it just means I’m not that old after all. :)

OK, I really should be on my way to Merchant’s right now, but I also need a touch more coffee… Worst case scenario, I work at home today.

If I go in today, I’ll be talking w/Polly about ending this nonsense, cause it just ain’t working for me at all, if not today, then tomorrow. Cause it just isn’t doing it for me.

Caps game tonight, that is the reward for just getting my ass through today, and that’s all I have to do - get through. Hell, that’s all I have to do for the next two weeks - get through.

Comcast SportsNet does a little series called Capital Living where they go the various player’s houses - I’d seen this one when they initially aired it and it added to my absolute adoration of Ovie - just found out today it’s archived online - best is when they start talking about him & his brother attempting to make dinner…

Capital Living - Alexander Ovechkin

Good job, kiddo. And the fact that you’ve not been a prick this season has NOT gone unnoticed by the fans. Keep up the good work.

Can’t wait for Monday’s game - just checked online and the seats are the same ones as the last game I went to - and they KICK ASS.

Commenting on steroid use:

”I think you’ll know I’m telling the truth here: I was not a user,” Grace said. “I was not a steroid guy. If you see me, I’m body by booze.”

Full article here:
http://www.suntimes.com/output/deluca/cst-spt-sosa24.html

The fark thread following it is…educational…
http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=1994822

And the clock struck midnight on our Cinderella story. Florida 73, Mason 58.

This has still been the best tournament ever. And my brackets are now officially 100% trashed.

Oh. My. God.

GMU just beat UConn and is headed to the Final Four.

WOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh - and apparently someone at ESPN is a Spinal Tap fan, as the current headline is “This one goes to 11″

GO PATRIOTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Damn, what a game - caught it at GD’s and what a great place to see it - every time we scored, the place went nuts. What an off the wall tournament it’s been - I have one team still standing in my brackets, and it’s Mason. They are up against UConn tomorrow at 2:40. You can bet I’ll be watching.

HR has to approve my PT status, but it looks like everything is a go on that. And apparently, 20 hours a week actually still qualifies for benefits - shocked the hell out of me. I really hope this works out well - but as I told my boss, if it doesn’t, we gave it the old college try at least.

Added another race to the season - GW Parkway Classic - 10 miles, starts at Mt. Vernon and ends in Old Town - should be fun. Next weekend is the Cherry Blossom 10 miler - looking to come in under 2 hours on that one - I want to beat my pace from the half on that one, which was 11m36s when you take out having to wait for the WC - I think it’s doable. I can’t help but be somewhat amazed by the fact that a 10 mile race is simply not intimidating to me anymore.

So, the government has decided that they want to beef up penalties for illegal immigrants. Personally, I think we’d be as well served to actually concentrate on enforcing the existing laws, but hey, what do I know. The part that actually baffles me is the protests that have been going on this week over it. Hi, folks, the key phrase here is illegal. I know that folks come here to get away from some pretty heinous situations in other parts of the world, and yes, they contribute to the economy, but still, if you’re here illegally, you are breaking the law, you know you’re breaking the law, and if you get caught, you’re gonna get your butt bounced out of here. I don’t see where the righteous indignation is justified on this one. Then again, I don’t claim to be particularly politically savvy, so maybe I’m missing something here.

Mason is going to the Sweet 16.

Well, the important things are done today. Got my NCAA picks in, 2 sets, one with somewhat realistic picks, and the other taking Mason all the way to the championship. :)

Was asked over on BT if I have a race plan for the weekend. Like said, “Don’t die!” Actually, I do have a plan of sorts, and it’s basically just “it’s not 13.1 miles, it’s just 2 miles to the next water stop.”

I have also called Verizon and bitched them out properly for attempting door to door sales at night. That’s just really stupid, and the woman I talked to agreed. I pointed out that all you would end up with is a pissed off, rude person on the other side of the door and definitely not a sale.

Looking at a high of 49 on Sunday… low 30s at race start. No shorts for me! Also kinda wondering if I should mess with gloves or not. We’ll see.

Paper is done. Topic and scratch outline for next essay is done. Topic: The need for a completion and exit strategy for military deployments.

No gym today, felt like crap most of the day. Hoping it’s not the stomach flu that’s heading through the office.

Cleaning service comes tomorrow and the place is a total hole. Much to get out of their way before bed, cause I don’t see myself getting up early to tend to it.

Men’s downhill on now - I’m getting dizzy just looking at the mountain they’re on… Holy crap, how do they DO that? (This is not helping with the housework…)

OK, to watch #4 in the men’s cross country pursuit go from dead last with a busted ski to the silver medal is quite something. This in a field of over 70 competitors. His two teammates managed to get to the front of the pack and slow it down while he caught up.

The 15K womens cross country is much better when you mute it and don’t have to listen to the commentators. (Can probably be said of most events)

Getting some traction finally on the paper - fortunately, it’s a fairly short one, I’ve just had a bad case of writer’s block on it. Then I need to come up with a scratch outline for a persuasive essay - any subject. That’s the problem - I have no subject as of yet. At the moment, I have no overwhelming need to persuade anyone of anything, and I doubt the prof will accept a treatise on why Guinness is the preferred beer of cool people everywhere… (Already started a shitstorm with that… We have to rewrite a discussion board because something I mentioned made the thread just disintegrate into beer comparisons… One of my classmates even said, “Poor Cynthia, she writes an extremely detailed response with great insight on imagined versus real obstacles and we turn it into a forum to discuss beer.”)

Did have a flash of brilliance and dropped the English class for the moment - even though it’s just a 1 month overlap, it’s not gonna work right now - fortunately, it’s within the penalty-free-no-harm-no-foul-here’s-the money-back” period, and there is still the chance I can comp out of it and skip it altogether, if the fine folks over at the College Board can still locate my AP scores from 15 years ago…

Wow, this game is really, really painful…

I’m flipping back & forth between the game and Olympic coverage. Just watched one of the US lugers (how do you spell that? It just doesn’t look right) - got up to 88 miles an hour. I expected fireworks and a time-space portal to open - quite disappointing.

Oh, yeah, snow - we apparently get that in winter around here… I had to go grocery shopping this morning - no psycho crowds, that must have happened last night, and the shelves weren’t cleared either - except for the orange juice… Since when did that become a blizzard staple?

Scrapped plans for the game tonight, B can’t make it, the weather sucks and I’ve got a paper to write, so I’m just gonna watch it while I get the paper done. (Or at least work on the paper during the time I’d usually be pounding beers before & after the game…)

Random Olympic sidenote: How many people actually realized the chick in the clamshell during the opening ceremonies was supposed to be representative of Botticelli’s Birth of Venus? And why can’t they just go straight to the Parade of Nations and skip all the other avant-garde bullshit?

I’m already dreading going back in to work on Monday and it’s not even Sunday. Right now the only things keeping me (somewhat) sane are:
a) the knowledge that I can just walk away
b) my boss
c) laughing at management’s well intentioned but completely ineffective attempts to increase morale. (Note: I do not include my boss as part of “management”, as she actually has a clue)

The “improve morale” push is kind of ridiculous. Like I said, it’s well intentioned, but it’s not something that you can force.

Trying to cram together work, class, training, hockey season & some semblance of a social life is challenge enough when work isn’t making me want to puke in the nearest trashcan… It’s near impossible to deal when work is taking pretty much everything I have. Honestly, I don’t know how they expect us to be able to keep this up - I’ll fully admit part of the problem is that I am just not smart enough to stop showing up for work.

I think we’re on fight 4 of the game so far tonight…

Props to the B man last night, he has a real knack for making me forget shitty workdays and he came through for me like a champ last night.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – February 11, 2006

Capitals Re-Sign Olie Kolzig to Two-Year Contract Extension

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Washington Capitals have re-signed goaltender Olie Kolzig to a two-year contract extension, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Kolzig, 35, has been a part of the Capitals organization longer than any other player in franchise history, playing his entire NHL career with Washington. He has played 585 games during 13 seasons with Washington, posting a .908 save percentage and a 2.62 goals-against average in his career. Kolzig holds the Capitals goaltending career records in wins (249), games played (585), minutes (33,853), save percentage (.908), shots against (16,091), saves (14,607), shutouts (33), ties (63) and assists (12). Kolzig seeks his 250th win tonight when the Capitals host the Pittsburgh Penguins.

A first-round choice selection, 19th overall, in the 1989 Entry Draft, Kolzig won the Vezina Trophy in 1999-00. He was named to the postseason NHL First All-Star Team in 1999-00 and played in the 1998 and 2000 All-Star Games. Kolzig is also a member of the German Olympic team that will compete in Torino, making his second Olympic appearance.

Kolzig’s charitable contributions include founding the Carson Kolzig Foundation, named after his autistic son, and active involvement in supporting Athletes Against Autism. He leads the Olie’s and Elliot’s Great Saves program benefiting the Children’s National Medical Center as well as Olie’s All-Stars, which gives patients from Children’s Hospital a chance to attend a Capitals game. In 2001 he received the NHL Foundation Award for his community relations efforts.

Tonight’s game includes a special Olympic send-off ceremony for Kolzig, Ivan Majesky (Slovakia) and Alex Ovechkin (Russia).

Made up for the fact that the Caps got thrashed by the Panthers last night.

For the call for morale building ideas at the office, I suggested hookers & blow. Surprisingly well received but ultimately turned down.

Work is kicking my ass this week. Had a meeting on Monday w/ boss’ boss and I actually kind of yelled at her during the meeting. Basically, she had a Very Bad Idea and I called her on it immediately given that it would just screw us over. She actually came and said yesterday, “I didn’t mean to make you upset” - told her, no, I wasn’t upset so much as it was just an exceptionally bad idea and someone needed to say something immediately. And that someone is usually me in these cases.

Dingbat coworker dumped THREE calls on me the minute I walked in yesterday. My only goal these days is to try and finish the day w/one less call than I started… Yesterday I ended up with 6 more than I started. Argh.

OK, off to fight the good fight and all that crap.

Got to see the Texas open a decent can of whoopass on Texas Tech tonight, thanks to work (I have no idea where I ever developed an affinity for the Longhorns, but it’s been there a while…) Ended up stuck quite late, left w/screaming headache, decided dinner served by someone else would be a better plan than dry heaving in the pool after 50M. At least we’ve got some OT provisioned for the time being.

OK folks, I need your brilliance. Management is looking for “morale boosting” activities, and all I’ve seen so far is of the Office Space “Hawaiian Shirt Day” variety… Any ideas? Keep in mind we can’t all abandon work at the same time because of incoming calls, and half the staff telecommutes, and most of us would prefer to keep some shred of dignity intact. Please - anything - my boss is genuinely looking for ideas, and I am coming up with nada.

However, despite it all, there is something to be said for coming home to three loopy critters at the end of the day. If I can’t have Prince Charming at the door with a dirty dry vodka martini in hand, I’ll take the dog barking at the cats as if to say, “No, NO! I get to see her FIRST!!”

Caps won last night, WOOT! OK, yes, they were playing the St. Louis Blues, who aren’t exactly having the best year, but hey, we needed the win. They’re on a good roll going into the Carolina game tomorrow night. And Carolina is going to be overconfident coming off a 9 game win streak. Yeah, that’s it…overconfident! Good time was had by all watching, though B’s Flyers lost. Sucks to be him, but hell, we won’t get into how many Caps losses we’ve had…

It’s FRIDAY. OK, yeah, I have to work tomorrow, in the office no less, but it should be exceptionally slow, so I can deal.

My Linkin Park CD’s arrived yesterday, have been ripped and are currently getting loaded into my iPod (They have NO Linkin Park on iTunes. So I had to *gasp* BUY the CD’s) Now if Folk Implosion and The Flys would just get here, things will be good. (Yeah, two more not on iTunes…I actually bought the cd singles for Natural One and Got You Where I Want You.)

Never did get out to run yesterday. :( But, will hit the gym tonight once the beeper time is done so it shouldn’t be so gawdawful crowded. Keeping my fingers crossed that Sunday’s weather is decent so I can do my 10 miles outside instead of on the treadmill, but right now it’s only looking to get into the 40s and that’s just not real comfy for me. (I’m a wuss.)

Probably helping my mood is the fact that I don’t have to be on til 11 today so I got some really good sleep too. :-D

OK, time to go rock the house and knock some calls out. Short day on queue…sweet.

But seems I don’t have to:

Court: Ovechkin won’t be forced to return to Russia

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two days after scoring the highlight goal of the NHL season, Washington Capitals rookie Alex Ovechkin learned that he will stay in the league.

A judge ruled Wednesday that he cannot be forced to return to Russia to play for his former team, Dynamo Moscow.

I still think the Caps should have multiple bodyguards on him in Turin…

No, didn’t get to see the game cause I was working.

Yes, I did get to see the Ovechkin goal this morning.

My god, I want to have his children.

Well, fuck.

There was supposed to be a midnight game tonight in Anaheim, but apparently the schedule was changed. Dammit!