And the season winds to a close...

So when the Blackhawks season ended last night, I was among the many fans that was absolutely heartbroken. It was hard to watch.

But when it all comes down to it, I could not be any more proud of them. Honestly. They won the Stanley Cup last year, and it was the most amazing thing ever. It's something I will never forget, and it's a memory that I will hold in my heart and cherish for the rest of my life.

Coming into this season, I knew it was going to be rocky. We lost the basically all of the guys that had helped us get that far. But there was nothing we could've done about it. Yes, it's always going to suck knowing that your favorite player got traded, but that's the way things work. Salary caps. Brutal. But regardless, I still had complete hope and faith in my team.

The season definitely had it's low-points. There were tough losses. There were a lot of injuries. There were those games when you were just like, "What the FUCK!?!"

But then, there were also amazing wins. Great comebacks. Players that absolutely turned out to be the shining stars of the team. (SEE: COREY CRAWFORD) And is anyone ever going to forget that 8-game win streak? I know that I won't.

Then when the playoffs grew closer, things got harder and harder. After every lose, I was just becoming more and more frustrated. All I wanted them to do was make the playoffs. I just wanted to see them succeed. I went to quite a few games this season. I was only able to witness 2 wins, but they were probably the most amazing ones ever. Just to witness a game is magical, and I'm so grateful for that.

The game against the Redwings was crucial. They HAD to win to make the playoffs, or if they lost, Minnesota HAD to beat Dallas. It was down to the wire. I was actually at that game. When the Blackhawks lost, I was devastated. I was actually in tears during the game. I was convinced that it was all over.

When I was keeping track of the Wild/Stars game, I was losing my mind. I was actually on a train home when I found out they won. I had to hold back for almost an hour til we got to the stop. My cousin and I got into his car and I started screaming, I was so excited, WE WERE IN THE PLAYOFFS!!!

The first 3 games were probably the most frustrating games ever. When each period ended, I just became more and more disillusioned. Things did not look good. I will always love the Hawks, and believe in them, but there was definitely a part of me that figured we were done.

Game 4. A miracle. We won. Hope. Game 5. A shut-out. What? Is this really happening? Game 6. Losing my mind. Tie game. Which lead into an overtime victory. Honestly, I didn't even see who scored the goal at first, I just saw that puck hit the back of the net and I was screaming. Kudos to Ben Smith, I really like him, he was also one of the stars during this playoff run, and I hope we see him a lot more next season.

The team that no one thought would make it, the team that EVERYONE was convinced was going to be swept, brought the series all the way to GAME 7.

Which was probably one of the hardest games for me to watch. (Not counting last year's game 6 against the Flyers). When the clock was winding down, and Vancouver was up 1-0, I was on the verge of tears. Until Jonathan Toews tied it up with around 2 minutes left.

When it came to overtime, I was terrified. I was shaking, it felt like my heart was beating a million miles an hour. I just wanted us to win.

Sadly, that wish wouldn't come true.

When I saw the puck hit the back of our net, I just remember screaming "NO!!!" and I dropped to the floor, and I cried. I was just in utter shock. Seeing the looks on all the guys faces was just awful. They looked so down. They were hurt, I was hurting along with them.

But like I said in the beginning, I am SO proud of them. They were the definite underdogs in this. While they didn't come out on top, they are still winners in my eyes. They worked so hard, and came so far, and no one can take that away from them.

I have said it many, many, MANY times before, but I am, and will ALWAYS be a proud Chicago Blackhawks fan. That will never change. Wins, losses, I will be there cheering them on no matter what. That is my team. They are a huge part of my life, and will always be the team that owns my heart.

I love my team. And I can't wait to see what they bring to the table next season. Honestly, I'm excited. I have 100% faith that they will bring the Stanley Cup back home to Chicago again. I do not believe for one second that we'll have to wait another 49 years til it happens. It's going to happen way sooner than that. I can feel it.

Thank you Blackhawks for working so hard this season.
We'll all be waiting to see you in October.

Day #4 - Do you follow any of the following leagues: ECHL, WHL, CHL, IHL? Or other leagues?

Well. Out of the whole 30-Day Challenge, this one will be one of the short ones.

Nope. I do not.

Day #3 - Who is my favorite AHL team?

While I don't EXACTLY follow the AHL much, my favorite team would have to be the Chicago Wolves. Shocking right?

I've been going to Wolves games since I was in like, 5th grade. The first time I actually went to a game, I got tickets through the D.A.R.E. program in school. I don't really remember how, but I was like, "All right cool, free hockey game." I think I've been to probably 5 or 6 games since then. They're always fun.

Since moving to the area last year, I've now gone to a couple of Rockford Icehogs games. They've been pretty fun too. Except for the fact that out of the 3 games I've been to, they've only won once. That kinda sucks. I always like going to the Metro Centre and looking at the wall with all the former players who have gone on to play in the NHL. And I can't help it, every time I go to a game, I have a childish moment where I laugh at Rob Klinkhammer because his last name cracks me up. I can't help it. Don't judge me.

I like the games because it's something fun to do, most of the time it's relatively easy to get tickets. And they're usually pretty cheap. The first Icehogs game I went to, my cousin got us tickets that were like, 6 or 7 rows away from the glass and they were around $20-$25. Can't beat that. The funniest part about it was when we got to our seats and the players were on the bench, we were like, "OH MY GOD, they're huge!" Mostly because when we go to Blackhawks games, we've been in standing room or the 300-section. It was just kind of funny to see hockey players up close.

Oh hey look, it's Nick Leddy

Day #2 - Who is your favorite hockey team?

Well, if you have read ANYTHING that I have ever posted, or even LOOKED at my blog, this one is fairly simple and obvious.

The Chicago Blackhawks.

I have been a fan of theirs since I was a kid. One of my favorite stories is my mom telling me that, when she was pregnant with me, she would watch Blackhawks games, and I would be moving around and kicking like crazy. Some things are just meant to be I guess. Even before I was born, I was a hockey fan.

Since I'm from the Chicago area, it makes sense that they would be my team. Even if I wasn't, I'm fairly certain I would be a fan. They're one of the underdogs in the NHL. They've had so many rough seasons throughout the years. They've gone through times where people in Chicago didn't even care about hockey. But they still fought on, and I have the utmost respect for that.

The Blackhawks are such a big important part of my life. I can't contain my excitement when they win games. My heart breaks every time they lose. When I see one of them get hurt, it hurts (and terrifies) me. When I watched them win the Stanley Cup last year, I swear that had to be one of the times in my life where I cried the hardest. It was one of the most amazing things I had ever seen. I watched the games that season, I saw them work their ASSES off, and finally, FINALLY all their hard work had paid off.

I'll watch pretty much any hockey game, and I'm also a big fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Chicago Blackhawks will always own my heart. I am so proud to be a fan of them.

Day #1 - Why do I love hockey?

I honestly feel that hockey players are some of the most skilled athletes out there. What they do is no easy task. I don't play hockey, hell, I can't even skate, but I can see how tough it is. It takes strength, determination, and focus to do what they do.

You can see it on their faces. You can see it during the game, when it's getting close to the end of the 3rd, and they're still down by one. You can see it when someone scores a goal and they all gather around them to celebrate. You see it when they're interacting with fans, and with each other outside of the game. You see the absolute love and dedication they have to it. They're out there, playing the game they love, and living their DREAM. How many people actually get to do that in their lifetime?

Hockey is a dangerous sport. We all know this. It's been proven to us time and time again. It seems like this season has been especially rough, there's been so many terrible injuries left and right. It's hard to watch. Hockey teams are like a family, and no one wants to see someone in their family hurt. But they still go out there every night, they put on their gear, they lace up those skates, and they go out on the ice, because that's what they were born to do. They do it because they love the game, and because someone saw something in them, saw their talent, their abilities, and gave them a chance to prove themselves to the world. And then, if they are lucky enough, the day comes where all their hard work, all the struggles, the highs, the lows, all the hours, days, weeks, and months spent, and they get to hoist that Stanley Cup over their head. I can't even IMAGINE how that feels. But I can say, when I saw the players of the Chicago Blackhawks doing it, it was absolutely one of the most amazing and beautiful things I had ever seen. I actually saw HISTORY being made. It was so surreal. Any time I see footage from that game 6, when we finally one, I get chills, and I start to cry all over again as if it were yesterday.

A lot of people will hassle me about hockey. I have friends make fun of me for being infuriated when they lose, people who tell me that hockey is the only thing I care about, and that I'm "obsessed" with the Blackhawks. I know it shouldn't bother me, but it still does burn me up inside. I know it shouldn't, but I just don't understand why people would make fun of someone for this.

The past year for me has been extremely difficult. It involved a lot of family/personal issues, lots of drama, a big move, and other things that I don't exactly want to delve into. I can honestly say that if I didn't have hockey, I would probably be a big mess. Sure, I'm not the most stable person all the time, but it's kept me slightly grounded. It can get my mind off of things, even just for a little while. And I'm so grateful for that.

And when it comes down to it, I'm always going to be a fan of hockey. Win or lose, I'm going to wear my Blackhawks gear with pride. I'm going to watch all the games I can on tv. I'm going to yell profanities at the other teams when they score goals on us, or beat us. I'm going to get ridiculously excited when we score. I'm going to blast "Chelsea Dagger" and dance around (this including, the Kaner Shuffle) the apartment when we win a game. I will swoon over players, but I will never let ANYONE get away with calling me a 'fan-girl'. I'll always be terrified of over-time. I will always hold my breath and pray to the hockey gods during a shoot-out. I'll always lose my mind when the season ends, and count the days until it starts back up again.

When I'm lucky enough to go to games, I'm always going to be jittery walking into the United Center. I'm always going to have tears in my eyes when I hear Jim Cornelison singing the National Anthem. I'm always going to take too many pictures. I could be sitting in the 100-section, or be in standing room only, and I will still have the most amazing time ever. I will be absolutely frustrated and angry when we lose. When we win, I will always lose my mind, I will hug whoever I'm with, I will high-five everyone around me. I will drink beer and scream until my head hurts and I lose my voice.

The seasons change, people change, life goes on.

But I will always be a hockey fan.
I will ALWAYS be a Chicago Blackhawks fan.

And that, is something that I can absolutely tell you, will NEVER change.

30-Day Challenge

So since I tend to only use this blog for ranting and raving, I'm going to do one of those fun "challenge" blogs that everyone does. Maybe that way it'll motivate me to keep up with this a little more.

It's a hockey challenge. I know. Big surprise right? I'm pretty certain I PROBABLY won't do it every single day, but I will definitely do my best. Let's see how this goes eh?



Day #1 - Why do I love hockey?

Day #2 - Who is your favorite hockey team?

Day #3 - Who is my favorite AHL team?

Day #4 - Do you follow any of the following leagues: ECHL, WHL, CHL, IHL? Or other leagues?

Day #5 - Picture of your all-time favorite forward?

Day #6 - Picture of your all-time favorite defense-man?

Day #7 - Picture of your all-time favorite goalie?

Day #8 - Picture of your favorite forward from this past season (2010-2011)?

Day #9 - Picture of your favorite defense-man from this past season (2010-2011)?

Day #10 - Picture of your favorite goalie from this past season (2010-2011)?

Day #11 - Picture of your favorite coach?

Day #12 -: Who is your least favorite forward?

Day #13 - Who is your least favorite defense-man?

Day #14 - Who is your least favorite goalie?

Day #15 - Least favorite team?

Day #16 - Picture of your favorite arena?

Day #17 - Whatever tickles your fancy

Day #18 - One arena you’re dying to go to?

Day #19 -Who has the best rivalry?

Day #20 - The player you wish you could of seen play?

Day #21 - Have you met any hockey players? If so, who was your favorite? Did you get a picture with them?

Day #22 - Do you own any hockey memorabilia?

Day #23: Greatest hockey personal memory?

Day #24 - Greatest hockey moment?

Day #25 - Do you have any superstitions?

Day #26: If you could play hockey on your favorite team, what would your number be?

Day #27 - What is your favorite hockey quote?

Day #28 - Whatever tickles your fancy

Day #29- Since 2011’s already happened, who do you want to play in the Winter Classic 2012?

Day #30 - Who do you want to win the Stanley Cup next year?

Sports

So one of my friends sent me an IM tonight on Facebook, asking me about the whole situation with the latest Matt Cooke (of the Pittsburgh Penguins) suspension. I'm not gonna lie, I saw the hit, it was dirty. I like the Penguins, but I agree that the hit he put out was dirty. And now he's suspended for the rest of the regular season, and the first round of playoffs.

I told my friend that it was a really stupid move of him. The team is already down so many players, and now they lose one more. Then he made some comment about how this is probably driving Sidney Crosby nuts. I agreed, I mean, he's the captain of the team, he hasn't been able to play due to his injury, and his team is having a lot of ups and downs lately. I said I felt bad for him. Which led him to make some comment about how he thought it was funny and started to make fun of him.

Ok. I won't lie. I have poked fun at Crosby before. But I never doubted his abilities to play, he is an AMAZING athlete. And seeing him take those hits, hearing and reading all about how he's struggling to recover from this injury, I've really just gained a lot more respect for him. I seriously feel really bad. When I heard that he was starting to skate again, I honestly was really happy to hear that. I hope that he can make a full recovery soon and come back and play.

Then came the whole debate. My friend started talking about how he was a "pussy" and that football players take hits even harder than hockey players. Since when is who takes a harder hit a debate? Any kind of hit by any kind of sports player is going to hurt, whether it's football or hockey.

He said something along the lines of, "These are violent sports. We watch them because of the violence, we watch them to see people take big hits, get bloody, and occasionally see a devastating injury."

Um.

I'm going to go out on a limb here, and say that those are NOT the reasons I watch sports. I watch hockey for the skills, the athleticism, for the SPORT. And honestly, I don't think I'm alone in this. Personally, I think if someone watches sports hoping for injuries and looking forward just to things like that, it's downright sick and twisted.

I remember watching the Blackhawks game in February when Fernando Pisani got knocked into the Dallas bench. My stomach dropped. I literally sat there, with my head in my hands, almost in tears. I remember sitting there saying, "Please get up, please get up, please get up." I was absolutely horrified. I remember going on Twitter the night that Zdeno Chara knocked out Max Pacioretty. I looked up the video, and it was the same feeling all over again. I couldn't believe it, it was like it was too awful for words.

I honestly just fail to see why THIS is what would appeal to people to watch sports. There's a big difference between two players getting into a fight, and someone's life being in real and actual danger.

My friend said that we watch things to see people fail, to see people fuck up.

That's not why I watch hockey. I watch it to see these guys living their dream, doing the thing they love, succeeding in something that they have worked hard their whole life for, and finally having their work pay off. I watch it to see them succeed. I watch it for the love of the game.

Rant

You know what I can't fucking stand? When people don't listen to you when you're so obviously right about something.

I am not sitting here on my little glory parade, thinking that I know it all, nor am I CLAIMING to know it all. Not by any means. But when the facts are sitting there RIGHT in front of your fucking face, when EVERYONE in your family is telling you what's what, and you don't listen, it's fucking ridiculous!!!!

It's one thing for one person to have an opinion. And it makes sense. When someone who loves you and only wants to best for you, and is looking out for you and your well-being, you lash out at them. You just don't fucking listen to facts. It's not like I'm sitting here telling you how to run YOUR life, but I'm just asking you to fucking listen to me for once. Like a normal human being. To have a normal conversation. And you just drop this fucking bomb and expect me to take it like it's no big deal.

What would you do if someone you loved and cared for more than ANYTHING in the world did the most ridiculous thing ever? It's one thing for one person to point out to you how blatantly insane and absurd it sounds, maybe you won't take it to heart as much. You might just think that's how that one person feels. If you don't listen to all of it then, fine. I can understand that. But when EVERYONE who you say "means the most to you" have the same fucking opinion, you'd THINK that someone would maybe take the time out, sit back and think, "Wow, maybe they're right. Maybe I am rushing into this too fast."

You would THINK that a normal person would take this into mind that the people that care most about them are simply trying to watch out for them.

But no. They just argue with you, tell you that YOU'RE wrong, and don't even fucking listen. I can't fucking stand it. I just don't understand why people are the way they are.

It's fucking up everything. It's ruining people's relationships, no one can even fucking talk to each other anymore. You'd think if someone had this "GREAT" fucking news, the first people they would call would be their whole family. But no. That's not how people work these days apparently. People have to find things out via text message or even though fucking FACEBOOK. Some people don't even find out directly FROM the person!! What the hell has happened to communicating anymore?

You say that family is so important, yet you don't even fucking tell everyone when you have huge life-changing news. I'm sorry. But that's just BEYOND fucked up. It just goes to show how much you can count on people these days to include you in their lives.

Maybe I should be grateful that I even fucking found out. Not that it's something I really wanted to hear. Honestly, this whole fucking day has been a godamned nightmare. I just wish I could go to sleep and wake up tomorrow and find out this whole fucking day was just a fucked up dream and it never even happened.

I wish I could be so lucky.

One of those days...

I hate it when just one thing happens, and it manages to ruin your entire day/mood.

I started out the day fine, I have a bunch of stuff to get done before I go on vacation this weekend. (I'm going to Vegas for the weekend with my cousin to visit my aunt, and my mom is out there right now visiting as well). So I wanted to do some cleaning, re-organizing, and work on packing.

Then my mom calls me and we start talking about things, which ultimately led to us arguing about something ridiculous. Which is normal, that's pretty much how 60% of our conversations go. But ever since that, I've just felt like crap. I was in a shitty mood last night (see previous post) due to something else, and I really wanted today to be better. I went to sleep last night really determined to have a good day today. And I was. Until all this.

It's just frustrating. I'm not even looking forward to this trip, honestly. I know I should be. I'm trying to. My cousin has never been on a REAL vacation, he's never even been on an airplane, so I don't want to be all blah and emo about it and ruin HIS trip. When I found out I was going, it was a complete surprise. So you'd think I'd be ecstatic about it.

Yeah. Not so much.

Then I was watching a bunch of hockey videos that people had been posting, and that got to me too. I'm probably too emotionally attached to all that, but I honestly can't help it. Hockey is one of the greatest things in my life, it's so exciting, and it makes me happy. So I was watching all these videos of the playoffs and when the Blackhawks won the cup, and I cried. I can't believe it's almost been a year already. I don't think I have ever watched any of that footage without tearing up. It was just the most amazing thing to see.

I'm going to the Blackhawks vs. Redwings game on April 10th. As much as I am looking forward to going to another game, it just makes me realize that the regular hockey season is going to be ending soon. And to be honest, the thought of that makes me sad. I know that I'm not the only person who feels this way, I just needed to get that out and vent. Because I know if anyone understands me, it's other hockey fans.

Rant

I really don't understand the mentality of some people. When someone says they're your friend, they shouldn't be judging you, putting you down, or calling you names.

I have a 'friend' who was saying some extremely rude things to me tonight. Things that, I would say, were completely uncalled for. We were talking about dating and relationships, and they told me that I am "too afraid" to be in a relationship or date someone.

Which is not the case. I am not afraid of dating, just because trying to find a boyfriend is not the number one priority in my life, there must be something wrong with me right? I don't understand why people put such heavy emphasis and pressure on someone to be in a relationship. If I don't want to date anyone, what the fuck is the big deal? I would rather be single and happy and accepting of it than spend my days torturing myself about why I don't have a boyfriend.

I'm not saying that relationships are a bad thing. Not by any means. If you can find someone you love, and who loves you back, then all the power and luck in the world to you. If you are happy, I'm happy for you. I wish the people I care about who are in relationships nothing but the best. Nothing would make me happier than to have the people I love and cherish be happy. That's all I want for them.

Then, when I explain my reasonings behind not wanting to be in a relationship, this 'friend' starts making comments saying that I'm 'an angry lesbian'. And that I do not come off as feminine at all.

Well. Isn't that mature.

For one, I am not a lesbian. The fact that someone would call me that almost makes me laugh. Please note, I am not bashing on homosexuality. By no means. It also pisses me off that this person decided to say that to me. What kind of insult is that? That's just childish and rude. We're all adults here, trying to use something like that as an insult is ridiculous. GROW THE FUCK UP PLEASE.

And saying I'm not feminine? That's just plain ridiculous.

I curse, I like to hang out with guys, drink beer, watch hockey, and be obnoxious. But while doing all this, I still like to put on my makeup, do my hair, and swoon over the hot players. I'm not going to try and fit myself into some little fucking mold that people think I should put myself into. I'm not going to change who I am to try and get a boyfriend. Fuck that. I would rather be single for the rest of my life than to change my beliefs for someone else. If you don't like me or can't accept me for who I am, then you can kindly fuck off.

"Chelsea Chelsea, I believe..."

Oh I believe. I definitely believe.

So tonight. The Blackhawks won their 6th, yes, that's right, 6TH GAME IN A ROW. They got 2 points, and are now #4 IN THE WESTERN CONFERENCE!!

Oh. My. God.

I'm seriously so excited about this. I can't believe it. This is just so great. I love it. I haven't been this excited in awhile. The only issue I have is this game got REALLY close. Too close for comfort. I'm hoping they don't pull something like this again because it is not good for my mental health. But the win streak, my god. It's just amazing.





If my neighbor downstairs can hear me, they're probably think I'm nuts, because after every game lately I've blasted "Chelsea Dagger" and had it on repeat and been dancing around the apartment. Oh well lol.




I just love it because a month ago, no one would've expected this. We weren't even an afterthought for the playoffs. And now we have a REAL chance. They just really need to keep this momentum going and we could really have a good shot. They're just really proving themselves more and more and working so hard, and we deserve this.

This season has been extremely rough, I'm not going to lie. There have been SO many times where I've just been frustrated beyond belief at how they played, and I think any Hawks fan knows how that is. But these past few games, wow. It's just crazy how they've turned it all around. I honestly can't wait to see how much further this is going to go on. And I'm going to be cheering the whole time.

Keep it up boys. Chicago loves you and we're going to be behind you the whole time.

Haters can keep hating...

BUT I'M JUST GONNA DANCE.

Thank you Patrick Kane, for your words of wisdom.



So I'm talking to one of my friends, and they're basically telling me that I'm "obsessed" with hockey. That all I post about is hockey, all my pictures on Facebook are hockey, and that's all I like to talk about.

Ok...well...

God forbid I have something that makes me happy. That I have something that can keep my mind off of drama and whatnot for a little while. Something that I'm passionate about. Just because you don't enjoy it doesn't mean that you have to try and tear me down about it. Fuck that. If you do, I'm going to rip right into you because you have NO fucking right to try and dumb down something that I truly love.

I can't stand when people do that. I just don't understand the point of it all. If you are truly someone's "FRIEND", as you claim to be, you should be HAPPY for them if they have something they really enjoy. I would never bash my friends for something they love.

I mean really, what kind of sick joy or pleasure does someone take from that? "All you do is talk about hockey, is there anything else you care about?" Obviously yes, I care about things other than that. I'm not as singular-minded as you think I am.

It's just irritating. You don't like it, ignore it. It's not like I'm throwing it in people's faces, telling them that they should love it as much as I do. It's not for everyone. I GET THAT. But it's a free fucking country, and I'm allowed to rant and rave as much as I want.

If you don't want to hear it, ignore it. Delete me. Don't talk to me. Because you're not going to stop me.

Raging

There's a lot of things that piss me off. One of those things is arrogance. I cannot stand people who act or talk like they are so much smarter than everyone else. It drives me up a fucking wall.

It's one thing to be confident. I have absolutely NOTHING against confidence, or believing in yourself or anything like that. But when you're talking about how stupid people are, treating/talking to people like they're a child, and things like that is where I draw the line. 

NEWS FLASH-YOU ARE NOT BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE. YOU ARE NOT PERFECT, YOU TOO HAVE FLAWS.

It's just a disgusting quality, and it's obnoxious as well. Why do people think like that? It's like, how far do you think that's going to get you in life? The only thing it's going to do is push people further away from you. No one wants to be around someone who's going to talk down to them.

It's just so frustrating when they critique every little thing you say, and tell you how you're acting, and what kind of person you are. Really? You think you know me better than I know myself? You're a fucking idiot if you think that. Don't even TRY to pretend you know what's REALLY going on in my head, how I feel, or what I'm trying to say.

Recap of recent events

Wow, I have kind of neglected this blog haven't I? Yikes. Well. I guess I can post a couple of things in here. Hockey-related things of course.

So on the 16th, my cousin and I went to the Blackhawks vs. Wild game. OH. MY. GOD. It was AMAZING. I sat in the best seats I have ever been in at a Hawks game. I've been to a few, but I was usually in standing-room only, or the 300-level. Not that there's anything wrong with those, I would be happy to be standing/sitting ANYWHERE as long as I could be at the game. But these seats...wow.

Well here, I'll let you be the judge.

Yeah. 16 rows off the glass.

(Tazer's face on the jumbotron. LOL.)













I'm not even kidding, when we got to our seats and just looked at the view, we were just in complete awe. I was so excited, I couldn't stand it, I literally just grabbed my cousin and started like, shaking him lol. I was actually almost in tears as well.

Me and my cousin














The National Anthem is probably one of the most exciting moments of the time you're there. Well, besides the actual game. Here is the link to my video of it. It gets a little shaky at times, some from me freaking out, and then from the stupid guy next to me who decided to get to his seat during it. And I do a lot of screaming during it lol.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=672fN__OfAk


Yeah. That guy was probably the only downer of the game. I'm pretty short, and he was well, pretty  huge. So he took up a lot of my space. And when he was walking to his seat, my cousin was recording as well and he bumped my cousin and spilled his (my cousin's) beer all over him, so needless to say, neither of us were happy. And then at some point during the game, I was screaming my brains out and he looked at me and laughed. Whatever. I didn't let him ruin my night.


AND THE HAWKS WON!! That just made the night even BETTER!! It was such a good game, I had the greatest time. And here's a link to Jake Dowell scoring the empty-net goal and making the final score 3-1. Again, ignore the screaming, that's me again lol.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpRhv7KkdAg


So we stayed at my brother and his girlfriend's place that night, and the NEXT DAY, the Blackhawks shirt that my brother got for me came in!! Of course it came the day AFTER the game, like I figured it would!! Oh well, I got it, so that's all that matters. 


It was Hockey Weekend in America this past weekend. Friday was "Wear your hockey jersey to work/school" day. So when I went out that night with my brother's gf and her friend to the bar, I wore my brand new CRAWSOME t-shirt. (See one of my previous entries to see what it looks like). When we got to the bar, there were a TON of people wearing Blackhawks gear, so that was good to see. Unfortunately, they lost that night to the Columbus Blue Jackets, so that was disappointing. The funniest thing to me was, one of my brother's friends was there that night too with some friends, so we all hung out. While everyone was talking and all that, I was pretty much the only one out of the group watching the Blackhawks game lol.


Saturday my cousin and I headed back out home. My aunt (his mom) called us when we were still about an hour and a half away and told me that UPS had dropped something off by my apartment. 

IT CAME. IT FINALLY CAME. I was like a little kid on Christmas, I was so excited. When I looked through it, I seriously had tears in my eyes. I've been waiting for this book for so long, and now that I actually have it, it's so excited. I'm seriously treating it like a child. I always have it around me, I'm always looking at it, and I'm fairly certain I'm going to eyeing anyone who touches it like a hawk. No pun intended lol.




So then Sunday night, the Blackhawks were playing the Penguins. It was funny, because my cousin knows I like the Penguins too, and before the game he was like, "You better be rooting for the Hawks." I had to laugh. I was like, "REALLY?!" Yes, I like the Penguins, but the Blackhawks are always #1 in my heart. That was a very tense, but very good game! I'm not going to lie, when it went to the shoot-out, I seriously thought I was going to throw up. Shoot outs are extremely stressful. But the Blackhawks ended up winning it! So I was very happy about that.


Then unfortunately, I wasn't able to see the game today, because I don't get the station it was on in my area. So I had to listen to it on the radio. Luckily, I was able to see the recap online afterwords. OH MY GOD. What a game! During the first period I was starting to get pretty pissed, but during the second, wow. They REALLY stepped up their game. Now we just need to keep it up!!


So that's about it. Lots of hockey goodness. So here's a couple more photos from Wednesday that I doctored up after I got home.

Holidaze

And we have come to Valentine's Day. One of my least favorite holidays. Not that I'm a big fan of them in general, but this one...ugh.

I just don't care for it at all. It's not just because I'm single. I'm not bothered by the fact that I'm single. I think it's just the ridiculousness of it all. I mean, even if I DID have a boyfriend, I wouldn't want them to be all mushy and sappy just because of today.

For one, I hate mushy and sappy stuff. I am not a romantic by any means. Honestly, that kind of thing kind of makes me sick. Yes, I can be super girly, but when it comes down to over-affection, pet names, and things like that, yuck. I'll pass thanks.

Another thing is, if you truly love someone, you shouldn't feel obligated to shower them with gifts and flowers and things JUST because it's Valentine's Day. If you really love that person, you can prove it to them any day of the week/month/year. It shouldn't just be on this one day. I mean, wouldn't it be nice to have your significant other just do something special for you maybe on a random Wednesday as opposed to waiting all the way until February 14th just to suck up to you because?

And I also just don't like it because of those people who flaunt it. I'm not saying that EVERYONE does, but you always have those people, (mostly girls, because I mean really, how many guys do you hear oooing and ahhing about stuff their girlfriend got them for V-Day?) who are always gushing, "Oh my god, look at the flowers/candy/balloons/whatever bullshit that so-and-so got for me?"

To be honest, it's kind of obnoxious. Not everyone thinks like me, not everyone is happy being single. There are some people out there who would really like to be in a relationship, and when someone is going on and on about that, it's just kind of like a slap in the face to the people who really wish they could have something like that. It's one thing to be happy about a gift, but you don't have to go on and on and on about it.

Flowers die, balloons deflate, too much chocolate can make you sick. But if you really love someone, prove it to them as much as you can. Don't wait until the day that Hallmark tells you to. I'm sure they will really appreciate it.


And if you don't agree with me, well, it's my opinon.

Nightmares

Hockey rant coming at you in 3...2....1....go...

*Deep sigh*

To my beloved Chicago Blackhawks....

SERIOUSLY?! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS FUCKERY?! WHAT IS GOING ON WITH YOU GUYS?! I mean, really, COME ON.

I just...I do not get what is happening here. The game against Dallas started off fucking AMAZING, with a 3-0 lead in the first period. Then they just totally blew it and LOST in a shoot-out. It just seems to ridiculous to even be real. But it was real. And it was fucking terrible. I was losing my mind during the game. My mom actually came in the living room and was telling me to calm down and stop yelling. I think I almost bruised my hand from digging my nails into it. It was just awful. I couldn't even fathom what was happening.

And then reading that people were hating on Turco pissed me off even more. All the people that were blaming him were obviously watching a different game than I was. He was on fucking POINT through-out the whole game. It wasn't HIS fault that the rest of the team just decided to slack. So to all the people that were hating on him, this is all I have to say to you...

So then. We had the game against the Coyotes tonight. I figured hey, the Stars game was rough, they're gonna be pissed off about it, they can come back and play angry, and take it back. Yeah. Not so much. Tonight's game was pretty hectic as well. I was ecstatic when we tied it up in the 3rd. I started getting hopeful, thinking maybe we'd have a chance to take it back. Then in went into overtime. And then it went into another shoot-out.

And...well...we all know what happened after that. I think I'm going to have nightmares tonight. These last 2 games were awful. In a way, I'm kind of glad they don't play again til Wednesday. Gives them a few days off to maybe, I don't know, pull their heads out of their asses. And it will give me a few days for my fucking blood pressure to go down to a normal level.

I probably shouldn't get as stressed during games as I should, but I can't help it. I love hockey and the Blackhawks so much, I don't know what I would do if I didn't have it to watch. They may piss me off to no other, but that team OWNS my fucking heart. There is no other team I will ever love as much as them.



I'm going to their game on Wednesday. And I'm not going to lie. I am extremely anxious about it. I just don't want to see them lose again. It's hard enough to see it at home on tv, when it's live, it's just awful. I just really want them to start playing and winning again like the Blackhawks we all know and love.

Compromise...anyone?

So there's something that's bugging me. I may go on a tiny bit of a rant here. And I think for one of the first times (as of late) it's not hockey-related.

I know. I'm shocked as well.

Well. Back in April, due to unfortunate circumstances, my mom and I had to move. I used to live in the suburbs outside of Chicago, now I live in, let's say a more "rural" area of Illinois. We aren't EXTREMELY far from where I used to live, but it's a good 2 hours away. And I hate it. I can't wait to move back. But that's another story. Anyways.

My brother and his girlfriend still live out there. My cousin (out here) and I go to visit them a lot. We'll leave on a Friday, and come home Sunday. I've gone there and stayed for up to a week at a time. I sleep on their couch. It's not that comfortable, but I like being out there in civilization, and seeing my friends from out there.

Which leads to my latest conundrum. My mom is going to visit her sister, (the one I mentioned previously in Vegas) and she leaves Sunday. While I am stuck out here with, basically nothing to do. No way to really get anywhere. I have family out here, but everyone has their own stuff going on. I mean, my cousin comes over a lot, but he also works 3rd shift, so he sleeps most of the day, and goes to work at night.

So I asked my brother the other day if maybe him and his girlfriend would come out here on a weekend, just to spend some time with them. He said for me to "hop on a train, and come out there.

Uh. Well. Let's see.

*The only way I could get out there (besides my cousin, if we were to spend a weekend) would be a train
*The closest train is an hour away
*I have 3 cats. I'm not going to leave them alone for some extended period of time (They're like my children)

It just kind of frustrates me. I have gone out to visit there and stayed there so many times, and they've come and stayed out here MAYBE 4 or 5 times. And 3 of those times were holidays. My brother's girlfriend told me once that neither of them 'really like to sleep overnight anywhere'.

Yeah, because I totally LOVE sleeping on your couch, sometimes for a week. Yeah, I don't miss my own bed, my cats, and everything like that. This is FAMILY we're talking about. Everyone is supposed to compromise and make an effort to spend time together. It just seems like they only want us to come to THEM. I don't think that's fair.

My cousin and I are going out there next Wednesday because we're going to the Blackhawks game that night, and might stay there til Saturday. I'm probably going to bring it up again, and if they say no, I guess all I can really say is, "Well fine, I don't want to bug you about it anymore, but god forbid you should come out and spend some time out by me that ISN'T a holiday and you feel obligated to."

I'm just annoyed by this.

Can't think of a good title. So here's the wrap-up of today.

First thing I want to talk about is the awesome present my brother got for me today. Him and his girlfriend were supposed to get me a Patrick Kane jersey for a Christmas/birthday gift, BUT...the site he was going to order it from is weird, shipping is kinda pricey, and the jersey I REALLY wanted (throwback) hasn't been in stock. (I was just going to go with a red one, but then this new thing came up...)

I was messing around with customizing a shirt on the NHL merchandise page, and came up with one I REALLY like. So I sent him a picture of it, and I was just like, "Ugh, wish I could order this." as a joke. So he texts me back and says, "How much? With shipping and all that?" So I was like, "Um...let me find out?" and I did. So I text him. And he goes, "How about I give you my card info, and you order it?"

UH. WHAT.

I was like, "WHAAAAAT!?" So he calls me and says, "I know we were supposed to get you the jersey, and we still will, I just have to figure out the site, and see if anyone else wants to order stuff and throw down on shipping, so since we didn't get you much for Christmas or birthday, how about you order the shirt?" Thus leading to me freaking out and dancing all over the place.

Here is my future shirt...

I am so ridiculously excited about this, I can't even describe it. I am just PRAYING to the hockey gods that it comes before the game I'm going to next week. *Fingers crossed*








So of course, with good news, there has to be bad right? That's life.

Well. I've been waiting for my copy of "One Goal: Achieved" in the mail since...well. What seems like forever. My aunt was going to get it for my and my cousin for Christmas, but well, as we all know, the book sold out, literally EVERYWHERE. They had to put out a 2nd printing. So we had to wait for that. Which was awful. So FINALLY, we heard it was printed. And last week, my aunt sent me a text saying that the books should ship out on the 4th. This lead to me pretty much stalking the mailman for the past 5 days.

Then she calls me today, and tells me she is PISSED. So I was wondering why. She then tells me that THE BOOKS CAME. To her house. Instead of my apartment. Which was THE SHIPPING ADDRESS.

Oh yeah. I forgot to mention, she lives in FUCKING LAS VEGAS. It's not like I can just stop by and pick them up, no, BECAUSE I LIVE IN ILLINOIS.

REALLY BARNES AND NOBLE? REALLY? YOU ARE NOW ON MY SHIT LIST. ALL OF MY HATE. ALL OF IT TO YOU. KILL IT WITH FIRE.

It just sucks. That is the ONE thing I have been WAITING for. I mean, I'm glad that I KNOW I (sort of...) have it, but it's just like, ok, I have been waiting this long for it, now I have to wait even longer. She's just pissed because of how they fucked up. I mean really. How do you mess up shipping addresses? Especially Vegas and Illinois. Stupid fucking Barnes and Noble. I swear, they did it just to torture me. I know she's going to send it to me, but oh my god....



I JUST WANT MY BOOK DAMNIT!!!!

But then, low and behold, there was some good news tonight. MY BOYS WON!!! The Blackhawks beat the Oilers 4-1!! Corey Crawford was on FIRE tonight. He was doing amazing. Tonight's game just made me even happier that I ordered that shirt. And Patrick Kane scored 2 goals too. That always makes me happy.

I love you Kaner. I really do <3












We also traded Jack Skille tonight. While he wasn't one of my favorite players, he's had quite a few shining moments. And you could always tell that he played his ass off. So happy trails to you Skille, good luck in Florida, and I hope you have a successful career there.

And that's that.

"I LOVE you, but...I like ______ as well..."

I'm really going to try and make this a semi-dignified blog. I'm not gonna lie, there will be ranting on here. It happens. But I'm going to try and post some quality stuff too.

*NOTE: I SAID "TRY". I CANNOT GUARANTEE THAT THIS WILL HAPPEN. BUT I PROMISE, I WILL TRY.

So tonight, I was thinking about when people are pulling for a couple teams. There's always going to be those people who say that "YOU CAN ONLY CHEER FOR ONE TEAM!!" But I really don't understand why.

Ok, there IS a way I can sort of see how that makes sense. When the Super Bowl was on Sunday, my mom was cheering for the Packers. I'm not HUGE into football, but I am a Bears fan. Pretty much every person in my family is a Bears fan. We're from Chicago. My mom said she was just cheering for them because "They're our neighbors." Yeah. It doesn't work that way. That's like me (as a die-hard Blackhawks fan) cheering for the Detroit Redwings.

Um. Ew.

But I don't see why people would make such a big deal about cheering on other teams. Obviously the Blackhawks are my number one team. They will always BE my number one. But I'm a Penguins fan too. When I first started getting into hockey was when I started becoming a fan of them. I was a HUGE fan of Mario Lemieux. I remember my brother got me a figurine of him, which I still actually have.

I remember watching the last game of the Stanley Cup finals in 2009, when the Penguins were playing the Redwings, and when they won I was really happy. I mean, yeah, they beat the Wings, but still, that's not the entire point. I actually like the Penguins. They're a good team, you can't argue that.

Well. They're in a bit of a pickle right now. But I'm hoping that they can come out of it.

My brother is also a Blackawks fan. But he also likes the Lightning, the Sharks, and the Predators. Ok, I won't lie, I will give the shifty eye to the Preds. My cousin. Huge Blackhawks fan, but he likes the Habs too. I also root for the Leafs. They do really terribly sometimes, I'm not going to lie, but I do get excited when they win.

Obviously, when it comes down to it, I'm going to root for the Blackhawks over these teams when they play each other. But I don't see what the harm is in having a little variety in your hockey life. I just love to watch it. And I really hope that some of these teams that I like can go to the playoffs, just so I have more time to see them.

Ok, I'm sure the Leafs won't probably won't, but you get what I'm trying to say. I want to be able to stretch out my viewing of the hockey season for as long as I can. I mean, what am I gonna do when hockey season is over? Watch baseball?

....I'm a Cubs fan...'nuff said there...I know.

I was watching, I believe NHL on the Fly one night, and there were quite a few predictions saying that the final two would be the Flyers and the Redwings.

And if this were to happen, I would gladly say "See you in September..." to hockey.

Rant

So this is my new blog. Hello to anyone who may be reading this. Or if it's just me that's reading it...

"Hello self. Apparently, you are so boring and weird, no one wants to read your shit."

Now that we've got introductions out of the way...for my first post, I am going to go on a rant. Enjoy.

I am a hockey fan. I am a die-hard Chicago Blackhawks fan. Everyone knows this. My friends know it, my family knows it. If people don't know it, I'll let them know. The thing that gets to me is when people harass me about it.

I have friends who like to make fun of me when my team loses. They say things like:

-"The Blackhawks suck!"

-"Yeah, they won the Stanley Cup last year, but they traded all their good players, that was so stupid, they're never gonna win it again."

-"It's just so fun to fuck with you when they lose, because you get so pissed about it."

Ok. I fail to see the 'funny' in any of this. Is that just me? I think the worst thing about it is when people talk about them "trading all the good players". Ok. Obviously, you know NOTHING about hockey then, there was this little thing we dealt with called a SALARY CAP. We could not AFFORD to keep all of our players. Yes, it was terrible that it happened, but there was NOTHING we could do about it. That's why I hate when people who obviously know NOTHING about hockey talk to me about it. Do your fucking research and THEN talk to me.

*NOTE: I AM NOT SAYING I AM A HOCKEY EXPERT. BY NO MEANS AM I. BUT I KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT IT TO ARGUE THIS.*

Then I have friends who are just straight up ASSHOLES about it. Who tell me things like:

*No one cares about hockey

*Hockey is not as popular as other sports, and never will be

*I don't know anything about sports, and I am just a stupid fan-girl

Have you watched hockey lately? Do you read blogs? Do you look online? Have you gone to a game? Obviously, there are people who still like hockey. Just because YOU don't, doesn't mean other people don't. Do I GIVE a flying fuck if hockey isn't "as popular" as other sports?! NO. This isn't a fucking popularity contest!! They're SPORTS. I'm a stupid fan-girl? REALLY? I have been watching hockey since I was about 10 years old. I think by now, I know things about it. I don't watch it just because "(INSERT PLAYER'S NAME HERE) IS SO HAWT, OH EM GEE!!!" 

Now I am FEMALE. We all have our moments where the estrogen kicks in and we may swoon at players, but COME ON. We're human. It's in our nature to do things like that. That's not the reason I watch hockey. I watch it because honestly, I think that hockey players are some of the most talented athletes out there. It's not easy to do what they do! It's hard work! I have a lot of respect for them.

Hockey is not an easy sport. It's fast, it's aggressive, and it's rough. It takes a lot of talent and agility and strength to be a hockey player. My brother plays and his friends, it's not just some walk in the park.

It just infuriates me when people harass me about this. I sit and listen to everyone else go on and on about their sports teams, yet when I say something about mine, I get raked over the coals. It's just such a ridiculous double-standard.

I don't really care what they think, if they think I'm nuts or I go on about it too much, but it's just frustrating when it's people that are supposed to be your friends. I'm through trying to explain myself to them. If they don't like it, fuck it. You don't wanna hear me posting things about it? Don't listen. Ignore me. Block me. Unfriend me. I don't care.

I AM A PROUD BLACKHAWKS FAN