Where Have I Been?

The Girlfriend looked at me sideways (men, you know the look) and said "You haven't posted in forever." Obviously, she wants me to write something. I have been focused on hockey playoffs for the last week or so and that's gonna be the topic today.

The Pred's lost a heart breaker in double overtime Wednesday night. It was exhausting! The Sharks carried a two goal lead into the third period before the the home team managed to tie it up in the last eight minutes. Then, the fans got to watch thirty minutes of sudden death hockey that was a huge roller coaster ride before San Jose snatched the win with a smart goal by Patrick Rissmiller. A bummer, but we were happy with the way the Pred's fought back.

That brings us to Friday night. The best night I've had in a while. The best memory I have from last night looks something like this:

Alexander Radulov, the Russian tornado, scored a goal in the first (that's three in two nights for a rookie!). In the second period, he tried to deliver a hard check to Steve Bernier and forced the Shark into the glass right in front of me (our seats are six rows from the ice). Bernier's face looked something like the above representation before he collapsed to the ice. I'm glad he isn't seriously injured, but the first words out of my mouth were "He got knocked the fuck out!"

The Preds went on to win the game and tie the series 1-1. Forsberg and John Pierre Dumont both scored two goals. The end of the game looked like a riot with basically every player on the ice grabbing each other to mix it up. Afterwards, The Girlfriend and I went over to Tootsies Orchid Lounge to listen to some music. It was crowded, but the music was good and the beer was cold. Question. Is Pabst Blue Ribbon making a comeback? I remember the parents drinking it when I was a kid, but I didn't even know they made the stuff anymore. It was everywhere at Tootsies.

We decided to leave around midnight and on the way home, the subject of hunger came up. We decided to stop off at the Hermitage Cafe which is a real diner with cheap diner food. I can't even begin to describe the place. Aw hell, it's a complete hole in the wall with waitresses that look like daytime hookers and it serves honest grill food. The place doesn't even open 'till ten o'clock at night and the stays open until sometime the next day. Perfect for a simple repast.

I went to bed in an excellent mood, just the right buzz, a full belly, and my team alive in the playoffs. Damn, life is good.