Let's Talk Hockey...

So, it's been awhile. Sorry, I've been knee deep in wedding planning, and working, and now it's the holidays and I'm just trying to stay sane. Do you know what would help me stay sane?

Hockey.

Yes, I said it. Hockey. Hard hitting, aggressive, goal scoring hockey... but nooooooooo! There seems to be a lock out. Yes, in my time of need.... a lock out. And, since we had to get our honeymoon planned now and out of the way, our original plans have been ruined by this lock out.

What does hockey and a lock out have to do with your honeymoon, you ask.

Everything. We had planned on going to Canada to see the Yotes play the Canucks. We were super excited to see an away game, and in Canada! But since we weren't sure if there would be hockey in February, and we would have to get our passports like now, it just didn't work out. Bummer. But we've decided to go to Denver, which is like the micro brew capital of the world! So that's almost as exciting.

Now to this lock out. Why does this have to happen? Why can no one ever come to an agreement about money and bonuses and everything else? Because it's not hurting the players or the owners. They still have millions of dollars and just want more. (And yes, hockey players are the most under paid athletes and hockey is practically the most brutal, body killing sport out there) But.... you still make millions more than I do, and I just want to go to a game. I just want to enjoy a beer after work and watch it on TV.
You're hurting the fans. The people who spend their hard earned money to see you guys play and get your millions of dollars because we support you. So this lockout.... in the long run, you lose fans, you lose support, you lose more money. You want 5 million dollar contract, plus a percentage of the team's whatever.... well, what about the people who make less than 30,000 dollars a  year who just want to see you guys play? What about our money?

Do we not have a say in this, as fans? As the people who ultimately make sure you have a pay check?

Stop dicking around, and start pucking around.

O Captain, My Captain...

O CAPTAIN! my Captain! our fearful trip is done;
The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won;
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring:
But O heart! heart! heart!
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.


O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;
Rise up--for you the flag is flung--for you the bugle trills;
For you bouquets and ribbon'd wreaths--for you the shores a-crowding;
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;
Here Captain! dear father!
This arm beneath your head;
It is some dream that on the deck,
You've fallen cold and dead.


My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still;
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will;
The ship is anchor'd safe and sound, its voyage closed and done;
From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won;
Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells!
But I, with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.
-Walt Whitman

    Days tick by as we wait for the puck to drop. And as we wait, one thing is on our minds-- Will number 19 be on the ice as a Coyote? Will we see out beloved captain there when the puck hits the ice?
    With the ownership in limbo, and the uncertainty of where the Coyotes will be located, it's understandable that Doan would be cautious in his decision to resign. He's never been on another NHL team. He started on the Jets as a 1st round pick, and stayed even with the move to Phoenix. 17 Years with one franchise-- that is dedication to a team, a sport, to hockey. How many other players have been with only one franchise since being drafted? So even with the ownership fiasco, why leave a team you've called home for so long?
    Doan has stated that he wants nothing more than to stay with the Coyotes until he retires? But now as a unrestricted free agent, does that statement still ring true? He's had a lot of lucrative offers being thrown his way. What's to say that he doesn't want more money? That he doesn't want to win the Cup before he retires? Who says he has to stay in Phoenix?
    We're talking about Shane Doan though, not some showboater "superstar" who throws a hissy fit if his signing bonus isn't enough money. He isn't your average, run of the mill, hot shot captain.  Shane Doan... O captain, OUR captain. A man we trust our team with. A man we trust with our loyalty. He is more than a man. He is more than a captain. He is a voice that resonates through the arena. He is a feeling of hope, of endurance. He is a game changer. He is the momentum. He is a gentlemen on and off the ice. He is what every hockey player should strive to be.
    He makes me proud to be a hockey fan, to be a Coyote fan. So, for him, I stand on a seat in the Coyotes arena, that might not always be sold out, but filled with more heart than most team's fans, and raise a stick in the air.....

    O Captain, My Captain! Please lead this ship to the glory we deserve. Don't leave us now, when we need you the most.... You are a Coyote. You belong in the desert. It is your home, and we're your family. Don't give up on us now, because we've never gave up on you.

    With heavy hearts, we wait for him to sign....

Hossa goes down, and Torres goes out.

Tuesday's game was awesome. The first period hit on Hossa was a beauty. Yes, he was taken out on a stretcher, but I suspect it was all for a show. The Hawks fan, and many sports announcers  thought that Smith was a good actor.... well maybe Hossa is too. Who knows, he saw the hit coming and he thought... "hey, I can take a break and just lay there. It'll be a good show. And Torres will be kicked outta the game.... And we win." Well guess what.... WE WON. Yes, we went to overtime again... an Boedker showed up and gave us a win.

For the fans and critics that say Torres' hit was dirty, well.... maybe it was. His feet did come up from the ground, an from that momentum his shoulder hit his jaw. Yeah, I get it. But Shit Happens. It's hockey. Hockey is physical. There are good hits, there are bad hits. Some go right, some go wrong. People fight, people lose. These players know that when they decided they want to be a hockey player. It's the perks of the job. Hockey is hockey. Torres didn't look like he was trying to hurt the guy. He just finishes his checks. And that's a Coyote thing. We finish what we start. And that includes hits. We don't half ass it. We are in it to win it. We will do what we have to (and not saying to intentionally put someone on a stretcher) to win, and get a Stanley Cup. So... we won. That game.....

And yesterday's game. The first two period's were slightly boring. Not that they weren't playing good, but we're just so evenly matched right now, and we're tired. But I can't forget to mention a Biznasty fight in the first period. Biz rocked it. Minus having her jersey pulled off after the fight was over and getting a game misconduct.... which I don't see how that works....The other guys pulls the jersey off of him purposely to get him thrown out of the game. Shouldn't the other guy get thrown out? He pulled it off. It's not like Biz pulled it off and threw it to the ground. Oh well... that's the rules. But even with out Biz, Hanzal, Korpi, and all the penalties we caused or didn't cause....Doan scored. And then Pyatt scored a beautiful goal 44 seconds later. And then, as always.... The Hawks score because we get exited and lose focus. But it's okay... we're still up.... And then, like a repeat of ever game... Hawks score again late in the third. AND WE GO TO OVERTIME FOR THE FOURTH TIME!  It's intense. I was so nervous. I mean, this is the fourth game in overtime, and it can go either way. We are missing key players, and we're getting tired an losing focus. But here comes Boedker.... yes, boedker again! He scores the OT game winning goal... AGAIN. How awesome is this kid? He needs a raise! Hell, the whole team does because we DOMINATED the Blackhawks on their own turf. And they were quiet as can be. No cheering, no assholes, no trash thrown in their own arena. Losing is a bitch.... but we won. And we're going to bring it even harder on Saturday.

I said we wanted Redemption.... I said we were going to bring the heat. And look... Blackhawk's feathesr look mighty singed. I don't know if their poor little wings will make the flight for Saturday's game.....


We Believe.

5.5 Seconds......

Well.... We went the the game on Saturday. It was our first Play Off experience. I made White Out Shirts, we were pumped. PUMPED! We got there early and actually enjoyed the Arena with it a little less empty. There was a special air about the place. It was ready. It was poised. The ice was calling to the Coyotes. It was a beautiful feeling. All the seats had a white pom pom on it. People starting filing in. So many people wearing white.... (not everyone though. I will exclude the Blackhawks fans... but Coyotes fans... really? You couldn't get a cheap white shirt to wear???) They came out and practiced. You could see their play off beards. Intensity. The first period starts..... we're playing okay. Started a little slow, Blackhawks scored first. The fans were obnoxious. It was one goal and they're cheering like they won the Stanley Cup. That's cool though. It was still the first period, and we are the ultimate underdog. We overcome. And we do. We scored. Every puck Smitty stopped was unforgettable. He flashed the leather. He made it known he got the puck. Everyone was on the edge of their seat. By the second period we were 2 to 1. It was looking good. They scored. But a little over half way through the game, Smith goes behind the net to play the puck and Shaw comes around a throws his shoulder up and makes direct contact with Smith's head. He falls. Everyone stands. He's hurt. He's hurt bad. Labarbera jumps on the ice and stretches, waiting, preparing. This could be bad.... seconds feel like hours as we watch Smith get up. He pours some water down his neck and shakes it off. No one was expecting that. Shaw got a 5 minute major and was kicked out of the game (and he was suspended for three games today!) So we rallied and scored on the power play! We showed them! So by the third we're up by one and it is looking great. We came out with a vengeance. Smith was as good as ever. He made some great saves..... 15 seconds left. The crowd stands, waiting to scream with joy. 10....9....8....7.... Blackhawks are in our zone. They pulled their goalie....6...5....5.5..... And the Blackhawks score......... And their fans go crazy. It was ridiculous. They didn't win yet. As everyone gets up to stretch their legs, all the Blackhawks fans get in all of our faces and start talking all kinds of crap. It was just childish and disrespectful. They were in OUR house. They were almost fan fights. It was going to get ugly. Overtime starts and we are fierce. Many of the childish, younger fans are flipping off the players. I mean, really?  We are fighting for our lives. But it's not good enough.... a bad line change, and a bad pass and the blackhawks score. And the fans go wild. They are screaming and they start throwing they're trash down to the lower level and to the ice. It was just rude. They didn't win the series yet. It was one game! ONE GAME! They acted like they won the whole entire thing. They were the most disrespectful fans.

I wanted us to win.... but I was okay with the loss. We played a great game. Hanzal got hurt in the first period and didn't play... and then we get a cheap shot to our goalie in the second.... and disrespectful fans throughout the whole game.... but we still played a fantastic games through all the disadvantages. And I'm not saying we need a pity party, or for people to feel sorry for us, because we are better than that.

What I'm not okay with is the way the fans of the Blackhawks acted. It was wrong. It was childish. It makes the team look bad. It makes hockey fans look bad. It was rude. And completely unnecessary. Who knows what else these fans will do... maybe riot and burn their city... oh wait that was the Canuck's fans.....But they could be next. I do not care for the Blackhawks, or their fans. You fans are the worst of the worst. And remember, we are loyal to our pack. If you mess with them, you mess with us.

But remember this..... The Phoenix Coyotes are resilient. They overcome. They rise above. They are the underdog. They persevere.

 And the want redemption....

So get ready Chicago... We are bringing the heat tonight.... and you're going to burn. 

Chalkboard paint.... SUCCESS!

It was a success! I was surprised. As I stirred in the grout I wondered how in hell it would really work. I felt that I would need to put a whole cup of grout in the the paint.... but alas.... it worked!

 I had to practice on something before I ruined the vases I got for the centerpieces.... I found this sitting on the top shelf in our coffee cup cabinet. I got this for an unnamed asshole in my previous life...

 And this is our wedding centerpiece prototype. The picture doesn't really do it justice. It might need a few filler twigs or something to balance it out.... but I'm waiting for Hobby Lobby to make it 50% off again. Ha! That stuff is expensive.....

 I figured we could do table number on them....

 My little yellow paper roses. Which I love, and I don't care if no one else loves it.

So I like them. I like that they are simple, rustic, handmade, and special. And mostly cheap and easy to make. And unique. So suck it to anyone who doesn't like them or get them. It's my wedding, and I will do what I want to do. I have to get that in my head before I just totally give up on the whole wedding thing, which I am close to doing. It's so stressful. And overwhelming. And expensive. I pay for people to celebrate MY wedding. People should pay for their own meal damn it. I'm getting to the point where I'd rather just go to the court house and get it done, and then have a nice lunch at Flancers. (suddenly had a craving for it....ha) But... I have so many ideas, and I want the dress, and I have shoes, and I want to see Chuck's face when he sees me in the dress for the first time, and I want my dad to wear a suit with a zombie bandana and walk me down the aisle. It's just a lot. And I have to find a photographer that I like, and want to spend my money on. Ugh.... and we still  need to find a place. And figure out a budget. Oh geez... I feel a panic attack coming on. Oh how I wish Jeannie was here to hold my hand through this. Now I know what she felt like planning her wedding.....

Friday.... Where have you been all my life?

It's friday morning. I have exactly 4 hours and 15 minutes until Charlie gets home from work, so I had to get up early today to have some day off alone time. Not that I don't love Charlie, but when he's home, I don't like to be cooped up in my craft room ignoring him. I want to spend time with him and talk about how the Coyotes WON LAST NIGHT IN OVERTIME! I will admit though, I was the one falling asleep at the end. I guess I should have taken a nap too, but I've never been a napper. I'd rather just keep sleeping than wake up to go to sleep later. And I think that when you fall asleep in the chair or couch, minus your arm falling asleep and hurting so bad because it is holding up your head, it's the best sleep you can get. :) Anywhoo..... The game was great! Chicago scored the first goal, leaving us trailing behind until the second period and Cutie Pyatt comes through and scores a goal to tie us up! We finally start playing play off hockey! And then Vermette scores another giving us the lead 2-1. SO we get excited. This is it we say. We're going to win. We can do this! Third period, late in the game, with less than 30 seconds left in the period, Smith let a goal go by. It was devastating. We were tied. We were going to over time. I woke up from my brief nap to be upset with Chuck, and waiting for OT to start. The great thing about Play Off games is that there is no shoot outs. It's just 20 minutes of over time. So.... half way through the 20 minutes of OT, Aucoin takes a shot...... Slow motion.... the puck flies through to Hanzal who redirects it into the net past Chicago's Crawford..... AND WE WIN GAME ONE IN OVERTIME!!!! I was woken up by Chuck's cheering. It was great. And I got to see the replay, so it was like I was awake for it to happen. (Sorry Yotes... I get tired past 9pm.... I am an old lady, but I sure as hell watch the high lights!) So our beloved Yotes rallied together and play hockey the hard way. We even had a key injury in the beginning of the game which could have really set us back in this round. Vrbata was hit against the glass and banged his head. He was out for the rest of the game.... but they boys pulled it together and won for him. Because if the Coyotes know how to do one things, it's being the under dog, and coming back to show you who's boss. This is a team that wants to play hockey. Just pure and simple hockey. They want to be a team. They're not in it to go where there's money, where there is a sure hope of winning a Stanley Cup. They want to win it on their team, with their family, with their fans. They want Phoenix to have the cup. They are true gentlemen, team mates, players-- you name it. Phoenix is not about show boating, or having their name in a rap song, or being on an NHL commercial, or having their picture on the cover of NHL13. These guys just want to play hockey, and win. And that's what athletes should be about. The love of the game. But today, everyone wants more money. More fame. More greed. And I will say that that is not the Coyotes. And it makes me proud to be a fan, to go to their games, to support them even when they are losing because they support us. And you can't ask for a better team.

So I say.... I believe in you.... Doan, Yandle, Whitney, Vrbata, Pyatt, Aucoin, Smith, Labarbera, Bissonnette, Torres, Hanzal, Rozsival, Morris, Vermette, Langkow, Ekman-Larsson, Schlemko, Chipchura, Boedker, Brule, Gordon, Korpikoski, Klesla, Stone, and Summers.

WE BELIEVE YOU BELONG IN PHOENIX.

PLAYOFFS, BABY!

Today we play the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round of the playoffs. I. AM. SO. EXCITED. AND! We're going to game 2 on Saturday night. Oh, and did I mention that the Coyotes were the Pacific Division Champs--- FIRST TIME IN FRANCHISE HISTORY!!! Beyond words exciting! Sooo.... To celebrate the White Out 2012.... I am making t shirts. That ways ours rock, and the cheap ones the usually give out will be over shadowed by our awesomeness. But that's only if what I'm doing works. So, I found a lot of tutorials on DIY Screenprinting. And I'm using this one to do our shirts.... So far I have the design traced and letting the mod podge dry, and hopefully tonight I'll touch up some spots and tomorrow morning I can finish!

 

 And... while Charlie is napping before the game (he has to get up at 2 am now for work, so poor baby needs a nap to stay up and watch the game.... hehe) I mixed the chalkboard paint that I've been wanting to make for awhile that I got from here. I wanted to make it for our wedding centerpieces that I have been working on slowly. Picture to follow... if the whole chalkboard thing actually works. I am a little skeptical. Then I did my mom's taxes. And now.... who knows. I could start making dinner, but I want to keep making things. Or drink a beer. 

I haven't decided yet.

Open House, Closed Door

Today kinda sucks. From 6 to 8pm tonight, the place that I'm pretty sure I want to have the wedding at is having an open house. We've known about it for a month now, but Chuck is closing at work tonight, so he couldn't go. Which is cool,I asked my parents to go to check it out and then I would set up an appointment for Chuck and I. Well, my mom suddenly got bronchitis. I'm not mad at her, so when you read this mom, DON'T BE UPSET. I'M NOT MAD! :) So, now I have no one to go with and it just made me think of Jeannie. If this was happening there or she was here, I could call her and say Hey, I need a plus one and your awesome opinion, can you come tonight? And she would. But 1800 miles apart sucks. It just makes me miss her even more that I can't ask her to come with me tonight. Yes, I could go by myself... but if anyone knows me they know that I like to be alone when I'm alone, but need someone to be with me when I'm not alone. I just didn't want to do it by myself. Anxiety and all. SO.... here I sit at home, waiting for Charlie to get off work at 10, maybe going to crochet a bit. Maybe watch a movie. Maybe read a little. Maybe work on my book blog. I dunno. Mostly, I'm just exhausted from this last week. Lots have happened. Charlie's birthday, Inventory, making a cake for an ungrateful bastard, Charlie's brother's birthday.... Just tired. SO maybe this was a good thing. We can always just schedule a private appointment to see the place. I can spend the rest of my night looking on Pinterest for screen printing because I found a tutorial, and now I REALLY want to do it.

Oh! And Jeannie got the special box that asked her to be my maid of honor.... and she said YES! But I already know that. I guess that just makes things a little more real now.

Anyway... I'm gonna go be a zombie for the rest of the night because I haven't really relaxed all week.

I'm Done Being Nice.

Yesterday I spent my whole day off making a cake for someone's birthday. Someone who doesn't celebrate their birthday but asked if I would just make a cake around that time and I said sure. So I went all out, because I liked the guy. So, yesterday was spent making a cake. It wouldn't have been so bad, but yesterday was the day before inventory at work that I had to be in a 3AM. So... I had to go to sleep at 6. Meaning, I spent all of my day off standing in the kitchen making a cake. But it was going to be worth it, because this cake was phenomenal. And I haven't really went all out on a cake in a while. (I haven't even thought about what to make for Chuck's birthday TOMORROW!) Anyway.....

I get up at two with very little sleep because I tossed and turned all night, and go to work. The guy was working a mid shift that day so we all had to wait until 10. Everyone who saw the cake said it was awesome. So we waited, and then found out he was coming in later. Past the time I was supposed to leave work. So I stayed and kept busy. He gets there and sits in the office for twenty minutes until I go up there and say we were waiting for him.

"Why?"
"Your cake is here!"
"You coulda ate it without me."
"Well you have to see it! It's awesome!"

So, Janice leaves because she had things to do and couldn't wait any longer. So she left and I was still there. He didn't come back to the cake. He was grumpy or whatever. Just great. Because when this man gets grumpy he is an asshole and ignores you. I have overlooked it in the past but today I was really hurt. I mean I spent all that time and money and thought into making a cake YOU asked for and YOU decide to come to work grumpy and be an ASSHOLE to everyone. Great. So he came back just took look at the cake.
"I guess I should look at it so you can slice it."

He looks at it. "Oh you're creative."

And then leaves because he won't have time to eat it.

Not thank you. Not wow. Not awesome. "oh, you're creative." Just a kick in the face. It really hurt. At that moment I just wanted to throw the damn thing in the trash. I wanted to smash all the hard work. I may me grumpy or in a bad mood sometimes, but I don't treat people like that. I'm not an asshole. I don't ignore you. Grow the hell up.

So I sliced it, took a piece for Chuck and left the damn thing at work. He can do whatever the hell he wants to do with. Shit on it. Feed it to the dogs. Give it to a bum. Throw it away. Whatever. He hurt my damn feelings.

I'm just done being nice. I will never bring in anymore treats to work. No one is grateful anymore. No one says thank you. So screw em.

 I had to get that out. Teito didn't really care when I told him, but he's a dog. He doesn't care about much. Now I must do some beer shopping for Chuck's birthday Beer Tasting.

Life Is Over...(Until Next October....)

Today is the day. The sad, sad, empty day that will forever be known as "The Season 2 Finale of The Walking Dead." Yes.... that's right folks. Tonight is the last episode of this season. And you thought last week's episode was a shocker. Shane?! I know a lot of people didn't care for him, but I understood where he was coming from. He snapped. It's a Zombie Apocalypse... someone is bound to go off the deep end. He was fine up until Lori decided to come over and talk to him by the wind mill. She caused him to finally jump off the edge of sanity. She had to go and say she didn't know who's baby she was carrying and that she was sorry.... She hinted that if Rick wasn't alive, she and him would be together. So he had that little bug planted inside of his head. And then with Carl being a little shitbag, (yes, Carl is a little shitbag), and Rick being more concerned with the prisoner, Shane felt it was his duty to fix the family he thought he deserved. So, yeah, it was wrong that he wanted to kill Rick and take over being Daddy, but it's a zombie eat human world out there and you gotta do what you gotta do. It doesn't make it right, but who are we to judge what his sick, twisted, broken heart wanted to do. But Rick! I didn't think Rick would go so low as to sucker punch him in the gut with a damn knife! That makes him no better than Shane. No better at all. Now he has to live with killing his best friend!

 But wait.... let's not forget that the prisoner had his neck broken, no bites, and was wandering around as a zombie... was he infected? Hmm...? And then we see Shane rise to become the undead.... Was he infected? I'm guessing that's what maybe will be answered in tonight's episode.... or not. Who knows. Maybe that's what that dude whispered in his ear at the CDC... It's airborne. Everyone who dies, and is not shot in the head will become a zombie, that it's hopeless to try and fight it. This could be like Night of the Living Dead zombies. A satellite falls to the earth and spreads some nasty space radiation to alter our DNA and ultimately make us zombies in waiting. Who knows? I'm so excited and sad for tonight. The only problem is that the Coyotes are on tonight-- at the same time as Walking Dead! Yes, we DVR it, but I want to watch it immediately.... So, which is trump? Chuck says hockey.... it's do or die for a play off spot... Which will I choose.....? I don't know... But what I do know is that we are having a Southern inspired dinner for the season finale.... Fried Chicken with mashed potatoes and creamy country gravy.... And I'm still thinking of another side. Spinach maybe, and some corn bread muffins.... Possibilities are endless!

And to further this Zombieness.... I got my wedding shoes already. What does zombies and my wedding shoes have to do with each other you ask? EVERYTHING! 

Yes! I have zombie wedding shoes!! Is that not THE SINGLE MOST COOLEST THING EVER?! Since I can't have a full on Zombie themed wedding...(not sure how the in-laws will feel about that. haha. or my family....) I decided that I needed a little flair to my wedding day. And I found these. I wasn't really looking for these at first, but I was looked for green or yellow shoes and these popped up. It took me an hour to decided to buy them. And then! I had a great idea to get zombie cufflinks for Chuck! There were a few I found on Etsy, but PRICEY! So... I will be making them myself. I have already got the vintage cufflinks, and the zombie thing to set in the other thing I need. Ha. It's a process but they will look fantastic!

Well that about sums up Sunday, Zombie, Sunday........

Shoot them in the head!!

Addictions....

So as of late I've been addicted to something....Crafts. Yes, crafts. This isn't something you can buy in a back alley from a guy in a baseball hat with a porn star mustache and cowboy boots....(there's a guy that comes into my work that looks like that and buys tons of poppy seeds.....) It does take a toll on your pocketbook though... But I have learned to control my spending and cut back. I usually bounce around from one craft to another, and leave a bread crumb trail around the house. I've had wood burning stuff on the dining table, along with painting paraphernalia. I have my yarn and crochet needles in a bag next to the couch, wedding stuff on the side table, and a jewelry bomb went off on the coffee table. But I have cleaned it up, and now my jewelry is neatly packed up on the corner of the table. Everything else has migrated to my craft room. The only problem with that is if I don't see it regularly I forget about it....haha. I have craft ADD.

Just a few things I've been working on. And most of these have been added to my Etsy shop! I've been working on my procrastination problem, and look what I've accomplished! Now, I just need to work on finishing all the crochet projects I've started. At least the blanket for the bedroom! But for now, for today, I think I will hang the shell things we made for the bathroom that are still sitting on the dining table.... There's that whole procrastination again..... I also have a Skype Date with Jeannie tonight! And... maybe going out in public and looking for vases for wedding centerpieces. Yup, I have a lot on my plate, but at least it keeps me busy.

You'll need me....

Happy Zombie Sunday! It's a lovely morning. I'm sitting in my little crafty room in the the front of the house, with a window the gives me a view of a tree and a street and all the little house we live by. The sky is blue, with a cloudy white overcast. A slight breeze tickles the tree leaves. Teito is curled up on the bed near me, my coffee is getting a little cold. Charlie is at work. I've just spent the last hour-ish writing. Forcing myself to overcome this writer's block I've had for 3 years. I think there's a crack in the brick wall I stare at in my mind daily. I'm making time to write, to doodle, to focus on me. Even now, when I have a wedding to plan, and a future to look forward to, I'm trying to make time for me. Even if that is looking up crafty things on Pinterest, or watching the first season of Gossip Girl and trying a new jewelry technique, or making a super great surprise for my best friend in Indiana, or crying to a sad episode of One Tree Hill.

I realize I need to make time for the things that make me "me." And yes, watching overated T.V. shows is my thing. Yes I know a lot of them are over dramatized, but if it can make you cry, or laugh, or yell at it, then they have some good writers.

But it's Zombie Sunday in my little world today. The Walking Dead only has two episodes left this season.... And they killed off Dale. Yeah, I was sick of him on his high horse and morals, but he had a point. What's the point of saving yourself, and humanity if we don't have any humanity left. Yes, it's survival of the fittest, but can't we save the weak and help make them strong? That always seems to be the real question in a Zombie Apocalypse. Even in all the numerous zombie books I've been reading. And yes, I have read a lot since I got my kindle. It's hard to find a decent zombie book, much less a good zombie series! And I have sifted through a lot of shit to find books that I wish my could be like. That I could aspire to.

Right now, I'm reading the Zombie Fallout series by Mark Tufo. I got sucked in when I bought the first one for 99 cents. (yes, a lot of my purchases are by price.... but the next books cost more, and I still bought them. Even being frugal, I know when I need to spend my money.) It has a great story, great characters, and a great voice. At first, I was skeptical, it had a vampire in it (I'm not a big fan of vampires because of the whole Twilight bull), and the supernatural, it was another journal style zombie book, and I had just read one with a zombie that could still think like a human and whatnot. It was okay, but I DID NOT want to buy the next ones. But as I read Mark's book, I became sucked into this world. He has a perfect balance of all aspects of the supernatural. It's not too vampire-y. I love the use of real life events that could potentially go wrong and cause a vampire to make zombies. And it made me feel like it was my world. Because well, you all know that I secretly dream for a Zombie Apocalypse to end this monotony of life. (mostly just working at sprouts day after day...) I look all the eccentric qualities to the main character. The paranoia, the germaphobia, the OCD.  It makes you wonder how this guy survives, and you want to know how long this guy can last. So far, five journals in is how long he lasts. I'm still read the this last one, and I'm at the end of chapter nine. I was in bed reading, and I read the last line in that chapter, and I had to put it down. I was too sad. 'I've been bit, Mike.' If any of you ever read these books, I don't want to spoil it, but it is one of the saddest moments. I had to stop reading and go to sleep. I didn't want to read anymore. I actually wanted to cry. But anyway... people have to die. It happens, or what's the point of writing a book about zombies if everyone lives. That's no fun! Either way, Mark Tufo... You are a great writer. And I can't wait to finish this series and read your other ones. I would love to pick your brain... but I think that would be like falling in the rabbit hole...

Anyway... I'm just bouncing all over the place today. I think I'll end this zombie post now and go do something creative, or productive with my Sunday.... But chances are I'm just going to procrastinate.

 Shoot them in the head!



p.s. My wonderful best friend got me that zombie pin in New Zealand for Christmas. Yes, she knows me.

p.s.s. Go Coyotes! Shut out last night against the Sharks! Now let's put those last games behind us and start winning! Playoffs baby!

I promised a week....

I know it's Sunday, but I'm going to change things up a bit, and finish where I left off at the last blog.....

We'll just cut to that Saturday. We cleaned the house, I rearranged my craft room (I'm trying to create a more inspiring atmosphere), and I don't remember much else of that day until I started to do my hair to go out for dinner. We were going to Florindino's, where we had our first date. We go there every year on our anniversary. And as I'm doing my hair, Charlie comes up behind me and just says he loves me. And it was just odd. It wasn't a normal "I love you." And this just added into how weird he had been acting for a week. He kept asking me if I really wanted to be with him forever, blah blah blah. I had suspicions.... Anyway, we got all dressed up, I put my makeup on (and I say, it looked pretty damn good!). Charlie helped me pick out my shoes. We came out to the living room and I wanted to take a good picture of us. And for some reason, Chuck just was not cooperating. He just couldn't make the right face! So finally I gave up after getting maybe one decent one. 

 I walked to the dining room table and put the camera in my purse. Charlie says "I have one more thing to give you..." I turn and look at him and there's a ring box in his hand. I immediately start saying "No, No, No.... You can't do this now!" He gets down on one knee with box open. I start crying. "No! I just did my makeup!" (And yes I know, that didn't matter. And I should have just went with it, but I was not expecting it right then!) "Leah Bair, Will you be my wife?" He looked nervous. All I could do was hug him and kiss him and say yes! Butterflies were dancing in my stomach. I finally actually looked at the ring, and he did great. It was the black diamond I wanted, and it was the right kind of antiquey. I put it on, but took it off and told him he had to put it on me. So as he slid the ring on my finger, I was ecstatic. Let me tell you though, you don't know how fast that moment is over. And I don't mean the happiness. I mean, the moment he asks, the slow motion you think is happening but really it is flying by. So you really have to cherish that moment.

So, I promised him I would wait a week before I started "planning." And now it has been a week. I can go crazy! Tonight though, I'll take it easy. I have other projects to finish first.... and well, Charlie's closing tonight, so I'm kind of lonely waiting for him to get home and just want to watch sad sappy movies, or zombie movies (but that never changes).


p.s. now I know why Charlie couldn't take a good picture. He was nervous about the ring in his pocket. Hehe.

p.s.s. I'm Engaged! :)

Back to Reality....

Well, two days back from vacation and my body is tired of working already. Five days off is great, but sucks when you go back. But.... vacation was a blast! Even with the various crappy coffee throughout the lower half of Arizona. 

So I left off after the hockey game....

The next day we slept in before we decided to go get some road munchies for the hour and a half drive to Tucson. Then we had to drop Teito off at doggie day care (aka my parents house). After all that, we finally started our journey to the center of the earth... oh wait, wrong story. Hehe. Anywho, we went to 4th avenue first and found a hole in the wall bar called Plush. It's happy was 11-7 everyday! 2.50 pints?! Hell yeah!!

So after spending a few hours relaxing and just enjoying each other's company and just plain reveling in the fact that we didn't have to go back to work for 5 days, we made our way to the Hilton to check in and get ready for the best steak in the world at Pinnacle Peak Steakhouse in Trail Dust Town. And if you get a chance, you need to go and get the Cowboy or Cowgirl steak. They definitely know how to cook a steak there. They do it on an open bbq pit and you can watch them do it. You get a side of beans and a salad, and they have Root Beer on tap. It's just delicious. Plus their servers are dressed like cowboys and ours was named "Wyatt Earp."

After the dinner we made our way to the Greyhound Track to do some betting. We lost $20. But it was still fun, even though I was so tired and stuffed up and just wanted to put on warm pajamas and watch a movie.

The next day we got up and checked out of the Hilton and went to the Reid Park Zoo. It was a small zoo, but had some good animals. Giraffes, elephants, a zebra, a sad looking polar bear named Snow (it had allergies, so that's why it looked so sad) and a lot of birds. Oh, and a jaguar. It would have been a better experience but it was kid day or something. And not one of them had manners, or good parents. But that another topic for another time.

 We worked up quite an appetite after the zoo that we found a little place called Jalopys. It was a race themed burger joint and the burgers were sooooooo good! I had a Sante fe melt thing on sour dough with jalapenos and chipotle something or another. It was just damn good. So good in fact, that the Friday we got back we made delicious burgers on sour dough bread with grilled green chilis. YUM!

And then for the best find in Tucson..... Barrio Brewery Co. This place is phenomenal. This place is worth the hour and a half drive to get a growler. The first beer I had was the Mocha Java Porter. It was crisp, bold, sweet, and bitter with a smooth finish. It was what every porter should be. Then we got a sample of the Razzberry Ale. Yum! It was a sweet tart. It had a clean fruity taste at first and then it finished with a nice sourness. So the bartender (who was super cool) suggested the half and half. Charlie got the porter and Razzberry Ale together and let me tell you..... Fantastic. Who knew that a coffee porter would go so well with a sweet and sour raspberry. It was like a chocolate covered sweet tart. I had the hefe next and mmmmm. I love me some hefes. I love that banana-y, clove-y taste. Just delicious. Then we needed some food to soak up the beer and we got the beer battered fries and boneless wings. And guess what, their food is just as good as their beer. It was a great place. Great atmosphere. Great service. GREAT beer.

After that great find we went to our next hotel, which was kinda sucky, so sucky I don't even want to go into the details of it's suckyness. But, we did listen to the Coyotes game, and it was just as great as the game on Tuesday. Went to a shoot out and won. It was a great moment. Sorry to anyone in the rooms next to us because we were a little loud in our joy for the Coyotes winning. (And get your mind outta the gutter. This is a PG13 blog!)

Our last stop on a Tuscon vacation was Gate's pass. It's just a great place to look out and contemplate where you're going in life, what you want to do, and just breathe in fresh air. We walked/ hiked up the trail and he let me take as long as I wanted to take some awesome cactus photos that will be shared later.

 Then it was off to fill up the gas tank and get a road coffee that didn't completely taste like butt, and back to Teito. It was a great mini vacation. But that's not the end of it... But it is the end of this post. This rest of our vacation will be told later because I'm pretty sure I bored you to tears already.


p.s. don't you just love my phone pics! hehe.