Lately, It’s Not About the Hockey
January 23, 2011Two weeks ago, when we last heard from our heroine (me, sillypants!) she was days into some off-the-wall healthy lifestyle challenge. She had given up drinking, swearing, late nights, Oreos with milk and any grain that wasn’t brown and crunchy. She had resolved to recommit to blogging every day. Since we know THAT was shot to hell, what else HAS she been up to?
Sabres games! (Actually more like: Sabres games…sigh.) In the last two weeks I have had the “good fortune” to attend four home games. But here is the deal people. In thinking about this post I had to LOOK UP the opponents and final scores of EVERY game I attended. Was this because I was too inebriated at the Arena to pay attention to the game? NO, I wish! It is because the Sabres are SO uninspiring, unremarkable and unmemorable this season. When a player is injured, I promptly forget all about him (Sorry, Roysie). When he comes back, he has to do something SPECTACULAR for me to remember he was ever a Sabre. (How YOU doin’ Stafford?) Mostly they are just a faceless bunch of uninteresting drones. I just can’t get into this team AT ALL, which is a bit disheartening considering that I have this big-time blog here, Running with SABRES.
Last Tuesday I invited one of my favorite sisters, Danielle, to the Flyers/Sabres game, a 5-2 Sabres loss. In true sister solidarity, we decided to drive with our parents to the Arena hoping they would treat their two little girls to dinner because we both love them so much. What I will remember most about this night (other than the fact that my heart shatters anew every time I see Little Danny Briere in the Arena) is that my sister and I had several debates over the course of the “action on the ice”. In addition to the Kardashian sisters, we spent quite a bit of time discussing whether the national pet supply chain is “Pet’s Mart” or “Pet Smart”. The argument continued to rage during the post-game car ride, where we suggested driving by one of said stores to settle the debate. Initially my dad, the driver, balked at the idea, and this resulted in a brief, but pop-culturally accurate Costanza-like exchange between my parents:
Mom: “I don’t get it. Why can’t you just go home that way for them so we can pass the store?”
Dad: “I told you. IT. IS. OUT. OF. THE. WAY. I don’t want to take Delaware home!” (lengthy Dad-logic on timing of routes and traffic patterns, which I tuned out.)
Mom: “Just do it for the girls. It is NOT out of the way. Oh, you are being ridiculous!”
Dad: “Fine! I will show you it’s OUT OF THE WAY.”
Slogging slowly up Delaware Avenue in the midst of a Buffalo snowstorm we ultimately diffused all that pent-up family tension as we passed…wait for it…Pets Supplies Plus.
Then that Thursday I took running buddy, co-worker and BFF Karyn to the Sabres/Hurricanes game. We had a lovely evening gossiping, catching up with my friends Mark and Nicole, and pretty much chatting up anyone within earshot. Incidentally the Sabres won the game 3-2, but I have gradually realized that 2010-20111 will ultimately be a lost season in Jessica-ville, hockey-wise. For me this year’s home games are all about the socialization factor. (OK, fine it is ALWAYS about the socializing for me, but usually it is about the hockey too!) True to form then, we headed up to the Harbor Club post-game to keep the party going. You know, the party where I am drinking bottled water at a bar and where I ACTUALLY uttered the words, “I am really looking forward to going home and eating a veggie burger.” Wha?
Coming next time…our heroine further chaffs at the restraints of the wackadoo Game On! diet AND gets an iPhone, a material possession which completes her. (Yes, she IS that shallow.)
