March « 2009 « Psycho Lady Hockey

March, 2009

Wednesday, March 18th, 2009

Game Day #6 – Coyotes @ Devils: Newark (Day 11)

The following events took place on March 12th, 2009

This entry concludes the coverage of my mystical six game road trip. Non-crazy entries to resume immediately.

I’ve always been spontaneous, but I’ve never been one to live my life on a whim. I’ve always noticed the “signs,” but I’ve never felt the pull so strongly that I completely turned my life around and traveled four thousand miles in pursuit of the unknown. Just so we’re clear; this isn’t my normal degree of crazy. I woke up Wednesday having dreamt that I was in New Jersey. So, I decided that I might as well go with it and complete the road trip. I was really hesitant about going there. I had packed originally to travel there from Detroit, but I changed my mind and left my suitcase at home. Then I was going to travel the day before the game, but I felt lazy and decided to spend the night in my own bed.

I also had to make a decision on Phoenix. When was I going to go? My initial instinct told me to go for the last game of the season, but I still looked at all the possibilities. The last game had the cheapest flight, and classes were over, so I wasn’t being irresponsible anymore than necessary. The final game of the season is against Anaheim, which I didn’t realize at the time, but it coincides with part of the prediction. I was told something about birds and Capistrano Beach (in California). Out of curiosity, I looked up Capistrano Beach. It’s apparently twenty minutes away from Anaheim, and, well, Ducks are birds, aren’t they. The plot was thickening. I will definitely be watching the Anaheim/Phoenix game on Center Ice Thursday night!

I set out early in the morning on game-day. I went the long way over Thousand Islands to avoid Buffalo abuse. My car was still effed from Detroit, so I stopped at a Canadian Tire in Napanee to have it fixed. While I was there I met a diehard Leafs fan who was also having his car fixed. He told me all about taking his sons to their first NHL games at the Air Canada Centre.

About an hour later I was back on the road. I knew an eight hour trek would completely destroy my hair so I decided to drive with some curlers to try and preserve some of the oomph. At first I would take them out when I needed to get out of the car, but as I got to the border (AND WAS FULLY SEARCHED AGAIN), I became irate. I mentioned before that nothing boils my blood quite like something that stands in the way of me and a hockey game. When I was searched in Buffalo, I was nice about it. I was catching a flight, and there was no chance of me missing the game. This time they were cutting into my already tight travel time, so I became quite vicious. They are never going to find anything in my car, so they are really just pissing me off – sexist assholes! Anyway, I drove off down the I-81 like lightning. I was driving while putting the curlers back in my hair! Even when I got out of the car I kept them in to save time! I basically just started shushing the people I saw gawking at me!

I need to take a moment to rave about the Prudential Center! Wow! Almost as good as the Air Canada Centre! Apparently, my entire section was a VIP section, which in Newark means you have access to a swanky lounge and all you can eat FREE food. I think I ate thirty pieces of sushi or something crazy like that. Not to mention the cookies, fruit, etc. Why doesn’t Toronto give anything away??? You’re paying enough! The sad thing is the Devils don’t sell out! They have an incredible facility, an amazing team, and, since last night, the “winningest” goaltender of all time! What more could you ask for? Come on, New Jersey!

My seats were RIGHT on the glass behind the penalty box – a dream come true. I’ve always wanted to sit there, but I’ve never found the tickets! I asked the Devils fans sitting around me if it would bother them if I shimmied and said, “You’ve been a baaaaaaaaaad boooooooy” every time a penalty was called. They said it wouldn’t and, so, I sure did….every time!

The Coyotes lost their fourth and final game of the road trip that night. I drove all the way home. I managed to do a round trip (and a game) to Newark in twenty-one hours. It brings a whole new meaning to the term “hit and run!” It was difficult for me to pull away as we went our separate ways that night. I felt like I hadn’t made much progress toward finding out what I needed to find out on this trip. All I had discovered was that I needed to go to Phoenix, and I had already booked that flight. I was excited about that.

Sunday night, and after the insanity that became my Boston trip, I was inspired to go with my friend to the best psychic in Toronto. This woman is intense! She is dead on about everything, she even names names! My friend saw her first (it was her first time). She was completely floored. The psychic had named her ex-boyfriend, the guy she is currently seeing, and a guy she has been set up with for next week!

Anyway, when it was my turn I didn’t want to tell her anything, I just wanted to see what she would say. She started off telling me that a massive change was happening and not to look back. I decided to tell her my crazy story over the last week. I said to her,

“I booked this flight to Phoenix and I don’t know what I’m doing! A normal, sane, practical person wouldn’t have done all the things that I’ve done over the last two weeks!”

“I would have” she said.

“Yes, but you’re psychic. I’m just a girl who can’t tell if it’s her intuition talking or a mental disorder!” She told me to shuffle the deck and we’d ask the cards what was going to happen in Phoenix. I told her to feel free to tell me I was crazy and I would be more than happy to turn back.

“Oh my god!” she kept saying as she laid the cards out. “Your instincts are dead on. I have never seen the cards come out like this! There is someone waiting for you there. That is what this is all about. You are meant to go. You need to go. You have to go. You have to, you have to, you have to, you have to.”

Posted in Phoenix Coyotes, female hockey fans, magic, new jersey devils, newark, psychics, road trips | No Comments »

Monday, March 16th, 2009

Game Day #5 – Coyotes @ Red Wings: Detroit (Day 9)

The following events took place on March 10th, 2009

No, you’re not crazy; there isn’t a Day 8 entry. I spent my off day at home: sleeping, studying, and visiting with my baby cousins. I decided to go to Detroit anyway. I wanted to visit with my friend, Jason. I hadn’t seen him since the last time I went to Milwaukee, which was December 2005! I got my ticket right through the arena box office, so it was nice to only have to buy one seat for a change. The ticket agent asked me which team my “favourite guy” played for! Women always know.

Doing a game-day commute to Detroit was really tight this time around. I had to be in court downtown Toronto at 1:30PM for a speeding ticket I got last season (the most recent installment of the Curse of Grand Rapids). Luckily, I had the points removed and the fine was reduced to $30! I was one of the first to go, so I was able to get out of there around 2PM. I celebrated my speeding ticket victory by speeding all the way to Detroit!

I managed to avoid the GTA rush hour traffic (just barely), and I pulled up at the Ambassador Bridge three hours later (I know, great time!). I was in the longest line waiting to go through customs. You know that line. The line that holds everyone at the booth as long as possible because the security officer in charge is a raging asshole and takes his job way too seriously; yeah, that line. I was starting to panic. The guy in Buffalo was the same way, he was just looking for a bitch slapping. He started yelling at me when I said I was going to Boston for a hockey game! I knew it would look suspicious trying to cross for a hockey game, especially when I just crossed back into Canada the previous morning. They always try to quiz you on the team as well, even though I’m sure they don’t know the answers. When I had crossed the previous Monday, they quizzed me on the Flyers. I knew that stuff inside and out, but I realized as I waited in line that I probably couldn’t answer any specific questions about the Coyotes. Oh no! However, after all that waiting and worrying, I pulled up to the booth, told the guy I was going to the Red Wings game, and that was all he needed to hear. Phew!

I hadn’t been to Joe Louis arena in two and a half years! The building was the site of my first ever NHL road trip taken on my own. It almost felt like I had come full circle, and returned back to where I had started at the beginning of the 2006-07 season. So much had changed. I had changed team alliances, what now appears to be, four times. Though, I don’t really feel like a Coyotes fan. I feel more like a crazy girl that has watched Serendipity too many times. I was missing the Flyers. That game in Boston seven days earlier felt like years ago now. I missed coach, the team, the staff, and the fans!

The arena was empty! It’s crazy what effect the recession has had on an NHL super power like Detroit. The last time I was there, you couldn’t get tickets. Now they were giving them away, and no one was taking them! I finally had one of those frozen drinks from the cocktail wall! Last time I had to pass because I was en route to Nashville later that night. Also, I sat across the ice this time, so the wives didn’t see me and stalk me. Mind you, I’m not blonde anymore, so I probably look like less of a mule-whore, and, thus, less threatening.

There was a glimmer of hope. The Coyotes pushed the game to overtime, but ended up losing their third straight. At least they got a point! I haven’t seen Detroit play live since October, when they came to Toronto for a pre-season game. They are like this big red machine. They look almost impossible to beat! Maybe that’s why they are always leading the league!

I met up with my friend briefly. Nothing was open! And APPARENTLY Detroit is stuck in the ‘70s and there isn’t a smoking by-law. Smoking makes me vicious. It ruins clothes and HAIR and LUNGS! This old smokey bastard was blowing his smoke directly into the face of a baby that couldn’t have been more than a month old. Oh dear! I was vocal. I couldn’t help it! Yes, I publically referred to him as “Smokey Bastard” for all to hear – and they did hear.

There was torrential rain all night long. Entire ramps on the I-75 were flooded. The puddles wrecked my car! I decided to take the tunnel back to Canada to try something new. The Canadian border guard was trying to ask me a lot of questions, but after the smokey bastard, and my tiredness, I was in no mood. I just kept saying, “yeah.” Finally, he gave up.

I drove through the rain the whole way home. I stopped only once to grab an Iced Capp from Tim’s. That used to be my all-nighter drink back in high school. Every morning we’d get off the bus and grab a large one to get through the day. I don’t know how we managed to go to school for 8AM for so many years. I find it a struggle to get to my 10AM classes.

I got home around 4:30AM. I was deliberating the action I needed to take. When was I going to go to Phoenix and was I going to continue on and complete the road trip in New Jersey on Thursday? I had the cards done the day before on New Jersey. I was told to follow my dreams. I eagerly went to bed that night (morning), hoping I would find the answer.

Posted in Detroit Red Wings, Phoenix Coyotes, female hockey fans, magic, psychics, road trips | No Comments »

Monday, March 16th, 2009

Game Day #4 – Coyotes @ Islanders: Long Island (Day 7)

The following events took place on March 8th, 2009

I was finally caught up on my sleep when I woke up Sunday morning. The dark circles under my eyes were gone for the most part, and I didn’t feel quite so fatal anymore. I hadn’t watched a minute of television since my road trip started, and I had NO IDEA that the clocks had sprung forward. As soon as I discovered that the hotel clock and my lap top/cell phone were off by an hour, I just about had a heart attack thinking that I could have missed my game if I hadn’t noticed! I still hadn’t clued in that it was Day Light Savings, though; I just thought it was the crummy hotel staff.

I checked out in the afternoon as the Coyotes and Islanders were playing a matinee game. I decided I would brave the drive back to Toronto after the game and regroup at home before making a decision on whether or not to continue shadowing the Coyotes’ eastern road trip. I needed a sign – a clear sign that I was on the right path!

I walked around the rundown concourse of Nassau Coliseum trying to kill some time before heading down to my seats. Yes, I, once again, had two seats, but these tickets were only $60 each so it wasn’t a huge loss. I ducked into the ladies room to do a spot check, lip-stick application – you know the drill, ladies. As I walked in one of those terrible washroom ads stopped me in my tracks. You know those ads in the metal frames you never pay attention to because they always have some terrible self-help slogan on them like, “No Means No,” or “A moment of pleasure, a lifetime of responsibility.” This time I actually noticed the ad. It was an advertisement for immigration to Arizona. I felt like I was being physically held there, like a magnet was pulling me to the sign. Eureka! This was my sign…literally. I knew then that I had to go to Phoenix at some point before the season ended.

I went down to my seats. They were awful. I was in the front row, but the front row seats were low to the ground and you could hardly see over the boards. I met two nice Coyotes/Rangers fans before the warm up started. (Hi, guys!) Unfortunately, and despite cheering for the Islanders until the hideous blonde mule was out of my sight, the Coyotes lost their second game of the road trip.

I got back to the car, it was 5PM. “Wow, what a fast game,” I thought. It was actually 6PM – I still hadn’t clued in. I stole the wireless signal from the Burger King near the hotel. Checked my emails and hit the road. It was around Midnight somewhere far North on the I-81 when I realized that it was Day Light Savings. So, I wasn’t making good time after all.

I opted to go the long way home to avoid crossing in Buffalo after the incident Monday morning. The Canadian border guard kept looking at me strangely because my purpose for a week long stint in the States was four hockey games. Unlike the assholes in Buffalo, he didn’t find it suspicious so much as amusing. Gotta love, Canada!

I felt better being back in my home country. I was driving West on the 401 bound for Toronto, when my deck started overheating or something strange and my music kept skipping. Finally, I just turned the radio on, but there are so many barren stretches of nothing that far East on the 401 that I could only get the stations with the strongest signals. And you KNOW those stations are always classical, talk, and easy listening! One of the easy listening stations was actually playing a few gems – the type that you haven’t heard in years and you have forgotten that you love.

Blue Rodeo’s Try came on. I haven’t heard them since I was a wee thing. I remember my parents had the cassette (remember those?) and they would listen to it in the car. The song made me think about everything that had transpired in the last week. In similar lyrics I had tried to explain several times to my friends/family why I was AWOL, “if this happened to you, wouldn’t you try? Don’t you have to?” As the song says, you’ve got to try.

Posted in Phoenix Coyotes, long island, magic, new york islanders, psychics, road trips | No Comments »

Monday, March 16th, 2009

Wherefore, Romeo: Long Island (Day 6)

The following events took place on March 7th, 2009

I drove all night. I wish I had that Celine Dion song to accompany me! I finally pulled off somewhere southbound on the I-87 because I thought I was going to drop dead from lack of sleep. I discovered that dancing to Britney and smacking yourself in the face really does perk you up, but only briefly. However, as I pulled up to a shady off-road lodging Mecca consisting of Comfort Inns and HoJos, I perked right up. I think the continuous blackness of hours on the highway at night was killing me; so the street lights must have woken me up. I decided to keep moving.

It was four in the morning and I was about a hundred miles outside of New York City. I stole the wi-fi coming out of the Comfort Inn (this is my new favourite thing to do, stealing wireless signals, I mean; makes me feel like an undercover sketchbag), and finally looked up directions on how to get to Long Island. I also took a half hour break and just screwed around on the computer. I checked my emails, and played around on youtube before heading back off into the night.

Just after 5AM I stopped to clean myself up. The night had done terrible things to my already terrible hair. There was nothing I could do, so I just threw on one of the many hats I found in the trunk of my car. It was a Leafs hat (yikes). I had a few of them floating around the trunk from when I used to work there I guess.

I had a decision to make between the two nearest hotels to Nassau Coliseum. Should I stay with the New Jersey Devils, or at the hotel housing the Phoenix Coyotes? After much deliberation, I went with my instincts which told me to stay with the Devils. I’m glad I did, as it was later revealed that the Coyotes’ hotel was allowing livestock to check in. It would have been a fairly ugly scene if I had a run in with the hideous, blonde, gum-chewing, Chlamydic mule that was lodging at that hotel. Plus, I don’t think I could have handled the smell. The mule factor caused me to cheer for the Islanders the next day.

As soon as I was in the NYC vicinity, I noticed people were starting to get a lot ruder! People at the toll booths were MEAN! As I walked up to the hotel, a guy stopped his car and said, “Now, that ass needs to get fucked!” Umm…what? My mouth seriously dropped to the floor. Sure I’ve heard guys yell things out of cars before, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything that direct before. The guy was hot too…so I didn’t understand. As I continued to the front doors, I wondered what that statement could have meant. Did it mean I looked good (somehow despite no sleep/the evil hat), or could the guy tell by the way I was walking that yes, I did, indeed, need *that?*

As I walked into the hotel, the Devils were congregating. They appeared to be in agreement with the statements made by the guy in the car moments earlier. It was making me paranoid due to the lack of sleep for many, many, many days. I just couldn’t deal with the threatening advances of male desire at that moment. I wanted to cry, and I did cry. Emotional breakdowns #3, 4, 5, 6, 7 all happened consecutively that afternoon. It was a shame because part of me wanted to go to the Devils game. I decided it was best that I shower and sleep instead. I slept all afternoon. I finally woke up around 5PM when the obnoxious Islanders fans were screaming and yelling outside my window after the game.

I decided to go out for a drive and find someplace to eat and a pharmacy to stock up on supplies I was out of – conditioner, water, and facial cleansing cloths (they are a must have road trip item!) I returned to the hotel with my supplies, but no food. I was too lazy. I ordered pizza instead.

I sat around my room that night depressed. I was wondering where my alleged Romeo was hiding, and why I wasn’t at least finding a clue as to what I should do next. I had set out on Monday for a two day excursion to Boston that, come dawn, had stretched to a week. I had never done anything so impulsive before. I had said to my friend, “I feel like I have just bet my whole life on a single hand of poker.” Was I wrong? Was I going to lose everything? Where was he?! I went to bed early, not knowing that, the next day, Nassau Coliseum would provide me with my next big sign.

Posted in Phoenix Coyotes, bad day, female hockey fans, long island, magic, new york islanders, psychics, road trips, ugly blonde mules | No Comments »

Saturday, March 14th, 2009

Game Day #3 – Coyotes @ Sabres: Buffalo II (Day 5)

The following events took place on March 6th, 2009

Getting up was an effort Friday morning. Not only was I not able to sleep during the night, I had a terrible feeling my room was haunted, and the bedside lamps wouldn’t turn on…eek! I managed to check out by 5:30AM and was given the hotel limo to get to the Boston airport. My driver thought that I sounded Italian! It was like when the guy in Columbus thought my accent was Russian. No, it’s Canadian! Italian and Russian don’t even sound remotely similar!

You’ll be glad to know that I did get on that plane! I finally used one of the many airline tickets I had acquired over the past four days. It was 9:30AM when I drove out of the Buffalo airport. I was falling asleep on the plane, five days of insomnia was starting to catch up with me. There was a guy sitting in my row during the flight. I hate that! Usually, I’m alone. Anyway, I was exhausted and I knew I wouldn’t last until game time.

The soft morning light always makes me feel more tired. I drove around Buffalo looking for a place to crash for the afternoon. All the major hotels were booked solid! Finally, I found one downtown! As I pulled up there were hordes and hordes of people surrounding the premises, which could only mean one thing – hockey players! Whenever I have stayed at the same hotel as a hockey team, there are always groups of fans, collectors, and ebay entrepreneurs waiting for autographs. I’ve noticed that the Gretzky factor seems to triple the attendance rate of these individuals; it’s actually pretty insane!

The Phoenix Coyotes seem to be smarter than the Flyers. I saw a few of them in the lobby and they already recognized me from Boston! It took the Flyers at least a few months to accomplish that *I think.* Boo, there goes my anonymity!

I didn’t manage to sleep at all nor did I manage to be productive and do any work. Not really sure what I was doing the whole time. Staring into space I guess! I checked out early and decided to go for a drive (like I normally do before Sabres games). As I was driving off, a couple of the Coyotes players had grabbed a cab and were in front of me. Some of the more intense “collectors” chased their cab down and were trying to get autographs while they were held up at the lights. I’ve NEVER seen big fat guys run that fast in my entire life – wow!

The game time on my ticket was wrong, so I was at HSBC arena extra early. I was very grumpy and ugly. I was tired and my hair looked like ass. On top of this, I had impulsively purchased tickets to the Coyotes next game in Long Island on Sunday. So, now I was facing a drive to New York, which kind of terrified me.

The stress was really starting to get to me. Of course, I was mostly putting the pressure on myself. I was trying to force finding whatever it is that I’m meant to find. It’s hard to let go and just let it happen, follow your instincts, and try not to over think everything. For the majority of the game I was trying to fight off emotional breakdown #3. There were three guys sitting next to me that had decided to make it their mission to make me smile – this involved buying me beer! It worked! Thanks boys!

The Coyotes lost the game; the first of many. After the game, I jumped in the car and rode off into the night. I didn’t know my way to Long Island, and I didn’t have a GPS system. GPS systems are lifesavers, but I don’t think I could ever be trusted with one. I might just go road tripping and never come home! I decided to take the most direct route and head east on the I-90. I was in a race against time to pass through NYC before the hideous traffic started the following morning.

Posted in Phoenix Coyotes, buffalo, buffalo sabres, magic, road trips | No Comments »

Friday, March 13th, 2009

Game Day #2 – Coyotes @ Bruins: Boston II (Day 4)

The following events took place on March 5th, 2009

I woke up Thursday morning determined to find out what this Arizona business was all about! I went gallivanting around Boston, and finally the Coyotes started to appear from the abyss. They are kind of hard to miss! They have the most hideous track suits I’ve ever seen! Of course, I had no idea who any of them were, but the beauty of it was that they didn’t know me either!

It was a beautiful day in Boston; it was hard to believe that just four days earlier there was a brutal snow storm. All the snow had melted and you could walk around outside without freezing your ass off! Since everything happened so suddenly, I had to get my tickets last minute! I was forced to buy a pair! I hate doing that because then I can only sell the extra for $20! (I don’t have the nerve to try to scalp my own tickets!)

Unfortunately, I failed to find any type of clue or sign in Boston. I think I was expecting some type of lightning bolt to show me the way. However, what I did discover was how amusing it is to watch a team wherein the coach is the Prime Madonna and the players not so much. Gretzky apparently only comes out of the locker room 10 seconds or so before every period starts to avoid swarming. Apparently, the glass isn’t a reliable shield? It was kind of nice that he would sign autographs in the dressing room during the intermissions…BUT… the team is struggling…you’d think he should be doing other things in that time… There, I said it, now I don’t have to say it again.

My entire row at TD BankNorth Garden was filled with Canadians. The people on either side of me were from New Brunswick! That was kind of nice. For the Flyers game (two days before) I met a lot of people from Montreal! We Canadians love our hockey road trips! The Coyotes won the game as well, which would prove to be the only game of their entire road trip that didn’t end in defeat! SAD! It was so weird to look down at the bench and see that the uniforms had finally changed! I’d been picturing it for so long, it was like I finally got to a place I never really thought I’d get to.

After the game, I went back to the hotel to pack. My flight was at 7AM, so I had to be up at 4! But of course, my road trip insomnia prevented me from sleeping until 2AM, which would result in hideousness the next day. I was flying back into Buffalo where my Lupie (car) was patiently waiting for his mommy. The Coyotes were in Buffalo that day, so naturally I planned an unexpected stop off at HSBC Arena.

Posted in Boston, Phoenix Coyotes, female hockey fans, hockey fans, psychics, road trips | No Comments »

Wednesday, March 11th, 2009

The stars align: NHL Trade Deadline 2009: Boston II (Day 3)

The following events took place on March 4th, 2009

Warning: belief in the occult required for reading the following entry. Turn back now all good God fearing Christians!

For a year and a half every psychic and clairvoyant I have corresponded with has told me the same thing – my future and my love are in Arizona. So, naturally being a hockey addict, I knew the only thing that would bring me to Arizona was hockey. But why would I (or anyone ahem) just become a Phoenix fan?! I was having the best time in Philly, but I knew that there could be one trade to PHX that would peak my interest enough to lead me to the West.

All the Arizona “signs” started rushing at me with increased regularity over the past three months. Whenever I went to a Flyers game, Arizona was in the cards (I tend to have readings done before I travel – superstition). Some of my regulars (if I have any), might recall that two months ago my poll question was asking if I should stick with Philly or redirect my flight to Phoenix, and that I discuss being uncertain of my future with Philadelphia. Also, during one of my Reiki classes in January, I was receiving a treatment from one of the fellow students when the headline for the trade flashed through my mind. I remember thinking this was funny because even in a deep state of relaxation I still had hockey on the brain. Anyway, I began to fear the trade was imminent, and in my panic had looked up the Phoenix schedule to see what I could pull off if it did go down. Finally, I just accepted it. My Myspace status was “Katrina is ready for Phoenix” back in December and January. I was actually a little excited – Phoenix is hot!

This was my reading from the Saturday before I left for Boston:

Date: Sat, 28 Feb 2009 08:33:23
Reader: Now is a time to protect yourself. [Re: Day 1 entry]. A man from across the water is coming. He will vie with another for your attention and win. Again I see an Arizona connection for you- You will be inspired by this attention and you will radiate with confidence. You will need to adapt somewhat to all the travel.

Date: Sat, 28 Feb 2009 13:01:44
Katrina: there are lots of Arizona connections lately. I’m not exactly sure what they mean, but they all surround Philadelphia.

I remember worrying on my way to Boston that the trade would happen just before the Flyers game the next day, but it didn’t. And for some reason, I didn’t feel relieved.

The following day, I left for the airport at noon. My flight was at 7:30PM that night, but I just wanted to get out of Boston. I tried to have my flight moved up, but they were going to charge me more than what I already paid for the flight, so I just decided to stay and do some more studying.

After I finished reading one of my books, I was sitting there thinking that I guess I was lucky that the Phoenix trade didn’t happen, but that that would mean that it was likely to happen in the summer, and to be ready for that. At that exact moment my cell phone went off. My friend was reporting to me that a trade happened. I asked her where, but I already knew the answer. It felt like it took her a million years to respond. I remember thinking to myself, if the trade is to Phoenix, then you make the change, if it’s anywhere else, you stick with Philly. Finally, my phone went off, “Phx.” I jumped out of my seat. “Oh, fuck!” was all I could say. But I didn’t mean it in a “fuck that sucks” kind of way, I meant it in a, “no fucking way, I can’t believe this actually happened” kind of way.

I was overwhelmed for a few moments wondering what I was meant to do. Was this a good thing or a bad thing? How should I read this situation? I had no idea. I started pacing trying to sort all of it out. My friend messaged me again, “They play in Buffalo on Friday!” Suddenly, everything was familiar. I had looked up the schedule months before in anticipation of this moment, and I knew that there was a cluster of games close by, Buffalo being one of them. And so if the Buffalo game is in two days then that road trip must be going on at that moment. I logged onto the Coyotes website from the airport wi-fi, “Next game @ Boston.” The Boston game was scheduled for the next day. I was already in Boston. I couldn’t have asked for a more flawless transition.

In February I started getting really frustrated wondering if I was making a mistake. I thought maybe I should just switch to Phoenix on my own (I can easily research any team. Every team and every building has fans), but I decided against it. I didn’t want to leave behind Coach DILF, and the Flyers, and the craziest hockey fans I have ever seen. The people in Philadelphia are so great to me! So, I decided that if this prophesized trade came about then that would be a sure sign to get onto the right course. Besides, even if I had decided to switch teams that game in Boston would have been the first one I went to anyway! So, the end result would have been exactly the same.

I got on the phone and called up the hotel and asked them to hold a room for me. Then I cancelled my flight, and rebooked for Friday morning. Yes, that would be airline ticket #3 that I wasted on this trip! I ran for the exit, caught the first cab I could see, and asked them to take me downtown as fast as they could.

I didn’t know what I was running to, and it is still unclear. But after all the things that have been revealed to me, I have to at least try to find out what it all means. I’m not the most sane person, but I always say we all need a little crazy. Maybe I’m being led to something, maybe not. All I know is that I am young, and can still afford to be impulsive and adventurous and in many ways destructive. However, in the chance that my destiny really is in Arizona, then it will all be worth it, and I’m sure, looking back, my impulsive dash out of the Boston airport will be viewed as very Bridget Jones and romantic. The worst that can happen is that there is nothing there, and in that case I will always have the story, the legend to tell.

Life is always more exciting when there is a little magic in it.

Posted in NHL Trade Deadline, Phoenix Coyotes, female hockey fans, hockey fans, magic, psychics | No Comments »

Tuesday, March 10th, 2009

Game Day – Flyers @ Bruins: Boston II (Day 2)

The following events took place on March 3rd, 2009

I started the day off determined to make the most of it after the terrible day/night I had the day before. I was idealistic about being a good student, and I brought a stack of books down to the lobby to get through that day. I managed to get through two and a half despite being interrupted by the Flyers. I’d say that’s a win! The highlight for me was when Coach DILF said “hi” to me! Oh my!

My cabbie on the way to TD Banknorth Garden was a Russian, thus we were able to connect on a commonality in hockey. We were discussing the ’72 series, so it was interesting to listen to someone’s perspective from the “enemy camp.” He was hilarious, though he, like so many others, thought it was strange that I was traveling for hockey and didn’t have a boyfriend. He told me that I needed to date a hockey player. This seemed to be a common theme for the remainder of the trip. Some of the people I met at the game that night also felt that I was the perfect candidate to be a “significant other.” I’m not sure any hockey player would have me, though. I’d be the crazy wife that goes on the road undercover in wigs and dark sunglasses to make sure her husband isn’t doing his slutty stretching for the blonde sitting behind the bench in Buffalo!

Anyway, the good news was that my tickets were at the Will Call like the heinous bitch at Ticketmaster promised. So help me if they weren’t! Also, the Flyers won the game, and I had great Philly fans surrounding me on all sides. (P.S. I’m still waiting for those pictures!! psycholadyhockey@hotmail.com)

After the game, I felt like NOT studying. So, I went out drinking with someone I met when I was in town for the last Flyers game! Sangria, bourbon, chocolate beer, and cider don’t mix. I stumbled home quite late, and I think I finally hit the sheets around 4AM. I had to be up early. My plan was to get to the airport as early as possible and see if I could get my 7:30PM flight moved up. Little did I know, I wasn’t going anywhere that day.

Posted in Boston, Boston Bruins, Hockey Players, Philadelphia Flyers, female hockey fans, hockey, hockey fans, hockey games, hockey wives | No Comments »

Sunday, March 8th, 2009

The end is nigh: Boston II (Day 1)

The following events took place on March 2nd, 2009

Hockey related mishaps are at the top of the list of things that cause my blood to boil. Forget NASCAR! If you want to see some driving, then put me behind the wheel of a car ten minutes before warm up! This time around, my ticket for the Flyers/Bruins game got lost in the mail! Another lazy postman and/or neighbour incident. Once, my ticket didn’t show up for a game in Ottawa simply because the courier didn’t feel like delivering it. Luckily, I argued my way into the seats, but I couldn’t allow that postman to keep his job working on my street now could I? Apparently, the current postman is a piece of work, as are my neighbours (who have held onto our parcels for six months before delivering them).

Everything that could have gone wrong on my way to Boston on Monday did go wrong. Murphy’s Law. To start off the day I was fully searched at the border – twice! I was searched on misogynistic grounds that women A) can’t be sports fans, B) can’t be self-reliant, and C) can’t do things without a man. You can imagine how hard it was for me to hold my tongue and be pleasant while they attempted to find the drugs I had smuggled in the car. Apparently, I can’t have a life if I don’t have a boyfriend, that’s nice. Should I join a convent? P.S. US Border Security, nice job profiling. I’ve never even smoked a cigarette in my life! I had forgotten there were about seven or eight copies of my book in the trunk of the car. Yeah, women don’t understand/like sports, hmmm? A bunch of young border guys started coming in the room, and saying “hiiiiiiiii” with knowing, 15 year old, hard-on smiles – did you enjoy riffling through my panties?

Anyway, once I was released, I went on my way to the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport. Upon arrival, I discovered that my flight was canceled, and that there was NO WAY that I was getting out that day. Another ticket agent said there was a later flight, but nothing was guaranteed to get out. I told her to put me on the flight, but as I went through security, I met a heinous bimbo with something up her ass. Apparently, she felt there were too many liquids/gels in my zip lock bag, even though it was the EXACT SAME grimy bag I used to go to Philly the week before, and Boston two weeks before that! I took that as a sign to get the fuck out of there. If by 3PM I was still in Buffalo, and my flight didn’t get out, I’d be very limited as to how I would get to Boston.

I went downstairs to the car rental place and Budget told me they had “trip cars.” (Cars you drive one-way and leave at another airport). By 11AM (my flight was supposed to leave at 11:40AM), I was in the new car, GPS in tow, and headed out on my way to Boston. I drove through a blizzard the whole fucking way. Mother Nature was being a bitch to me in more ways than one. I wondered at times if I was going to survive. I felt like I was going into battle against an army of thousands knowing completely that I would die. I had been warned at the airport not to go near Boston; that the blizzard they were having was really awful, but I knew I had to get there, and it had to be that night! I left all my music in my car in Buffalo, so all I had was the radio. That song, Living on the Edge by Aerosmith came on three times. Apparently, they were playing it in honour of the Boston blizzard.

I finally pulled off to get gas somewhere far East on the I-90. The number the ticket agent in Buffalo gave me to cancel my flight was wrong. I was pissed. No refund. I realized that I hadn’t eaten anything except an energy drink since 7PM the night before. I was fried, but I wasn’t hungry. I just had to get where I was going, and that was the focus. I drove the whole way with a crazed look in my eye, and my back was sore from being so tense. About fifty miles outside of Boston, the lack of sleep/food/excess hormones finally set in and I hit bottom. Dido’s White Flag came on the radio, and I knew that would do it. I kept thinking to myself, “Katrina, just hold on, you’re almost there!” But it was too late. Emotional breakdown #1.

I knew it was over. If you’ve been reading my blog, you’ll know that I’ve been looking for a new team. Philly didn’t feel right anymore. After this harrowing experience, I knew that my Philly days were numbered, and that Tuesday’s game might be the last one I go to. I was upset. I didn’t know what I was doing anymore.

My cab from the Boston airport pulled up to my hotel around 6:30PM. I was supposed to be in Boston at 1PM! To make matters worse, that second flight did go out on schedule, and I would have arrived at 4PM! Some of the Flyers were congregating in the lobby for dinner when I got there. Boy, I could have bitten every single one of their heads off after the day I had. They seemed to be eaves dropping on my check in at the front desk. I’m sure they have all been wondering where I was actually from, now they knew. The hotel staff asked me if I was here on business, to which I replied “sort of!” Of course I meant “sort of” as in “research,” but how bad did that sound?!

I went up to my room to freshen up before I attempted to eat something. After going 24 hours without food, all I could stomach was half a salad and some sangria! I told the hotel staff not to let me leave the lobby until I finished reading the book that I had wanted to get out of the way that day, but couldn’t as I lost the entire day to travel. Somehow I managed to read through the drunkenness, and tiredness, and congregating Flyers and plow through the hundred pages I needed to finish in just over an hour. Not sure how I did it, but I did.

Finally, alone in my room, I started to question my future with the Flyers as my favourite team. Not even the comfort of a bubble bath could help. I feared that all the terrible situations and circumstances I encountered that day were sure signs that the end was nigh. Later that night, I cried myself to sleep because that was all I had left. (Emotional breakdown #2).

Posted in Boston, Philadelphia Flyers, bad day, female hockey fans, hockey fans, road trips | 3 Comments »

Sunday, March 1st, 2009

What just happened? Why are we in Ottawa?

Yesterday at 2:34PM, with only two sleeps until Boston (and plenty of preparation to do, like: pack, study, work on essay), Trouble called… and I answered the phone. My seemingly long-lost road trip buddy called to play catch up since we hadn’t talked in quite some time. The conversation turned to getting out of the house and doing something “fun,” since fun was apparently lacking from both our lives. Shopping and anything with excessive walking was out, as she had REINJURED (naughty, naughty) her ankle in soccer. So, she says, “Well we could go get extensions sewn in our hair…” (random, I know) “…or the nearest game is in Ottawa.”

Most of my friends know that I can’t handle crazy talk because I will go for whatever is being suggested no matter what. For example, “We should go to [enter location name here] sometime.” [long pause] “Expedia says there is a flight leaving in 3 hours! We can make it!” There is a reason I’m the “crazy one.” So, naturally, when a completely insane scheme has been put forth to go catch some puck, I have to go for it. There’s no getting around it. The plan was to buy cheap seats and make complete asses of ourselves. This sounded good. So, I hung up the phone, threw on some clothes, and headed East on the 401!

I was driving like the wind, which was no easy feat considering it was apparently OPP day on the 401! The swift drive was only interrupted by a sudden swerve off the road to the Big Apple pie store (you know that mammoth Apple on the side of the highway?) because we were hungry, and a big pie was the answer! This wasn’t the first time we ate a WHOLE pie. Once, while in Edmonton, we went to the market and ate a huge peach mango pie (yummmmmmm!), so this was a nostalgic move. We bought a caramel apple pie, and ran it back to the car where we attempted to eat it while driving. Much like the Boston Pizzas we tried to consume in transit while pushing 145km/h out of fear of being late for the Flyers/Sabres game in Buffalo last season. But this pie was a crumbly bastard, and Lupie is in even worse shape (clean wise) as a result.

We finally pull up to Scotiabank Place a little after 7PM. The puck has already dropped. We go to the box office only to discover in horror that “cheap seats” in Ottawa are over $100 each! WHAT. THE. FUCK!?!?! What gives the shitty Sens the right to charge that for the nosebleeds??? Seriously, even Toronto isn’t that cruel; they charge $45! Suddenly, we were very pissed that Detroit and their $9 tickets were away in Nashville – just add that to my growing list of Nashville hate! So, we decided that was ridiculous for crappy seats, and opted to buy fourth row tickets in the lower bowl instead.

We were sitting on the Leafs side of the ice across from the bench and next to the penalty box. We were both wearing Leafs jerseys, which was odd considering we both hate the Leafs, and my friend is ACTUALLY a Sens fan! We thought it would be funny to piss people off, but a visible 2/3 of the arena was occupied by Blue and White jerseys, so we really just blended in. Yes, we did make asses of ourselves – mostly me. Mostly because there were a lot of penalties so I had to get up and say, “You’ve been a baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad boooooooooooooooooooooy!” *shimmy shake* every single time! (I blame the beer!). The highlight for me was the poutine, but for those celebrity whores out there, Carrie Underwood was in the building. Unfortunately, I didn’t have adequate sign making materials, so my, “Tony Romo’s Sloppy Seconds” sign will have to wait for another game – perhaps, when Avery is in town *giggle!*

I felt like a hockey fan in the truest sense of the word last night. I don’t remember when the last time was that I went to a game which didn’t feature my favourite team and/or NHL crush. I had a lot of fun! It reminded me how things used to be when I was younger and I would go insane from the back section of the Air Canada Centre! I am now optimistic that when I do eventually switch teams, I will still be able to have a blast in my new team’s rink (whichever that may be).

After the game, we went out in pursuit of Wild Wing! We stumbled across a location in God-knows-where just in time for closing. So we had to order our wings to go. Once again, attempting to eat in the car. You’ll be glad to know that this time I didn’t try to drive while eating chicken wings. By the time we located the phantom 417 again and departed Ottawa, it was nearly midnight. “Uhh, I just realized we’re leaving Ottawa…and it’s Midnight…and it takes four hours to get home!” I sliced through the night like a crazy serial killer/Greyhound Butcher (too soon?), and descended into the GTA at 3AM while belting out the lyrics to classic Skid Row!

The drive was surprisingly easy as my Boston insomnia has already set in. Even though I got home at 3:30AM, I still didn’t go to bed until 5:30! I am currently 24 hours away from touching down in Boston tomorrow afternoon. I will try to sleep tonight as I’m taking off from Buffalo tomorrow morning! Eek! It’s going to be a very early morning!

Posted in CRAZYNESS, OTTAWA SENATORS, Toronto Maple Leafs, bIG APPLE PIE, road trips | 2 Comments »

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