Don’t get excited nothing really happened.

The night before I left for Phoenix I decided to finally look at my itinerary before booking my hotel. What had I done!?! I was pretty sure that the flight I had booked was direct and getting me to Phoenix at 1PM, but now it was saying that I had a connecting flight in Charlotte and I wasn’t getting to Sky Harbor until 5PM! That sucked! To make matters worse my return flight Sunday morning was scheduled for 6AM! So, I’d have to be back at the airport at 4AM, which means I’d have to leave the hotel at 3AM to return my car and all that. Why was I booking a hotel for the Saturday night at all? I decided to just stay up all night after the game instead of getting a room for the second night. Fun. This trip was really all business.

Crossing the border was fairly painless. The major theme this time (crossing both ways) was that the border guards didn’t believe that the passport was mine. The blonde hair threw them off, so the Americans quizzed me on details in my passport, while the Canadians made me show another form of ID. It’s interesting that this has never been an issue before and now it seemed to be a major concern.

When I got to Phoenix a storm was brewing, which is strange because it doesn’t normally rain in the desert! The electricity in the air added to the intensity and mystical aspects of the mission. The sad thing was I had rented a convertible and didn’t get to drive with the top down! I was only in Phoenix for a short while, so I needed to make the most of it and find him, it, whatever it was that every psychic I have ever been to has been bent on me finding.

I walked and drove around Scottsdale the first night. I didn’t find anyone or anything specific, though I did notice that the Arizona men seemed to be going crazy for me. They obviously don’t see snow white brunettes very often; I guess I was appealing to them in some freakish/fetish sort of way. I suppose if I had more time it would actually be pretty easy to find a guy there. Maybe the psychics were on to something – I need to go where I am appreciated.

I found my reason to return to Phoenix next season at Jobing.com Arena a.k.a. my new favourite arena! This arena surpasses the Air Canada Centre. It had all the awesome features of the ACC, but with more glitz and an entertainment complex outside! My ticket came with all you can eat free food and access to a lounge, much like Prudential Center. But unlike the Prudential Center, this ticket was $100 cheaper and included drink tickets…yes, that means alcohol! What drives me nuts about VIP sections is that the bathrooms are nicer, and while this is a good thing for the most part, the downside is that “nicer” also means “darker” and this makes it challenging to do spot checks. (The rinks are too well lit to have bad lighting in the bathrooms!)

Phoenix actually won the game in an exciting shootout (that brings me to 2-4-1 on the season), and even Vince Vaughn was there to cheer on the Ducks! I’ve started to notice that Vince Vaughn is a fellow NHL whore, he’s popping up all over the place just like I do. I saw he was also at one of the Chicago playoff games the other night! Anyway, the Coyotes’ supposed “fan appreciation night” was not very appreciative. You had to scratch to win any momentum of appreciation. They didn’t even give away anything at the door. Not a puck, not a towel, that’s disgraceful. You get those perks at a regular run of the mill AHL game weekly! The Coyotes organization only gave away the players’ sticks. This is a big deal, but this limits appreciation to only the lucky few that drew the opportunity to meet a player and get his stick at center ice. Not good.

That night I drove all around Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Glendale trying to keep myself entertained. It was a full moon which illuminated both the mountains and the mystery of whatever was about to break the surface in my life. This trip was major in ways that are too early to divulge. I still wasn’t sure what I was meant to find, but it was becoming a lot clearer (I think). All I knew, and all I know, is that I am on the right track and that I have to keep to the course. Unfortunately, Phoenix doesn’t have another game for six months, and it seems Arizona is the key piece of the puzzle. Hopefully, something reveals itself in the off season. I would hate to have to wait another six months to find out how this story will end…or begin.

Picture: The Coyotes celebrate a SO goal! I’m hiding in the background!