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Friday, September 18th, 2009

09-10 Season Preview: The legend continues…

Warning: Very long and abstract entry ahead!

My blog has had an incredible growth over the off season, and so I know that many of you are new readers that don’t really know what to expect from me during the season. Psycho Lady was really created to be my online diary as a hockey fan. I wanted to show other hockey fans the game through the eyes of a single female alone on the road and getting in to all kinds of trouble. Naturally, I haven’t had the need to post any journal-like entries over the summer since there haven’t been any hockey games for me to go to. Anyway, today is the eve of my hockey season. My NHL action begins tomorrow night with the Flyers and the Leafs!!

If my blog were a TV show, then this would be the part of the season premiere where we revisit what happened at the end of last season so as not to strain the memories of the viewers. The major event of last season was my “mystical six game road trip.” I have alluded to it a few times over the off season, but, truthfully, I clam up whenever people ask me about it or anything relating to my switch to the Phoenix Coyotes. The events of the six game (eleven day) roadie, and all subsequent games, are still detailed in the blog archives, though, I find them terribly embarrassing.

Despite embarrassment, I feel that I need to suck it up, and share my story with you once again, as it will be in the foreground of every hockey game I go to whether I choose to write about it or not. Everything I am, and everything I have (and don’t have) is in this story, and so I know that the only reason I can handle such vulnerability is because I know that you can’t see me. Know that if I were to have to tell you this story face to face, I’d be a deep shade of crimson, glassy-eyed, and stuttering like a nervous moron. An open mind is required for reading this entry, but rest assured that everyone who has heard the story agrees that it is pretty incredible to say the least. Here goes.

I know that there is an overwhelming population out there who don’t believe in psychics or anything of that nature for moral or “scientific” reasons. I will admit that there are lots of hacks out there; “sidewalk psychics” who will read your palm for ten bucks and all that crap. Of course, with any psychic, it’s important to just listen to what is being said and see what happens. After all, you can’t accurately judge a psychic on the spot – you have to wait and see if anything actually comes true.

Back in February 2008, I began to notice a trend with the psychics I was seeing. They had all seen the same thing, and claimed that my “soul mate,””true love,” “destiny” had a connection to Arizona. Arizona seemed like a really bizarre place for me to find romance. It was not on my list of places to visit, and I knew, as the crazy hockey fan I am, that I wouldn’t go there unless it was for hockey. This inevitably brought up the question, “Why the @#$% would I want to go see the @#$%%# Phoenix Coyotes!?!” I decided to just brush it off, and hope for the best, but the same predictions kept coming at me at a faster and faster pace.

By the start of the 08-09 season, I was really beginning to feel like this switch was going to happen even though I desperately didn’t want it to. In my heart, I knew exactly what was going to go down. I started going to more and more games, hoping that I could somehow cheat fate and have this whole Arizona mess averted not only for my sake, but for the sake of all those involved. However, by November, I just accepted it. I pulled up the Coyotes schedule and made out a spread sheet (yes, that’s right, I do that) of possible game plans for the rest of the season should it come to that. The team had a five game eastern kick scheduled in March. This really stuck out to me, and I even highlighted it in a special colour. By Christmas, I had rearranged my finances to support following a Western team instead of an Eastern team – mainly this meant more flights, and less road trips. I was pretty much just waiting for it to happen, but still praying every night that it wouldn’t.

March finally rolled around, and nothing had happened. I was starting to believe that nothing was going to happen. I was on my way to Boston for a game on March 3rd. Boston had really stuck out to me as a place I needed to go, so I made sure I was there for both of my team’s games last season. Anyway, a very odd thing happened when I was packing for the trip. I was only going to be gone for two days, but I packed like I was going to be gone for two weeks. I know this is normal for a lot of girls, but this was really out of character for me. Aside from bringing a spare shirt and pair of socks, I’m usually a really light packer. For absolutely no reason at all, I just kept piling clothes into that suitcase.

The day after the game, I was sitting in Logan International waiting for boarding. I had arrived extra early that day because I wanted to have my flight moved up. They were going to charge me more than what I already paid for the ticket to move it up a few hours, so I promptly said, “Fuck that!” and decided to catch up on some studying. After I finished reading one of the books, I began thinking about the Arizona business again. It was the NHL trade deadline, and I knew deep down that a trade was the key to me switching to Phoenix. I was thinking about how lucky I was that the trade didn’t happen, but I suppose I spoke (thought) too soon.

At that moment, my phone went off. A friend that I hadn’t spoken to in months was texting me to inform me of a trade – THE trade. I jumped out of my seat knowing that this was THE moment, that my time had arrived. I had to act. I had to do something, but I didn’t know what. Suddenly, another text came through, “They play in Buffalo on Friday.” The light bulb went off – my spreadsheet, the eastern kick! The Coyotes must have been on that very road trip! I threw open my suitcase, grabbed my lap top, and quickly found my way over to the Coyotes website. “Next game @ Boston.”

I started to pace around the airport. Something had to be done. I had always said that I didn’t know if I could handle switching teams at random. I wanted to have a flawless transition so it didn’t look like I just abandoned one team for the other. Here I was in Boston while receiving word that I needed to be in Boston – an odd coincidence to say the least. Anyway, I was pacing and I had naturally turned bright red. My brain was saying, “Sit down. Let’s talk this out rationally,” But every other part of me was racing at top speed toward the exit sign.

No matter what you believe about psychics, I think even the biggest skeptics will agree that if a prediction came to fruition, they would probably still act on it. I always use the example of the lottery ticket. If someone or multiple someones kept telling you that you were going to win $27M in the lottery from a ticket you bought at a specific vendor, would you not buy that ticket if you found yourself standing in the doorway of that store even if it was a year later? I think we both know that you’d happily hand over that $2!

My mom used to always say that she didn’t need to have a son because I practically am one. I’ve never been overly girly; never did that whole girl’s night crap like watching chick flicks and reruns of the heinous trolls on Sex and the City. Anyway, my point is that I’ve never had these fairytale, silver screen romantic notions. But at the same time, I was not much for dating around. I always felt like I’d know when something was right, and, unlike some people, I’m not cruel enough to lead someone on. I don’t want to hurt anyone, but at the same time I don’t want to get trapped with the wrong person. I don’t think I’ve ever agreed to a second date in my entire life for that very reason. Maybe this is the wrong approach to take in life, but it has been my approach to this point.

Trembling from a sudden fever at Logan International, I was at my crossroad. Do I take the safe route, turn back, and wonder what could have been? Or do I put my own life on pause in pursuit of the man of my dreams who may or may not exist? For someone who never had love as a top priority this was a major change for me. I would say that this event turned me into a girl pretty damn fast because there was no doubt in my mind about what was the right thing to do. All I knew was that if this person was really linked to this event, then I would do anything for him anyway – the only catch was that I didn’t know him yet. This was by far the most romantic gesture I’ve ever done.

***I feel that it is important for me to stress that I am not under the impression that I am necessarily meant to be with someone who plays for the Coyotes. I see the trade more as a catalyst, but I do know that this person could be anyone. Besides, I doubt there is a hockey player out there man enough to handle someone like me. There is a reason they date fake girls with fake boobs.***

Like I said, I ran like hell toward the exit sign, and hopped in the first cab that would take me back to the hotel. I lied my way out of exams, convinced professors to give me extensions on papers, and went completely AWOL. My family allegedly resorted to tracking my location on my blog, and tried to figure out why I was going from Boston to Buffalo, Long Island, Detroit, and Newark. I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew that my best bet was to shadow the Coyotes road trip until I figured things out.

Deep down, I think I was hoping for lightning to strike as soon as I found myself back in my seat at TD Banknorth Garden. But nothing was immediately obvious to me. On top of it, my stress levels were through the roof. You can only imagine how uncomfortable it is to know that you are being completely insane and going to hockey games for less than admirable reasons. I have never felt more vulnerable in my entire life. My heart was exposed for all to see and that made me want to die. It also made me overly sensitive when I encountered dick moves in Buffalo, and extreme dick moves in Anaheim. I felt like I was being completely slaughtered. I had risked so much to be there for whoever it was, and I was being abused to the point that I was starting to regret ever taking the chance in the first place.

The interesting thing was that whenever there was a sign of trouble, another sign of encouragement would immediately follow in its place. After a horrible game in Buffalo, I found myself in Long Island wishing that I didn’t already have the tickets for the game and thinking that I should have just given up back in Boston. Nassau Coliseum really gave me my first positive reinforcement to keep on track. I had miserably wandered into the little girls’ room when one of those ugly metal framed advertisements stopped me in my tracks. I felt like I was being physically held in front of the sign until I understood it. It was an ad for immigration to Scottsdale. At first I didn’t think anything of it. It didn’t seem out of place to me, until I realized that I wasn’t in Phoenix –I was in Long Island. I knew then that I had to go to Arizona, and made sure to book a stay in Scottsdale before the season ended.

As the Coyotes games continued, I felt myself really starting to crack under the pressure. Trust me, you don’t know stress until you’ve experienced a saga like this. The game in Anaheim was a total disaster. I was finally broken. I gave up. I couldn’t do it anymore; I couldn’t handle the constant hi-sticking to my heart and my ego. The problem was Phoenix was still booked. I was scheduled to touch down for the last game of the season. I decided that I would give it one more shot, but that I wouldn’t go to anything else until that game.

Phoenix finally came around, and it was a really great game. Apart from discovering that Arizona men seemed to be all over my stuff to the point that they sprint after me down the street, my mystery man still remained a mystery. Now I was facing a very long off season, and I still had no answers or any clue as to where to go from there.

I didn’t like the idea of having six months to agonize over the value of my recent decisions. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands and try to rule out or confirm the most likely candidates for the position of mystery man. It has been a long summer of nerves resulting from setting myself up for rejection over and over again; and not just any rejection, the worst kind – MySpace rejection. You can only imagine the bitterness one would feel after all this drama. I risked my financial security, my education, my job for this, and for what? My heart is starting to feel like scar tissue.

So, I found myself back at square one. Coming into the 2009-10 season, I had to decide if this melodrama was worth all the suffering it was causing me emotionally. After a very long internal struggle, I decided that I would keep following the path with the Arizona team. If I was meant to do this, then I better keep at it (at least while I can still bear it.) I am a hockey fan first and foremost. I can’t live without it, and no matter what, I will end up on crazy road trips to see one team or another. So, my team might as well be the team with my own personal legend attached to it. Like I said, if I’m supposed to do this, then I better just do it. As Gretzky said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” (HA! Totally lame, but I said it anyway!)

To lighten the mood, the top photo is my first picture from the 2009-10 NHL season. The eve before Flyers@Leafs. I never got a picture of the Alps while I was in Switzerland, so here is my attempt to fool you with my fox-like abilities. Small things amuse me.

Posted in 2009-10 NHL, Phoenix Coyotes, psychics | 3 Comments »

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

The moment you’ve all been waiting for: Phoenix ‘09

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!

Posted in Phoenix Coyotes, Phoenix., hockey, hockey fans, magic, psychics | 2 Comments »

Tuesday, April 7th, 2009

What just happened?: the maiden voyage to California.

Warning: long entry ahead!

Remember when I said the non-crazy entries would resume immediately? Well, I lied. I am in crisis mode a.k.a. exam time, and I haven’t had time for much else. Here’s to two more days of classes, hooray!

Anyway, about a week after my trip to Newark, I started having an unshakable feeling that waiting a whole month until my next trip was too much and that I had to get to a game right away. The Coyotes were in the middle of their only remaining homestand for the 2008-09 season. They were playing the Anaheim Ducks at home that night, the team that I was going to see them compete against for my last game of the season.

Coincidentally, as California, specifically Anaheim, was part of one of the predictions, Phoenix was to play them again Sunday night in Orange County. I knew how much flights to Phoenix were, as I had looked this up over a week ago when I planned my April 10th trip. So, I figured attempting to make the Vancouver game on Saturday night was out of the question.

I just couldn’t shake this feeling so I decided to feed my curiosity and check and see what a flight to California was going to run me. I figured it would be a lot since I was searching for flights less than 24 hours before takeoff, but to my surprise the flights came up in the $400C range (that’s return and taxes in!) So, now I was starting to think that I’m crazy for even considering this, even though it would be nice to kind of rule out California or find my lover/destiny if he/it was there.

I called one of my more practical friends and told her my fears and this strong feeling to go to California. She’s the kind of friend that won’t hesitate to tell me that I’m crazy and to be more practical and grounded and sensible. That is why I called her. I wanted her to tell me not to go, not to even think about going, to talk me out of my developing addiction. Unfortunately, she told me the opposite. “You know what? I think you should go. Live. Just go and live, live your life!” ENABLER! It was decided that I would go despite my undeniable fear that my sanity was deteriorating at a rapid pace. That is when all the weird things started happening.

First of all, none of the seven departures would book through Expedia. I even called them, and their travel agents couldn’t get it to work either. According to them, the problematic item was the departure from Buffalo, not the return. So it was strange that changing the departure from Buffalo wouldn’t remedy the situation. They told me that my best bet was to just try again later. So, given everything else, I started to think that I wasn’t meant to go on this trip. I decided to try to book one more time and then I was going to give up on the whole idea.

Once again, the flight wouldn’t book. So, as I was about to give up, something popped up on the site, “Are your dates flexible? Fly back a day later for $300C.” I was originally planning to fly back the day after the game, as I usually do, but since this flight was way cheaper, I decided I’d give it one last try and see if it would book – and it did. The weird thing, the supposed problematic item (the departure from Buffalo) was the exact same as my initial travel plan. Something seemed fishy. Was I meant to stay an extra day? And for what reasons?

Then the same thing happened when I tried to purchase tickets to the game. I went on Ticket Exchange and the order wouldn’t process. I called them, the agents couldn’t get it to work either. They deduced that my Canadian address was the problem, but this was not it as I have used the Exchange in other American cities before! So then I called Ticketmaster because the seats I had originally liked on there weren’t coming up anymore. I had literally found the tickets like 15 minutes before. The tickets were gone, and they no longer had anything closer that Row P – noooo THANK you! I went to StubHub next, only to find that the tickets I had previously scouted were also gone. I had to act fast. I grabbed the best seat I could get, but it was in a section that wasn’t where I normally like to sit. As SOON as I completed the purchase, the tickets I had originally wanted magically reappeared! Something strange was definitely going on! And I was starting to freak out!

The next morning I had to be up early to get to the Buffalo airport. I was seriously terrified. I didn’t know what kind of horrors were waiting for me at the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge. All the signs seemed to be negative, and I started to stress that I had ruined my precious prophecy, but as my friend said, “If it’s really fate then you can’t change it.” I hit traffic most of the way, and I knew that if I got stopped at the border, I was definitely missing my flight! The border was backed up too! I was going to lose my shit on someone! Luckily, when I got to customs, the guy didn’t ask me anything. Not even if I had anything to declare! He just thought it was cool that I had been to so many arenas and that I was doing research! Guess he’s a Sabres fan!

I made it to the airport just in time. There were no lines either, luckily! So after all was said and done, I had about 15 minutes to spare before boarding! Like an idiot, I left my sunglasses at home…I mean, why would I need sunglasses in sunny California, right? They actually sold NICE sunglasses at the Buffalo airport, so I spent my spare moments shopping for a new pair. Sunglasses look the worst on me, so I successfully managed to annoy the sales people with “I don’t know…I think they look bad….I don’t know!” I finally found a winning pair! Which the woman at the cash register proceeded to judge me on.

I had a connection in Philadelphia and I was SO EXCITED! All day I was thinking about the cheesesteak I was going to consume as soon as I got there! It was so goooooooooood! I hadn’t had an authentic Philly cheesesteak in a MONTH – they are like crack! Sure, it wasn’t as good as Campo’s, but it did the job!

The flight from Philly to LA was heinous. It was six LONG hours. US Airways didn’t bother to turn the TVs on AT ALL! We had nothing to do! I’ve realized long flights are a negative thing for a highly impulsive person such as I am. I had way too much time to sit and ponder what exactly I was doing. Moments of extended calmness would be interrupted by sudden bursts of terror, “OMG, I’m on a flight to California. What am I doing? What am I doing?”

Maybe I was scared about what I would find? Or who I would find? I was being torn between two destinations: California and Arizona. I just wanted to find out which was the right way to go. A meteor shower of Arizona signs began to rain down on me. During my brief stint in Buffalo, the only flight announced was a flight to Phoenix. In my boredom on the flight to LA with no TV, I turned to the airline magazine for some momentary relief. The page I opened to was an ad to “Visit Arizona!” The little old ladies sitting in front of me were actually on their way to the Grand Canyon. And the only time the pilot said ANYTHING to us was to announce that we were over Arizona. And it didn’t stop there. The signs kept coming, even while I was in Cali. It seemed like every time I saw someone with a drink they were drinking “Arizona Tea.”

The signs seemed pretty clear that Arizona was still part of this journey to discovery and enlightenment. I’m thankful for the signs, as an unpleasant aspect of the psychic’s prediction manifested while I was there. I cannot be sure what the purpose of my trip to California was; it is still unclear. Right now I can only assume that it was meant to derail the unpleasant moment from Phoenix to Anaheim. We shall see this weekend! I am slightly terrified to embark on this final mission.

As for the game, the Honda Center was a nice facility, but it was not what I expected at all. My friend at the Hockey Hall of Fame told me that he thought the nicest arena next to the Air Canada Centre was Anaheim’s barn – and he’s been everywhere! I’d have to disagree! I think Prudential Center is second best. The guy sitting next to me was possibly my immobile, American twin! He has LOWER BOWL season tickets to both the Ducks and the Kings. That’s like having seasons for Toronto AND Buffalo! That’s an 82 game season! The very idea of that gets me a little hot and bothered!

The most interesting thing I saw while I was at the game was the “female fans!” These women were physically textbook puck bunnies, but they were “bunnies” with a twist. These women, typical Orange County eating disordered, skin cancered, spent no less than ALL DAY on their bleach blonde hair, would just sit there chatting throughout the whole game. I’d be shocked if they actually noticed the game at all. The strange thing was, they didn’t seem preoccupied with attracting the players so much as attracting the male fans. “Tee hee, men like sports, so let’s pretend like we do too!” It was kind of sad that these women were so preoccupied with pleasing men – from their physical appearance to how they spent their free time. But what do I know, it’s not like I have a boyfriend either!

Anyway, the Coyotes had their asses handed to them – again! I am 1-4-1 with this team this season. The strange thing was I really loved California. Well, maybe that’s not strange – it’s California, after all! But normally on my travels, once the game is over, I just want to get the hell out of town. I actually had a blast driving all around Cali for a couple days, and discovering foreign fastfood; In-N-Out Burger – Sweet Jesus! It was an adventure! Those GPS systems are the devil!

I flew out of LA late Tuesday night. My only souvenirs were two sets of Mickey ears for my cousins from Downtown Disney! (Yes, I went there! They were selling a shirt at the ESPN store that said, “Yes, I am a woman… Yes, I know the game…” I thought I should buy it to wear when I cross the border, but I didn’t). You’ll be glad to know that they did play a movie on that flight! But I didn’t watch it. I decided to sleep on the way to DC to avoid jet lag again! I was disturbed when I woke up, as the two people sitting next to me – two complete strangers – were cuddling in their sleep! OMG! Seriously, are you that starved for affection that you can’t sleep by yourself on a plane for four hours? Puke. I had discovered on this trip that I am a cold-hearted, affectionless bitch. Oh well. Too many hockey games has frozen my heart I supposed.

On my last flight, I was sitting with a “fighter” who told me about all kinds of Junior Hockey Bible-esque filth he and his fellow weight class chums had engaged in while down south (literally). It kept me awake at least – or perhaps that was the energy drink! I was flying back into Buffalo to meet up with my friend. We were roadtripping to Pittsburgh for the Flames game that night. A game that would forever go down in the history books as one of the craziest nights of my life; most notably due to my very first, and, hopefully, LAST drunken train-wreck moment! Chooo choooooo!

Posted in Phoenix Coyotes, anaheim, anaheim ducks, california, female hockey fans, magic, psychics | No Comments »

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 »

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