Laurakah - Day 1

Welcome to the first day of Laurakah!

With so much fanfare and the constant stream of paparazzi following me, I've barely had time to catch my breath. But thanks for checking my blog.

The first day of Laurakah starts off slowly - just small gifts, tokens of appreciation and the like. As the week progresses, the gifts get larger culminating in the large party on February 8, 2008 at the Tips game.

To kick off the week, I thought I would start by giving you a list of eight things that piss me off:

8. Being hard-headed - This means refusing to acknowlege or accept that someone else has an opinion or view. Stubborn means I think I'm right - being hard-headed means that I won't even consider your view.

7. Whistling - what is more obnoxious than someone doing that to their face to make a stupid sound. Especially whistling in an elevator - maybe I like Muzak...so take the bus to shutty town - and avoid nasty wrinkles in the process.

6. Cutting your nails - the noise made by someone using nail clippers to clip their nails - URGH - so annoying.

5. Intentionally pushing someone's buttons - such a lack of respect. For instance, since you now know that nail clippers and whistling irritate me, doing it to push my buttons means you don't respect me.

4. Victim Mentality - people who think that things happen 'to them'. I believe behaviors are a choice. I choose to react - I choose the energy I put into this world - therefore I am responsible for what happens. Nothing happens to me - you make choices, therefore you are not a victim.

3. Superiority - someone thinking that they are better than someone else because of their income, their education, their skin color, their race, their gender or their title. We all have value and should treat each other as such. Period. Nothing sets me off faster than condescending behavior.

2. Defensive Behavior - if you did something or said something - own it. Trying to justify behavior, interrupting me or telling me what I should think will only piss me off more.

1. Wal-Mart - Is there anything worse than a company that lowers the standards of every community it goes into? And the people who shop there? You perpetuate the problems. Shopping at a place that pays low wages and no health insurance doesn't save you money. Your family, my family and other families are paying to subsidize every worker there who can't afford to go to a doctor so instead visits the emergency room and can't pay their bill. Don't make me list all the other stuff that Wal-Mart does to piss me off!

Row 15, You are ON NOTICE!

Check Out the Custom Notice!

Another game for the Silvertips - and a loss to a crappy team - and no one made the joke 'hey do you have Prince Albert in a can?'. But if you want true Tips reports - go to Tom and Leo's Blog - if you want to hear my rant - stay here....because I think God is punishing me.

Let me back up: first of all, to understand why I'm pissed, you need to know a couple of things about me...

1) I'm a preacher's kid - and I was raised to find the good in everyone - even if I have to look really really hard.
2) I'm a negotiator for a living - I negotiate contracts, grievances and disputes between employees and management, co-worker disputes and negotiate with large employers. I'm good, damn good at what I do.
3) I'm a bit of a Pollyanna - I truly treat everyone like I want to be treated. I forgive and forget easily. I don't hold grudges and I'm the Queen of giving everyone a second chance.

Now back to my rant...

Randy and I dutifully lined up at 5:00pm to get our Peter Mueller Bobblehead to complete the collection. Yeah, we're rookies and didn't know you could order the complete set. I get there to hold our place in line and who walks up right behind me? Yep - Mr. and Mrs. Foghorn Leghorn. Not so bad right? Except they lined up right after us for Mr. Potato Head Night too! Two times? God is definitely trying to get my attention. After enduring an hour of cold rain and their less than intelligent comments, we get into the building and into our seats.

It's like a reunion - Hockey Tom and Leo are back from Canada (although they didn't say much - guess what happens in Canada stays in Canada) and they are holding court. Lots of laughs with us in Section 119 - the reason I love going to the game. So the refs come out and our section naturally boo's them - we do it every game. Mrs. Foghorn proceeds to tell the 3rd graders in our audience to grow up...

Then comes the Canadian and National Anthem. The kids from Jackson Elementary Choir were adorable - is there anything better than those little voices? I know what's worse - Mr. Foghorn belting out his rendition of both anthems - drowning out the people who auditioned to do the job. But that's ok - here's where it gets ugly.

The refs missed a couple of blatant calls in the 2nd period - so blatant that Albie (along with most of our section) stood up and yelled 'Come On' to the refs. Mrs. Foghorn then bellows "Sit down and shut up" - like who the hell is she?

Mrs. Foghorn also took the opportunity to yell - yes yell - to another section 119er about not signing any divorce papers - really....is this something the whole section needs to know about?

But the straw that broke the camel's back - the icing on the cake - is when Mr. Foghorn got angry (I'm unclear if it was at the refs or a fan) and starting YELLING the F-Word. Thus solidifying in my mind the statement "Better to close your mouth and be thought a fool than open your mouth and prove it's true". My husband (the absolute nicest man in the world - no joke) turned around and said to them "hey - language". He's one of the calmest people I know so for him to do this means it was obnoxious (and he knows obnoxious -we've been married 12 years)!

Let me digress: I'm a Teamster and I can cuss with the best of 'em. I rarely, if ever, get offended. I've been told that I can make a sailor blush with my language - but part of my "Occasional Tourettes Syndrome" means knowing when and where to pull that trick out of the bag.

At the close of the game, my husband then turns around to say "hey, I didn't mean any offense, but that language is unacceptable with children present" - guess what Mr. Foghorn did? He turned his nose up and his face away. Unbelievable. What a class A jerk.

So, guess what row 15 - YOU ARE ON NOTICE. I am bringing 20 people to Laurakah who are new to the game. If you so much as look at them crossways, it's go time. You will not have my guests removed like you did before. You will not treat them with disrespect. YOU ARE ON NOTICE.

(Did you hear that? It's me stepping off my soapbox. Now let's beat the Kewlona Rockets tonight!)

T-Birds v. Silvertips Game Saturday, January 27

Saturday we went to the Key to see our beloved Silvertips take on the T-Birds. Have I mentioned how much I detest going to the Key?

First of all, paying to park pisses me off. Paying $20 to sit in that place pisses me off, but what really pisses me off? The seats. Who fits in those things, Twiggy? I actually took an elbow to the eye from the woman next to me taking off her coat. And where the hell are we supposed to put our drinks?

Secondly, I can't stand their fans. While us 119ers will heckle the team (and occasionally tell Seattle that their Mayor is fat), we don't attack the fans - probably because we pity them. At the Key, we sat behind a group of 20 something computer dorks who proceeded to get stupid drunk, chat Harty's name in sing song voices and stand up to cheer and forget to sit down. When we said "down in front", one guy actually flashed us the finger that matched his IQ.

Thirdly, what's with the guy who holds up the neon sign that says "Hey". Are you kidding? Like anyone doesn't know or can't figure out what the only lyric is to that song...and he doesn't even hold it up just at the 'hey' part - he holds it up the entire song. And the catchy lyrics the fans coined "Everett Sucks"...we suck? Your mascot wears a dress!

So, great first period - Tips came out looking awesome - no penalties and 2 goals! We were on a tear. This was it, Seattle was going down like the second rate team that they are.

Except we couldn't maintain - seriously, two short-handed goals? We gave them that game - and us fans had to sit there and listen to the Seattle fans rub it in our face. I can't give you the play by play because, well, I just don't know enough about the rules (yes, I call icing 'frosting').

The highlight of my night was seeing Vitaly Karamnov in a suit sitting in the audience - holy hottie, batman! He lost the mullet and is now adorable.

Hockey? Yes, Hockey!

It's Friday night. There's no Silvertips Game. I'm sitting at home trying to figure out what to do with myself without a game...

Who would have thought that I would become a hockey fan? Those of you who know me know that I detest the Seattle Seachickens and basketball just doesn't excite me. My idea of sports has always been shopping at Nordstrom's on the day after Thanksgiving. But I'm hooked, I love the Silvertips.

At a lunch meeting on Thursday, I sought out my friend Alan- who has a new motto for Seattle when they move to Kent - "We Kent Win"- and knowledgeably recited events from the game the night before (the Prince George shut out 6-0) that I watched on the internet - yes, I watched it on the internet - I'm hard core.

Is it the action? The constant movement and skill of these kids? Is it having a hometown team that's good? It's all of the above - and more. It's our fellow fans in Section 119.

Who knows how we actually chose Section 119? Was it my husbands drive to view every angle before we bought the tickets? Was it fate? I'm not sure, but we sit in the best section in the place and our fellow "1-1-niners" have welcomed us - although maybe a couple of folks wish we had made another choice.

So, it's Friday - and I'm actually looking forward (gulp) to going to the Key to see our Tips take on the T-Birds on Saturday. Saturday - the day usually reserved for shopping - and I'm going to watch a hockey game - who would have guessed?

Anyone Seen Hockey Tom and Leo?

Where are Hockey Tom and Leo?

Let's review the facts:

1) They have not posted on their blog.

2) They attended the game on Friday (1/18/08).

3) They said they were going to Canada to watch the LA Kings play the Cannucks.

4) Leo had a fistful of Canadian Money.

5) Leo's car was gassed up and ready to go.

Did Leo finally decide to follow his heart and his Winterhawks?
Did Hockey Tom ditch Leo because they wouldn't let him into Canada?

~Stay tuned ~

Section 119 may need to get together some fast cash!

Rules For Telling Me Your Medical Problems

I feel I must institute a new rule for my friends when confiding in me your medical problems. From now on, you must not share the bad news with me, because of the following:

1) When Roger told me about his ear ache, I got one.
2) When Susanne told me about her husband's eye swelling shut - guess what - mine did too!

So from now on, if you get the flu, stub your toe or break your arm - DO NOT TELL ME!

New Bumper Music

I'm thinking that the Silvertips need to update/change their bumper music (the tunes they use for plays, time outs, etc.) Below are my suggestions:

1. The Kid is Hot Tonight - Loverboy (for a player playing a particularly good game)
2. I Can't Dance - Phil Collins (great beat - long intro)
3. Tubthumping - Chumbawumba ("I get knocked down, then I get up again")
4. This is it - Kenny Loggins ("stand up and fight")
5. Harder to Breath - Maroon 5 (Great intro...'how dare you say my behavior is unacceptable')
6. I Need a Hero - Bonnie Tyler - Footloose Album (maybe after a fight)
7. Baby Got Back - Sir Mix a Lot - for Dance for your dinner
8. Kiss - Prince - for the kissing contest
9. Freezeframe - J. Geils Band (Great beat - long intro)
10. Brass Monkey - Beastie Boys (Great intro - great lyrics)

Laurakah 2008

What is Laurakah? Laurakah is the 8 day celebration of my birthday which includes my real birthday (Feb. 7) and my sobriety birthday (Feb. 8th). I guess you can say my parents created a monster when they threw me 7 parties on my 7th birthday...

For Laurakah, I have invited 20 friends to attend the Everett Silvertips game with me in Section 119 Rows 13 & 14. Most of these folks are new to hockey games, so please forgive rookie behavior. However, if Row 15 treats my guests rudely and gets them thrown out (like you did before) believe me, the rest of the season will not be comfortable for you.

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog! If you are looking for good commentary on the Everett Silvertips, please go to http://www.gotips.blogspot.com/. If you want colorful commentary on the happenings of Section 119 - you are in the right spot. However, if you don't have a sense of humor, don't post any comments. I will delete any that are stupid or piss me off.

Couple of things to talk about:

Insults to the other team: Don't use language that is unacceptable on TV or Radio (not cable tv, regular tv). Dropping the 'f-bomb' says more about you than it does about who you are insulting (ya hear me Row 15?)

Cowbell:

Good Cowbell: When the Tips score

Bad Cowbell: When the other team scores

Good Cowbell: When the Tips have a good play

Bad Cowbell: To annoy your neighbor