Flair For The Game

Playoffs......

2012-01-19T18:55:00.008-06:00

I cannot believe i have not updated my blog in MONTHS. Back in October, I went with a good friend to Pittsburgh for Patriots @ Steelers and since the Patriots are playing this weekend i decided to finally share my pics from the game!!!!

Maybe next week i'll do a blog on my trip to Lambeau Field for Bears @ Packers on Christmas Day. It was so cool to check off another one of my bucket list items :)

Here are my Patriots pics! GO PATRIOTS!

(Outside Heinz Field rocking my Welker jersey!)

2011 Blackhawks Convention

2011-07-20T22:00:00.015-05:00

Finally got around to uploading and putting my pictures from the Blackhawks Convention. My facebook friends are able to see all 250+ pics i took throughout the weekend but these are a few of the better pics that i decided to share. Can't believe hockey is right around the corner :)

Hossa & Hjal at Opening Ceremonies

newbies!!!!

it's unfair for anyone to be standing next to John Scott, he makes everyone look like midgets lol

Ben Smith could be JScott's son lol

Staring into each other's eyes.....hahaha!

laughing at Tazer during Opening Ceremonies

delivering a speech...

John Scott doing the Second City sketch, absolutely hilarious!

JScott during skit......

Kaner made an appearance! Brace and all :P

"hell nah" - Patrick Kane lol

my new fav for this season, ben smith :)

Olsen & Beach in Second City sketch.

so funny!

Ben Smith acting in Second City, doing a model pose! LOL!

he looks like he's done this before hahahaha!

Seabs!

Dunc!

Duncbrook, pure bromance.

Patrick Sharp.

the face Sharpie is making....lmfao!

oh and his smile in this LOL!

seabs failing to pick on sharp :P

favorite!

viktor stalberg!

Captain!

he laughs!!!! :P

Beauty....

JToews.

MHossa!!!!!

Hoss!!!!!! :)

"JT & Kane both want the puck but i'm like there's only 1 puck guys!" - Hoss lol!

so much love for my captain.

JT's face hahahahahah! i don't even know.......

Hossa game worn gloves :)

Patrick Kane game worn gloves.

game worn jersey, vikkkk.

in line waiting to meet vik :)

Foley hosted a segment!

Frolik :)

Benny Smith!

Nick Leddy!

panel!

apparently this is the gun show? ;)

bicks & benny

corey signing!

Niklas!

Hjal :)

Tazer on the Conn Smythe Trophy :)

young guns!

Marcus Kruger

Jeremy Morin

swear all swedes are beautiful lol

Savard after Eddie O poured a pitcher of water all over him hahahahaha!

Kaner on the last day.

Eddie Oooooooo

newbie jamal mayers!

john scott laughing!

hossa's poor english sometimes makes it difficult for him to understand questions lol

hossa leaving early to catch a flight back to europe. gun show :P

Picture with Ben Smith!

Finally got a pic with Viktor Stalberg!!

Tim Tebow

2011-06-22T22:05:00.003-05:00

Many of my friends know that i have one person i have been a fan of since his 1st college football game. I love this man's conviction, heart, desire to win, beliefs, openess and of course his amazing college career. That man is none other than Tim Tebow. A few weeks ago i caught wind that Tim Tebow was going to be making an appearance for Jockey (who he is now a spokesman for) up in Wisconsin. As soon as i heard about this appearance i made a call to the store to see if it was open to the public because when will i ever get to see Tim Tebow in the midwest again? The woman at the store informed me that his appearance was not only open to the public but it was a meet-and-greet. She immediately informed me that no autographs would be allowed but that taking your picture with the QB was highly encouraged. I made plans immediately to be at this appearance.

I was a nervous wreck ALL day. I have been a huge Gators fan since i was young and i have watched and rooted for Tebow since Leak was QBing the team. I thought up of things to say to my favorite athlete but in the end i settled for simply greeting him and informing him that he was my favorite athlete on and off the field. Oh, did i mention i'm 99% sure i called him Timmy. I don't quite remember because it was all such a blur and i was so nervous. I was seriously so lucky to meet him. There were close to a thousand people there and i was one of the 1st 100 so i was guaranteed to meet him. After getting my picture with Tebow i waited around as they raffled off some Tebow prizes and wouldn't you know.....i won an autographed copy of his new book "Through My Eyes".

I know this sounds so ridiculous but you guys have no idea how big of a fan i am of Tebow and that day was probably one of the best days of my life. I'm almost done with Tebow's book and as you can expect, i love it. Love every page. Every scripture verse. Every picture. And every inside story i would have never known.

Here are some of my pics from the day i met my favorite athlete <3

i know i have the biggest, cheesiest smile on my face.

how do u not turn into a nervous wreck around this man?

#15

i still can't believe i met him....someone pinch me....

autographed copy of tim's book, i highly recommend everyone buy it! :)

Go Gators.....and Go Tim Tebow!!!!

A Series 93 Years in the Making......

2011-05-23T17:12:00.018-05:00

Last year my best friend and i made the trip to Boston/Fenway for the 1st time and as soon as it was announced that the Cubs would be returning to Fenway we knew we had to be there. I was lucky enough to get tickets for Game 1 online when they went on sale and we decided to try getting game day tickets for Saturday's game. Despite the Cubs atrocious play thus far, there was nowhere else i'd rather be than at a ballgame watching my Cubbies. I loved the city of Boston last year and we wanted to see more of the city this time so we were total tourists. We went to the oldest restaurant in America, did the duck tour, went to Fenway, ate a Fenway Frank (which i still don't understand what all the hype is about) and even mastered the T. I absolutely love being in Boston but by the last day of my trip i was ready to get home. It was kind of unbelievable to see how rude some Bostonians are/were but we didn't let them get in the way of our fun. I had a great time and will definitely return to Boston for another trip. It truly is a beautiful city, everything is a T stop away and the weather was almost perfect during our stay. At the end of the trip i was ready to get home, you know they say there's no place like home. I'm a Chicago girl through and through and while i love other cities, nothing compares to Chicago <3

Here are some pics of my Boston trip, hope you enjoy them :)

We went exploring the city :)

Ate at the oldest restaurant in America! AMAZING FOOD!

This is a map of the T system in Boston aka their train system. We mastered it! :)

"The Goal" - Bobby Orr

Game 1! We even managed to get on MLB Ntwk's Quick Pitch as "one of the cubs faithful who made the trip to boston" :)

Fenway is truly beautiful.

Green Monstah.

My fav, Jeff Baker :)

Blake DeWitt

Darwin Barney or as i call him, Darney lol.

Cubs Dugout at Fenway!

If i see Sori ever playing LF when the DH is in place i'm going to flip out!

Aramis Ramirez :)

Jeff Baker, ftw!

Coleman & Demp!

I can't believe i was there.......

Starlin Castro :)

Pesky Pole.

Absolutely Beautiful.

Carlos Pena!

Matt Garza!!!!

1st Game of Cubs/BoSox since 1918.

Carlos Marmol, closer by night......SS by day? :P

I love this pic, may need to frame it.

Kerry Wood :)

Demp!

Memorabilia Display inside Fenway.

BILL MUELLER BAT!!!!! I LOVE MUELLER AS A CUB!

Jeff Baker rocking knee highs :)

Reed Johnson :)

Starrrrrrrlin!

kinda really love this pic :)

Mentor and mentoree?

Antique setting on my camera <3

Retired Numbers.

Dennis Eckersley throwing out the 1st pitch to Carlton Fisk.

Trek to the Bullpens lol

Lester vs. Davis, such a mismatched match-up!

Jacoby Ellsbury!

Jeff Baker + Knee Highs = Going 4-5!

Saw Pena during my 1st trip to Fenway & got to see him again!

Jeff Baker OWNS lefties!

Jacoby batting!

Midgettttttt lol

Mexican Powerrrrr!

Reed Batting!

Fenway is beautiful. The seating? not so much.

Lester v. Reed

SI Coverboy, Starlin Castro.

Darney!!!!!

Jeff & Los.

Recipe for disssaster.

in love with this pic <3

Jacobyyyyy #2!

And again since they pretty much batted every inning lol

on the duck tour of boston!

famous Citgo sign from the Charles

Boston

bridge that we crossed over everyday from our hotel

CHEERS!

On the campus of Harvard!!!!

this building on the harvard campus was breathtakingly beautiful.

and we're in for game 2!

Boston Friends!!!!!! :)

Z in the 1918 Throwbacks!!!!

Game Day Tickets. Behind the bullpen. For $28? Awesome.

Pennants and WS banners.

Reed coming in to replace Byrd after the Red Sox tried to murder Marlon :(

Z & Darney.

The Red Sox throwbacks were kinda plain, to be honest.

love my cubs. thru thick & thin.

green monster. bought a green monstah shirt too lol. i want to sit on the green monster 1 day.

Woody! GO Ubs!

Love Adrian Gonzalez, just wish he had stayed in SD.

Jeff Baker, throwbacks. Stud.

Woody coming in!

Samarjalphabet!

Marmol pitching in the 9th, non-save outing.

got them mid-jump LOL!

Cubs Win! Go Ubs Go! LOL!

Hope you all liked the pics :) GO CUBS!

2011 Cubs Convention

2011-01-16T22:15:00.008-06:00

While i love my Blackhawks & Bears, there is 1 Chicago team that will always be #1 in my heart- The Chicago Cubs.

I live and die with the team on the Northside and every year i believe that THIS IS OUR YEAR and that we'll win the World Series. No one gives us a chance to win the division or even make the playoffs this season but baseball is one of the craziest games in sports. There is no predicting what can happen in 162 games. Every year i believe my Cubs can and will win the division and until Game 162, i don't give up on that belief.

The Cubs may not have made huge moves this offseason but they were moves that satisfied me. Then again, i think Cubs fans are the most hard to please fans in the world. You go 100+ years without winning a Championship and see how cynical AND critical your fans are. Anyways, i like the acquisition of Matt Garza. I have loved the guy since he was with the Twins. While we gave up big named prospects i was more than okay with parting with them because we gave up unproven guys for a proven pitcher who is under contract for 3 more years! As i texted in to the Waddle & Silvy show on ESPN1000, "prospects are just that, prospects. until they prove something." For all we know the players we gave up could be the next Corey Patterson, Felix Pie, Mark Prior or Dontrelle Willis.......only time will tell. I love that we signed Pena, don't let his numbers fool you folks. Sure, we didn't go out there and land the big name free agents (yes, i'm looking at you Cliff Lee & Adrian Gonzalez) but we had to be realistic about who the Cubs could get. The starting rotation is starting to take form, the bullpen could use some work and the offense has potential. It seems like every year there's a player in the majors who busts out & really makes a name for himself. Who knows, maybe this year it can be a Cub.

This year i wasn't planning on going to Cubs Convention. I'm a full-time working woman and while i have time-off available, i'd rather use it on actual vacations later this year. I was lucky enough to have a friend snag me a free pass so i could go on Saturday! I'm telling you, i'm blessed to have met some awesome people who have big hearts :) Needless to say I had an amazing time Saturday and am so pumped up for this upcoming Cubs season......more specifically i can't wait to get back to Boston this year! No matter what critics and so-called experts say, i will always love my Cubs and believe in them.

Here are some of my 2011 Cubs Convention Pictures!

(Justin Berg & I)

(Silvia & I with Justin Berg)

(Jeff Baker, loved him with the Rockies!)

(Jeff Baker, #28)

(Sean Marshall, so insanely tall lol)

(The Man, The Myth, The Legend......Kerry Wood!!)

(Pitching Panel.)

(Welcome Home Kerry!)

(Randy Wells was running late so he came in late lol)

(Not kidding, this is Todd Walker. 2011 Version.)

(TW7.)

(Cashner: "You from Chicago?"
Me: "Southside!"
Cashner: "And you're NOT a Sox fan?"
Me: "Absolutely not!"
*Cashner HUGE smile*
Awesome guy!)

(Randy Wells)

(Rw36.)

(Jeff Samardzija channeling his inner-Jesus lol)

(Blake DeWitt!!!!!!)

(Totally told him that he & Andre Ethier were my favorite Dodgers.
Blake: "Thanks! Andre's a good player. GREAT player!")

(Tyler Colvin!)

(Aramis Ramirez.)

(Starlin Castro & Rami)

(Starlin was so confused during this panel since he speaks and understands little english LOL)

(New Cub, Carlos Pena!!!!!!)

(I was seriously SO impressed by Pena.)

(New fav Cub, Pena!)

(Rami!)

(Silvia & I decided to ask Starlin a question in Spanish LOL. This is him answering it!)

(Seriously, this is how Carlos Pena is ALL the time! ALWAYS SMILING! I love it!)

(Welcome to Chicago!)

("We've Got to Believe" - Carlos Pena)

(Dominican session! Pena, Castro, Ramirez)

Is it April yet?
Go Cubs Go.

Bears/Jets

2010-12-30T19:53:00.013-06:00

So i have the best cousin ever! My cousin Jason was in from DC & he found some tickets for the Jets/Bears game and i was so super excited because as we all know.......Mark Sanchez is my boy :) Don't worry folks, i was rooting for Da Bears all game long. Here are my pics from the game! Can't believe the regular season is almost over! Bring on the playoffs & the 1st Round Bye!!

BEAR DOWN.

(View from our seats!)

(Cutler & the offense starting the game)

(Jay Cutler & the offense huddling)

(Bears O. Jets D.)

(My dream came true- At a Bears Gm & it snowed!)

(Good as Gould.)

(My Gator, Major Wright!)

(Ohmygod. There he is. MARK. SANCHEZ.)

(Robbie Gould)

(Love the guys all around the heater lol)

(Be Still My Heart.)

(Bears D. They don't need sleeves.)

(I love this pic of Urlacher directing the defense)

(My 2 fav Jets- Mangold & Sanchez!)

(Major Wright with the tackle!!!!!)

(Bears D. Jets O.)

(Jets)

(Mark Sanchez in black & white)

(Regular Mark Sanchez)

(Game Action)

(Doing work)

(Even with a bum shoulder he was still throwing down field)

(The Man, The Myth, The Legend)

(Olin!!!)

(Robbie kicking to the Jets)

(Olsen & Hester!)

(Trying a diff setting on my camera- J.Cutler)

(My boy Greg Olsen!)

(DJ Moore & Chris Harris)

(Offense breaking huddle)

(BFF's)

(J.Knox. Stud.)

(Hester. 23.)

(Offense so close)

(Forte)

( I love this team.)

(Just Another Maynard Monday! Oh & my fellow NIU alum)

(Offense at work)

(Bears Win!!!!!!!!)

(Victory. Bring on the Playoffs!)

(Best cousin in the world!)

2 Games, 2 Wins.

2010-12-13T20:08:00.006-06:00

I am completely aware of how late i am in posting these pics but better late than never, right?

Here are some of my favorite pics from Blackhawks/Blues and Blackhawks/Flames.

Enjoy. And Go Hawks :)

(Seabrook)

(Toews & Dowell during warmups)

(Captain Toews)

(Corey Crawford in net!)

(My favorite, Viktor Stalberg)

(Niklas)

(I have a new camera so i was messing with some settings on it, here's 1 of the pics i took on that particular setting.)

(Sharpie)

(Back Home after the Circus Trip!)

(John Scott fighting!)

(Shawshank!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

(Hawks Win, Congratulating Craw!)

(Saluting the fans after a Win!)

Ohhhhhh Canada......Calgary in town!

(Duncan Keith)

(Morin was recalled! Yay!)

(Tomas Kopecky)

(Niklas in deep concentration lol)

(Tazer during warmups)

(Patrick Kane during warmups in the game he was injured in :( Get Well Soon Kaner!)

(Viktor looks super serious lol!)

(The tree, John Scott)

(Craw!!!)

(Troy Brouwer!)

(Another start, another Crawford win!)

(Success. Hawks Win!)

Loss of a Legend

2010-12-03T21:58:00.005-06:00

Ronald Edward Santo
February 25, 1940 - December 2, 2010

I write this blog with a heavy heart. I never thought i'd have to write a blog on losing a legend, an icon, my idol and one of the best Cubs players to ever play.

(Meeting Ron Santo)

This morning i woke up to my sister telling me, "Pam you need to turn the news on." I was just waking up for work and thought i was dreaming so i responded with, "Why? What happened?" My sister then broke the news to me, "Ron Santo died." I sat at the end of my bed and kept saying, "OH MY GOD NO. NO. OHMYGOD. NO. YOU'RE KIDDING. NO. NOT RONNIE." I was in utter shock. I turned the TV on and saw the news, CUBS LEGEND RON SANTO PASSED AWAY. I immediately broke down and started crying. It was that uncontrollable cry, as some call it, the ugly cry. To some, this probably sounds a bit exaggerated and dramatic but unless you're a Cubs fan you probably have no idea what this is like.

Ron Santo was not only one of the best Cubs players to ever play the game, he was truly a die-hard Cubs fan. He was just like every Cubs fan who puts their heart and soul into every season of Cubs baseball. Every year has hope and optimism that THIS IS THE YEAR. To many, Ron Santo was just like any other Cubs fan except that he once played for the team we all love.

For as far back as i can remember, i can recall my dad always talking about Ron Santo. If there was one thing i knew growing up it was that Ron Santo was a legend. My dad would tell me stories of how Santo would click his heels, make amazing diving catches at 3rd, belt home runs into the bleachers and of course my dad's personal favorite were the Ron Santo pizza's that were sold at Wrigley Field. Fast forward years later and it was revealed that Ron Santo was a juvenile diabetic and had played his whole career hiding this disease from just about everyone. Diabetes hits close to home as most of my family suffers from this disease, one of whom is my father. Santo was only 5 years older than my own parents so hearing that he passed away hit too close to home. When i thought about how close he was in age to my parents and how both my parents are diabetics, like Ron, i completely lost it. I probably cried for 45 minutes straight. Throughout the day i was listening to ESPN1000 and the shows had various listeners, ex-teammates and friends call into the show and recall the great life of Ron Santo. It's hard not to harp on the negative, that he didn't get into the Hall of Fame or that he didn't see a Cubs World Series but while he was with us he brought so much joy, laughter and entertainment into my life from April-September. It's hard to imagine that come April, i'll turn on my radio at my desk to listen to the team that i love with all my heart and know that Ron Santo won't be on the other end. He's in a much better place now. He's no longer suffering or having to fight off disease or cancer. Instead he'll spend this season, and every season from here on out looking down on us cheering for the Cubs from up above. As i type this, tears stream down my face, because i was lucky enough to have met him on several occasions. Each time i left saying, "I love Ron Santo even more."

And even though he's gone, his legacy will live on. All the great work he's done with JDRF, raising millions upon millions of dollars to help find a cure to diabetes. His flag will always proudly fly at Wrigley. His #10 is forever retired and etched in Cubs history. And i hope soon that MLB or the Cubs make an award in his honor. I truly never will forget Ron. He'll always be a part of every Cubs season because we won't forget him. Hopefully i can talk my supervisor into letting me get out of work early for the service on Thursday. I'm sure it will be insanity but i have to go and try to pay my respects for one of my heroes. As the tears continue to roll down my cheek i end with this- Ron, if you're looking down on us.......put in a good word for us with the big guy. RIP Ron.

(2 years ago i met Ron at a Cubs game. I finally got a picture with my hero and he couldn't have been nicer. This picture may be a few years old but it means so much more to me now.)

"Ron Santo is saying and doing the same things other Cubs fans are saying and doing.....only he gets broadcast on the radio"
- David Kaplan

LA Kings @ Blackhawks

2010-10-28T22:13:00.010-05:00

Went to last night's Blackhawks/Kings game last minute to see 2 of my favorite non-hawks players, Anze Kopitar and Jack Johnson =) Here are some pics from the game!

(Such a cool bike!)

(Sometimes i can't believe that we actually won the Cup *sigh*)

(Anze Kopitar!)

(Anze stretching)

(Team USA! Dustin Brown!)

(Patrick Sharp)

(MAJOR FREAKOUT- JACK JOHNSON!)

(I love Jack Johnson!!!!)

(Seabs)

(Kopecky)

(Hossa, pre-injury. I don't want to talk about it.)

(Kaner)

(Warm ups)

(Hossa, get well soon!)

(Patrick Kane)

(Patrick Sharp)

(Kopi!!!)

(John Joseph Louis Johnson)

(Dunc licking his lips? LOL)

(Oh Dunc)

(Our seats)

(Goal Fist Bumps)

(Kopi over by us)

(Think i'm going to get a Jack Johnson shirt soon lol)

(Turco had an amazing night!)

(Roomies talking to Turco)

(More goal fist bumping)

(Kopi)

(Hawks Win!)

(Salute!)

(#3 Star- Jake Dowell)

(#2 Star- My Boy, Viktor Stalberg)

(#1 Star- Marty Turco)

(Listen, i'm not saying but i'm just saying i've been to 2 home games & he's scored in BOTH games. Draw your own conclusions lol)

(Vik being interviewed)

Take I-55 all the way until you see the Arch.

2010-10-24T16:05:00.016-05:00

I need to stop slacking on this blogging thing! It's been a busy time in my life recently. I just received a promotion at my job and have begun training to receive special certification from the state of Illinois. I started training Monday & was immediately told that we have 25 chapters to cover in less than a month as our testing date is November 18th. Needless to say i kind of freaked out because there is SO much material to learn. I thought my days of reading and studying were over but alas, they are not.

Anyways, I went to the Hawks/Canucks game on Wednesday. Unfortunately, my camera lens decided to break right as i was taking pictures of the Stanley Cup Banner. Just my luck! And i swear to you this same camera had a similar problem earlier this year.......at a Canucks/Hawks gm!!!!! I think it's a sign that my camera hates the Canucks as much as i do. Lesson Learned. So i wasn't able to take many pictures at that game but luckily i have insurance on my camera and will be getting it repaired soon. Thursday night i went to Best Buy & bought a new Nikon camera. To me having a pricey camera is worth it because i use my camera SO much. I may try selling my other Canon camera since i have this new camera so if you're interested in a Canon Powershot SX1o IS please let me know! I bought the camera for almost $400 & it's in great shape, it's about 1 1/2 years old. I don't want to part with it but really don't need to have 2 similar cameras.

I was able to christen my new camera for the Blackhawks @ Blues game this past Friday. My brother was able to score some amazing seats, 5 rows off the ice, and i was able to take the day off from training so i could make the trip down to STL. My brother, sister-in-law & I made the 5 1/2 hour trek down to St. Louis and were really excited about the game. There's just something so much more fun about going to an arena other than your home arena to see your team play. We were able to book a pretty sweet hotel right by the river and literally across the street from the Arch, it was also only 10 blocks away from the arena so it was a short walk to and from the game. For years i've been going to Busch Stadium for Cubs/Cards and the environment is usually a hostile one but it seems as though this Hawks/Blues match-up is becoming just as hostile. So many drunk blues fans were talking major smack and really all i had to say was, "Defending Stanley Cup Champions!" That usually did the trick until they were too dumb to talk hockey and soon changed the talk to baseball, because well that makes sense! Wish we had walked out of there with a win to extend our win streak but also because i wanted to shut their ignorant fans up lol. Sadly we lost and i think the tough grind of all these games to start the season is starting to get to them. Short off season plus new faces to the team seems to have the Hawks still finding their groove. The defense is missing Campbell & goal scorers just aren't scoring goals yet. But the season is still young and things can turn around quickly. Overall it was a great trip to STL i just wish we could have brought home a victory! Here are some pics from St. Louis! Enjoy & leave some feedback!

(Arriving in St.Louis)

(Champions taking the ice)

(Marian Hossa)

(Took this pic of Dave Bolland to show that he actually is still on the team because i forgot he was with us since he's been virtually MIA.)

(Duncan Keith skating during warmups)

(The 2 Swedes of the team lol)

(Warm Ups)

(Hossa)

(Viktor Stalberg)

(Pisani)

(Seabsy)

(JSkille)

(More Seabs)

(Patrick Sharp)

(Tazer doing his Captain's duties lol)

(Patrick Kane)

(Viktor)

(Hossa skating past)

(Epic Bromance, Duncbrook)

(Dowell & Viktor)

(Seabs skating past)

(Sharp Attack)

(Dunc!)

(Brow, Bolland, Skille & Crawford)

(Sharpie!!!!!!!!!!!!)

(Tazer doing some passing)

(PJ!)

(Kaner)

(Sharpie so close!)

(Love this pic of Sharpie)

(Sharpie is close enough to reach out & touch)

(Tazer)

(Seabs during warmups)

(Viktor Stalberg!!!!)

(I love this pic, look at the name stretch across the back of his jersey lol)

(Niklas!)

(Viktor)

(Danica Patrick dropped the puck....BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO lol)

(I love Erik Johnson, go ahead judge me lol)

(Dowell fighting!!!)

(These teams hate each other)

(Halak in net for the Blue Music Notes, i mean Blues)

(Tazer & Kaner, proof they too aren't MIA.)

(Dunc owning the blue line! booyah!)

(View from our seats)

(Erik Johnson)

(Turco was over in our end for the 2nd period)

(Over by us)

(Turco, just stay in net lol)

(Turco)

(EJ)

(Poor Hjal, sacrificing his body to block a shot and he's clearly in pain)

(I swear to you, the Blues have this lame thing called the 'Power Play Dance' and it is absolutely ridiculous lol. See?)

(I absolutely hate Nick Boynton)

(Erik Johnson in the sin bin, tisk tisk)

(Viktor)

(John Scott finally fighting!!!!!!!!!!!!)

(John Scott is a massive human)

(Hoss)

(Fight with Kopecky, Hossa & Tazer involved)

(Tazer likes to get involved in fights with the Blues lol)

(Penalties being served)

(Hossa lost his stick *thats what she said*)

(Viktor over by us)

(Best Viktor picture EVER)

(Slovak power)

(Fammmmmm)

Blackhawks Edition

2010-08-25T11:53:00.016-05:00

I'm back......and with a NEW blog! It has been awhile since my last blog and i realized since my last blog, 2 things have occurred- i got my 1st tattoo and the blackhawks convention!!!!!

We'll start with the tattoo.....sometime before the Blackhawks got into the playoffs my best friend and i made a little pact. We knew this Blackhawks team was good, actually GREAT, so Mal and i decided to make a pact between the 2 of us. We decided that if the Blackhawks won the 2010 Stanley Cup we would get matching Blackhawks tattoos. We use to always say that our 1st tattoo would be a Cubs logo and then the date of when the Cubs won the World Series. We for sure thought this would happen in 2008, but of course we were wrong. So we shook hands sometime during the season making the pact that if we won the Stanley Cup this year we would get the Blackhawks feathers tattooed on us. FOREVER. LOL. During high school and college i worked at the mall and the manager at the store i worked at has a husband who is a tattoo artist. She gave me his number and i set up an appointment......and yes i was SO nervous. I looked at all my Blackhawks program looking for a picture of the perfect feathers. I wanted something not too big but not too small either. I finally found the ones i wanted. My 2 best friends went with me to get my tattoo done and i think i worked myself up because i went in and i was SO nervous!!! Then when he started my tattoo i was like, "this isn't bad at all!!!!!" Seriously it didn't even hurt. So 30 minutes later i walked out of the tattoo shop with the Blackhawks feathers tattooed (in color) on the inside of my left ankle. And yes, i would do it all over again if given the chance. I absolutely love my tattoo. Everytime i look at it i just smile, it brings back a flood of memories that include everything from Hossa's OT Gm Winner early in the playoffs all the way to being at my 1st Championship parade. I know some people will judge me or my tattoo but you're only young once and this tattoo has special memories for ME. Here are a few pictures of my tattoo....feel free to leave feedback on it :)

(The outline of my tattoo)

(This was the finished product, sorry the camera failed to focus lol)

(And there it is, a better pic of the finished product...my blackhawks tattoo)

And as many of you know last month was the Blackhawks Convention!!!! It was AMAZING!!!! I personally liked Opening Ceremonies best because of all the highlight videos and i got to meet some of the people from twitter! It was good to put faces to names hahaha! That weekend was great because it was really the 1st time since we won the Cup that the team (ahem, what's left of it) was able to be together and talk about what it has been like to win the cup, have their day with the cup and how they've dealt with being champions. I did take some video, if you want to check them out go to my youtube page: http://www.youtube.com/priorsgirl22

(Of course the Cup was there. I'm telling you, it's even better in person.)

(Tony!!)

(Niklas Hjalmarsson!)

(Seabsy Boy!)

(I love this pic of Sharpie! AMAZING!)

(Soup lifting the Cup!!!!)

(Tazer addressing the crowd at Opening Ceremonies!)

(Kaner proceeded to dance, it was NOT good lol)

(My hand in someone's glove, i don't remember who *thats what she said*)

(Aaron Johnson's gloves! I miss him!)

(Duncan Keith's gloves!)

(Dunc's tooth that was found in the zamboni?)

(Benny's jersey!!!!!!!!)

(Conn Smythe Trophy)

(Nichole & I in between convention sessions)

(This was Eager's stick!)

(I later tried on Eager's gear.....)

(This was the result LOL)

(BFF's brawllllllll!)

(My girls & i doing our best Tazer impression. You know what's up lol)

(Went to the BHTV session with Brouwer. He was a little bitter that there was a "I LOVE ARI BROUWER" sign at the championship parade & not one for him LOL!)

(Hjal was there too, toftbo!)

(Who doesn't love his Hawks/IKEA commercial? I mean really....)

(Eddie O hosted the Olympians session)

(Olympians (L to R): Toews, Keith, Seabrook & Kane)

(Proof that Toews does in fact smile lol. This was probably after the guy said, "Toews i love you!" hahaha)

(Seabrook, most likely talking about his love of Pronger *gag*)

(Duncbrook, epic bromance)

(Classic Seabs face LOL! He seriously makes the best expressions haha)

(My fav dman!! Dunc!)

(Captain Serious)

(Toews)

(My gurlllllsssssss!)

(This pic was too funny, i couldn't not post it haha)

(WGN Radio Panel with Toews & Kane)

(Sharpie later had his own session on WGN Radio)

(Patrick Sharp, FTW!)

(Sunday Panel with Keith, Seabs & Sharpie. And yes, Seabs was writing something on a napkin lol)

(Champions............)

(Sharpie!)

(Jordy & Stalberg)

(Ah yes, Viktor Stalberg.)

(Oh hey Viktor!)

(Victor Stalberg)

(Bickell, Skille, Campbell & Kane)

(Kaner, most likely hung over)

(Skille)

(Patrick Kane)

(Hotel Room Keys were AWESOME!)

(Another funny pic, BLACKHAWKS fedoras to close out the convention...)

Hope everyone enjoyed the pictures! Hockey is just around the corner......hope to see everyone at training camp next month =)

"I Think I'll Go To Boston........."

2010-07-11T20:07:00.014-05:00

So for those of you who follow me on twitter you know that i recently fulfilled a dream and went to Boston. One of my best friends and i have always dreamed of going to Boston and the last few years we have always gone on a "baseball roadtrip". In the last few years we've gone to Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, St.Louis, Cleveland and now Boston. It has always been my dream to see a Red Sox game in person at Fenway Park. The Red Sox were in town (boston) playing their division rival Tampa Bay Rays. Words can't express how amazing Fenway Park is in person. Walking from the concourse and toward the field i was so excited. When i finally saw the field i was stunned. I couldn't believe i was there!!!! I've been to Wrigley Field hundreds of thousands of times but there was something especially magical about Fenway. Just being in a ballpark that is so old and has so much history behind it was truly an honor. My bff and i have a bucket list of things we want to do and one of them was: Sing 'Sweet Caroline' in person at Fenway Park. And needless to say, we did that. Our trip to Fenway was so much fun. I walked away with a got ellsbury? sticker. a jacoby ellsbury shirt. a red sox shirt. a program. tons of memories. and i even tried a fenway frank! lol! I can't wait to go back....and you better believe that if the cubs play there next year i'll be booking my hotel and airplane ticket to boston asap.

Here's some pics from my trip, i hope you enjoy them as much as i enjoyed taking them =)

(Visiting the Orr statue!!!!)

(Bobby Orr Famous Statue: SC Game Winning Goal Statue)

(My dream is to go to BU to get my Master's, i met with an admissions counselor for the BUSPH.)

(I loved this jersey but it was too big :( it's ok i'm ordering one online instead! When i see this jersey i think Mike Eruzione lol)

(Fenway Park Gate Entrances)

(Inside the ballpark/concourse area)

(View from our seats!)

(I got to see Tyler Seguin throw out the 1st pitch!!!! He's the Bruins pick, 2nd overall in this years draft.)

(We all know Tyler > Taylor lol.)

(Red Sox outfielders warming up)

(Evan Longoria Batting)

(Sean Rodriguez started in RF!! I like to say he's probably my fam lol)

(Sunsetting during the game, simply amazing)

(Green Monster)

(More Green Monster)

(No zoom on my camera, view from our seats)

(bffs at our 1st gm at fenway!! me in my ellsbury shirt! heyyyoooo!)

(Honestly, i love Fenway as much as i love Wrigley Field)

(Outfield bleachers)

(For the last few years i always said, "i want to go to fenway and see big papi hit a home-run." well wish no more, i saw it. in person. and he hit it to the right of us. thanks papi for making my wish come true.)

(Pesky's Pole!!!!)

(Some black & white pics)

(I love taking black and white photos)

(black and white pic of the "green" monster)

(This pic is hilarious, JD Drew was all rubbing Mike Cameron's back while there was a pitching change lol.)

(Papelbon in!! AND WE GOT TO HEAR SHIPPING UP TO BOSTON!)

(Red Sox Win!)

(On the Fenway Tour)

(Beautiful View)

(On the Budweiser Deck, these seats are won on a lottery basis. Amazing view.)

(See those dashes? Morse Code message for the Yawkey's. So cool!)

(Suite View at Fenway)

(Black & White Suite View)

(Retired Numbers. Did you know Ted Williams is part Mexican? And in the Mexican Hall of Fame? Pretty awesome!)

(Finally! ON THE GREEN MONSTER! OMG OMG OMG)

(Fenway Park, oldest ballpark in MLB)

(On the green monster!! Dream big, or go home!)

(Field Level for BP. Their ushers aren't nazi's like at Wrigley and they let you get as close to the field as you want. Thanks Fenway ushers lol)

(This Team. This Year. Memories Forever)

(Matt Garza is my mexican-american boo lol)

(We got SRO tix for the 2nd game and they had an amazing view. Not to mention they give you a bar table to lean on and eat at!)

(Evan Longoria's Faux Hawk!!!!!!!!!!!)

(It was a blow out, Rays Win!)

It's not Good-Bye Fenway, it's see you later :)

Bittersweet Good-Bye

2010-06-25T16:29:00.006-05:00

As we all now know the Blackhawks pulled off a major trade this week sending Byfuglien, Eager, Sopel and Aliu to ATL. Hawks fans knew management had their backs up against the wall, er i mean the cap and we all knew trades were going to happen in order to free up some money. Even though the cap will go up next season the Hawks still had to make trades. Along with the big trade with ATL, the Hawks also sent Colin Fraser to Edmonton. It sucks that my favorite player, Ben Eager, was sent elsewhere but i knew a trade was highly likely. Now that Buff, Eager, Sopel and Frazzle are gone it's time for the prospects and guys in Rockford to step up and win a spot on the roster and prove they have what it takes to help keep the Cup in Chicago. To think a few months ago no one knew the name Byfuglien, moreless how to pronounce it. Now people across the country know who he is. Question is, who wants to step up and be the next Byfuglien? So to you 4 boys who helped bring the Cup back to Chicago, you're gone but will never be forgotten. Buff, Eags, Frazzle and Sopes will always have a special place in my heart. From Buff getting inside the head of a gold medalist goalie, 2 years in a row, to Eager's unlikely goal in the SCF. Frazzle's crazy white boy fro. And Sopel sacrificing his body to block shots and kill penalties. I'll always root for them and wish them nothing but the best. Miss you boys already...........

(Bye Benny Boo, i'll miss you my favorite Hawk!)

(Buff will be SO missed!)

(Thanks for blocking shots and for being a great guy)

(Frazzle & his epic fro!!!)

(Saw Aliu in a shootout earlier this year)

And i can't forget to say Congrats to Duncan Keith, my favorite dman in the entire league. He won the Norris Trophy making him the top defenseman in the league. He's one of my favorite Hawks and i couldn't be more proud of him. He's had quite a year....he won Gold in Vancouver, won the cup, lost 7 teeth, won the Norris oh and he got engaged!

(pics from yahoo sports)

We Are The Champions!!!!!

2010-06-13T19:23:00.010-05:00

Well fellow Blackhawks fans, it's official. We are the 2010 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS!!!!
Even days later, i still can't believe the team i love are the champs. Watching this team all season long we knew they were a special bunch. One of my favorite moments of the season just so happened to be a game i was at. My friends and i were at the Flames game where we were down 5 goals. We came back to win it in OT (a Seabrook game winner!) i remember sitting with my friends and thinking this team is scary good. Every fan thinks their team can (and will) win a championship but as i sat there and watched the Hawks slowly come back to tie up the game i just knew that this year was special, this team was special and i was watching something special happen on the West Side.

From being at the preseason game vs the Capitals in September to the Championship Parade/Rally on Friday, and every moment in between....i have truly enjoyed and have had the best 9 months of my life. Every single one of the guys on this Blackhawks team will have a special place in my heart. I'll look back on this championship and tell my kids how the Blackhawks took over this city. How there were 2 million people at their parade. How Duncan Keith took a puck to the mouth, lost 7 teeth and missed only a few shifts. How 'Byfuglien' went from an obscure name to a household name. How Niemi won the job from a veteran and SAID NO! How Jonathan Toews won the Conn Smythe. How Patrick Kane scored a goal with 13 seconds left to tie up a game. How the Hawks killed off a 5 min major and Hossa won the game. How Seabrook took a hit to the head from a friend. How unlikely guys like Eager, Sopel & Kopecky scored HUGE goals. How Brouwer played despite a sick father. How Hossa proved there was no "Hossa Curse". And most importantly how this Blackhawks team made hockey in Chicago a relevant sport again. It may have never left......but it sure has returned.

The United Center went from less than half full to a full capacity crowd with 100+ sellouts. This season has honestly been so amazing. And i love that my friends and i were there to experience it from day 1 of the season. From 20+ games, to a roadtrip, to Hawks Convention, to hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on merchandise........i have memories that will last me a lifetime. So to all my fellow Blackhawks fans, enjoy this time and congrats! I'll see you all at Hawks Convention next month!

(in the city when the hawks won the cup! #1!)

(i stopped to take pics of the indian head in the building)

(Also the Cup + LETS GO HAWKS!)

(I absolutely love my city!)

(At the Blackhawks parade/rally on Friday)

(Versteeg & Niemi!!!!)

(Kris Versteeg!!!! I'm realistic and know i may never see him play for the Hawks again)

(Soup, Buff & Bolland)

(Oh Buff, you are amazing)

(Oh Seabs, whatcha doing? lol)

(This is hilarious, Brouwer)

(Son of a BEACH!!! and gtfo of my pic Huet!)

(Why was Sharpie being such a debbie downer and sitting????)

(Frazzle knows how to party!)

(And finally.......the CUP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

(Jonathan MVP Toews & drunko Kaner!)

(This is my fav pic, Toews is looking up & taking it in while Kaner is getting drunkkkkkk lol)

(Toews & Kane)

(Coach Q is my hero!)

(Eddie O! With Steeger, Bur, Bolland, & Soup)

(Brouwer being introduced)

(Seabs looks like a vampire lmfao. Cast him in Breaking Dawn lol!)

(Hossa! Nemo!)

(Sharpie talking to the crowd!)

("10, is pretty sexy" -bhtv)

(Steeger aspiring to be a rapper, but failing lol)

(Seabsy boy lifting the cup)

(Sharpie lifting the Cup)

(Brouwer lifting the Cup)

(Ohmygod. What is Kaner doing? lol)

(Kaner + Bur= trouble)

(Oh Kaner, you are such a hot mess but you are OUR hot mess. -sincerly, chicago)

(Yup, this just happened lol)

(Bur!)

(I went on a quest for the Cup and found it!!!! Ladd in front of me with the Cup!)

(Oh and Tazer was standing in front of me!!!)

(Ladd took the Cup back on the bus.)

(Frazzle loved the crowd!!! Burish was inside the bus)

(And another pic of Lord Stanley's Cup)

A Mullet for Charity......

2010-05-17T20:23:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite players right now is Troy Tulowitzki. He's an old-school player who is wise beyond his years. He's all about hard work, letting your bat do the talking and leading by example. Last season he started growing out a mullet, yes folks he had the mullet with the lines on the side before Patrick Kane lol. Tulo announced early in Spring Training this season that he would be growing out a mullet all season long. Most thought he was joking around but alas, he wasn't. In fact he's growing a mullet.......for CHARITY! Guys like Tulo often go unrecognized because he doesn't play in a big market but the guy is a stud athlete and a great guy. So i'm encouraging everyone to please donate to this good cause. Even if it's only $1, it's going to an amazing cause. You can find out about the charity and how to donate here.

I've already decided to donate $10 every month and check on Tulo's mullet every month. To hear from Tulo about this charity check out this video. I truly love seeing star athlete's give back to the community and doing something like this for such a good cause. Not to mention, it'll be fun to see Tulo grow out a mullet for a whole season, lol.

(There it is, Tulo's mullet thus far: 5/17/10 @ Wrigley Field)

a sports filled weekend

2010-05-06T21:10:00.007-05:00

So last weekend i cheered on my 2 of my favorite teams in Chicago, the Blackhawks & Cubs.

Saturday i went to Blackhawks/Canucks with my bff and her sister, and to say we were disappointed and letdown is an understatement. The game was basically over after the 1st period but we are real fans and stuck around for the whole game. Real fans don't leave a game early, no matter what the score is. And win or lose i always have a good time at games. Just being with my friends makes me happy =) Here are some of my pics from Saturday's Game 1 vs the Canucks.

(Ladd during warmups)

(Buff wasn't much of a force in this game, but def was in game 3)

(Eager wasn't in the lineup but look at the look he's giving to the Canucks during warmups lol)

(Kaner workin on his smooth moves)

(Niemi, he can't be perfect so i can handle 1 bad game)

(I hate these guys, SOOOOOOOOOOO much)

(Dropping the puck on Game 1)

(Tazer! Helmet off! Be careful, lol)

(Kaner in the sin bin, impressive mullet)

(Theme of the night, lots of late hits and chippy-ness)

So on Sunday i went with my girls to the Cubs Game. My 1st Cubs game of the season......and they won!!!!! I love my friends so much. BIEBER! lmfao! *sorry inside joke* Anyways, it was fun even though we had seats in the boonies . We did go and stand behind the plate in SRO. Saw 1 of Anita's sorority sisters who works at Wrigley and saw an old autograph buddy =) It was a great day with friends and only made better because of a Cubs win. I honestly don't think it gets better than singing 'Go Cubs Go' with friends after a Cubs victory.

(We had brunch at Rockit Wrigleyville. If you haven't had brunch there you are SO missing out!)

(We sat in the boonies for a few innings!)

(Geo is my favorite position player! yayyyy)

(DLee up to bat)

(Marlon Byrd Home-Run!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

(Soriano's 2nd HR of the day)

(Sori HR!)

(Tyler Colvin came in to play LF in the 9th!)

(Golden Girls style victory hug hahahah)

(Cubs Win! Cubs Win! GO CUBS GO!)

(A fab day with my girls!!! love youssssss)

Bring on the Canucks!!!!!

2010-04-27T15:53:00.004-05:00

Last nite the Blackhawks defeated the Predators to advance to the 2nd round. Who will they play? The Vancouver Canucks. If you're a Hawks fan like me, you probably cringed when you heard we would be playing them. There is so much bad blood between these 2 teams over the past few years. The players hate each others, fans hate the teams and players and it's safe to say this could get ugly. On some degree i actually hate the Canucks more than the Red Wings. If you're a Hawks fan you are expected to hate the Red Wings, but hating the Canucks is something that is recent for Hawks fans. If it's not Burrows pulling Duncan Keith's glorious hair then it's Kesler calling Ladd a "coward". Then of course there is Luongo crying about Byfuglien screening him too much. My personal favorite is Luongo crying after losing to the Hawks last year after Patrick Kane's Hat Trick sent the Canucks packing. I was in attendance for that game and it was epic. It was by far the greatest moment i've ever had at a game. To be at the playoffs was amazing enough. But then to SEE a hat trick in person during the playoffs? I almost cried i was so happy.

So as this Round 2 matchup of the Blackhawks vs. Canucks is set to kick off Friday (or Saturday) i am so pumped up for it. I'll be at Game 1 and i can only hope and pray for an amazing game (okay fine, and a Hawks Victory!) In March, we went to the Hawks/Canucks game and we ended up chasing Luongo from goal and sent him to the bench. I don't want to sound cocky but it's safe to say that the Hawks have Luongo's number *knocks on wood*. At this point it may be a psychological thing.....simply put, we are in his head. I hope Coach Q moves Byfuglien back up and lets him yap at Luongo all game and get in his head. Expect another big game from Patrick Kane. There are some guys who just step up when the game is on the line. Patrick Kane is a special player who shows up when he needs to. His playoff numbers are beyond impressive and he loves facing Luongo. Speaking of Patrick Kane, i'm extremely superstitious........every single game that the Blackhawks won i had on a Patrick Kane shirt on. The games i didn't wear a Patrick Kane shirt? We lost. So since i'm going to the game Friday i'm scared. I don't know what to wear. Like i said i'm superstitious, so should i wear a Kane shirt to the game or my Duncan Keith jersey? Or as my bff suggested, a Kane shirt under my Dunc jersey lol. It's a new Round and Matchup so i don't know if i should continue my superstitious ways and keep rocking Kaner or what! lol. So Hawks fans, what should i do? Give me your advice!!!

Send the Canucks home!!!!! Let Luongo cry into his Gold Medal......i'd rather have the Cup anyways. GO BLACKHAWS!!!!!!!!!

(Kaner's Hat Trick)

(Cleaning up from Kaner's hat trick)

(Hat Trick in the Playoffs? That's what dreams are made of.)

(We sent the Canucks home!!!!!)

(Handshakes as the Hawks advance.)

(This game still brings a smile to my face, even a year later.)

(Kaner being interviewed after his hat trick!)

GO BLACKHAWKS!!!!!! Lets Bring Home a Game 1 Victory, Boys!!!!!

No-Hitters.

2010-04-19T23:07:00.004-05:00

On Saturday, the Rockies Ubaldo Jimenez pitched the clubs 1st no-hitter. As i sat and watched the team celebrate and took in the amazing accomplishment i had flashbacks of being at a no-hitter. Yes folks, i was at a no-hitter. No it wasn't Carlos Zambrano's no-no. It was in fact Mark Buehrle's 2007 no-hitter. Even as a Cubs fan, being at a no-hitter of a Sox player was simply amazing. I'm a baseball fan in general and i appreciate good baseball any day of the week. So being at a no-hitter is something i will probably never experience again. The combination of outstanding pitching and good defense come together to make just the right conditions for a no-hitter. It takes a special kind of pitcher to be able to throw a no-hitter and so when Ubaldo was in the midst of the no-no i wasn't shocked. He has electric stuff when he is on and that night, he had stellar defense behind him. I couldn't have been happier for Ubaldo, earlier this month i was lucky enough to meet him and have a short convo with him. He signed autographs for just about everyone and was all smiles, even when a fan called him by the wrong name. (boy how dumb does that guy feel now?!) I've adopted the Rockies as my 2nd favorite team so i've now lived to see a Cubs no-hitter, a Rockies no-hitter & even a no-hitter in person.

So folks, next time you head out to the ballpark be sure to sit back and enjoy every moment......you never know what you may see.

(Mark Buehrle's Celebration)

(Beer Shower)

(Mark Buehrle after his no-hitter)

(Meeting Ubaldo earlier this month)

(The man who threw the Rockies 1st no-hitter in history)

(That's the autograph of a man who threw a no hitter saturday)

A Twins Winner in Extras!

2010-04-11T18:29:00.006-05:00

One of the best things about living in Chicago is having to 2 ball clubs in the city. I'm a born and raised Southsider but my heart belongs to the boys on the Northside. I live, eat, sleep and breathe Chicago Cubs baseball from February-October. The Cubs will always be the #1 baseball team in my life but i absolutely love baseball in general and root for other teams. Among them are the Minnesota Twins. Much like the Colorado Rockies, they're a smaller market team that often flies under the radar and relies on their farm system to develop major league ballplayers. Since the Twins are in the AL, i decided to go to the Sox/Twins game to see the divisional match-up. I'm not that Cubs fan who REFUSES to go to US Cellular, like i said i love watching baseball and won't pass up watching the game i grew up on. In fact, not many know this.....but i was once a Chicago White Sox fan. Yes folks, you read that correctly i once rooted for the southsiders.

Like i said before, i was born and raised on the southside. I remember being a LITTLE kid and going to then Comiskey Park. My brother liked the White Sox and so he kind of pushed them on me. My mom, dad and sister have always been Cubs fan but of course being a little kid i rebelled and rooted for the Sox. Often my school would give away Sox tickets for anything from Perfect Attendance to Honor Roll. I use to get tickets all the time and my brother would take me because the rest of my fam refused to go to a Sox game lol. My favorite player was Ozzie Guillen, followed by Frank Thomas and Robin Ventura. But i'll never forget going to 1 Sox game in particular. Like i said, Ozzie Guillen was my absolute favorite player. He was a stud at shortstop, how could i not like him? Anyways, at this 1 game i remember getting one of those mini baseball bats, the ones that had the Sox logo on it. I remember it being my dream to meet Ozzie and to get him to autograph my bat. I stood by the dugout waiting for him to come in........i waited and then finally......Ozzie was running to the dugout. It was me and about 3 other little kids waiting for him and screaming his name. "OZZIE! OZZIE! CAN I HAVE YOUR AUTOGRAPH? OZZIE! PLEASE" Ozzie looked at us........and said "I AIN'T SIGNING NO AUTOGRAPHS" I remember standing there in complete disbelief. What kind of person says no to little kids? I literally had to be 5 or 6 years old. It wasn't so much what he said but the way he said it. With such disgust and hostility in his voice. As soon as he said that he ran into the dugout......i was so angry that my favorite player was such a jerk! I turned around and walked to my seat and said, "I WILL NEVER ROOT FOR THIS TEAM AGAIN! I HATE THEM!" And.....since then.......i haven't rooted for them. My mom and dad swooped in and had me watching Cubs baseball at every opportunity from then on out. And i couldn't be more grateful. One moment is all it took for me to forever hate the team on the southside and adopt the Chicago Cubs as my favorite team. I haven't looked back and wouldn't have it any other way. I have so many great memories because of the Cubs and even though we have yet to win a World Series i still hold out hope. It's easy to be a fan of a winning team but it takes a special kind of person to be a fan of a team that isn't accustomed to winning.

I tell that story because every time i return to US Cellular i'm flooded with flashbacks. Every time i see Ozzie, my blood boils and i remember the words he shouted to 4 little kids almost 20 years ago. I will always hold a grudge against Ozzie and the Chicago White Sox. Is it unfair? Maybe. But put yourself in my shoes as a little 5 year old just wanting to meet their idol. Looking back on it, it was probably the best thing to happen to me. I'm a strong believer that everything happens for a reason........

So now that i've explained that.....here are my pics from the Twins/Sox game Friday Nite.

I walked in to see Joe Mauer right in front of me!

Justin Morneau!

It was FREEZING out, can you tell? lol

Brendan Harris, ex-cub :(

Nick Blackburn!

Meeting Carl Pavano!!!!

Mauer during BP.

ODawg!

Ron Coomer interviewing Joe Mauer :)

This man is my favorite baseball player!

JMo during the National Anthem.

Who does Beckham think he is standing like this? Guy seems SO cocky!

Denard Span!!!

Game Action.....

Jim Thome tipping his hat to the fans, giving him a standing-o.

I got to see Mauer pinch hit. And get the game winning run :)

Twins Win! Twins Win!

Nothing like walking outta the Cell in Twins Gear Victorious :)

Bucket List Item #18: Meet Tulo. Completed.

2010-04-07T16:46:00.012-05:00

Yesterday my best friend and i went to go see our 2nd favorite baseball team, the Colorado Rockies, play the Brewers in Milwaukee. I'm lucky enough that my best friend & i share practically all the same interests and love almost all the same teams. It may sound cheesy, but people are placed in your life for a reason. My best friend and i are like long lost sisters. There's never a dull moment in our lives and she truly is a great friend. We finish each others sentences, we know what each other are thinking before it's said and we rarely ever fight! We love going on the road to see players/teams we love and this baseball season it is no different. 2nd game into the season we made the trip up to Milwaukee to see the Rockies play the Brewers. In 2007, my best friend and i fell in love with a player on the Rockies. Maybe you've heard of him- Troy Tulowitzki. I took Tulo in 2007 on my fantasy team & absolutely love the way he plays the game. We would watch highlights of Tulo's spectacular plays at shortstop on Baseball Tonite and we found ourselves rooting for both him and the Rockies team. I like the Rockies so much because they truly are a homegrown team. They don't go out there and buy their players and they don't have an insane payroll. They're not a team filled with superstars. They're not a team in a huge city. They're not a team with selfish players. I love that they're a team few pay attention to and that they sneak up on the rest of baseball & find themselves in the postseason. With that being said, my best friend and i decided we wanted to go see the Rockies. We figured Milwaukee is less than 2 hrs away so that's perfect. And it was. We left mid-afternoon, stopped on Marquette's campus for some Starbucks and then headed over to Miller Park. When the gates opened to the ballpark we immediately headed over to the 3rd base line since that's the visitor's side. We walked in to see the Rockies warming up and various players were taking batting practice. Here are my pics from that moment on.............

(Chris Iannetta running into the dugout)

(We stood by Ian Stewart & Tulo warming up)

(Tulo taking groundballs)

(The Man, The Myth.....Todd Helton)

(My favorite Rockies player: Ian Stewart)

(Troy Tulowitzki, he was singing during BP. It was hilarious!)

(There was a little kid by us in Rockies gear who called Tulo over. Who can say no to a kid? Oh wait, Ozzie Guillen. But that's a whole different story lol)

(Tulo making his way over to sign!!!)

(And here it is.....Tulo sweet spotting my baseball!)

(My wonderful Tulo autograph)

(Spilly running in from BP)

(Ubaldo Jimenez!!! He signed for some guy & the guy was like 'Thanks Carlos!' and i was like 'uhhhhh that's Ubaldo!' and Ubaldo laughed and then signed for me lmao. Racist Brewers fan, what every Hispanic guys name is Carlos?! hahaha)

(National Anthem in front of us)

(Seth Smith)

(Jeff Francis made an appearance. Unfortunately, it wasn't on the mound.)

(Troy Tulowitzki xoxo)

(Tulo waiting on the top step)

(I love this pic of Carlos Gonzalez)

(Dexter Fowler got the start)

(This pic cracks me up. Bald Heads Unite! hahaha)

(I absolutely adore Todd Helton. He's a class act & he's old school baseball. They just don't make baseball players like him anymore.)

(CarGo right by us)

(Greg Smith. Yeah.....not exactly what you call good)

(Fireworks going off indoors.....view from our seats)

(Ian Stewart manning 3rd base)

(My favorite Ian pic!!!! He then hit a solo home-run!)

(Tulo batting, much more straight up & not slouching over the plate anymore)

(Tulo loves standing on the top step)

(My 2 fav Rockies, Ian & Tulo)

(hahaha, Tulo's making a Seabrook face! lmfao!)

(Sup, Tulo? :) lol)

(Prince Fielder, fattest vegetarian EVER! He was on 3rd base & running home and he all of sudden tripped and fell hahahahaha. It's cuz he's too fat, let's be real. Too top heavy lmao)

(IStewart at 2B. HR? Check. Double? Check.......)

(Another fav pic of mine. Love the boys on the top step while Spilly is pinch hitting)

(My fav, Ian Stewart!)

(We had a great view to the game)

(Seth Smith & Tulo)

(Trevor Hoffman came in to close it out. He's 7 saves away from 600. That is siiiiiickkkkk)

(Ian after his triple. So he had a HR, Triple & Double. He fell a single short of the cycle. So glad i drafted this guy on my fantasy league!)

(Seth Smith came in to Pinch Hit!!!!)

(And so did Jason Giambi)

(And there's my Ubaldo autograph!)

Even though the Rockies lost, my bff and i had a great time. We accomplished one of our many bucket list items and it's only Game 2 of 162 =)

Tyler Colvin

2010-03-25T20:23:00.003-05:00

(Tyler Colvin circa 2007)

(Tyler Colvin in Spring Training 2007!)

(Tyler Colvin at the 2008 Cubs Convention)

(Tyler Colvin)

Every Spring Training there seems to be that one guy on the team who has had such a great spring, that he practically hits his way onto the major league roster. This Spring Training it was Tyler Colvin. It was well documented that this off-season Tyler gained about 25 lbs in an effort to gain some power. You won't see him hit 50 hrs but the kid can play. You can't really take Spring Training stats too seriously.....after all it is spring training but Tyler hit over .400 and was solid in the outfield. With that being said most people may be thinking, why are you writing this blog? He's a lock on the roster, right? Well, the Cubs have an overabundance of outfielders on their roster. Our hands are tied as we have Soriano in LF, Byrd in CF and Fukudome in RF. All of whom have pretty significant contracts. As we all know, the players getting paid are the ones who will have the starting job. It's not necessarily who is the best at the moment or who wins the job. It's all about having the guy your paying big bucks to out on the field, even if that means he's not the best. Colvin won't be a gold glove center fielder, but he does a good job in the OF and he can swing the bat. Tomorrow we'll find out whether he makes the big league roster or if he'll be assigned to AAA where he'll be able to play everyday. I've loved Tyler Colvin for years and have hoped he'd be given an opportunity to showcase his talents in Chicago. He's been a highly touted prospect and as a Cubs fan, i'm sick of hearing about our prospects......it's time to let some of them play and see what they can do. The big debate with Cubs fans has been, do you put Colvin on the roster if that means he's riding the bench? What if he's given 2-3 starts a week? What if he's just a pinch hitter? Or do you let him start the season at AAA with a great manager like Ryno where he'll play everyday and grow as a player under a HOFer? Those questions will all be answered tomorrow as Lou Piniella is set to finalize his roster. I'm curious to hear how other Cubs fans feel about Colvin and the dilemma Lou and his staff are currently under with the emergence of Colvin in ST.

Leave some feedback on your opinion =)

Only 11 days til the Cubs start their 2010 Season! GO CUBS!

cause for concern?

2010-03-14T20:28:00.019-05:00

Is it time for Hawks fan to push the panic button? The last 2 games have been utterly embarrassing. Hawks fans were worried about the goalies but it seems like Bowman should have gone after a defenseman. The defense has let down their goalies (both huet & niemi) the past 2 games, after they were in the midst of awesome games. The boys looked so defeated and dejected after today's game. This weekend the Hawks had the opportunity to walk away with 4 points. Instead, we walked away with only 1. I don't know if it was the early games that threw them off or what.....but something has to change. ASAP. The playoffs are only a few weeks away and this is not the kind of play you want to see going into the playoffs. I've never played hockey, so i wouldn't dare suggest to them how to get out of this funk and how to play a full 60 minutes.....but i think it's pretty clear this is a total team effort. Hopefully this upcoming road trip will help the boys get away and really focus on hockey.

I was at the game today so here are some of my pics from the game =) leave a comment if you'd like. I'm hoping and praying that the rumors of Campbell being out for the season aren't true. I'm not his biggest fan but losing him would be a HUGE blow to this team. I won't go into my personal opinion on Ovechkin. I've NEVER liked him and i always said he was a dirty and reckless player, but the play he made today may have seriously injured Campbell. The play happened in our end so the second i saw it, i called for an automatic game misconduct. Those kind of plays will injure someone and they have no place in this game. I hope the league doesn't get blinded by Ovi's "superstar" status, and suspend him. He deserves it. Get well soon Soup & Hossa, we need you boys for the playoff run.

(Ladd during warm-ups)

(Steeger & Seabsy)

(Niemi)

(Duncan Keith. Ps- love the look on the boys face staring at him! so cute!)

(Hjal!)

(I hate this man, massively. Spineless douchebag)

(Mike Green, yeah he would have 3 assists. ugh)

(Trifecta- Sharp, Brouwer & Eager)

(Ladd, Brouw & Eags)

(lol, tongue action by Eags!)

(Dear Seabsy, please step up ur play. Thanks)

(Steegie)

(Brouwer, how can u not like this guy?)

(Boys)

(Bur & Frazzle, in deep convo lol)

(Bur showing off his money maker.....his hair haha)

(Sharpie!)

(More Eager! Had to get as many pics in as i could seeing as though he was a scratch)

(Captain Toews)

(Niemi!!!!!!!!!!!)

(this is love)

(The vicious hit. What an ugly hit......)

(Tazer goal celebration)

(Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight)

(Bur fixing his money maker lol)

(Vince Vaughn was in the houuuuuseeee! "erroneous, erroneous on all counts!" lmao)

(Overtime. And a loss. We should have had those 2 points!)

Patrick Sharp

2010-03-11T20:57:00.003-06:00

(yes folks, that's me rocking my sharp sweater!)

OT Game Winners. Burish's BFF. Bromance. His Own Segment on local Chicago Radio. His own radio jingle. Alternate Captain. Chicago's Sexiest Athlete....

Yes folks, that's Patrick Sharp.

I have a special spot in my heart for Patrick Sharp. My 1st Hawks Sweater was of Patrick Sharp and i stood in line for like 2 hrs for his autograph before the Hawks got HUGE. I absolutely love the guy. He's so amazing on and off the ice and his personality is contagious! I've met him several times and he's so nice....always has that mega-watt smile on his face and never declined an autograph request. As we get closer to the end of regular season play and the playoffs are within sight, the realization that Patrick Sharp's days in Chicago are coming to an end. With the cap issue hanging over the Hawks Organization heads......it seems as though Sharpie won't be a Hawk for much longer. Either way, i love the guy. And i enjoy watching him every game and his comments to the media are often VERY entertaining. He's a leader in the dressing room and i hope he brings us the Stanley Cup THIS season........can you imagine his celebration? :)

Now enjoy my Sharpie pics!

(Sharp)

(STL style)

(He rocks the 'A' so well lol)

(Meeting Sharpie years ago!!)

If you haven't heard his segment on The Mix the link is below!

Sharp Attack Thursday's on The Mix- Listen Here

Meeting a Legend

2010-02-25T12:51:00.003-06:00

Here's pics from me meeting the Golden Jet, Bobby Hull. As a die-hard Hawks fan, i knew meeting him would be a huge honor. Not only is he a legend in Blackhawks history but he is also one of the best NHL players of All-Time. I was psyched to meet him and luckily my oldest niece was in town staying the weekend with us and she also loves the Hawks so i convinced her to go with me to the signing. When we arrived the line was long but i had seen longer lines in my life. The organization for the signing was REALLY dumb. Basically instead of you getting in line and waiting for an autograph, you got a ticket and they randomly PICKED numbers. So there were over 500 people there. The 1st person in line said he arrived at like 9am and wasn't the 1st person to get an autograph. Rather, they randomly picked ticket numbers.....so really, what was the point of arriving early? Luckily, Bobby agreed to stay and sign for EVERYONE who had a ticket. He was suppose to sign from 1-3pm. I was one of the last to receive an autograph.........at 7pm. Yup. Waited like 6 hours for an autograph from a legend. It'll probably be one of the last times i'll go to a signing like that because the organization was ridiculous and the PR people were REALLY rude. But either way, i walked away with a few Hull autographs and had a convo with him. He told my niece and i that he was, "MORE than happy to take a pic with such cute girls" lol. Eventually, i'll get around to framing my autographs. You can actually read his autograph and he put his HOF signature on it too =) Enjoy the pics! And i miss the Hawks massively! Only 6 days til i'm reunited with the boys on the West Side. In the meantime...........GO USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!