Before Christmas, our younger daughter and I enjoyed her tasty gift of afternoon tea at Russian Tea Time. Sunday night, my husband and I enjoyed watching the Chicago Blackhawks live at the United Center, courtesy of our older daughter and one of my s-i-l’s, a gift that comes at literal high cost. Tickets are available only on the secondary market, often at twice the face value. How people can afford to take a family is beyond me.
For a hockey fan, these are the best of times and the worst of times. The Stanley Cup playoffs are drawing to a close and then there won’t be hockey again until fall. But watching the playoffs, even though our Blackhawks aren’t in it any longer, having games on every night or day, and then finally getting to watch some team skate the Cup, is a joy.
My friend’s son plays hockey and when I spotted his equipment airing in the garage, I had to take a photo of Hockey Man. As for the puck that I used in the title, paraphrasing a phrase I detest and would never use in real life, in case you don’t know, the puck is a rubber disc 1″ in height and 3″ in diameter, weighing about 6 ounces and frozen for use during the game. Hopefully no one’s offended by my title, but I couldn’t resist.
More oddballs can be found here.
Disclaimer: On our way home after a week of graduation festivities, fun, and family time. . Just enjoying a long, beautiful drive and some time with my husband. See you soon!
I love hockey!! Love it!! I’ve loved it almost my entire life. In fact, when I began watching hockey, there were only six teams: the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs. (You can all now oooh and aaaah at how old I am!) 🙂 I didn’t live in one of these cities. I lived in Omaha, Nebraska, an unlikely hockey town. (more…)
Saturday morning’s always been a special time for me; a time of leisure, of
relaxation and renewal, a time for something special to eat, like a doughnut or pastry. Even when Saturday morning wasn’t like that, it felt as if it should be. Saturday morning’s the gateway to the weekend, the time when families are together, yard work gets done, people are outside saying hello to neighbors, the barbie is fired up, maybe a time to sleep in or read for a bit, when the choices of the weekend stretch out before you and the weekend feels twice as long as the two days it really is.
When I was in high school and college, in a small town in eastern Nebraska, I used to walk downtown some Saturday mornings and get a fresh glazed doughnut from the bakery. I’ve always loved glazed doughnuts, although I rarely eat them, and was sad when the nearby Krispy Kreme closed. It was so exciting to drive past, see the neon doughnut lighted and hurry in for a free, warm doughnut. Bliss! It takes a lot to tarnish that sort of joy but working in a health food store and doughnut shop (yes, I’m well aware of the paradox of that) in Steamboat Springs, Colorado years ago did the trick. Coming in early in the morning, the smell of the oil the doughnuts cooked in dominated the back area of the store and clung to my clothes, skin and hair long after I left. I didn’t eat doughnuts again for a long time.
When I was in grade school in Omaha, Nebraska, I would have a half hour piano lesson on Saturday morning and then, in winter, my brother and I would go ice skating at the indoor rink at Ak-sar-ben Nebraska spelled backwards. (You can read a short history of Ak-sar-ben race track and coliseum here, http://www.historicomaha.com/aksarben.htm.) Not only did we get to ice skate but we sometimes saw some of the hockey players for the Omaha Knights professional hockey team and actually got to know one of them personally, Gary Sabourin, who later went to the NHL, http://stlouisblueslegends.blogspot.com/2008/05/gary-sabourin.html. When you’re a kid, it doesn’t get any better than that!
This Saturday morning, I’m enjoying the sunshine, (indoors, because it’s cold), sipping tea and writing, remembering the song from my past that brings to mind the feel of Saturday morning’s time of freshness and possibilities.
Come Saturday Morning
The Sandpipers
Words by Dory Previn and Music by Fred Carlin
Peak chart position # 17 in 1970
Featured on the soundtrack of the film “The Sterile Cuckoo” starring Liza Minnelli
Come Saturday morning
I’m goin’ away with my friend
We’ll Saturday-spend till the end of the day-ay
Just I and my friend
We’ll travel for miles in our Saturday smiles
And then we’ll move on
But we will remember long after Saturday’s gone
(Come Saturday morning, come Saturday mo-o-rning)
Come Saturday morning
I’m goin’ away with my friend
We’ll Saturday-laugh more than half of the day (ay-ay-ay)
Just I and my friend (my friend)
Dressed up in our rings and our Saturday things
And then we’ll move on
But we will remember long after Saturday’s gone
(Come Saturday morning, come Saturday morning)
Come Saturday mo (Saturday) rning
Just I and my friend (my friend)
We’ll travel for miles in our Saturday smiles
And then we’ll move on
But we will remember long after Saturday’s gone
(Come Saturday morning, come Saturday mo-o-rning)
(Come Saturday morning, come Saturday mo-o-rning)
FADE
Enjoy your Saturday morning!
This, that and the other thing 