No Excuses

So today I had EVERY excuse in the book lined up for not going out and getting in my workout.

1. I went to bed late.
2. I got up late and the Good Lord knows, I hate running in daylight when people can see me.
3. I could run at the park (there aren't a lot of people there), but my truck has no gas.
4. I've gassed up my truck, but I saw a wee bit of lightning.
5. Okay, so the lightning has passed, but it's still raining.
6. It's actually only drizzling by the time I get to the park, but I forgot my water bottle and the collar for my dog.
7. I could use the park fountains to drink from and the leash as a collar, but this woman just walked up to me and said she received a phone call from her sister and a HUGE cell of bad weather was coming right at us.

"Thank you for letting me know," I told her, "but I have to get in my run."

Whoa, did those words actually come out of my mouth?  Why yes.  Yes they did.

So I finished my workout as such:

Weather:  Drizzling Rain
Miles Run:  I have no idea
Minutes Run:  24
Location:  TY Park in Hollywood, FL
Thoughts:  I'm pretty proud of myself for not giving in to the temptation of finding an excuse not to finish.

Miles Walked:  I have no idea
Minutes Walked:  15
Location:  TY Park in Hollywood, FL
Thoughts:  Walk included warmup and cool down as well as rest breaks between my runs.

Welcome to the Bandwagon

The Florida Panthers are in the playoffs.

Hold on.  That bears repeating.

THE FLORIDA PANTHERS ARE IN THE PLAYOFFS!!! 

Not only are the Florida Panthers in the playoffs, but they go in as the Southeast Division Champions for the first time ever.

WOW!!!

That is the most amazing thing I've said in a long time about this team.  I'm beyond happy about this.  I'm overjoyed to the point of sheer giddiness.

This team has been through a lot of changes.  Dale Tallon overhauled this team over the summer and he did an amazing job at it.  In addition, Kevin Dineen took this group of veterans sprinkled with some youth and made them understand and believe in his vision.  He kept them on task when the injury bug went after our defensive corps and took out members of our top lines.  The changes made were good for our team and were long overdue.

One of the most notable and recent changes is in the fan base of the Florida Panthers.  

It's starting to grow.

South Florida is one of those areas that has a very fickle fan base.  If you win, you're in and the fans come out.  If you don't, your out and the fans spend their time elsewhere - unless of course, your the Miami Dolphins.

The last time there was a significant growth in the fan base of the Florida Panthers was in 1996.  I was part of that new growth.  I jumped on that bandwagon way back then, and I never got off.

I wasn't around in the beginning.  I grew up in S. Florida not knowing a thing about hockey.  My mother used to say it's boxing on ice and so, I mimicked her sentiments without giving it so much as a chance.

My husband, on the other hand, was born and raised in Canada.  He was thrilled when it was announced that we would be getting our own franchise.  Me ... not so much.  In fact, I can remember very clearly asking him to watch the games in the bedroom because I wanted nothing to do with it.

Fast forward to the 1996 playoffs.  Bill Lindsay had just scored "The Goal" but I still wasn't involved in the team.  It would be the Flyers series that would pull me in, specifically the battles between Ed Jovanovski and Eric Lindros.

On one of the rare nights that my husband watched the games in the living room, I was doing the dishes.  His screams and cheers brought me over to see what was going on.  I watched as Jovo crushed Lindros into the boards.  I sat down and watched more.  I was mesmerized by it all.  It was the fastest sport I'd ever seen.  The guys just kept going and going, putting their bodies under such duress and yet continuing on as if nothing had happened.

I was hooked.

I wanted to learn more about this team, about this sport.  Who were these guys anyway?

I found out that the Panthers held open practices every day at Gold Coast Ice Arena.  That would be the school that would teach me about the different lines and how they worked together, about line changes and their importance, about penalty killers and power play units.  I would watch them go over drills and then I learned to recognize those drills during game situations.  I learned quickly thanks to those open practices and I learned quickly thanks to the fans of the game.

That's right, the fans.

I met so many people in those days both on-line and in person; people who were eager to teach me, people who were happy to have me on board the bandwagon, people who I still call friends today like Carl and Jesus and Carol.  Heck, I met the best friend I ever had because of Ed Jovanovski (Carrie).  I even met non-Panthers' fans, (Tampa Mike, Philly Mike), who welcomed me into the hockey family. 

As it turned out, I never did jump off the bandwagon, although over the years, I had plenty of opportunity and reason to do just that.  I love this team.  I love what they gave me.

Most of all, I'm grateful for the friends I've made during the time I've been following them.  It's amazing to think that nearly all of my friends today are hockey fans when prior to my falling in love with the Panthers, I don't think I knew a single person who liked hockey let alone followed a specific team.

I'm so glad I jumped on the bandwagon way back then and I welcome all the new fans who are jumping on the bandwagon right now.  I'm really excited to have new fans enjoying this sport.

So, I invite you to come on and hop aboard.  I'll save you a seat right next to me and I'll be happy to help you to understand the greatest game in the world.

But be warned, once you jump on ... you might never jump off again ...

If you're lucky.  =)

As always,

GO PANTHERS!

Happy Birthday Grammy

Happy birthday Grammy.  I miss you so much.

I was only 13 when you died and my birthday was just a few weeks away.  God I miss you.  I know I already said that, and you would think that after all this time it would have gone away, but even after nearly 30 years, it remains just as true as it did then.

I remember so many wonderful things ...

... things like popsicle stick fishing.  You tied string to popsicle sticks and we walked to a nearby bridge.  I really thought we would catch LOTS of fish, but we never caught anything.  It didn't really matter, because I had fun.  I went there a few years ago and Andre helped me to find the bridge.  It was as if you were there with me that day.

I remember going to the Enchanted Forest in RI and I remember visiting Mystic Seaport and the lighthouse.  I remember your visits to us here in Fla and going to Disney World.

During one of your visits, you painted our bathroom.  Mom wasn't very happy, but I liked it a lot.  It was like a part of you was in my house even when you went back home.

I hated that you lived so far away.

When we came to visit, that dumb ol' dog used to lie in front of your house and howl at us.  I was afraid of it.

I remember your house and dream of it often.

I used to like to go under the outside stairs.  It was kind of like a secret hideout.

You had so much neat stuff in your house.  I remember your gramophones and games and running around when we were supposed to be quiet.  I remember your attic and trying to get my brother to go up into it first because I was scared, all the while telling him he was a scardy cat in an effort to make him go up there.

I remember the spiral stairs that went up to the next floor.  Mostly, I remember missing a step and falling down those stairs - even then I was a klutz.

I remember walking to church on Sunday and the dog that I tried to keep by making it follow us to church.  I'm fairly certain you knew what I was doing, even though I was trying to be slick about it and as such, I believe you knew how disappointed I was when it wasn't there after church was over.

I remember orange sherbert. You always had orange sherbert for us.

There's a saying that people don't remember the things you say, but they remember how you made them feel.  That is so true in your case.  I don't recall our conversations at all, but I remember how you made me feel.

Special.  Important.  Loved.

I think you knew that I felt different, disconnected, like someone outside looking in.  You always brought me in.

I remember you when you were sick.  We visited you at your sister-in-law's house.  You were wearing a shawl or blanket or something, but you just looked so different to me.  You were dying.  I knew deep down that was the case, but I ignored it.  I refused to think it could be true.

I remember your funeral.

I would never see the smile on your face that you used to wear when you saw me.  Your arms would forever be limp and would not hug me again.  I felt alone.  I don't think anyone knew just how alone.

You would have known.

God I miss you and I wish you were here.

Today is your birthday and I'll think of you as I always do.  I'll have some orange sherbert and I'll look through my pictures and smile.  Most of all, I'll remember how you made me feel.

Special.  Important.  Loved.

I hope you know that to me, you will forever be special, important and loved too.

I love you Grammy.  Always.