"The Good Ol' Hockey Game...

... Is the Best Game you can name.
And the best game you can name,
Is the good ol' hockey game"
-Stompin' Tom Connors

That song has been going through my head all morning. Why, you ask? Well, we're going to a Nashville Predators game tonight. I can't friggin' wait! It's been years since I've been to an NHL game and these boys are really on their game this year and kicking some royal ass so it should be a fast paced game with lots of scoring. Maybe we'll get to see some blood shed but the crazy new rules have really put the kaibash on that. It's a great chance to tease the Americans (Cindi's fiance in particular) about seeing a live game and how the puck's not going to be hilited. Remember that? If you have to watch the game and have the object of the game hilited, it might be time for you to find a new game to watch. They'll be playing Boston which is a team that's also up in the standings so it should be great. I haven't seen a live game since Vancouver which was so many years ago I can't remember. Hopefully they'll let me bring in my new camera.

Speaking of new camera, that brings me to what everyone got for Christmas... eventually! Merry Belated Christmas, BTW! Things have been so busy around here, running the roads daily, that updates have been slow coming, my apologies.

Everyone seems to have done pretty well for goodies and Santa was good to us all. So good that we may have to borrow a suitcase of Cindi's to get it all home. The kids got lots of things, they're in to Star Wars now and of course, you can never go wrong with crafty things. The biggest thing this year though was to get them some games for their, "Playboy Advance," - Me. Hey, I might as well include that friggin' quote of mine since I'll never hear the end of it anyways even though it's not even on the list. Made even worse when you're telling clients what you're getting the kids for Christmas and it slips out. Why does that sound so right?

I know I'm going to be a nightmare going through security at the airport as I'm going home with a lot more electronics than I left with. I've stocked up on hairstyling implements as there were things here that I just can't get around home. My blowdryer that I got in Miami is now being held together by nail glue and on it's last leg. Tourmaline and far infrared technology's big in hairstyling now and literally cuts your styling time in half. So with my new blow dryer, flat iron, blow brush iron and 1" iron, all of which I plan on carrying on... security won't be happy. I'm not chancing it with the way they throw your luggage around. Hey, I've gone through three sets of luggage in about as many years, I've learned from experience.

The biggest thing that has been keeping me occupied though this Christmas has been my new camera! I'm so thrilled, particularly with all that's gone on with my cameras in the last few weeks. My sister had picked this one up (a Kodak Z650 w/manual controls and a killer lens which can be changed) in april. I wanted a dock that makes transferring/charging a breeze. I found a kit I wanted and after a trip to Staples, got my latest addition to my technology family. Upon finding out it didn't work, returning to Staples and trying another off the shelf and it not working, it became apparent that the problem was with the camera... not the dock. I was devastated 'cause of course, the receipt was long gone.

I have however made a new best friend at Staples. They said they could do a straight exchange but of course, they no longer had any left for sale. My new best friend came to my rescue though and pulled a camera out of a bundle package they have, exchanged it with that one and even gave me a receipt which would make my warranty good from this date, as opposed to april. Cripes, Cindi didn't even buy it there! It was funny too as Dad and I had gone in to that same store earlier in our trip. He wanted a printer dock for his camera (my Christmas present to him) and gave us a really great deal. Someone had forgotten to take a price tag off the shelf. Hah, I told him I could kiss the floor clerk for forgetting it. He mumbled something about it being him. Not sure if it really was him or was looking to score a kiss. Either way, I definately owe him one now. He's really cute too. Wonder what he's doing for New Year's?

We also got to go on a limousine tour last night to look at Christmas lights, some of which were stars like George Jones, Jo Dee Messina and Little Jimmy Dickens. We were mostly in an area known as Brentwood where the really posh people of TN live. Wow, I can't get over the size of some of those homes let alone the Christmas lights. I must say though, George Jones' lights kicked ass! He even had a huge rocking chair out front (most might remember that song, "I don't need your rocking chair") that we could all pile on. I was also somewhat disappointed at first as I thought I'd finally get to get a tour in a limo. Around the corner came this big black bus. Somewhat despondent but always the one to try to make the best of a situation, we persevered. We weren't disappointed. Brad, our limo driver, hops out, dressed in his tux and we piled on to the bus. Inside it was just like a limo. Posh leather seats, a bar, tinted windows and light fixtures just like in a limo. Apparently it was a limo party bus. Party we did, well me and a few others anyways. It was arranged through co-workers of Cindi's so lots of them were there too. I forgot how cool the people she worked with were. I even got to hear an accent from Manchester, England (picked up on it too and asked them if that's where they were from) which I hadn't heard in quite a few years. We had a great time!

It's really hard (not to mention sad) to believe that our trip's days from being over. Tuesday we'll be heading back to the mystical magical. Barring all unforseen circumstances, we should be home some time tuesday evening so Skidd's, expect a visit if it's not too late.

I've been taking pictures just about non-stop since Christmas morning but didn't install any software so I'll update with tons of pictures when I get back. Hopefully I'll be able to get my camera in the Predators game tonight. I love you and miss you all. Hope everyone had a holly, jolly Christmas and Festivus. Can't wait to see all y'all. Sorry for the Southern euphamism slip there but hey, when in Rome (or Tennessee in this case)...

Special thanks to Liss for helping keep me entertained with the games for the few moments I did get to check in on the computer. The boys are going to be so far behind in the points that there's no way they'll have a chance winning those rounds... muwahahahaha! Don't think we're keeping score now anyhow. Check out the comments for the next game! After the next few days, everyone should be back to the grind.

'Til next time...