The Sweetest Goodbye

It seems like only yesterday I was in Las Vegas at Frozen Fury, getting my first picture of the season with Bailey and preparing for the start of a new Kings season. And now it's over. This team started the year with no expectations of any success, but they played their hearts out, didn't listen to the critics, and made some impressive strides. I remember Nadine and I saying during the first game of the season that it would be interesting to see what happened. It was a roller coaster at times, but there was never a dull moment, and I'm glad I was there to see it all.

In their last game of the season, the Kings went out in the best way possible--with a 4-3 win over our in-state rival San Jose Sharks. Sure, the Sharks will win the President's Trophy as the team with the best record in the NHL. Sure, they're going to the playoffs. But we Kings fans got something even better - a team with the heart of a lion, a ton of young talent and determination not to quit. Because of that, I'm already looking forward to next season.

In addition to the the traditional "Jersey Off Their Backs" giveaway, team awards get announced at the last game. It was a big night for Drew - voted Best Defenseman and Best Newcomer. Personally, I think he should have been voted team MVP, but I'll admit I'm biased. Although anyone who saw more than 10 games this season knows the difference he made in this team. He's gonna be a true superstar one day, and it was an honor to be there for this first NHL season. In honor of Drew, here's some video of the team awards.



A big part of the reason I love coming to games, besides the hockey itself, is companionship from my hockey buddies. It wouldn't be nearly as fun riding the roller coaster without them, and they always manage to make even my worst days better just by saying hello.

First up, Brianna and Jen Wells, goddesses of crazy hockey game outfits and funny face pictures. This is a normal one, although I do have the funny version too. And they didn't have their tiaras on yet since this was taken during warm-ups. So Jen and Bri, if you're reading, you owe me a full costume picture next time.



Danny befriended Nadine the first season she started going to games, and he's been nice enough to chat with us ever since. He's been a Kings fan for a lot of years, and is always my favorite sounding board when I'm frustrated over a trade (like the Sully deal), how we're playing, or anything else. Very knowledgeable about hockey and a total sweetheart. Plus he has the best smile going.



And last but not least, Nadine and John. Nadine is responsible for my addiction to this game, and our weekday games without John are my favorite days of the year. Nothing better than being with a good friend, ogling cute opposing team players, cheering on our boys, being each others moral support to avoid the Popcornopolis Zebra Chocolate temptation, and catching up on everything going on in our lives. I'd be lost without her.

And John, of course, can always be counted on to rabbit-ear someone and stick his tongue out in every photo, so we keep him around for entertainment value. Although I also love him for recognizing true talent and putting Doughty on the back of his jersey.



And last but not least, I gotta say some individual player "Thank You's." True Kings fans reading will totally get these, and the rest of you will probably not. That just means you need to BECOME a Kings fan and get in on all the inside jokes. So here goes....

Terry Murray - you took on a daunting task coaching this team, and I'm impressed with everything you accomplished. You are more than welcome to come back next year. And any guy with a daughter named Meg is OK by me.

DL - OK, OK....looks like you know what you're doing. Although I still haven't forgiven you for the Sully trade...yet. And I'm already getting my questions ready for the GM breakfast, so look out.

OD - thanks for taking good care of my rookie. Even though you're a former Duck, you've earned my respect this season. Glad to have you back in a Kings uniform.

Kyle - you are a defensive STUD! Detroit's loss is our gain and then some. If you play this well with a bad back, I bet you're an animal healthy. Heal up! We need you.

Justin - I'm trying really hard to like you, I'm just not there yet. Maybe we can go have some Mexican food and you can convince me. Just know that I'm watching you, and there will be no mercy if you don't live up to your hype. Then the "Bring Back Sully" signs will come out...

Ziggy - hang in there dude! Gonna have a conversation with Terry in the off-season about getting you some more playing time. I still get excited every time I see you on the ice. No one skates as out-of-control crazy as you, and I think it scares the other teams, which is cool!

Quicker - my offer to bedazzle your jersey still stands. Have the equipment manager call my new iPhone and we'll hook it up. And I need the name of your yoga coach, or whoever got you to do a split like that. I'm trying to get back into my old cheerleading form.

Greener - there are so many things I want to say to you, but I think I need a beer or two first. And I know you love beer. The main thing I want to say is that no one sacrifices more body parts to stop pucks than you - your butt, your face...I could keep going. Good thing chicks dig scars, 'cause you're a roadmap of 'em. Your fiancee must be the coolest girl on earth. Hopefully your face heals up in time for your wedding pictures. And in between the wedding madness, try to find some more words to teach Drew...hopefully he has "verbose" down by now.

Brownie - you had a tough job this year, and handled it with grace and class. My hat is off to you. I'm glad you're our captain. And nice to see you and Nicole continuing your quest to build the genetically perfect hockey team...keep it up! I figure Jake should be on skates in a another year or so.

Jack - we missed you while you were out. No one forgot about you, so put it out of your mind. Glad you're back, and looking forward to you having a healthy season next year. Study hard this summer, and get your website updated, will ya? I'm still waiting on your favorite workout tips.

Simmer - I know Nadine and I nicknaming you "Shirley" must have been a blow to your ego. Just know it's out of love. Now get in the gym this summer and pack on some muscle...you're too skinny to be so good.

Drew - You were more than we ever could have hoped for. You're the future of this team, and we love you. My bet is that Doughty jerseys will soon appear in the stands in numbers rivaling Brown and Kopitar. And that you're gonna keep collecting phone numbers by the dozens. Just don't let it go to your head! Oh, and I've got a six pack of Diet Coke in the fridge if you're running low...stop in and say hi anytime. Aunt Denise has my number.


And finally to Adam, my ticket rep... renew my seats ASAP! Just don't send me the bill yet....

Only 5 months until Frozen Fury XII. See you in Vegas!

Having a Moment

It's hard to believe I just watched the Kings second to last home game of the 2008-09 season. I can't even bring myself to acknowledge it's almost over, but at least I can put that thought off for another week.

But this game was also VERY special because the Kings held a recognition ceremony for head of security Lou McClary, who was retiring after 42 years of service! To honor him, all 5 players who have had their jerseys retired by the Kings came out on the ice to congratulate Lou in person. These 5 guys have never been on the ice together before....I admit I was more than a little choked up.



From left to right:

Luc Robitaille
Wayne Gretzky
Dave Taylor
Marcel Dionne
Rogie Vachon

And here's some video of the ceremony so can learn a little more about Lou and the amazing players he looked after...kinda makes me a fuzzy inside. Especially since Bob Miller is such an amazing master of ceremonies.



Afterwards, the Kings proceeded to thrash the Coyotes 6-1, which I enjoyed more than I can quite express. And Drew got assists on goals 5 & 6, which made it that much better!

Now the boys are off on the road for another week before they finish out the season at home Saturday, April 11. Talk about getting choked up....

Lily Allen @ The Wiltern

I can't stay deprived of live music for very long, so my spring concert series (just made that up) continued tonight with Lily Allen at the Wiltern LG. My regular musical partner-in-crime Tammy joined me again, and it's become a tradition for us to take a picture with the marquee for the venue, so tonight was no exception.



The opening act was a band called Natalie Portman's Shaved Head.



Unfortunately that's pretty much how they sounded. Not much else I can say about that....

Then after a delayed start due to wireless microphone issues, Miss Lily arrived. Yes, those are silver sequined shorts. And you can't see them very well in this photo, but her shoes were these enormously tall platform stilettos, with what had to be at least 8 inch heels. All I could think is, "How long is she gonna survive in those?" She must have been reading my mind, because after about 3 songs the Air Jordan's came out.



I'm not very familiar with Lily's music overall, and most of the set was from her new album. It's got a very cool retro sound that suits her voice very well, and while she's not as energetic a live performer as Katy Perry, she was very good. She definitely got more animated the more she drank, and the bass monitor kept knocking her drink over, so she kept getting refills! When the "F" bombs start dropping, you know Lily's in her zone.

I was more than a little annoyed at her lighting tech though. Apparently they thought aiming the strobe lights directly at the audience was a good idea, which practically blinded everyone and made it hard to watch the first part of the show. Fortunately that stopped about halfway through the set.



Every concert deserves some video, so here's a little clip of Lily doing her hit "Smile" during the encore. She even throws in a little costume change....



Thank goodness this is a short work week. Another late, but great, night in La-La Land.....

Meg and Michelle's Big Hockey Adventure

I couldn't let Michelle leave Los Angeles without experiencing a hockey game with me. Luckily the Kings schedule gave us the perfect opportunity the day we got back from the boat. So after some lunch, laundry (me) and a nap (Michelle), we headed out to see the Kings take on the Dallas Stars and our favorite goalie to heckle, Marty Turco.

A funny thing happened on the way to the game. We stopped by the Fox Sports Bar to have a couple of drinks (still detoxing from the Mayercraft) and wait for Nadine to meet us for burgers. Lo and behold, the minute we sit down, one of my regular bartenders - Rich - asked us if we enjoyed the cruise. HUH? How on earth did he know??? Then my brain remembered several moments when I saw him on the cruise and thought, "I know that guy from somewhere." Of course, I thought he was an actor or something and I don't like to act like a stalker in those situations, so I never initiated the awkward "Don't I know you from somewhere?...." conversation. Turns out he has a relative that works for Sixthman and invited him on the cruise, so he saw us!! Talk about six degrees of separation!

So we had a nice little chat about the trip, compared notes on alcohol consumption, and agreed a good time was had by all. He even comped us a couple of drinks - LOVE YOU RICH! Then it was back to hockey.



Michelle is no stranger to the game of hockey. When she lived in Raleigh, NC, she dated a guy from Newfoundland and therefore spent many nights at Carolina Hurricanes games. Too bad we didn't have our "A" game that night! We lost to Dallas and our playoff hopes were pretty much destroyed, but we always have fun together, and she got to see how the Drew-cam process works.

The one treat of the game was the Kings celebration to honor defenseman Sean O'Donnell's 1,000 NHL game. The actual game took place on the road, so this was the Kings first opportunity to really celebrate. I have a soft spot in my heart from OD since he's Drew's regular defensive partner, and it takes a real warrior to play that many games in a career. So in lieu of hotties of the night (which for me is always Dallas' Mike Modano), I included a video of OD's ceremony. Enjoy!



Only 2 home games left, and I'm not ready for our season to be over. Rich, I need another cocktail.....

Mayercaft Carrier Day 5: Saying Good-bye....

The boat was moving noticeably slower when I woke up this morning, and one look outside confirmed it...we were back home.





Time to say goodbye to our cabin and our trusted companions, the towel creatures....





Goodbye Carnival Splendor. Your ride was bumpy, but you got us to Mexico and home safely. Next time we visit you, we're bringing our motion sickness patches...



I did kind of a crappy job with the alcohol and card game tallies, but here's the final total. Little Miss Michelle, our first time cruiser, smoked me!

Alcohol units consumed: Meg 27.5, Michelle 28
Card games won: Meg 25, Michelle 35
At least I win in one category - Mayercraft Cruises attended: Meg-2, Michelle 1

And in a final homage to the wonderful scenery of Cabo San Lucas, I'll leave you with a little video of our boat trip.



Here's hoping all you readers enjoy as much fun, sunshine, music, friendship, and happiness in your lives as Michelle and I shared over the past 5 days. And the biggest thanks goes to John for making it all possible.

When is the Mayercraft 3? And who else is coming with me?

Mayercaft Carrier: Heartbreak Warfare

I was bummed I wasn't able to post this from the boat, but now that I'm home here's your first listen to a little preview of one of the possible songs for the new record.

Enjoy!

Mayercaft Carrier Day 4: The Big Show!

Finally the moment I'd been waiting for the entire trip arrived - John's main stage show! We were lucky enough to get seats right in front of the sound board, which meant we were in the best spot acoustically, and I could look over my shoulder and watch Chad work his magic. WE LOVE CHAD!



The set list was amazing...although now that I think about it I've never been to a show of John's without an amazing set list. In no particular order, here's what I remember him playing.

Belief
Good Love is on the Way
Crossroads
Mercy
Wheel
Vultures
Bigger Than My Body
Don't Trust Myself with Loving You
Gravity



Lots of extended solos, and quite a bit of audience interaction compared to last year! At one point, he took the mic and answered questions from fans in the crowd. He even gave shout-outs to a couple of fans in particular....someone named Debbie who tapes all his shows and shares them with the universe for free. He dedicated Gravity to her! I wanna be Debbie!!!!!





The best part was the encore...an excellent mash-up of Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues" and Peter Gabriel's "Digging in the Dirt," accompanied by DJ Logic! Just like being back on tour in 2004!

Thanks to John for an incredible 2 1/2 hours of ultimate Mayer-ness!!!!

Now get to work on the new album....