------------------------
NHL: The Devils were eliminated from the Playoffs, the Finals have been set between the Senators and the Ducks. I hate the Senators, so I'm rooting for the Ducks to bring home the Cup. Plus, it'll be nice to see Scott Niedermayer win a Cup with his brother Rob. However, I think the Senators are too deep a hockey team to be ousted. They came awfully close in 2003, taking my Devils to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals before losing at home. This year is different.
I think Alfredsson, Heatley, Spezza, and Corvo are going to face their biggest challenge of the Playoff year when trying to break out of the zone and establish a decent forecheck. Regardless of Niedermayer and Pronger sitting on the blue line for the Ducks, the Senators look like a team that has been waiting for their chance for years, and now that it's here, it seems nothing will stop them. I'm anxious to see if the Conn Smythe-winner J.S. Giguere will regain his post-season form of 2003 and steal this series for Anaheim. Time will tell....
------------------------
BTSH: My hockey team has had a weird start to our season, going 3-2. We shutout Bad Touch 1-0 in Overtime, then the next week we were shutout by the Fresh Kills 2-0, only to rebound the following week to shutout the Lbs 3-0. Consistency, eh? The Rehabs are ranked 5th in the league overall, tied for first in Goals Against with 6 goals in 5 games for a GAA of 1.20, and tied for first in Shutouts with 2 in 5 games (both of which came in the last 3 games). We have this Sunday off for Memorial Day, but then we've got a big couple of games in the following weeks against the Skyfighters (13th place), Rainbows (8th place), Unicorns (3rd place), and the Mathematics (10th place). All of those teams are capable of offensive explosions and are really solid defensively. It'll be interesting to see where the Rehabs are at in a month or so.
We're feeling good as a team, but I'd really like to see us play with more consistency. One week we KNOW we can score, then the next week it seems like we have no idea how to find the back of the net. It's a confidence issue, I think, and it will fix itself once we start to win a bit more. I'm trying to provide as much confidence as I can for my team by giving them big games every chance I get. Anyone that reads my blog with any regularity knows that I want to be the rock for my team, the guy they build their foundation around. Last game, the 3-0 shutout win against the Lbs, my defense played phenomenally in front of me, limiting the Lbs to only 9 shots in the whole game. 4 of those shots, however, came on breakaways, all of which I was able to turn away. That's a real confidence builder for the team, to see your goalie stop everything.
------------------------
TV: Big couple of weeks for TV. American Idol finale, Lost, Veronica Mars, Heroes, and Smallville Season Finales, Rosie and Elisabeth Hasselbeck's blow-up on The View. However, I am most excited that Season 5 of The Simple Life premieres this weekend, and I couldn't be happier about that. After the cliffhanger from last season, I'm really excited to see Paris and Nicole back together and working on this show. If you have never seen any of the previous seasons, and are judging it based solely on the fact that it stars Paris Hilton, you're really making a big mistake based on a judgement call.
The show is hilarious, and works very well when Paris and Nicole are interacting together, as they did in the first 3 seasons. The 4th season, due to personal conflicts, saw Paris and Nicole shoot their scenes independently, and in my opinion was the weakest of all the seasons. Season 5, premiering this weekend, will see Paris and Nicole as camp counselors. I can't wait....
------------------------
DVD: Also, I just got the full series of David the Gnome, Are You Afraid of the Dark, Hey Dude, The Secret World of Alex Mack, Salute Your Shorts, X-Men: The Animated Series, and Tales From The Crypt on DVD. It's so good to rediscover a TV show from your childhood. They hold up really well over time, as well.
I think when Brian and I have kids we're just going to show them TV from our childhood instead of the stuff that's on TV these days. TV was so good back then, with different shows able to distinguish themselves and really carve out their place amongst one another. I can remember theme songs and characters and story arcs for shows that I haven't seen in more than fifteen years. Good stuff, good stuff....
------------------------
CD: This week, Brian picked up the new Amy Winehouse CD. He says it's really good, but I haven't listened to it yet. What do you guys think? As I type this, on MTV, her song "Rehab" just came on. That feels like cheating, to type that I haven't listened to Amy Winehouse yet and then have her come right on TV. Hmmm, maybe I'll give this album a listen. Also, and perhaps more importantly, Celine Dion's new French-language album "D'Elles" came out in Europe and Canada this week. I have it on pre-order but it hasn't come in yet.
I'm dying to get this CD already, it's the first new album Celine has released in years, since "A New Day....Live in Las Vegas" which is just her Vegas show on CD. It's good, but it doesn't make up for a new album. "D'Elles" is a concept project that Celine recorded to honor 10 great women writers from Quebec. All of the songs on the album are their songs. I've heard two or three tracks, but I don't want to ruin it by listening to more. The anticipation is what helps the payoff mean so much.
------------------------
Stage: Go see the musical version Legally Blonde at the Palace Theater. Go. Laura Bell Bundy is wonderful, Orfeh is hilarious, Kate Shindle is amazing, and the underfed dogs are awfully cute.
The music is contagious, the set is very impressive, the lighting is gorgeous, the costumes are fun, the theater is electric. I enjoyed myself so much and can't wait to go back.
------------------------
Life: No complaints here. Brian graduated and is home now. My brother finishes up 10th grade and my sister completes 9th. May saw the birth of Sholyssa Hartbean and Katony Shindlomeo, the rise of international superstar and emerging big-screen talent Alexa Vega, the well-deserved Tony nomination of Grey Gardens, Brian watching the Bret Hart documentary and quoting "Brooklyn", and a new haircut for me. What a month!
I think Alfredsson, Heatley, Spezza, and Corvo are going to face their biggest challenge of the Playoff year when trying to break out of the zone and establish a decent forecheck. Regardless of Niedermayer and Pronger sitting on the blue line for the Ducks, the Senators look like a team that has been waiting for their chance for years, and now that it's here, it seems nothing will stop them. I'm anxious to see if the Conn Smythe-winner J.S. Giguere will regain his post-season form of 2003 and steal this series for Anaheim. Time will tell....------------------------
BTSH: My hockey team has had a weird start to our season, going 3-2. We shutout Bad Touch 1-0 in Overtime, then the next week we were shutout by the Fresh Kills 2-0, only to rebound the following week to shutout the Lbs 3-0. Consistency, eh? The Rehabs are ranked 5th in the league overall, tied for first in Goals Against with 6 goals in 5 games for a GAA of 1.20, and tied for first in Shutouts with 2 in 5 games (both of which came in the last 3 games). We have this Sunday off for Memorial Day, but then we've got a big couple of games in the following weeks against the Skyfighters (13th place), Rainbows (8th place), Unicorns (3rd place), and the Mathematics (10th place). All of those teams are capable of offensive explosions and are really solid defensively. It'll be interesting to see where the Rehabs are at in a month or so.
We're feeling good as a team, but I'd really like to see us play with more consistency. One week we KNOW we can score, then the next week it seems like we have no idea how to find the back of the net. It's a confidence issue, I think, and it will fix itself once we start to win a bit more. I'm trying to provide as much confidence as I can for my team by giving them big games every chance I get. Anyone that reads my blog with any regularity knows that I want to be the rock for my team, the guy they build their foundation around. Last game, the 3-0 shutout win against the Lbs, my defense played phenomenally in front of me, limiting the Lbs to only 9 shots in the whole game. 4 of those shots, however, came on breakaways, all of which I was able to turn away. That's a real confidence builder for the team, to see your goalie stop everything.------------------------
TV: Big couple of weeks for TV. American Idol finale, Lost, Veronica Mars, Heroes, and Smallville Season Finales, Rosie and Elisabeth Hasselbeck's blow-up on The View. However, I am most excited that Season 5 of The Simple Life premieres this weekend, and I couldn't be happier about that. After the cliffhanger from last season, I'm really excited to see Paris and Nicole back together and working on this show. If you have never seen any of the previous seasons, and are judging it based solely on the fact that it stars Paris Hilton, you're really making a big mistake based on a judgement call.
The show is hilarious, and works very well when Paris and Nicole are interacting together, as they did in the first 3 seasons. The 4th season, due to personal conflicts, saw Paris and Nicole shoot their scenes independently, and in my opinion was the weakest of all the seasons. Season 5, premiering this weekend, will see Paris and Nicole as camp counselors. I can't wait....------------------------
DVD: Also, I just got the full series of David the Gnome, Are You Afraid of the Dark, Hey Dude, The Secret World of Alex Mack, Salute Your Shorts, X-Men: The Animated Series, and Tales From The Crypt on DVD. It's so good to rediscover a TV show from your childhood. They hold up really well over time, as well.
I think when Brian and I have kids we're just going to show them TV from our childhood instead of the stuff that's on TV these days. TV was so good back then, with different shows able to distinguish themselves and really carve out their place amongst one another. I can remember theme songs and characters and story arcs for shows that I haven't seen in more than fifteen years. Good stuff, good stuff....------------------------
CD: This week, Brian picked up the new Amy Winehouse CD. He says it's really good, but I haven't listened to it yet. What do you guys think? As I type this, on MTV, her song "Rehab" just came on. That feels like cheating, to type that I haven't listened to Amy Winehouse yet and then have her come right on TV. Hmmm, maybe I'll give this album a listen. Also, and perhaps more importantly, Celine Dion's new French-language album "D'Elles" came out in Europe and Canada this week. I have it on pre-order but it hasn't come in yet.
I'm dying to get this CD already, it's the first new album Celine has released in years, since "A New Day....Live in Las Vegas" which is just her Vegas show on CD. It's good, but it doesn't make up for a new album. "D'Elles" is a concept project that Celine recorded to honor 10 great women writers from Quebec. All of the songs on the album are their songs. I've heard two or three tracks, but I don't want to ruin it by listening to more. The anticipation is what helps the payoff mean so much.------------------------
Stage: Go see the musical version Legally Blonde at the Palace Theater. Go. Laura Bell Bundy is wonderful, Orfeh is hilarious, Kate Shindle is amazing, and the underfed dogs are awfully cute.
The music is contagious, the set is very impressive, the lighting is gorgeous, the costumes are fun, the theater is electric. I enjoyed myself so much and can't wait to go back.------------------------
Life: No complaints here. Brian graduated and is home now. My brother finishes up 10th grade and my sister completes 9th. May saw the birth of Sholyssa Hartbean and Katony Shindlomeo, the rise of international superstar and emerging big-screen talent Alexa Vega, the well-deserved Tony nomination of Grey Gardens, Brian watching the Bret Hart documentary and quoting "Brooklyn", and a new haircut for me. What a month!
