Favorite Thing #23: Justin Timberlake SNL skit

There are no words to describe the greatness of this video. It is B-rilliant.

Warmed up like biscuits...Dance Biscuits

OT: If Loving You is Wrong Then I Don't Want to Be Right

unless you are playing the Bruins Chris Drury, why do you do this to me? I've always been a fan. You hail from Trumbull which makes you a hometown hero for Connecticut. But more importantly, you're good. I always liked you when you played for the Av's. In fact, I kind of felt bad for you, because you were overshadowed by Joe Sakic and his pretty face and stupid Lady Byng Trophy. I was even thrilled when you were traded to the stupid Rangers because it meant you not only got a higher profile role on the team, but I would get to see you play more. I got to see you play the Red Wings in the Murder City back in October and I secretly cheered for you the whole time (it was only a secret because I was afraid Mini Wiseman would beat me up for cheering for a member of the opposite team. Also, I was really only cheering for you because I didn't want your team to win.).

But then you go and be your awesome self when your team plays the Bruins. The Bruins blew their early 2-0 lead and the game was tied up 53 seconds before then end of regulation play. And you have to go and score a goal on Terrible Tim in the 4th round of shootouts in the closeout position. Bergeron did his best, but the puck rebounded off the goal post just shy of the line. (Stupid instant replay. The ref called it a fair goal.) Why do you make it so hard on me? Maybe next time you meet the Bruins on Beantown ice, you could try to be less awesome so that I don't feel like a philanderer secretly cheering when you score a goal and then realizing that, along with your amazing deke, come a loss for the Bruins.

OT: Come on Baby Light My Fire

The Bruins continued their winning streak last night as they skated circles around their arch enemy the Montreal Canadiens, crushing them with a final 6-1 score and effectively ending the 12-game regular season winning streak of the dreaded Habs. With this win, the Bruins have not only cemented themselves as the leader of the Northeast Division, finally passing the Sabres (seriously, the Sabres were in first???), but they've planted the idea in many a fans head that this may not be another disappointing season for the Bruins.

Overall, the Bruins played really well as a team last night, which they have been doing all season. However, I did notice better cohesion. Overall, I saw a drastic drop in puck turnovers both last night and the night before, and a much better power play kill than at the beginning of the season, allowing only 1 power play goal in the last 21 opportunities.

Some of the highlights of the game:

• Shawn Thorton scoring his first Bruins goal 2:31 into the first period, and giving the Bruins the lead that they would maintain all night.


• Marco Sturm scoring two goals last night, putting his 5 game total at 5 goals, 2 assists and giving him his third game of the season where he scored multiple times. I have a fever and the only prescription is more Sturm.


• Stephane Yelle also scoring two goals. He's really been coming into his own this season after struggling to match his career as an Av while with the flames. Plus nothing beats his crazy Canadian accent. I love when they interview him. (I wish I was as clever as HubHockey - their headline is "With a Rebel Yelle, We Cry Game Winning Goal")


• Manny Fernandez letting in only 1 out of 28 shots. I have to admit, I did miss Tim Thomas' big butt falling down and flopping around


• Amy's comment that "All his hits are big" when the commentator said "And a big hit by Lucic"


• Milan Lucic. I love this guy. He might be even better than PJ Stock. Lucic antagonized and taunted Komisarek all game until it culminated in a fight during the third period. These two have had a history since the playoffs last year. Their antagonism started with Lucic taking out Komisarek, who then whined to the ref, resulting in Lucic making really funny talking hand motions at him as he skated back to the bench. It ended with the fight in the third period that had Lucic knocking Komisarek to the ice, beating the crap out of him and then taunting what I believe was the Canadiens bench while Mark Savard shakes his head and laughs.

All in all, a great game. I think I'm in love.

OT: A Public Apology to Tim Thomas

Dear Tim Thomas,

I have never been your biggest fan (or even a fan at all). I constantly question why the Bruins aren't willing to invest money in a Goalie, have likened your goal tending to falling on your fat ass and occasionally stopping the puck at the same time, and love to scream obscenities at you. But I'd like to apologize for that (for now). Anyone who knows me knows that I hate apologies, both coming from me and aimed at myself. I have even before admitted that I am wrong, but told my husband Kevin that I refuse to apologize. The only time apologies are cool are when they take the form of a song by Nerfherder.



My point is, apologies don't come natural to me. But you deserve it. Normally, your playing reminds me of the Katy Perry song "Hot and Cold". You make an incredible save and then the next shot on goal just slides past you. Or, you have two or three shutouts in a row and then completely bomb for several games afterwards. But so far this season, you have been on fire. Last night, you helped the rest of your team stave off the Blackhawks on their numerous power plays. Usually I cringe, because you guys are usually terrible at 4 on 5, but your help, the 'Hawks were shut down. A few weeks ago, you even played something like 158 minutes without allowing a shot in. 11th overall, you currently lead the league in GAA and Save%, which to my recollection is unheard of for you. I know there is a lot of ice time left, but it is shaping up to be a great season for you. For the first time, I actually believe that you deserve to be the lead Goaltender.

Its really too bad you didn't play this well last season when you were nominated for the Allstar Team. This year, you were left off the ballot, but you actually deserve to be there. Hopefully enough fans will write you in. I know I did, as penance for my doubt of you at the beginning of the season.

So, Tim Thomas, here's to you and your fat ass. I hope you continue to do well and don't wind up on my shit list again.

Sincerely,
Amanda Lester

P.S. After I wrote this letter to you, I stumbled across a great article by James Duthie of the Ottowa Citizen that likened you to "a freshly caught fish on the bottom of a boat" and goes on to state that

"Boston's Tim Thomas is the best thing to happen to goaltending since the mask.

Where do I start? He's small, so his equipment doesn't make him eclipse the net like some of those Jabba The Hutt look-alikes. He doesn't have one of those robotic techniques. Heck, I'm not sure he has any technique! If he does the butterfly, it looks like it's missing a wing, flying in all directions. Every night with Thomas is like Live at the Improv. He's made the position fun again....Thomas makes ugly, ridiculous, impossible saves nightly. And just to make things interesting, he's occasionally awful. When that happens, when he flips when he should have flopped, he gets so mad at himself, it looks like David Banner turning into The Hulk. "

Perhaps I have been undervaluing you all along.

Favorite Thing #22: Halloween

Channeling Marilyn with this pose

I absolutely love Halloween. As a kid, I always looked forward to that time of year when my mom asked me what I wanted to be for Halloween. Not for the candy, as with most kids, but because I loved dressing up and pretending to be something I'm not. Its really too bad that I hate when people look at me and my face turns red, because I would have been a totally bitchin' actress. This year, I finally had an excuse to dress up again. I started thinking about my costume when I realized Halloween was on a Friday and I could go out on the town in my costume (JUNE), but didn't get out to the store until this past week to get the remaining pieces of my costume. Unfortunatly, I was missing key pieces of all my really great ideas, so I had to go with a Marilyn Monroe costume that at the time I was not excited about. However, after I got dressed and went out on the town Friday night, I fell in love with my costume. Amy, Katie and I went all over town in our costumes and it was glorious. We hit up the wine shop and got our pictures taken (which made it into their weekly newsletter), went to Dev's and got a free drink, headed over to Rob's in Niantic and finally made it to Hanafins to have an impromptu dance party with a very drunk Dr. Mark. The only thing that was at all disappointing was the lack of costumes by people out and about town. I guess not everyone gets as excited as the Trifecta about dressing up.

Dr. Mark is the only boy who would dance with us. I think all the other boys were jealous of our sweet moves.

Kevin attempts his photography merit badge with this shot

The boys get in on the fun

Even the Von Schnauzers got in on the fun, although if you ask Roo, she will tell you it was not at all fun, but mortifying.

Jackson heard from Doyle that skunks are scary, so

he figured it would be a great costume

Sieze the Fat One!

OT: The best game of the season so far and I missed it

The first Bruins game of the season that I completely missed, and the Bruins whoop the Stars 5-1. I missed one of hockey's biggest douchebags, Steve Ott, starting several fights due to his unsafe, dangerous hits and then refusing to fight because the guy he chose to pick on was bigger than him (he must have learned this from fellow team mate and douchebag Sean Avery). Ott got his ass handed to him several times (and wound up getting kicked out of the game). Ott's buddy Avery got his ass handed to him by Marc Savard after he boarded Lucic. One of the things that I love about Savard is his willingness to go to bat for his team mates when he feels that they have been wronged. Avery's boarding of Lucic was completely uncalled for and Savard (and the rest of the line) let the Stars know. It turned into a giant shit show and I missed it! Not only that, but I missed Patrice Bergeron, Phil Kessel,Mark Stuart and Marco Sturm (X2) scoring. That will teach me to have a dinner party the day of a Bruins game.