Hot Enough For Ya? (the F word found here, along with video clips)

Note to all of you hot weather whiners out there, especially Rena Sarigianopoulos at KARE11 news who, last weekend - after one day of 86 degree weather - prior to the this week's record temps - begged of the weather guy "when will this heat end????" 
SHUT THE FUCK UP! 
We Minnesotans just finished shoveling our way out of the third snowiest winter on record.  In addition, we suffered through minus zero temps and one of the nastiest, coldest, wettest, snowiest springs on record.  In a mere 4 months the snow shovels will be honed and the snow blower engines will be tuned up and ready to go yet again.  Can you frickin' snivel monsters enjoy the next 90 days without having to piss all over it for the rest of us?   
Just. Shut. Your. Pie. Holes. 

We now return to our regularly scheduled blog...

Yes, for the love of heat and humidity, I'm on the deck and soaking up every minute of this weather.  When you know the AC is just five feet away you can live dangerously when the thermometer out here reads 98° in the shade... at 10:00 a.m.  Actually, with a fresh pitcher of ice tea and a bowl of cold chunked up cantaloupe there's no danger here at all.  Except for maybe the cantaloupe finding it's way into the blender with some tequila later on - but that's a whole different adventure.  Now that it's Wednesday and the blistering heat has passed on through the state I've got the windows open and the smell of lilacs is wafting through the house once again.  It's a tad windy but it's not subzero and blowing snow so I'm good with it. 


I'm loving my birthday month and it's shaping up to be a memorable one on a number of levels. 

• Chelsea Handler is a must see live - you're only getting a very limited dose of her humor on t.v.
• Tim Allen is still funny after all these years.  For those of you who've been with me for a number of years here's a history lesson: Joe took me to see Tim Allen at the Orpheum on my 30th birthday.  That little nugget came to me out of the blue as I was walking into Treasure Island on Sunday.  Twenty years have come and gone with lots of changes, yet apparently the need to tickle my funny bone hasn't waned at all and it was great fun to celebrate with Mr. Allen once again.
• Shaw's Bar & Grill in Mpls. has fabulous St. Louis style BBQ ribs.  I highly recommend rolling up the sleeves and digging in.  They make a pretty decent Long Island Tea as well.  
• Jensen's Supper Club is just a great treat and their service was perfect - not hovering but we never had to ask for anything.  They seemed to sense when we were ready to move to the next course. 
• Cirque du Soleil - OVO was just WOW!  These people obviously have their spines removed in order to perform and they are so graceful and athletic and expressive.  I caught myself with my mouth open in awe several times, only to look around at everyone else doing the same thing and then remembering it's like this every time I see one of these shows.
• Vicki, in the off-season, is still the Greatest Hockey Friend In The World! She has faithfully texted me updates for each of the three games so far in the Stanley Cup Finals.  Yes, I've managed to have birthday plans that weren't based on sitting in front of the t.v. drooling over hockey.  I'm a hockey junkie and Vicki has been my dealer this last week.  You never imagine yourself sitting in the restroom of a refined restaurant, texting your hockey dealer for a hookup, but there I was... At least the rest of the month's adventures are pretty much based around games 4 - 7.  Going forward Vicki will only be subjected to my in-game text complaints about the Sedins and how the Bruins need to stay out of the penalty box instead of texting her "what's the score?" every 5 minutes.

Hockey, Anyone?
Game three between the Bruins and the Canucks was BRUTAL.  The Canucks are very clearly going for the Dirtiest Players Award along with the Whiniest Team Award.  I never dreamed there could be a whinier player than Brendan Shanahan but the Sedin Twins sure do give him a run for his money.  The best play of this game goes to Bruin's goalie Tim Thomas for checking Henrik Sedin: 

     
This game was a referee's nightmare but I have to say that they did their profession proud for all 60 minutes.  If there are ref/linesmen awards they better go to the zmen in black and white for Game Three.  Both teams tried their best to make a full mockery of this game, especially in the third period, yet all four officials were right on top of it.  The worst play of the game goes to Canucks Aaron Rome for blatantly head-hunting Nathan Thornton:  
        


Rome has been suspended for 4 games, the remainder of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and that's as it should be, unless of course you're mouth-breathing Canuck player, coach, GM or fan.  These idiots think the hit was completely legal and that Thornton somehow deserved to be hit after getting rid of the puck.

Here are all of the highlights (and lowlights) of game three - take a moment to relive them because tonight's game is going to be epic.  I hope all four on-ice officials have the rule book memorized because I think there's going to be some pop quizzes coming their way tonight.  


Houston Aeros Lose Bid for Calder Cup
Our boys in Houston gave it their best shot.  In the end it was tired legs from having to play two consecutive seven game series to get to the final that did the Aeros in.  The Binghamton Senators (Ottawa Sens farm team) took home the Calder Cup last night.  As Russo indicates, there are things to be happy about going away from this series: the Wild's training camp will be eventful and hopeful for a team that's rebuilding. 
I've said it before and I'll keep saying it because it's true: T3I has some of the most passionate writers for this sport I've ever had the pleasure of reading.  MsConduct, John Royal and Andrew J Ferraro write with such great emotion yet avoid being Homers about their team.  Chris Jerina, who has the BEST job in the world, took phenomenal pictures that captured the true meaning of the Aero's most defining moments.  I am envious and delighted all at the same time.  As MsConduct says: Living The Dream! 

We still have the Stanley Cup to award and then there will be a short intermission while the State of Hockey preps for the 2011 NHL Draft on June 24 & 25.  Before that you'll find me at the Orpheum, Up North, Target Field, MnZoo, Wild Road Trip, Various Grad Parties, Bring Your Own Lawn Chair Event and on the deck - soaking up this heat and humidity!