Ducati Field Trip

Thurs., March 20, 2008

I heard from a Utah local that there was a Ducati dealership in Salt Lake -- as a guidette and Ducati owner I had to check the place out. Taking a break from skiing, I went on a mini road trip to Salt Lake Motorsports, Inc. Along the way I stopped by the Ducati Cafe in Park City (cool concept I thought). I quickly discovered it was closed. Chris, a SLM employee I met later that morning informed me that the cafe did really good business during the Sundance Film Festival, but not so much afterwards.

Thirty miles later I pulled up to a HUGE Ducati red building (the pic above is just the showroom; there was also a large service area to the left)!!! Upon entering the store I was greeted by Lacey, a really cool gal working the front counter. The showroom floor housed various models of Italian-made motorcycles and scooters as far as my eyes could see. I was a kid in a candy store but with limited funds and suitcase space (torturous). There was also a diverse selection of women and men's apparel and accessories. If you're ever in the Park City/Salt Lake area I definitely recommend visiting SLM ... make sure to have your credit card though, because you won't be walking out empty handed.

Mountaintop View (My Spring Vacation)

*360º footage shot on top of Park City Mountain Resort: Powder Keg run
(NOTE: The footage is a little shaky because I was turning while on skis.)

Sat., March 15, 2008

Skiing is naturally exhilarating -- but when you combine it with spectacular mountain views, crisp air and a fresh powder base, there's nothing like it in the world!!! I'll take this over sitting in a cubical any day of the week.

Winter Classic

* 360º wide-angle view from our seats: section 222, row 10, seats 27 and 28

Tues., Jan. 1, 2008

(This isn't a game recap since it was nationally broadcast in its entirety, but rather my personal experiences of the day.)

My younger brother and I enthusiastically hit the road in our rental car at 9:30 a.m. for our destination -- the Winter Classic at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park. Our adventure started out with a bang (literally) ... we were coasting along on Abbot Road when a sheriff vehicle the size of a Suburban broke free from the traffic and sped past us down the median. The officer hadn't gotten far before tearing off the front of a car that had been patiently waiting to turn. There were tons of witnesses since it happened in front of a bar parking lot full of tailgaters. We continued on our journey, driving past several lots advertising parking for $15 and up. At one point there was a little boy around 4 years old standing on a corner with his dad holding a sign decorated in Sabres graphics reading "Honk if you believe." It was so cute. I beeped the horn a few times and the little boy revealed a big smiled. We soon found a good lot on the opposite side of the road that appeared would be easy to exit from after the game. It cost $25 but was worth every penny. There was a sea of tailgaters -- the most I had ever seen in my life at any sporting event. Everyone was dressed in a mix of hockey gear and ski gear. The majority of people were wearing Sabres apparel from different eras. The beer and grilled items flowed freely. It was only 10:15 a.m. when we pulled into our parking space. The game wasn't scheduled to begin until 1 p.m., so we hung out in the car for a while to stay warm knowing we had a long time ahead of us in the cold. At approximately 11:45 a.m. we bundled up in our remaining layers and broke open our hand and foot warmers. We joined a massive group of game attendees walking over to the stadium. When we reached the entrance of the stadium we saw giant NHL blow up hockey players and Sabres and Penguins team jerseys; a cool ice sculpture; a stage with various acts singing cover tunes; a virtual hockey game section sponsored by Verizon and several merchandise stands. We made our way to our seats after a few confusing rounds around the stadium. We had a great view. As we looked out in front of us at the rink we couldn't help but think that it appeared smaller than normal, although I'm sure it was regulation size. There was a separate mini rectangular rink at our end where pee wee players faced off during some of the game breaks. The stadium seats filled up quickly and everyone seemed to be in high spirits.

An announcer declared that the event we had all been waiting for was about to begin!!! Flames shot out on the left and right sides at our end of the stadium as members of each hockey team walked out from the locker rooms and entered the arena. Then, individuals representing various divisions of the military marched out and unfolded a huge Canadian flag at one end of the stadium and an American flag at the opposite end. Irish tenor Ronan Tynan movingly sang 'God Bless America.' Fireworks shot up all around the top edge of the stadium and helicopters flew overhead. Collectively all of that made for a really moving experience. Next, the puck hit the ice and it was game on! Impressively, it pretty much followed the timing of regular indoor games, except for the frequent need to remove snow/ice shavings and repair the rink surface. As expected, drunken people were scattered throughout the stadium. The crowd was very vocal about the game plays. I don't think the people watching at home saw the same things that were displayed on our giant screen -- a group of enthusiastic shirtless boys were featured cheering. As the tournament went on, more and more guys were displayed on the screen without their shirts on! Keep in mind the temperature was around 30 degrees that day and snowflakes fell consistently the entire time. I overheard a guy behind us say to his friend, "I don't want to be on the screen that badly." The crowd attendance remained solid until the very end. I think all of those who stuck it out deserved shirts stating "I survived the Winter Classic." I was pleasantly surprised that the traffic both before and after the game moved efficiently, as did the lines to the bathroom (which from a woman's standpoint is a huge deal). The Sabres gave it their all. I had a great time and would absolutely do it again if the Sabres were involved.

Ticket to Game $60
Official Program $10
Winter Classic Experience ... Priceless

Unexpected Encounter

*This photo is from imdb.com

Mon., Dec. 31, 2007

We headed up to Buffalo via Southwest Airlines for the Winter Classic. A few hours after we arrived in town we met up for dinner at one of our favorite neighborhood restaurants -- The Italian Village. We were busy talking away when much to our surprise, in walked William Fichtner, aka FBI Special Agent Alexander Mahone on 'Prison Break.' He was with a party of 25 friends and family members. They headed into a private room. It wasn't unusual for Bill to be in the Buffalo area considering he has family living in Cheektowaga and he's a known Sabres fan. My little brother, an avid 'Prison Break' devotee, really wanted to get Bill's autograph but my father sternly told him that dinner wasn't an appropriate time to approach the actor. Out of respect, my brother left him alone. His appearance was a fun addition to our dining experience.

Hot Meal

Tues., Dec. 18, 2007

In the spirit of the holiday season, my boss (at her own expense!) took our department out for an interactive lunch at Otani's, a Japanese steak house in our area. The food including sushi, terriyaki chicken, hibachi steak, shrimp and fried rice was delicious; the chef was entertaining and we had fun gabbing away with each other. It was a really nice opportunity for us to get together before our holiday break. We all walked away with full bellies and sore jaws from laughing so much.

Wishing everyone great health and much happiness in 2008!!!

Sabres Defeat the Caps Once Again!!!

Fri., Dec. 14, 2007

Back at the Verizon Center in D.C. with my dad for another 7 p.m. Sabres / Caps game. This time our seats were in section 401, row G. There was a large crowd, many of which were Sabres fans all decked out in their various Sabres gear! They weren't shy about being vocal.

At one point during a "break" they put the camera on a soldier in the Walter Reed section (Ted Leonsis, the owner of the Caps, has a special section designated for military men/women.) The crowd went nuts clapping for the guy -- they spontaneously all began to stand up and shouted USA, USA!!! The soldier started to tear up ... it was a very powerful/moving moment.

Overall it was a really well played game by both teams. Miller (#30) made MANY great saves. There were no real fights between the players to report. The final score was Sabres 5, Caps 3. Next stop, a mini road trip to Buffalo for the Winter Classic game. Go Sabres!!!

Book Signing

Wed., Nov. 28, 2007

My mom is a huge Food Network fan, so for Christmas I thought it would be cool to get her an autographed copy of Paula Deen’s book. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out as I had hope during my first try (see Nov. 4 blog entry), but being persistent, I wasn’t about to give up.

I went to Paula’s Web site and read under the Paula’s Schedule section that she would be at the Book-a-Million at Dupont Circle in D.C. on Nov. 28. My mission was to attend the event and get the book singed for my mom.

The signing was to take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Unaware of what the crowd would be like; I got there very early which was good because a line had already formed. My friend Eric (on the right in the photo above) joined me for the adventure. I arrived with books I had purchased in advance but was told by a bookstore rep that Paula would only be signing her holiday recipe book. So I went and bought two copies of it and got in line. The cashier handed me a list of “regulations” with my books.

I understand the need for some sort of organization to get the line to move in an orderly fashion, but two of the bullet points I found to be ridiculous … you could only get one specific book of hers signed and it couldn't be personalized!!! The whole point of getting a book signed is the excitement that the author made the inscription out to you personally. I even put a Post-it Note on the book with my mom’s name neatly printed for Paula’s convenience but that was disregarded.

I had brought my camera of course … another one of the “rules” was that there would be no individual pictures allowed. When you got to her table, you were to give your camera to the bookstore staff member and he took a picture for you, thus the lovely shot of the back of me.

Paula’s husband Michael was with her and signed the books also. When I reached Paula at the signing table I presented her with a candid photo I had taken from the D.C. cooking expo of her and her husband smooching. She graciously thanked me, showed her husband and said it was a beautiful photo which was cool.

After we got our books signed, Eric and I grabbed a bite at a nearby restaurant named Circa. It was a delicious meal and a nice way to end a successful pursuit.