Honoring a Hockey Legend

Sun., Dec. 28, 2008

My friend Melissa has access to season tickets to the Washington Capitals, center ice -- section 111, row s, seat 11. She invited me to watch the CAPS play the Maple Leafs. [Side Note: If I ever win the lottery and have years to wait for ticket availability, I would love to buy season tickets in that section!!! Dare to dream ...]

Before the game there was a ceremony retiring Hockey Hall of Famer Mike Gartner's No. 11 jersey, which means no CAPS player will ever be able to wear that number again. Gartner ranks second in CAPS history in goals (397), assists (392) and points (789). Also, he's only the fourth player in CAPS history to have his number retired.

It was a great spectator experience. They rolled out a red carpet on the ice for Gartner. His wife, children and son-in-law were by his side. Gartner was honored with a tribute video and was introduced by his former Capitals teammate, Wes Jarvis. "What stood out to all of us though was his passion and enthusiasm for the game of hockey. … Number 11 in my day, Number 8 with today’s team (Alex Ovechkin) -- two passionate players," said Jarvis.

After Gartner addressed the crowd, Capitals president Dick Patrick presented him with three special gifts from the team -- an oil painting by artist Michel Lapensee, a framed vintage No. 11 jersey and an engraved silver puck. Fellow retired number honorees Yvon Labre and Rod Langway and current Capitals captain Chris Clark assisted with the presentation. At the close of the ceremony a banner honoring Gartner and his number was raised to the Verizon Center rafters.

Ending on a high note that evening, the CAPS beat the Maple Leafs 4 to 1.

Holiday Time in D.C.

Fri., Dec. 12, 2008

I met my friend Karina in Washington, D.C., at the Willard to watch a holiday evening performance by Voce, a chamber choral group of 22 artists. A crowd of about 40 people stood in the extravagantly decorated lobby listening and chatting amongst each other. We stayed for about three songs and then wondered around the main level gazing at all adornments. The enormous Christmas tree in the center of the lobby was breathtaking. Another item that caught our attention was a gingerbread White House on display in the entrance of the hotel restaurant. It was created by their head pastry chef. The details of the structure were amazing.

Afterward we went to dinner at Cafe Mozart, deemed an authentic German restaurant by Karina (the facility also contains a German deli and bar). Karina's father served in the military and she had lived in Germany the bulk of her childhood. The atmosphere was quaint ... like a relative's home. The food was warm and delicious.

As a treat after dinner I ordered a Scotch Chocolate -- hot cocoa and butterscotch schnapps. Sooo tasty!!! It kept me warm as I scurried to catch the Metro home in the cold.

Furry Friends Support

Sun., Oct. 5, 2008

A big supporter of animal rights, I was happy to participate in the 3rd Annual Humane Society Walk for the Animals in Washington, D.C. I volunteered at the registration table before the event, so I wasn't able to bring my own three doggies. However, I wore a button that showed I was walking in their honor. As the crowd grew, there was a sea of doggies of all sizes and breeds. The energy level was high and not surprisingly, the dogs were experiencing sensory overload. Activities prior to the walk included doggie yoga, an agility course, contests for owner-look-alike and best dressed canine and a microchip clinic. There was a cute doggie water station. The band Redline Addiction provided great live music. My friend Karina joined me for the one-mile scenic walk around Constitution Gardens. The only disappointment to a majority of the attendees -- the walk was too short. There were approximately 2,000 participants and more than $97,709 was raised. The Humane Society is continuing to collect donations until November 7.

Vino Birthday Party

Sat., Oct. 4, 2008

Our core group got together to celebrate our friend Eric's birthday at Tarara Winery in Leesburg, Va. (Chhayal, Chris, Pascale, Mary Lou, Seetal and Amelia). We kicked off the festivities in the wine tasting room. A staff member guided us through the tasting experience -- helping us identify the unique flavors and understand the complexities in each vintage. We choose to participate in the Featured Selection, which included five wines: 2006 Charval, 2007 Rosé, 2005 Cabernet Franc, 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon and Non-Vintage Wild River Red. After the tasting we headed over to picnic tables overlooking a lake to have lunch and enjoy some bottles of wine. It was a beautiful autumn day. The house dog Shadow, a sweet black lab, came over to greet us. Everyone brought a different item to contribute to the picnic. On the spot Eric cut tomatoes and stuffed them with homemade chicken salad. The spread looked like something right off the pages of Martha Stewart Living. We ended the afternoon with a delicious chocolate birthday cake Chhayal made from scratch.

Comic Relief

Thurs., Sept. 25, 2008

My friend Eric, along with two of his friends Pascale and Mary Lou went to see Kathy Griffin perform at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. We had great seats smack in the center. It was Kathy's first performance since she won her Emmy for Outstanding Reality Program for her work on 'My Life on the D-List'. Her material focused on a lot of behind-the-scenes dirt from the Emmys and politics -- not surprising considering the location and it being an election year. Her show lasted about an 1 hour and 45 minutes and was solid entertainment. A nice and well-needed laugh break from the stress of everything in the news.

Natural Wonder

Sat., Aug. 30, 2008

I went on a brief weekend road trip to my hometown. My cousin and his wife knew I had never participated in the sites of Niagara Falls, even though I lived in Buffalo the first 22 years of my life. One of those things where you take your surrounding for granted until you are no longer living there. They took me to the Cave of the Winds and Maid of the Mist in Niagara Falls on the American side. The Cave of the Winds was a blast! Mother Nature provided us with a gorgeous day. We paid for our tickets -- the fee included a yellow disposable slicker and a "fashionable" pair of foam sandals. We then joined a looooong line and patiently waited to enter. You take a quick elevator ride down inside the cave walls. You then take a brief walk thru the cave to the outside. You definitely want to be wearing your slicker at this point because you are sprayed with water shooting off the rocks. The views and colors of the Falls are SPECTACULAR as you climb up and down the red wood stairs, getting as close to the sides as you dare!!! I had a really great time.

Side Note: The sandals are provided to tourists so they can keep their own shoes dry and the sure-grip soles of the sandals prevent slippage on the wet scenic decks. Afterwards you can place your sandals in a large bin. The recycled sandals are given out to individuals who are in need of footwear locally, nationally and internationally. The sandals are distributed by members of the Project Angel Shoes Distributor Partnership Program. In May 2008, 65,000 pairs of sandals were donated to individuals in poverty-stricken Haiti.

Behind-the-Scenes of an American Legend

Photo by Chhayal

Mon., Aug. 18, 2008

My friends Chhayal and Eric took me on a mini road trip to York, Pa., to tour the Harley-Davidson Vehicle Operations Factory. It was an item on my life list and their goal was to help me cross it off. I was SUPER excited!!!

We pulled up to the sprawling 232 acres of Harley-Davidson property and secured our tickets. The one-hour factory tours are free, but tickets are distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis. Upon entering the H-D facility you walk through a mini museum, a floor room area where there are a variety of motorcycle models you can sit on and a gift shop.

Tour time!!! There were 17 people in our group. Our guide's name was Larry and his security controller sidekick was Ray. Larry has been a H-D tour guide for the past seven years (he was super knowledgeable about the company and motorcycles). Before we could proceed, he instructed all of us to put on our provided safety goggles and headset. Our cameras were temporarily collected, because no photos are allowed to be taken inside the factory. The tour began with a 10 minute video on the history of H-D. Next, we entered the factory. We learned there are approximately 3,100 factory employees. From 1973 to 1998 all Harleys made came from this factory. Today, all Harley Touring motorcycles are made at this location. The tires they use are supplied by the Dunlop Factory in Buffalo, N.Y., (that's right, my hometown!) It was fascinating to see the process of how they blend traditional skills done by men/women with new robotic technology to build such beautiful objects. In Larry's opinion the two coolest jobs at the factory (besides his), are the roll testers and the auditors. The two roll tester guys take each bike and ride them under simulated circumstances for about 1.5 miles at approximately 65 m.p.h to make sure the motorcycles are 100 percent ready before they to go shipping. The auditors pull completed bikes out at random, test drive them on the road and rate them. The scores are then given to the employees so they know how well they're doing as part of in-house quality control. After witnessing these work stations in action, I'd have to agree with Larry, they are awesome jobs!!!

Whether you are a motorcycle enthusiast or not, I would highly recommend taking this manufacturing and assembly tour. It's a guaranteed once-in-a-lifetime experience.