SJ Sharks vs. Calgary Flames - 10/29/05

I went to the game with Shawnna and Dan. The tickets were from work, so we sat in the first deck, 15 rows back at center ice - very nice!

The Sharks started off looking very tired after having beat the Kings on the previous night. The only players that looked fresh and seemed to play hard in the first two periods were Jonathan Cheechoo, Kyle McLaren and Nolan Schaefer. If it wasn't for Nolan Schaefer playing an unbelievable game in net, the Sharks would have been down 4-0 in the first period. He made some great saves and has been a surprisingly solid performer in place of the injured Nabokov and Toskala.

The Flames scored 5 minutes into the game and the crowd seemed to be just as lethargic as the players. It was quiet relative to the first two home games where the Tank was rockin' - maybe it was just my perspective sitting in the lower bowl instead of the upper bowl with the "real" fans. Anyway, the Sharks had a couple of good chances in the first period, but Kiprusoff was up to the challenge and shut them down.

The second period was even worse for the Sharks. Part of the problem was that they spent about half of the period on the penalty kill and ended up with only 3 shots on goal. Fortunately, Schaefer stood on his head and shut down the Flames in the period.

The third period started with much of the same. The Sharks had a couple of penalties and the Flames had several scoring chances culminating with Jerome Iginla's strike 12 minutes into the period. Down 2-0, the Sharks seemed to finally come alive. With 5 minutes to go in the game, Calgary was called for a penalty and Jonathan Cheechoo scored on the ensuing power play to cut the deficit to 2-1. Smelling blood, the Sharks continued to circle and the crowd started to come alive sensing that something was going to happen. With a minute to play, the Sharks pulled their goalie for an extra attacker and it paid off when Brad Stuart poked in a rebound with 22 seconds left to tie the game 2-2. As Stuart sat on the bench smiling from ear to ear, the crowd stood on their feet and cheered with pent up enthusiasm.

The overtime was all Sharks as they had 3 shots to 0 for the Flames. However, Kiprusoff turned them aside to force a shootout. Jerome Iginla scored for the Flames in the shootout and was matched by Marco Sturm in the third segment which meant it was time for a sudden death shootout. Chuck Kobasew was up first for Calgary and failed to score. Nils Ekman was next for the Sharks and skated straight toward Kiprusoff, hesitated and fired a shot past his right shoulder and into the net to win the game for the Sharks. The crowd went nuts and it was an amazing ending to a mediocre (at best) game for the Sharks.

Score: W 3-2 shootout
1st Period
Cal - Steve Montador (Marcus Nilson)
2nd Period
None
3rd Period
Cal - Jarome Iginla(PP) (Dion Phaneuf, Daymond Langkow)
SJ - Jonathan Cheechoo(PP) (Patrick Marleau, Milan Michalek)
SJ - Brad Stuart (Jonathan Cheechoo, Patrick Marleau)
OT
None

SJ SOG: 21
Cal SOG: 25
Winning Goalie: Nolan Schaefer
Losing Goalie: Miikka Kiprusoff

Tickets: Section 115 Row 15

Disneyland Trip - Oct. 20-24, 2005

Two long working days after our Carmel trip, Shawnna and I headed down to our next destination - Disneyland! We wanted to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of Disneyland. We left home at about 10:00am on Thursday and were at the hotel by 2:30pm; yes, it only took 4.5 hours in one stretch without stopping. We stayed at the Park Inn Anaheim which is directly across the street from Disneyland. After checking in, we walked around Downtown Disney before driving to Medieval Times for dinner and some entertainment.


We were sitting in the Blue Knight section. That meant we cheered for the blue knight throughout the evening of horseback jousting and various games/battles. By the end of the night, our knight stood victorious, so we went back to the hotel with our heads held high.


Friday morning, we got up and were at Disneyland when it opened. The first ride we rode was Space Mountain, followed by Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters and Indiana Jones Adventure. I must say that I was disappointed by the "new" Space Mountain which had recently been opened after having been renovated for the past 2 years. The only changes I could recognize were that the track was a bit smoother and the corridor leading to the ride was cleaner and newer. The rest of the ride seemed to be the same which makes me wonder what they worked on for 2 years. Anyway, I did enjoy the Astro Blasters which is a new ride where you shoot at targets while riding in Haunted Mansion type cars. Indiana Jones, as usual, is still a great ride.

Next, we headed over to California Adventure when it opened to experience The Twighlight Zone Tower of Terror. All I have to say is WOW! This is another Disney classic. The attention to detail is second to none, the special effects are cool and the different drop sequences keeps the ride exciting because you never know how far you'll drop. Even more surprising was that Shawnna loved it as well.

The rest of the day was spent walking back and forth between the two parks to go on more fun rides: California Screemin', Soarin' Over California, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion, which was a big surprise. The Haunted Mansion was like a whole new ride because it was completely redecorated in the theme of "A Nightmare Before Christmas." Even the elevator with the "stretching" walls was redecorated with Nightmare paintings and the hanging man at the top was replaced with a giant Jack Skellington head wearing a Santa hat. It was fun to see this during the Halloween time.

Saturday was our early entry day which meant we got in the park 1 hour before the general public. In that first hour, we were able to ride the Matterhorn twice, Astro Blasters twice, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Snow White's Scary Adventures, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan's Flight and Pinocchio's Daring Journey. After another day of riding more rides, we got a good spot to watch the "Remember... Dreams Come True" fireworks spectacular. This was one of the longest fireworks shows I have ever seen and it was set to classic Disney soundbytes from rides throughout the park. In a couple instances, fireworks were not only being shot in front of you, but all around you and Tinker Bell flew all around instead of just a straight line like normal. Worth checking out.

Sunday was our last day in the park, so we went on all of our favorite rides one more time (Tower of Terror - rode it 6 times, Astro Blasters - 6 times, Indiana Jones - 5 times, California Screemin' - 3 times, Haunted Mansion - 3 times), watched the Aladdin musical in California Adventure (the Genie was still funny and he had new material since the last time we saw it) and saw Billy Hill and the Hillbillies (hilarious as always). We had a nice dinner at the Blue Bayou and rode our last ride (Star Tours) before leaving the park just before it closed.

On Monday (Shawnna's birthday), we did some shopping at the Disney Store in Downtown Disney as well as the Grand Californian gift shop before checking out of the hotel and heading home. We stopped for lunch at Harris Ranch and made it home in 5.5 hours (including lunch). After unpacking and getting some things done, we had dinner with Leanna and Jeff at the Olive Garden.

Overall, it was a very nice trip. The weather cooperated - low 70s with no rain. The crowds weren't bad - Fast Passes made the lines even shorter. The rides were all operational - the new Tower of Terror made up for the "new" Space Mountain. And, our Disney brick was still in good condition...

Monterey & Carmel Trip - Oct. 16-17, 2005

On Sunday morning, Shawnna and I drove to Monterey / Carmel for a couple days of relaxation and rejuvenation. The weather was perfect (high 60s) and our first stop was the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It had been a few years since we were there, so we wanted to check it out. They were housing 19 penguins that were moved from New Orleans, so the exhibit had over 30 penguins; a little crowded, but they all seemed to be having a good time.




We also saw lots of fish, sharks, jellyfish (including a jellyfish art exhibit), sea otters and plenty of other sea creatures. For lunch, we are at the Portola Restaurant in the aquarium where we had a ocean view, window seat. I ate the fish & chips made with halibut and Shawnna had the coriander dusted sea bass.

Next, we drove to Carmel and checked into the Hyatt Highlands Inn. Before we were able to look at our room, we sat through a 90 minute presentation since they were trying to sell the rooms as a timeshare. After that was finished, we went to our room and were completely blown away. The first thing we noticed was the view. We had a balcony with an unobstructed view of the ocean and Point Lobos (Bird Rock in particular).



The room itself had 4 different sections; A full kitchen complete with dishes and a dishwasher, a living room with a wood-burning fireplace, a bedroom with a king bed, and a big bathroom complete with a Jacuzzi tub.




After checking out the room and view, it was time for dinner. We made reservations at Pacific's Edge Restaurant which is the award winning, fine dining restaurant on the property. This place was absolutely amazing. Every detail was thought of; from the host greeting us with our name, to the impeccably dressed and knowledgeable wait staff, to the awesome view (we had an ocean view table next to the glass) which was made even better since we got there just before sunset.

Then it was time for the food; we opted for the 3 course meal. Not your typical 3 course meal since each course was an entree dish in an appetizer size. I ordered the seared beef tenderloin, honey glazed duck, and lobster. Shawnna ordered the beef carpaccio, quail with vanilla port wine glaze and lamb with gorgonzola bread pudding. Of course, the names on the menu were fancier than that and they each came with gourmet garnish. The presentation of each plate was something out of a magazine and I didn't want to mess it up, but the visual appeal was only trumped by the taste. After eating at fancy restaurants, I'm usually still hungry and feel uncomfortable being there, but Pacific's Edge was great, comfortable and left me feeling very full. Of course, we also had dessert. I ordered the Chocolate Strawberry Bombe which was like chocolate mousse with a shell of more dense chocolate and Shawnna ordered Chocolate Heaven which was 4 different chocolate desserts (bite sized). After all of that, we rolled out of there and back to the room.

The next morning, we got up and watched the full moon go down into the ocean. We ate breakfast at the other restaurant on site; California Market. I had the Sticky Bun French Toast and Shawnna had scrambled eggs, ham, fingerlings (potatoes) and toast. It was very good, but nothing could compare to the dinner the previous night.

We checked out of the room and drove to Carmel where we walked around some of the shops before walking along Carmel Beach to Pebble Beach and back. The weather was very warm and dogs were out in full force playing in the surf. It was a great end to the perfect weekend. We headed back home reinvigorated and ready to work 2 days until our next vacation :-) Up next, Disneyland...

SJ Sharks vs. Chicago Blackhawks - 10/15/05

For this game, Shawnna and I went with Dan and his friend, Ryan. We ate dinner at the Spaghetti Factory in San Pedro Square prior to the game, then walked to The Tank for some fun with 17,492 other people.

The Sharks came out ready to go and it looked like a continuation of the home opener. Less than 3 minutes into the game, the Sharks scored and 8 minutes after that, they scored again. However, the shutout wouldn't last long as the Blackhawks scored 17 minutes into the 1st period.

The second period was more of the same with the Sharks and Blackhawks each scoring twice. The third period went scoreless. So, just like the home opener, the Sharks scored twice in each of the first two periods and didn't score in the third. However, unlike the home opener, the Sharks actually looked good in the third and fired off 15 of their 44 shots in that period.

Overall, the Sharks looked good pretty much from start to finish and played even better than they did during the home opener. The reason that this score was closer is that the Blackhawks are a better team than the Blue Jackets and Craig Anderson had a great game in net (stopping 40 of 44 shots). If it wasn't for Anderson, the score would have been a lot more lopsided. If they keep it up, this could be a very good year for the Sharks.

Score: W 4-3
1st Period
SJ - Marco Sturm (Milan Michalek, Patrick Marleau)
SJ - Jonathan Cheechoo (Wayne Primeau, Mark Smith)
Chi - Jason Morgan (Mark Bell, Mikael Holmqvist)
2nd Period
Chi - Matthew Barnaby (Jim Dowd, Matt Ellison)
SJ - Patrick Marleau(PP) (Marco Sturm, Brad Stuart)
SJ - Patrick Marleau(PP) (Niko Dimitrakos, Brad Stuart)
Chi - Matt Ellison (Jim Dowd, Jassen Cullimore)
3rd Period
None

SJ SOG: 44
Chi SOG: 27
Winning Goalie: Evgeni Nabokov
Losing Goalie: Craig Anderson

Tickets: Section 222 Row 6

SJ Sharks vs. Columbus Blue Jackets - 10/12/05

Hockey is back in San Jose!

It's been a long year without hockey, so I was very excited to be attending the Sharks home opener and bear witness to the greatest sport on Earth. Prior to the game, the Sharks held a street rally with live music, games, face painting, etc. We walked around for a while before heading into the Tank. On the way in, we were given a mini banner commemorating the fact that the Sharks were the Pacific Division champs in 2003-04. After that, we headed to our seats and watched the Sharks practice before they dropped the puck.

A few minutes before game time, the lights went down, the music went up and they started projecting images of the players on the ice surface - the entire ice surface. That was new for this year and it was a very impressive way to introduce all of the players - it's not everyday that you get to see a 200 ft tall Patrick Marleau. When the Sharks took to the ice, the crowd went crazy - as loud as a playoff game. I think the players got the message that we didn't hold a grudge; we were just glad hockey was back.

When the puck was dropped, the Sharks came out very aggressively and looked energized. A little more than 6 minutes into the game, the Sharks scored their first goal followed by another just over a minute later. The Sharks speed is a perfect match for the new rules and it was on full display. The second period was more of the same with the Sharks scoring about 11 minutes into the period and again 1 minute later. After that, the Sharks went into coasting mode and didn't do a whole lot for the rest of the game. The Blue Jackets scored in the third period to ruin the shutout attempt, but they never threatened to keep the game close.

Overall, there were lots of shots, penalties, long passes, speed and energy on display. The Sharks really dug deep, crashed the net and had several great opportunities to score on big rebounds (Marc Denis wasn't on his game). It's good to be back!

Score: W 4-1
1st Period
SJ - Marco Sturm (Patrick Marleau, Milan Michalek)
SJ - Wayne Primeau (Jonathan Cheechoo, Mark Smith)
2nd Period
SJ - Scott Thornton (Nils Ekman, Alyn McCauley)
SJ - Wayne Primeau (Jonathan Cheechoo, Rob Davison)
3rd Period
CBJ - Radoslav Suchy (Manny Malhotra, Adam Foote)

SJ SOG: 36
CBJ SOG: 27
Winning Goalie: Evgeni Nabokov
Losing Goalie: Marc Denis

Tickets: Section 227 Row 5

Big Purchase

After years of wanting one, I finally made my wish of a big screen TV come true. I've been talking about it long enough, so I decided this was the weekend. I did some research on the internet and went to a couple of stores in town to compare prices and features. I narrowed it down to the 50" Sony WEGA and the 50" Samsung.

Why not bigger? I had to make sure it fit in the spot I have to put it in, so 50" was as big as I could go. After learning the the Sony didn't have a picture-in-picture option, I opted for the Samsung. I bought it at Best Buy because they had some sales going on and I had gift cards to spend (thanks to all who gave me gift cards for my birthday; I know they were supposed to go toward an iPod, but since I have the iPod Shuffle, a big screen was higher on my list =)

So, here I am in my family room watching the 49ers lose on my big screen. Not exactly what I would like to see, but if you're going to lose, might as well lose big. Anyway, I can't wait to watch hockey. Go Sharks! Digital cable should be hooked up shortly. Up next...high definition? We'll see, but so far, so good.

SWEET...

Happy Birthday, Bro - Oct. 1, 2005

Today was Dan's 32nd birthday, so we naturally had to do something fun. Dan, Andrew, mom and I started the day by going to breakfast at Hobees. After fueling up with some good food (and the best coffee cake in the world), we headed off to Santa Cruz. The weather was pretty good for an October day at the beach; foggy, yet a relatively warm 65° with no wind. First, we played on the beach; threw around theFrisbeee (Dan needs more practice =) and football, knocked around the beach ball, dug in the sand and buried sticks and Andrew's feet. Next, we walked down the Boardwalk, played a few games and Andrew won a plastic spider (Héctor) and lizard (Lupé). Andrew was starting to get tired, so we drove back to Dan's house and put Andrew down for a nap.

During Andrew's nap, we ate lunch (Wienerschnitzel), played video game hockey and Dan opened his presents (Sharks tickets and Gulper Eel from me - money and a spiral notebook from mom). When Andrew woke from his nap, Liz and Shawnna arrived at the house after shopping. We all hung out a little bit longer, played with Andrew and then went to dinner at California Pizza Kitchen before heading home. It was a long, tiring but fun day.