Tiger Says...

So I decided to come write this post because it's been exactly one year since I came to live at the Clem Castle.  The family is pretty much the same except for the girl that brought me here.  She moved away and didn't even take me with her.  Can you believe that?  I was kind of looking forward to getting away from the big guy that hounds me constantly when he's home.  I know he means well, but jeez guy, give it a rest.  I don't like you and no amount of cajoling is going to change it.  He does not take rejection well at all.  But I do have to thank him for taking me to the doctor when I was sick.  I really HATED being put in the little cage for the ride in the car.  I cried all the way there. But I guess it was worth it because I felt a lot better after the doctor gave me a shot. Oh, and there was that one time that there were about a thousand people AND a dog (shudder) in my house all at the same time.  Mom cooked a bunch of food (of which I got none, mind you!) and all these people came to eat and talk and they caused such a racket.  And the dog, well, I just can't even explain what the dog was like.  I just went and hid under my mom's bed, it was all too much for me to handle.  But after all the people and the dog left, the big guy picked me up and carried me around the house so I could see the coast was clear and it was ok to come out again.  That was really nice of him, so I tolerate him, and I let him pet me when no one else is around, but that's as far as I'm letting it go.

I still like my mom the best.  She says she's not a cat person but I beg to differ.  She gives me treats and pets me whenever I want to be petted.  She puts up with my "talking" when it's time to eat...I can be very annoying with that, but hey, I'm a cat...I want what I want when I want it.  I don't get why that's so hard to understand.  I mostly sit on the back of her chair and watch her play with that string she won't let me touch.  That's really the only time she gets mad at me, so I try really hard to be good about that.  But sometimes a cat just can't help herself.  When things move, sometimes I just gotta pounce, you know?

I still like the boy a lot too.  He is always good for some petting and cuddling when I'm in the mood.  His room is cool and quiet.  I like it in there.

My family has provided me with some really cool toys.  I love batting them around the house and then taking off like a crazy cat and zooming all over the place.  I mostly do it for the families reaction...they think it's hilarious so who am I to spoil their fun.  They are very easily entertained. 

I'm still kinda freaked out by the spinning things on the ceiling.  I try really hard not to look at them but sometimes I just have to take a peak to see if they are still spinning.  I peak and then look away quickly.  So far they have remained on the ceiling, but I don't want to tempt fate by letting them know I know they are there.  Hopefully someday they will go away...although I'm not holding my breath because my mom seems to REALLY like those spinney things.  I think she's crazy.

When I'm not eating, sleeping or chasing toys I like to sit in the window sill in the living room or by the back door and look out the windows.  It looks very interesting out there but I'm not allowed to find out.  The one time I did venture out the back door I got into a lot of trouble, so I guess I won't do that again.

All in all, life is pretty good here at the Clem Castle.  I pretty much have every single one of them (even the big guy) wrapped around my little paw.  Yes, life is good!

Hockey in the Desert

Most of you who read this will already know about my love of hockey. I've written here before about the struggles of our beleaguered franchise. This will be another one of those posts...I just have to vent.

The City of Glendale (CoG) voted 4-3 last night to approve the arena lease deal and pave the way for the sale by the NHL to the new ownership group. There are still steps to take to get the ownership deal done, but this is the best position we've been in for the last 4 years. Still, I remain cautiously optimistic. Because we've seen deals come and go and we've been through 4 years of uncertainty and heartbreak. It's not easy to let that go. Now that the whole ordeal seems to be coming to an end, I have a few things I want to say. Here's my take on hockey in the desert...at this moment.

The name will change to Arizona Coyotes...don't really care as long as they stay here, they could call them the Glendale Coyotes of Arizona (take that Anaheim). Or the Roadrunners...I like the sound of that, you'll understand why later.

After watching the CoG vote last night I came to a couple of conclusions. CM Sherwood is probably the smartest person in the whole city. Vice Mayor Knaak should be the Mayor. And 1/3 of the city council are just buffoons and I have no idea how they got elected.

I am not a fan of Gary Bettman (NHL Commissioner) by any means but I do appreciate what he has done to keep our team here. And hopefully there are no ulterior motives...

I am extremely happy for the business owners and employees of the Westgate area. To think that a major entertainment venue could survive without an anchor tenant is folly. Thousands of jobs would have been lost, businesses would have gone under and the only thing you'd be hearing at Westgate is the sound of the wind whistling through the empty space. I am really irritated by those that continually want to lay the CoG's financial woes at the feet of the Coyotes. We have been living through one of the worst economic downturns in our nation’s history yet attendance was up over the last several years...keeping the businesses at Westgate afloat. I'm sure there are many more economical problems in the CoG than the Coyotes and Jobing.com Arena. The lack of vision on the part of some is really astounding. Sometimes things have to hurt before they get better.

I am excited to see what an actual, honest to goodness, real owner will do with this franchise...we have never had one of those and I am looking forward to the prospect.

There has been a lot of talk about how we don't have our own fan base. That when we fill the arena it's filled with Hawks, Redwings or Bruins fans. Well guess what people? We live in a melting pot. People move here from Chicago, Detroit and Boston because they love the weather not the sports teams. They grew up with multiple generations of loyalty to a team. They are not going to give that up just because they moved here. And quite frankly, I really don't care who comes just as long as there are butts in the seats. We are just now coming into our own as a major league sports town. The kids who were young when Coyotes or the D-Backs or the Cardinals came here are just in their 20's now and starting families of their own. That's how you build a fan base, but it takes time. You have to give it time...and good ownership. The Cardinals have just been seeing more of their own fans in the last couple of years. Go to any D-Backs game and you will hear lots of cheering for the opposing team. It's just the way it is in this valley and if you are going to be a true fan, you just have to get used to it. And then be the solution instead of the problem. Go to the games, support the local team, and bring a friend who's never been to a game. Grow the fan base.

Lastly, I want to say to those that think hockey doesn't belong in the desert and that this is not a hockey town (yes, I'm talking to you Canada)...I have been watching hockey in the desert for over 40 years. I went to my first hockey game when I was 10 years old. I fell in love and I've been in love ever since. They were the Phoenix Roadrunners back then. There was no Plexiglas surrounding the ice, just wire mesh. They didn't wear helmets or face shields and the goalies had the Freddie Kruger type masks. They fought more and whined less. My husband and I fell in love going to Roadrunner games. I still think the Roadrunner logo is the best logo in all of sports...ever. (I really wanted to include a picture of the logo but could not get it to work.)So yeah, I'd be happy if they changed the name to the Roadrunners...but the Arizona Coyotes is fine...and I love their logo too. I just really want people to know that there are rabid fans in this valley and state. One interesting tidbit I learned on Twitter last night...there were more AZ players in the NCAA Frozen Four than in the Final Four...not a hockey town, huh?

If you made it this far I want to thank you for bearing with me while I vented. I just have one last thing to say before I go. Quoting from a recent NHL commercial....

  

H-O-C-K-E-Y....I'LL LOVE HOCKEY TILL THE DAY I DIE!