The men in my life these days...

I feel like it's been a long time since I've had a juvenile, I'm-still-a-teenaged-girl post.  But let's face it, I am still very much a juvenile, teenaged girl at heart.  And lately, I've been in a bit of a funk, so this post is going to be silly and ridiculous and I don't even care, because when I'm silly & ridiculous, that's when I'm happiest.

Today, I'm going to shine a spotlight on the current men in my life.

No, they are not real men.  Perpetually single, remember?  I've pretty much resigned myself to the fact that that's never going to happen for me.  So TV characters and athletes and actors and musicians, it will have to be!

Here we go...

Mark Stone

 

As you might be able to tell from my ode to the Ottawa Senators yesterday, I'm still not over them.  Not ready for the summer to start.  Not ready for hockey to be done.  I kind of had a massive crush on the whole frigging team, to be quite honest, but none get my heart twitterpating quite as much as my Marky... Mark Stone.  My imaginary relationship with Mark is wrong on so many levels, but none more so than the fact that we have a a bit of an age difference going on.  I'm 33, he's 25.  I'm old enough to have been his babysitter.   Whatever.  Someone tweeted during the playoffs that Mark Stone looks like a friendly garbage man, and I'd have to agree with that assessment.  He isn't conventionally hot, but somehow, he does it for me.  BIG time.  I prefer Mark with his hair slicked and not so poofy, but really, I'll take him any which way.  I can't wait for next season so that I can see him on the regular again.

Michael Scoffield

 I was telling my friend Lindsay this morning how sad I was that the re-boot of Prison Break ended last night, because I am so in love with Michael Scoffield.  And she said, "Gay, Jillian.  Remember.  He's gay."  Nope.  WENTWORTH MILLER is gay.  Michael Scoffield, my friends, is very straight.  Truthfully, I didn't enjoy this season of PB as much as I'd hoped, and I really only started getting into it the last few episodes, as Michael and Sarah were reunited and he began fighting for his family.  I wanted more Michael and Sarah time.  They are one of my favourite TV couples of all time.  I'm seriously considering starting back at square 1 with Season 1, just because I need more time with Michael.

Ed Sheeran

I'm so in love with Ed's latest album, Divide, and so very stoked to be going to Montreal in mid-July to see him in concert!!!  Again, the dude isn't conventional hot, but there's just something so adorable about him... I can't resist.  He reminds me of a red-headed teddy bear.  Of course, his music - his voice, his talent - add to the magic.  When Ed performs on his own, creating all the elements at the start of the song and using foot pedals and a loop machine to make the song complete on his own, well... it gives me goosebumps.  He's incredible.

Josh Donaldson

Or "Sexy Josh", as I like to call him.  Oooh, how I adore a good lookin' man who can pull off wearing ball pants.  I was disappointed that Josh has been out injured for most of the start of the Blue Jays season, and he wasn't in the lineup when we were in TO a few weekends ago for the Jays game.  (They more than made up for it with a huge win and lots of exciting moments that day, though.)  Still, it brought me great joy to hear this week that Sexy Josh has returned, and last night he homered into the 5th deck - incredible.  The Bringer of Rain is back, baby!!!!

Colt Prattes

Count me among the legions of Dirty Dancing fans who felt the TV re-make that aired last week was a complete disaster.  I could write a whole blog post on how bad it was.  But the one highlight for me was Colt Prattes, playing the role of Johnny Castle.  Don't get me wrong, he's no Patrick Swayze - but really, who could fill those shoes?  All I can say is I thought he was a good dancer, and any scene where he took his shirt off was A-1 in my book.  It could also be that I somewhat identified with Baby in this re-make, in that she was a little on the rounder, chubbier side, and still managed to win Johnny's heart.  That's really kind of a fantasy for a girl like me: that someday the hot guy is going to fall for me, even though I'm far from a pretty, skinny chick.  A girl can dream, can't she?

Will Jackson

As you may know, I've been quite wrapped up in the show Wentworth on Netflix.  It's an Australian show about a women's prison.  So, yeah...not much eye candy to work with there.  BUT - there is prison guard Will Jackson, played by Robbie Magasiva.  And I quite enjoy Will Jackson.  In the earlier seasons, there was incredible chemistry between him and inmate Bea Smith, and I had always hoped the two of them could somehow make it work.  Ridiculous, I know.  But didn't I warn you right off the top that this post was going to be silly & ridiculous?

Chris Stapleton

OK, I admit it, Chris Stapleton's appearance doesn't really do anything for me.  The big beard alone is a turn-off.  But the voice... OH, the voice!!! It doesn't get much sexier than that voice, I tell you. I downloaded his latest album, From A Room: Volume 1, last weekend, and I literally cannot.stop.listening.  I could listen to him sing all day long.  I've had "Broken Halos" pretty much on repeat. An amazing voice and the ability to play guitar can go a long way in my books...

Jimmy Fallon

Last, but certainly not least.  Jimmy has been my main man for several years now, and nothing has changed in that department.  I'm very thankful that my #1 man crush is a late-night host who is on almost every day... gives me lots of opportunity to spend time with him. ;)

So. There's my boys du jour.  Forgive me for just wanting to post pictures of the lads that make me happy. ;)

The Re-Birth of an Ottawa Senators Fan

It's been five days since the Ottawa Senators were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Five days since they went down to the reigning champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins, in double-OT of Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals.  Five days since the dreams all came crashing down.  Five days since I ugly-cried on my couch, alone in the dark, mourning the loss of something I could almost taste it was so close.

And it still hurts.  There's still a little salt in my wounds.  I'm definitely still not "over it".

This team, this spring... they took us on a rollercoaster ride that many of us never expected.  Most of the "experts" throughout the season didn't think this was a team destined for the playoffs, but they dug in deep in the final weeks of the regular season and managed to claw their way in.  Then they handled the Boston Bruins in 6 games in the first round, and the New York Rangers in 6 games in the second round, effectively and successfully.

Then came the Eastern Conference Finals, against last year's Stanley Cup champs, the Pittsburgh Penguins.  Everybody wrote them off - they didn't stand a chance.

But this team, this spring?  I believed.  I really did.

This had been a season filled with adversity, and I admit that for most of it, I was nothing but a bystander.  I haven't had my heart and soul in Senators hockey for quite some time.  It was 10 years ago that they last made it this far in the playoffs - actually playing for the Cup that year, the only time they have ever had that chance, and losing to the Anaheim Ducks in the finals - and since then, things have changed.  Key players that I held near and dear left the team over the years (namely, my all-time favourite Wade Redden), and then there was the Alfie debacle, which saw our beloved and revered captain walk away with a sour taste in his mouth to sign with the Detroit Red Wings in '13.

I had a re-spark in interest in 2015 when the team went on an unlikely tear to make the playoffs, riding a surprising 23-4-4 record down the stretch that had just about everyone shaking their heads in amazement.  That was a fun time to be a Sens fan.  Third-string tender Andrew "The Hamburglar" Hammond stepped in when both goalies went down to injury and led that charge, which had fans tossing burgers on the ice after wins (and young and rambunctions rookie Curtis Lazar picking them up and eating them off the ice).  Those were the "Pesky Sens" days, and they were a hoot, I'm not gonna lie.

But that magical run was quickly snuffed out by the Montreal Canadiens in the first round that year, and thus my enthusiasm for them faded once again.  They missed the playoffs last year, and once this season got rolling, I was really only keeping one eye on them.  I get game updates via an app on my phone, and I follow along on Twitter, but I can count on one hand the number of games I actually sat down to watch.  There were some special moments - goaltender Craig Anderson's heroic play in the wake of his wife Nicholle being diagnosed with cancer early in the season; back-up goalie Mike Condon stepping in and playing amazingly well when Anderson did eventually leave the team for several months to be with his wife during her treatments; I actually attended the game when they honoured Chris Neil for his 1000th game (all played in a Sens uniform) with my friend Sharon and we had a super-fun night; and the game where they officially retired Daniel Alfredsson's iconic #11 and honoured the greatest Senator to ever don the red-black-and-gold...

But my heart was only half in it.  Truthfully, when the playoffs finally rolled around, I was still really unfamiliar with our team.  I knew we had a new coach this year, but I knew nothing about Guy Boucher.  Who is this Viktor Stalberg guy, where did he come from?  What happened to the Hamburglar, does he not play for us anymore?  And we have players named Wingels and Dzingel?!  Seriously???

It didn't take them long to win me over, though.  My God, you guys.  This past six weeks of watching the Sens in the playoffs... it was so much fun.  You can bet your asses I know their names now, and they have been etched into my mind as one of the greatest Sens line-ups ever assembled.

Erik Karlsson put the rest of the hockey world on notice, not only that he comfortably fills the Captain's shoes of a man who was once held high on a pedestal by Senators fans, but also that he is not just an elite defenceman in the NHL - he is one of the top three players in the world.  The highlight reel of his amazing plays over the past few weeks goes on for several minutes.  It is an honour to have him on our team.

Clarke MacArthur sparked one of the most feel-good stories of the playoffs when he was unexpectedly given the green light to return to the line-up after missing most of the past two years with concussions.  Most of us thought MacArthur's days as a hockey player were over, so to not only have him back, but to have him making an impact -  playing a regular shift and scoring important goals - was nothing short of miraculous.

Bobby Ryan erased all of the naysayers and anti-fans who were trying to chase him out of town after what they thought was a sub-par season, by showing up BIG time in the playoffs, scoring big goals, making amazing passes, and just being that big-game player we'd all hoped he could be.  Bobby was spectacular.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau backed up his historic hat-trick performance in a playoff game against the Habs several years ago, by scoring 4 goals against the Rangers in Round 2, including the double-OT winner, to put the "Pageau Chicken Parm night" into legendary status.  It was one of the most fun games I've ever watched as a Sens fan, all because of him.

Kyle Turris scored another big OT winner at home, the one that had the Sens defeating the Rangers in Game 5 before the hometown crowd, and then famously quickly departed the rink to attend the year-end banquet of the Capital City Condors, a special-needs hockey team that he champions... Yes, that was an extra-special moment too.

And of course, there was Craig Anderson, standing on his head on many nights, keeping this team in games that sometimes they had no business being in, and bouncing back in amazing fashion after games when things didn't go his way, all while Nicholle, just coming through the battle for her life, cheered him on.

Above all of that, I can now say I have a #1 favourite player again, as I realized Mark Stone brings "those feelings" up in me again - the same ones I used to have for Wade.  When I shout at him on TV, I call him "Marky" and I never shout at him in anger, I just beg him to play better. (yea..."Marky" had some bad games in there...) Despite his bad games, he also had flashes of pure brilliance, scored some big goals, and his post-game celebration dance in the locker room after Game 1 against the Pens had me smiling like a goof for days.  If I was to get a sweater with a name and number on it, I can now confidently say it would be Stone's #61 I would go for.

This team... this team made me so proud.  They made me excited to watch each game, they gave me such high hopes, and they really did make me bleed red-black-and-gold again.

Hell, they even somehow managed to get me cheering for Dion Phaneuf.

And so it was with my whole heart that I sobbed late Thursday night, just before midnight, when that knuckleball shot somehow drifted past JG Pageau and over Craig Anderson's shoulder in the second overtime period of Game 7, to end the series, and end our shot at glory.  The next morning, I was still teary-eyed.  I wasn't ready for this magical run to be over.  I had wanted it so bad... so bad...  And I didn't just want it for the team, or for myself.

I wanted it for Craig Anderson's wife, Nicholle.

I wanted it for Ottawa's "butterfly boy", Jonathan Pitre, whom the whole team visited prior to the playoffs starting, before he went into the hospital for his risky stem cell transplant surgery.

And I wanted it for our own "hometown boy", Bryan Murray.

I wanted that celebration.  I wanted that chance at Lord Stanley's Cup.  I wanted that opportunity so badly that yes, now five days later, it still hurts.  Very much so.  I thought it was written in the stars this year.  I thought everything was aligning for that perfect, magical run.  I wanted to play Nashville, more than anything else in the world.

It just wasn't meant to be.

But if there's one thing I take away from this year, it's that I can confidently now tell you that yes, indeed... I am a proud fan of the Ottawa Senators.  I mean, I always have been, and I always will be, but the passion they ignited in me this spring is stronger than any I've experienced since 2007.

I want to be a better fan for them. I don't want to just be a bystander, or someone who jumps on the wagon when playoff time rolls around.  I want to watch the games next year, as many of them as possible.  I want to GO to games more often.  I want to know who they are and be familiar with them all season long, follow them more closely and really understand them as a team.

One thing several of the players said throughout the playoffs was that, "Anyone who has followed us closely this year knew that we were a special group, and that we were capable of this."  Sadly, I was not one of those people.

But I will be.  That's a promise.

This is one hell of a team. I miss them so much now that they're gone, and I'm so looking forward to seeing them back together again next fall.  I can't wait.  I can't wait to cheer my heart out and be the die-hard fan I know I can be.

So until then...

GO SENS GO!!!

See ya next year, boys.

What I'm Loving Wednesday (Hint: It's the Sens)

Happy Wednesday pals!  I'm a bit of a groggy mess this morning, BUT... also smiling ear from ear.  Read on to find out why...

I'm LOVING that the Ottawa Senators will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals after beating the NY Rangers 4-2 in Game 6 last night.  Seriously, guys.  This team can be so extremely frustrating, and yet, they have also brought me the greatest joy over the past month. I love them all SO much!!  It was an intense game last night, and it wasn't until JG Pageau scored into the empty net with 7 seconds left that I felt like I could breathe again.  So proud, so excited... #ALLIN

I love that I've discovered fellow blogger Brian5or6.  Well, I haven't really "discovered" him, I've followed him on Twitter for a couple of years, but it's only in recent months that he's started blogging, and his posts literally crack me up.  He's a Sens fan... umm... with a twist, shall we say.  He makes up fake stories about the Sens, seems to have forgotten that Erik Condra is no longer with the team, and isn't afraid to drop the odd F-bomb or fart joke.  What more could a Sens fan want?  His posts are guaranteed to make me snort with laughter at least once a day.  Love it.

I'm loving the city's reaction to the team's big win last night.  First, video footage circulated of Sens fans celebrating in true Canadian fashion... Spilling out onto Elgin Street to jump around and cheer on red lights, that politely returning to the sidewalks on green lights to let the traffic pass peacefully. LOL!!  Then hundreds of fans turned up at the airport int he middle of the night to welcome the team back home.  Yes, indeed, it was a fun night to be a Sens fan. :)

I just love this team in general.  So much.  I love our captain Erik Karlsson.  I didn't think we'd ever have another player who even came close to Alfie status, but he's there.  He's Aflie-esque.  Even his goal celebration last night was drawing comparisons to our Almighty Alfie, as he threw his arms straight in the air and stood there reigning over all.  How many times did we see Alfie do that over the years?  It was magnificent.  Mark Stone got his groove back late in the series, and made an impact, thank the Lord, because he's probably my fave player (aside from EK65).  Kyle Turris was rolling this series too, and how could you not get misty eyed after hearing the story of him scoring the OT winner in Game 5, then quickly making his way to the Capital City Condors year-end banquet?  (They are a local special-needs hockey team that he champions).  This team gives me all the feels.  I'm so proud.

OK... moving on from hockey for a moment!  I love my small town.  I intend on writing a more in-depth post on this, but for now, here it is:  This past weekend, our community once again gave me reason to be ever so proud to live here.  Our area has been hit by the worst flooding anyone can ever remember, which has resulted in homes being evacuated, roads being closes, and the military being brought in to help during this state of emergency.  People in our town banded together to help one another, by building a huge burm on the Ferry road to curb the water from continuing into the rest of the town, by gathering to sandbag to try and save as many homes as possible, and by making and serving food to the hard-working volunteers.  In times of crisis, there is no place I'd rather be.

I love that my friend Stacy loaned me her Android box to test out to see if it worked/if I liked it before investing in my own.  I was so sad when Netflix ran out of Wentworth episodes, and then Stace was like, "You need an Android box, you could be watching it each week as the episodes air."  I had been hesitating on getting a box because I didn't think my Internet speed was fast enough to make it work.  Turns out... it IS!  I found an Android box on Amazon yesterday for $65ish and went ahead and ordered it.  Can't wait to be able to watch whatever I want, whenever I want! ;)

And I LOVE that our trip to TO is finally almost upon us!!  My mom, my sister and her famjam, and I are heading to Toronto to a Blue Jays game, and who knows what other fun things we'll encounter while in the Big Smoke.  I admit, I'm a little nervous that the Sens will be playing hockey and I'll be missing some of it, but hopefully we can figure something out so that we can watch it if they happen to be playing.  Never thought of playoff hockey when we booked baseball tickets in May! LOL

Well, I think that's it for today... Happy Wednesday, gang!! :)

Wednesday Hodgepodge: It's May!

Today, I'm playing along with the Wednesday Hodgepodge questions... it's MAY!! :)

1. Can you tell I'm embracing a Cinco de Mayo theme here this week? Do you like Mexican food? What's your favorite dish? How about on the side-black beans, pinto beans, refried beans, rice? What about heat-mild, medium, hot? Will you celebrate with Mexican food and drink on May 5th aka Cinco de Mayo?

I loooove Mexican food.  Hard to pick a favourite.  I love fajitas and tacos and quesadillas and nachos and queso - pretty much anything like that!  Though I have to say, I'm not a big fan of the typical sides, as listed above.  When we eat out at Lonestar or other Tex-Mex type places, I usually ask for fries instead of the beans or rice.  When it comes to the level of heat, I go medium.  I like some heat, but I don't like to burn my face off.  And as for whether or not I'll celebrate, I am planning to whip up a queso dip to bring to work that day in honour of Cinco de Mayo.  At least we'll have a little taste of Mexico!!

2. Ever been to Mexico? For work or holiday? Love it or no? If you haven't been is this a place you'd like to visit? Can you speak Spanish?

No, I've never been to Mexico, though I'm not opposed to going!  I know many people who have vacationed there and loved it.  The only southern holiday I've taken was to Cuba, but I hope someday to visit Mexico.  I don't speak Spanish, beyond what Dora the Explorer teaches! haha!  Though I do remember a line from an old song by The Refreshments that I sometimes throw out there:  Donde esta el bano, par favor?  Apparently it's an extremely bad way of asking "where is the bathroom" lol.

3. What's one thing you may accomplish this month?

I think I *may* actually accomplish paying off my credit card.  Again.  Seriously, dudes, I don't know how it happens, but I can get myself into credit card debt faster than you can say "credit card".  *sigh*

4. If you were mayor of your village, city, or town, what's one thing you'd like to see changed, done away with, revamped, or accomplished? Is serving in public office something you've ever seriously considered?

I'm not touching this question with a ten foot pole.  Let's just say I don't have thick enough skin to put up with the craziness that is the political scene in my community!  I would never, ever seriously consider it.

5. What's something that may be popular, but that you just don't get?

Hmmm... that's a good question.  I had to ponder it for a few minutes, but I decided to go with Sushi.  There are a lot of people who love sushi, but it isn't something that floats my boat in the slightest.  I have tried it a few times, and can't say I've liked it even a little bit.  No matter what make shape or form it comes in.  I can't ever imagine craving it or dying to go out to eat it or trying to make it at home.  Blech.

6. Can't let this week slip by without mentioning Thursday May 4th is Star Wars Day. As in 'May the 4th be with you' ahem. Are you a fan of the Star Wars series? Exactly how much of a fan are you? On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being 'I've seen every film, own the action figures, might have dressed as Darth Vader for Halloween one year', and 1 being, 'what's a Vader?' -where do you land?

Truth:  I've never seen any of the Star Wars movies.  Though I do want to watch it some time just to educate myself.  I mean, it's such a huge pop culture phenomenon...what if I'm missing out on something?  Because I've never seen it, I'm not a fan, of course, but I do hear enough about it that I'm familiar with character names and the general storyline. And my sister was an ewolk one year for Halloween.  I'd rank myself a 3, because yes, I do know what a "Vader" is. ;)

7. Scroll back through your blog posts and in three sentences or less tell us the general theme of your fourth blog post. Does it still ring true today? Is it a topic you re-visit on your blog from time to time?

Wow.  I had to scroll way, way back, because I started this blog in 2006!  Craziness!!  My 4th post was about Grey's Anatomy, and I was complaining about how the show was all about "poor little Meredith Grey" and all her stupid problems. LOL  I do still love the show and watch it every week, but I must have got over my dislike for Meredith at some point, because I adore her character and admire the strength and resilience she represents.  I don't often write posts about the show anymore, but if something really grabbed me in an episode, I'm sure I'd still write about it today!  

I have to say my favourite part was the very first line of the post where I said I'd had a complaint from one of my blog readers (whose name rhymes with "tricky") because he thought my posts were too long.  11 years later, and I'm still as long-winded as ever.  And I think Ricky probably quit reading my blog a long time ago.  haha! ;)

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Well, usually I think of May as being a bright and springy month, but so far, it's been bleak and drear around here.  We've had so much rain over the past few weeks, and a lot more coming this weekend, so the biggest topic of discussion is the rising flood waters and how it hasn't been this bad since the '70's.  Our little village is situated along the banks of the Ottawa River, so lots of people are being affected by the rising waters.  Some roads are closed, some residents have been or will be evacuated from their homes... it's been quite a spring!  I'm lucky in that I've had some water in my unfinished basement, but nothing more than usual - I always have some water that seeps in during the spring - but I am starting to get concerned about my lawn.  With all the rain, my grass is growing like crazy, but it's never dry enough to even think of cutting it, and I don't think my lawn mower would even start for me if I tried.  I keep re-assuring myself that nobody has cut their grass yet, it's still too cold and wet, but I might have to hire a hay bailer to come and do it when the time comes!!

(photos stolen from Facebook, taken several weeks ago - water is higher now!)

Friday Five: WHERE did that week go?

Holy mother of pearl, the days fly by when it's this busy!  Punching out a quick Friday Five post before the weekend hits...

1. You know what I hate?  I HATE waking up with a headache.  Especially when I went to bed the night before feeling so damned good.  I had my second Pound class last night, and it felt amazing.  In the first class, I kind of felt like I spent a lot of the night standing still watching, or waving my ripstix in the air like a lunatic (I even hit myself in the head once) - but last night, I was able to get into it and boy, did I sweat!!  It felt soooo good.  Then I came home to catch the second half of the hockey game, which was SO much fun to watch, especially with our captain EK scoring an awesome goal in the dying minutes of regulation.  I went to bed on a real high, a big smile on my face.  And then woke up 8 hours later with a splitting headache.  No fair, universe.  No fair.

2.  I have done my ever-lovin' best to get my butt moving more this week, and it always amazes me how much better I feel about everything in general when I'm more active.  Since our Florida trip in January, my workouts had become sporadic at best, which spells trouble for me - physically AND mentally.  I went for long, fast-paced walks on Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday, did a Zumba workout Tuesday, and then Pound last night, along with re-incorporating my quick noon-hour walks at work.  I also got my Fitbit charged up and back in action.  Food-wise, I'm still struggling, but I tried to make better choices this week.  If the Easter candy that's still kicking around would just F off, I'd be in a lot better shape... ;)

3. The next few weekends are shaping up to be lots of fun!  Tomorrow is the Canada Day Committee's annual poker tournament here in town, and while I'm pretty bad at poker, I always enjoy playing in it and seeing how far I can make it.  (That said, the Sens play at 3 pm tomorrow, so if I'm out by then, I won't be upset because then I can go home and watch the game! haha!)  Next weekend is a Paint Night fundraiser for the local elementary school which I bought a ticket for, as well as a family shower.  And the weekend after that is our trip to TO for a Blue Jays game.  Very excited for all of the above!

4.  Wentworth.  Oh my God, you guys, WENTWORTH!!!  I'm soooo addicted to this show!!!  I finished Season 3 the other night, and I can't wait to watch more tonight!!  I've pretty much abandoned my promise to watch at least one movie/documentary/special other than a TV show each weekend, because I just CAN'T watch anything other than Wentworth and Jimmy Fallon and hockey games right now.  I'm even behind on Prison Break and Survivor right now.  That said, I've also reached the point when I'm starting to worry about it being over, since there's only 4 seasons on Netflix and I've been whizzing through each season in about a week... I really don't want this show to end!

5. I know I mentioned the Sens earlier, but seriously, can't say enough about how much I love this team.  I LOVE THIS TEAM!!!  I've had a hard time drumming up any real enthusiasm for the Sens since Daniel Alfredsson left several years ago.  I mean, at the start of the playoffs, I didn't even know who some of our players were.  "Who is this Stalberg guy? Never heard of him.  And Wingels? Dzingel?  Are these even real names???"  But now?  Now I love them... I love them all.  I didn't believe the organization would ever have a player who meant as much to the fans as Alfie did, but boy oh boy, Erik Karlsson is giving him a run for his money in the "legend" department.  This guy is ridiculous.  Pretty much every game, he does something that has the whole hockey world buzzing.  Last night he scored from practically behind the net.  Amazeballs.

Wishing you all a fab weekend!!  Enjoy!!

Five Things on Friday

Happy Friday, friends!  It's been a crazy week, but I'm going to take advantage of a few quiet moments on this rainy morning for a quick Friday Five post.

1. Ever have one of those weeks where it feels like you don't have a spare moment to breathe?  I'm exaggerating, of course, but this week has taken me out of my beloved routine, and I'm feeling the effects of it.  First of all, a short week always seems to be stressful.  Then I had appointments at the hospital Tuesday and Wednesday mornings which resulted in me having to be late to work both days (trying to get to the bottom of the "Do I have high blood pressure?  Do I not?  Am I just a psycho crazy lady?" dilemma. *sigh*) Between that, hockey games, busy time at work, etc. ... yeah.  Jill's a bit of a mess this week.

2. Thankfully, I know when I'm being a stressball freak and I know what I need to do to help it.  Last week, I got an order from Amazon, and one of the books I got was Jenny Lawson's "You Are Here: An Owner's Manual for Dangerous Minds".  It's a colouring book, a self-help book, a workbook, humour, inspiration, and advice from one of my favourite bloggers/authors, all rolled into one.  I haven't had much time this week to spend with it, but the few moments I've had to flip through it and to colour a little have helped calm me down.  Last night, I started a new workout program with Julia Clarke in Shawville.  She's the one I used to take Zumba classes with, now we're trying out Pound, and after just one class I can already say I'm in LOVE!  Such a stress relief pounding those drumsticks and getting a good sweat on.  And tonight, I'm doing another paint night.  I decided to give my mom my waterlily painting that I did a few weeks ago for her birthday, but I sneaked in to another group tonight to do it again for myself.  Reading, colouring, exercise, painting - all stress outlets for me, and much needed right now!

3. I had SUCH a wonderful date night this week with my friend Lindsay and her little guy Sam.  We have this tradition of going to McDonald's (one of my fave guilty pleasures) around Sammy's birthday, but this year we had to wait until after Lent, because I NEEDED to have McD's fries, yo.  Sam isn't very familiar with McDonald's, so when we told him we were going there, he was like, "McDonald Duck's?"  Then later we were trying to explain to him what a milkshake is, and he was like, "Momma, why you shake my num-nums?" Just wayyyy too cute.  As we left the restaurant, I was holding his hand, and I said, "Well, Sam, that was the best date I've had in a long time!" And he said, "NOPE!!!" hahahaha!! Story of my life!! ;)

4. I have a funeral to attend tomorrow morning, but then the rest of the day I'm going to just unwind, put on a pot of spaghetti sauce to simmer, and spend the afternoon/evening catching up on TV shows. Because of the hockey games and other things going on this week, I haven't had a chance yet to watch my Jimmy episodes, Prison Break, or Survivor.  I also just haven't had much time to get caught up in Wentworth this week, which I'm desperately in need of a fix of.  In still kind of blows my mind that at one time I couldn't imagine a Saturday night sitting at home doing nothing.  Now, I relish the thoughts.

5. Have I mentioned how much I love my Ottawa Senators, and in particular, Erik Karlsson? Have I mentioned how happy I am to be able to eat potatoes again?  Have I mentioned how happy I am that it's Friday?

Let's get this weekend rollin', folks...  :)

Wednesday Loves!

Happy Wednesday pals!  It's been awhile since I've done a "What I'm Loving Wednesday" post, so here it goes!

I'm loving that the NHL playoffs start today, and I'm super-pumped to cheer on my Ottawa Senators as they take on the Boston Bruins in the first round.  This is a playoff match-up that we've never had before, and I'm excited to see how it plays out!  Go Sens Go!!

It took me a few episodes to really get into it, but I am definitely loving Wentworth!  I started it on the weekend after I finished Life In Pieces, and I almost abandoned it after the first episode. But I told myself to give it a chance, and I'm glad I did.  It's intense, and sometimes it's hard to watch - things happen in an all-female prison that aren't always very pleasant! - but the story lines definitely have me hooked, and I like how so far each episode has given a little insight into several key characters and what has brought them there.  My friend Stacy highly recommended the show, and early on she told me she likes Franky, and I was like, "No way! She's a bad guy!" But now that I'm seven or eight eps in, I can definitely say I'm on Franky's side!

I love that Lent is almost over!  We're in the midst of Holy Week, which means I'm on the homestretch... I will soon have potatoes back in my life!!!  Visions of poutine dancing in my head...I swear, I CANNOT wait!

I also love that I've made my McD's date with Lindsay and Sam for next week.  Up until now, I've been trying not to think about it, because it makes me drool and crave and wish I could go RIGHT NOW.  But now that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, I can get excited for it.  YUM!

Totally loving that Prison Break is BACK!!!  But totally not loving that my PVR shifted priorities on me, so when I sat down to watch it last night, it was recording The Voice instead.  Argh!!  I had to set a new timer for midnight to catch it then.  I'll have to try and squeeze it in before the Sens game tonight.

I LOVE my new Easter wreath that my mom made for me yesterday!  It's so cute and cheerful hanging on my front door!

I'm loving all the fun plans that are set for this weekend, and that they are equally balanced with quiet downtime.  It's my last long weekend of the season (back to full time next week), and so I want to make the most of it, yet also enjoy some relaxing Netflix time too.  Our year-end curling party is Thursday night, so I imagine I'll be "recovering" Friday morning... Then there is Good Friday service at church, and supper afterwards with the fam to celebrate my mom's birthday.  Saturday I'm taking my car in for a tire & oil change, so it will be a quiet day at home without wheels.  Sunday is Easter, with lots of fun going on - church, Easter eggs, family dinner, so much fun!  And then Monday will be another low-key Netflix day.  See?  Balance.  Fun stuff, and quiet time. Just perfect.

I absolutely LOVE that Jimmy Fallon is hosting Saturday Night Live this week!!  I can't WAIT to watch it!  I joined the SNL bandwagon late - after Jimmy's days on the show were long over - but one of my favourite episodes is the Christmas one from several years ago where he was the host and Justin Timberlake was the musical guest.  Can't wait to see Jimmy back on SNL again!

So much going on these days that I'm LOVING... puts me in a wonderful mood!  What are YOU loving this Wednesday??