I knew that Mike was a huge hockey fan since the moment I met him. I grew up in Philadelphia and watched Philly sports teams, including the Flyers. And, with the exception of the Phillies in 2008, Philly teams ALWAYS screw up. So, I was not a huge fan of anything. I joked that when I married Mike, I became a Boston fan by marriage. When we decided to move to New England, I will never forget the day Mike called me from a business trip in Massachusetts:
Mike: "Guess what I'm listening to."
Me: "I have no idea. . ."
Mike: "The Red Sox game. And, guess what I watched last night."
Me: "The Red Sox game?"
Mike: "YES! They cover EVERY GAME here. We will never miss a game again!"
This is problematic at certain times of the year. When the Celtics and Bruins are both playing, I have no chance of watching TV, because one game is on the picture-in-picture and we toggle back and forth during commercial breaks.
So, I shouldn't have been surprised when Mike announced he was going to see the Stanley Cup. But, after a failed attempt to go to the celebratory parade (thank you MTA), I didn't think this was going to be likely.
And the moral of the story is, "Never underestimate the devotion of a Boston sports fan." Mike downloaded an app for his iPhone "wherestheCup" so that he could track where the cup would be at all times. There were a few times when he called me to tell me he would be home late because the cup was going to be in insert Boston suburb here and he was going to track it down. Sounds simple, but this app didn't post "The Cup is at TGI Friday's on Main Street in Southbridge." It would post "The Cup will be in Worcester." It would be easier to find a needle in a haystack. I suggested camping out by the International Terminal at Logan Airport waiting for the Cup to enter and exit the country with players might have greater odds of success. But, what do I know. . .
In the end, Mike succeeded. He found an IT company who was holding an all day seminar (aka sales pitch) where the Cup would be on display for pictures with attendees. So, with no need for IT software, Mike signed up for the experience of a lifetime. . .
He left after lunch, after the Cup was wheeled off in a golf cart, missing the second-half of the seminar. I asked what the company did (IT being a very broad term in my opinion) and he couldn't even tell me. He wasn't the only one. The guy he met who sent us these pictures (Mike having forgotten to bring a camera other than the one on his phone) was a manager at Walgreens.
I included a picture of the "American Express Guy", as Mike refers to him. If you watch hockey, American Express (official sponsor of the NHL) has great commercials with the guy in white gloves responsible for the Stanley Cup at all times being swarmed by kids and adults alike. Mike was amused to see the guy from the commercials in real life. While we knew there really was a guy in white gloves, I guess he figured the one on the commercial was an actor.
Mike: "Guess what I'm listening to."
Me: "I have no idea. . ."
Mike: "The Red Sox game. And, guess what I watched last night."
Me: "The Red Sox game?"
Mike: "YES! They cover EVERY GAME here. We will never miss a game again!"
This is problematic at certain times of the year. When the Celtics and Bruins are both playing, I have no chance of watching TV, because one game is on the picture-in-picture and we toggle back and forth during commercial breaks.
So, I shouldn't have been surprised when Mike announced he was going to see the Stanley Cup. But, after a failed attempt to go to the celebratory parade (thank you MTA), I didn't think this was going to be likely.
And the moral of the story is, "Never underestimate the devotion of a Boston sports fan." Mike downloaded an app for his iPhone "wherestheCup" so that he could track where the cup would be at all times. There were a few times when he called me to tell me he would be home late because the cup was going to be in insert Boston suburb here and he was going to track it down. Sounds simple, but this app didn't post "The Cup is at TGI Friday's on Main Street in Southbridge." It would post "The Cup will be in Worcester." It would be easier to find a needle in a haystack. I suggested camping out by the International Terminal at Logan Airport waiting for the Cup to enter and exit the country with players might have greater odds of success. But, what do I know. . .
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| Mike, kissing THE holy grail. |
In the end, Mike succeeded. He found an IT company who was holding an all day seminar (aka sales pitch) where the Cup would be on display for pictures with attendees. So, with no need for IT software, Mike signed up for the experience of a lifetime. . .
He left after lunch, after the Cup was wheeled off in a golf cart, missing the second-half of the seminar. I asked what the company did (IT being a very broad term in my opinion) and he couldn't even tell me. He wasn't the only one. The guy he met who sent us these pictures (Mike having forgotten to bring a camera other than the one on his phone) was a manager at Walgreens.
 |
| Mike with hockey's coveted trophies |
Long story short, Mike can officially cross "Kiss the Stanley Cup" off his bucket list. Which means the pressure is no longer on Mikie to (1) play hockey professionally and (2) win the Stanley Cup.
Go Bruins!
Love, The Trahans
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