Merry Christmas!!

My sister Claudia gave us a neat gift. It was a family gift. $$ to go out to eat and then attend a hockey game and get treats while we were there. What FUN!! We went to BeBops. (I have no idea how that's spelled.) It's a burger joint. Yummy-licious!

I had never been to a hockey game. I will say that she sent along the schedule for the Buccaneers and Dan outvoted her saying the IOWA CHOPS were a better team. Who knew? I didn't even KNOW we had a team called the IOWA CHOPS. If you are not from Iowa... do you know what an IOWA CHOP is?

I'll tell you -- it's a pork chop that is cut thicker then a normal chop. Like 1" thick probably. Really, really good grilled outside and served with other Iowa stuff, like Sweet Corn. You all think you have good sweet corn... but you would be mistaken. IOWA sweet corn is sort of like IOWA CHOPS. Something to behold! LOL

So -- we were rooting for the Iowa CHOPS! They were playing the Manitoba MOOSE. These teams are very inventive with their names. Funny funny funny to hear the cheers they fan were yelling! (I guess ya had to be there, plus this is a family blog).


It started off slow. This was the score through the entire first period. 20 minute periods. But that gave us a chance to tell the kids, "Watch the puck." "See the puck?" "There goes the puck." The older 3 finally got it.

Here is our goalie. I took a photo of his because I wanted to see his shirt. The mascot is a PIG. LOL I wasn't entirely sure of the Iowa CHOPS deal. I thought MAYBE it was about chopping someone up with the hockey stick. Who knows. Well -- there is the proof. A pig -- right there on his shirt. Sure'nuf. They are the PORK CHOPS.

OK -- Dan decided that during the first intermission he would go get some snacks. He brought back some popcorn and some pop. What a guy! Too bad that while he was gone the 2nd period started and the CHOPS SCORED!!! Woo Hoo... what a deal. The crowd hooted and hollered!! It was very loud.....

As Wayne can attest to. Ü



Mansel was brave enough to stand by the IOWA CHOPS mascot. A pig -- what do you think about his glasses? Funny pig.

I had to keep standing in the aisle, waiting and waiting and waiting for the mascot to get up to our row. He kept sitting down. I was thinking... "What is the world?? This must be the most out of shape mascot ever." I must have said something to the kids about him getting up and down, up and down. Finally someone behind me said, "He has to sit down while the puck is in play." Ohhh.... I see... I smiled at the nice man... he smiled back and said, "Actually everyone is to be sitting while the puck is in play."

Ohh... I see. Ya learn something new every day, don'cha.

Here are the cheerleaders. Actually -- they have real cheerleaders in skimpy outfits... but they stand around and do nothing. LOL THESE guys on the front row start cheers that the whole crowd does. They bang on the glass and REALLY make the game entertaining! They were fun to watch!


Oh look!! Our goalie got injuried. Bummer!


Oh my.. he was a good goalie apparently. They scored 5 goals in the last period. Hmmm... See the # of "shots" underneath the score. The IOWA CHOPS had more shots taken, but they won. Just like soccer... the team with the better goalie usually wins. Apparently we had a good goalie... until he got CHOPPED, or something.

I think I learned that once you start losing... you just start punching every one. We got to see 2 fist fights. That was Mansel's favorite part. Dan mentioned "He was hanging on to the other guy's jersey with one hand and punching with the other." I said, "Maybe that was to keep him from sliding away after he punched him."

What do you think?

And it is a rule that they can fight as long as they stay standing. We noticed the referrees standing there watching the fight until one fell down. Then they stepped in and stopped it. Is that to keep them away from the ice skates?

Anyway -- something to think about. LOL

We had a BLAST!! Dani said, "I think I'll save my $$ for another hockey game." She never did see the puck... those cheerleaders on the front row must have been enough for her!