Islander Colors at Ikea

Standstill on the FDR so a blog post it is. 

Night at the Gym

Startling the person next to me in reaction to the game...priceless. It appears to be a test of core strength for these evenly matched teams. What a tug-of-war we are in for. I'm rooting for the Bruins, that town could use a celebration. 

Yay! Boxer Smushy Faces & Coyotes

A little late on posting but YaY! Would be great to see more teams supporting animal rescue. The Greyhounds on the concourse are one upside to seeing a game in Philly. Take your dog to a hockey game would be pawsome!

Hockey Coyotes need an owner, real Coyotes need protection from hunters. 

Who the hell shoots a coyote anyway? How's that Coyote meat taste? Dumbass. 

The Islanders Are On Course

Boats are rarely ever on course, yet they are on course. They negotiate the elements while keeping their bow headed towards their destination. It's kind of a relief that a boat doesn't always have to be on course, yet with guidance it ultimately gets where it needs to go. It's pretty amazing how a boat can handle waves for example. The boat rises and falls with the swells rather than fighting them, and even though it can get rough out there, the boat remains upright and can be redirected back on course as many times as necessary. The same current that comes against a boat can also be the same current that a boat uses to advance. And sometimes a boat can allow itself to go off course, knowing that the horizon is there. Sometimes going off course is necessary in getting to a destination. Boats traveling together are aware of themselves in relation to the surface they travel on and are aware of those boats around him, allowing the space for each individual to travel while successfully negotiating the elements together as they advance to where they want to go. The individuals steering their boat may or may not be cognizant of this, it may just be automatic thought and action that gets them towards their goals. 

LET'S GO ISLANDERS!!!

Isles Need(ed) Their Beauty Rest

The Islanders lost game 5 to the Penguins for one reason, they were not well rested. It was apparent within 5 minutes after the puck dropped, as I put my head in my hands and to myself sighed, Oh noooooo. When fatigued, everything is just off...positioning, aim and so on. It's a sucky feeling. How much each Isle was in his body is a guess from this vantage point. Collectively they had a ghost like appearance on the ice.

Prior to the game I sensed that success for the Isles was going to be based on energy, especially of the defense and goalie. In game 4, the Isle's defensive positioning was fabulous. Some of the best I've seen this season. This game it was off, too many pockets for the Penguins to not take advantage of. The Penguins are good at surging their energy around an opposing team's net. That kind of vibration can draw the defense into chaos but it also can be dealt with. It reminds me of something my Sifu Raj taught me. Before Sifu would teach me how to get out of a situation physically, he taught me how to do that energetically. So much to write there but maybe for another post at another time. The Islanders are going to have to deal with those surges and shake them off, be able to deal with chaos around their net calmly and push back down the ice.

Some other points; 

-In order for the Isles offense to do their part, they've got to know that their defense has things under control. I didn't see that in game 5. I saw insecurity in the offense.

-The playoffs are a different animal of hockey. Your opponent is only as good as you make them out to be. 

-Coming back into your body... lay down on your back and from top to bottom feel your spine press down into the surface your are laying on. Center yourself by sitting down, feet grounded flat on the floor and hanging down your upper body between your legs. As you exhale, let your breath sink down as well to the earth, realeasing tension in your body and breath. 

Tea for adrenals/energy/alertness/performance anxiety:

Nettles

Licorice Root
Eluethero Root

Gingko

Motherwort

Pinch of Rosemary (Rosemary is pungent so remember it's easier to add than to take away once blended with other herbs)

Peppermint or Spearmint to flavor

Mix rosemary essential oil with sea salt/dead sea salt thus creating a smelling salts. Bring it to the bench in a paper bag and 'hyperventilate' away when needed...as in stick your nose in the bag and inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Rosemary eo can also be mixed with oil (let's say Olive), rub it on your scalp before game.

and the list goes on...

Teaching athletes integrative ways to prepare for competition and rest from competition is an endless topic. But I also need my beauty rest so with that...

LET'S GO ISLANDERS!!!

Skate On Through

Beautiful day in Philly. Isles play the Flyers tonight. Great opportunity for Isles to prep for playoffs, condensing mental endurance into one game. Flyers are the kind of opponent to do this with. If Isles do regress like they did in the 2nd period against the Jets, they will fall back on what they know with the Flyers which usually is to submit. Isles were able to recover during Jets game because they snapped back into playing their game. Isles have challenges doing the same with the Flyers who are good at puffing up their feathers.

But as always I have faith in my team.

Game mantra? Skate on through to the other side. Singing it in your head Doors-like optional.

The one thing I'd like the Islanders to know... most Flyers fans are going tonight to see THEM play, not their own team. Feed off their energy and stay the hell away from fights. Healthy teams win playoff rounds.

LET'S GO ISLANDERS!!

Game Ready for Isles vs. Winnipeg

The comfort of old school Islanders being worn today.

LET'S GO ISLANDERS!!!

Dear Martin,

We owe it to you to keep trying until we get it right. Help guide us from Spirit.

Dear Boston,

There and Here

Isles beat Tampa Bay out on the Island while I'm staying in sorta enemy territory at the Affinia. Sorta meaning not the Flyers.

Good to see Matt Martin evolving on the ice. The team too.

I've learned it is impossible to sleep with Ridiculousness marathon on.

Seton Hill Shall Overcome

For Real?

For real.

I Had A Dream...

last night...that I saw Rick DiPietro walk out of a funeral home wearing his Islander jersey. I thought it was a restaurant at first but then realized it wasn't or due to the nature of dreams, he was having lunch at a funeral home. Couldn't 'see' who he was with inside but he walked out alone.

Joey Lawrence Whoa!

Puck You

Flip the Script

This post brought to you at 4am by the feline wrestlemania at the end of my bed that woke me up between rescue kitties Biggie and Charlie.

Many Isles fans are high as kites right now. Shootout win over Rangers, John Tavares hat trick contribution to their win over Devils. And later today the Flyers come to the Barn. Imagine the potential euphoria WHEN the Isles win THESE specific games in a row. Local rival trifecta that we all could use right now.

The Flyers are snobby with the Isles. They skate in assuming they are going to win and the Isles can't seem to stand up to them. I've watched this pattern for years and I'm hoping it stops today. Flyers bait Isles, Isles take bait, lose their focus and that's that. It drives me batty. Enough already, their pattern isn't hard to skate beyond. Flyers don't respond well to being ignored, as if they lack a plan B. Flyers do have ability to come out of the lockeroom refreshed so Isles have to create deeper holes by end of each period to make it harder for Flyers to crawl out of. And not just by scoring, although that'll work too. Matt Martin will need to watch his back and every other side as well. I'm not sure exactly why but he's somehow going to be a target and I think if he can stay focused he might reverse that energy and score or play an important role today.

In other news...it appears Tavares can walk or in this case skate on water. Haha frozen water. Hey it's 4am...

Flip the script (on the Flyers). That's the mantra for this game.

LET'S GO ISLANDERS!!

Biggie won. Charlie accepted defeat by grooming himself like he just didn't get beat. Boys.

Handsome Stanley

On this Valentine's Day we celebrate the love shown to Stanley the Boxer who was abandoned at the NYC AC&C and by the grace of Boxer Angels Rescue (BAR) in N. Bellmore, Long Island, Stanley was pulled off the kill list and taken in by his foster mama Katie. Sadly, Stanley would not be able to recover from the conditions that were causing him pain, which included a 5 pound tumor on his leg. The decision was made to help him go to Spirit just a few days after his rescue. In that time though there is no doubt that Stanley was shown the greatest of love, kindness and care from so many in the rescue community. 

The world is a better place because of rescues like BAR that not only rescue 'adoptable' dogs but also senior, hospice and special needs dogs, dogs who would usually be overlooked.

Run free handsome Stan. If you see my Boxer angel Maddy, give her a kiss for me.

Happy Valentine's Day everybody. Be true to yourself and everything else will follow.

xo
Christine

No Man is an Island...No Islander is Either.

What happened in the 3rd period of the Isles/Canes game last night directly affected the speed of my vehicle. Thank you Hofstra for the app to listen to games. Cruise control was the only solution...the solution for the Isles? Not so easy as pushing a button, well unless there is an eject button for Charles Wang.

Last night's game could have been a career-changer for Rick DiPietro but he's stuck in a moment and can't get out of it. Or won't. More on that subject in another post, just as soon as I get beyond wanting to shake the past out of him. The team overall is stuck developmentally. There are solutions but I doubt the Isles would be open to them. Maybe individual players would be (and they would be smart in their career to be open minded) but the main on ice issue isn't individual and even if it was, one can't really remove a member from the context of a family. There are no islands among the Islanders. I saw the footage of John Tavares sitting on the bench by himself after the game ended, clearly somehow he knows and maybe wishes he could be on an Island with a volleyball named Wilson, hoping to be rescued by another NHL team. I'm pretty sure he would not be the only Islander wishing for an island and volleyball of their very own. As fans we have been and are still at the point of repetition with our team, and it's not likely to stop soon. Sad thing is, these are not untalented players but as long as the group dynamic is more powerful than the individual, we all are hamsters on Charles Wang's wheel.

A lot needs to happen for the Islander's mindset before facing off with the Rangers and I mean A LOT. If not they are skating ducks on Blueshirts pond. Here's to some things clicking in place for the Isles going forward. LET'S GO ISLANDERS!!

To Ink or Not to Ink...

Only thing worse than seeing this ink at the Philly Tattoo Convention last night was checking NHL league standings. Considering the ownership of the Isles, the team's place in the standings might be as permanent as Amanda's tattoo.

Indeed...

A good reminder Super Bowl Sunday and beyond. Not a big football fan but I'm going with the Ravens for the win Alex.

Sign reads; fans do not let fans drive drunk.

It's a Great Hockey Day

When everything is in check.

That Hockey Moment When...

...your friend posts a picture of where you would have been if you had paid attention enough to know where to be...followed by having to hear how AWESOME! it was. Penguins and Bears and I missed it! Oh my!

Hockey is Back...Define Hockey.

My niece and I sitting here watching the return of the NHL, she asks me what the lockout was all about. After explaining it to her she asks, "doesn't anybody play hockey just because they love hockey?".

Welcome back to all those who had the luxury of being able to afford losing income while the fans who pour millions of dollars into your bank accounts waited.