YES!

I was reading about the kick-off to the Gopher's hockey season on StarTribune.com yesterday. I sighed deeply and sadly realized that I would only be able to catch the few games that were going to be televised on the Big Ten Network this season. (I am perhaps one of the few wives on the planet that urged, nay, demanded that her husband to upgrade the cable subscription to include the sports package.) I resigned myself to this sad fate and chalked it up as another blow to my hockey lust. (Is there a German word for that? Like Wanderlust? Hockeylust?)

So today I was going through my usual routine - sitting on the couch, laptop fired up, working on documents, watching ESPN. I debated what main-land evening sporting event I would watch this afternoon. I knew Hawaii football was on at 2:00, and it was an away game so I started scanning through the channel guide looking for it. (They show home games on Pay Per View. Money grubbing much?) Lo and behold, I come across a listing for "College Hockey". I'm intrigued and pull up the info. Wisconsin versus Denver! WOW! WCHA hockey! Yes!!! I can watch WCHA hockey! It's not MN hockey, but they'll probably have updates about my game during their game, and it's COLLEGE HOCKEY.

I was so excited that I almost didn't notice that the next entry was also "College Hockey". I clicked on info again and . . . .

Minnesota versus St. Cloud State 2pm

I was speechless. And then I began to laugh, and almost cry. YES. YES! YES!!! I can watch my Gophers from this rock in the middle of the ocean! I don't know if I'll get any other game this season on this channel, but I get tonight's game and that's all that matters at the moment.

The game doesn't start for 2.5 hours and I'm already sitting here in my U of M Golden Gopher hockey jersey with Robb Stauber's number on it. A gift from Megan last Christmas, and one of the singular greatest gifts I have received in my lifetime. Here's a photo of Paul and I wearing our gear from Christmas.


To complete the look I've also got my Gopher shorts on. Because it is Hawaii after all. But I'm here, ready and rarin' to go. Let's start this WCHA season.

Everybody sing!