I always thought that when you wake up at 2am to let the dog out and discover you have a migraine headache that hits you like a bat out of hell that’s it the day is over, before it began, and no possible way it can be good. I’m talking head feels like your brain is trying to squeeze through your eye sockets and the slightest bit of noise or light is a fatal attack! So you pass out on what ever is closest to you cause that is better than trying to find your way back to the safety of a bed. That is just about as bad a beginning of a day as you can get! And certainly not how I planned on March 18th starting!

So whatever I took four advils and went back to bed at seven o’clock the migraine was feeling better. At 10 Ag and I were on our way to the LIRR- park in the daily rate parking lot for seven bucks and then hop on the LIRR to Penn Station. The first part of the day, as in up until 345 we spent at Borders and Cosby’s.



I collect Russian nesting dolls and occasionally new ones come in to the store. I already had the Ranger set and a set of Gretzky in all his different uniforms.


Russian Nesting Rangers

So yesterday I added a Detroit Red Wing set, New York Yankees and Vancouver Canucks! Still my coolest nesting doll is the one that has the Czar Nicholas and his family- you know Anastasia and all that! Let’s see what next! Oh yeah, yesterday was the totally free day at the Garden as in we weren’t gonna spend a dime on Garden product! (Don’t feel bad they have tons of my money and will be fine) Now since we were spending the entire day we brought what was left of Ag’s home made banana bread for breakfast (yummy) sandwiches for lunch and for dinner we had two good sized pieces of Ag’s home made Irish Soda Bread!- this would be the tricky part since your not supposed to bring food into the Garden. (I only put this in here so you all can see how beautiful Ag’s soda bread is)-? See!!


Ag is still trying to figure out how she forgot to cut the telltale Cross in the top of the loaf.

So at 345 we went to the 4 Penn Plaza door because Chris Drury is a creature of habit and uses that door every day and he comes in early- like 405! Well since he was one of my must get sigs I was there early because nothing was gonna stop me from getting that autograph! So here it is my signed puck by Chris Drury! Thanks Chris almost three whole letters and from what I understand that was a good one! ? I’m kidding I love Chris!



While we were waiting we meet up with a fellow who we have seen before and I must say the guy has to be a top candidate for Dad of the year! He had an 8x10 of his son with Fedor Tyutin which he was waiting to get signed, it would complete the set and his son would have the signed pictures with the entire team (including the traded away and the traded to guys! Good work!) As we were waiting for Tyutin and Rozsival to pull into the parking garage Malik came by so we wished him a good game. Then we got a surprise who should walk around the corner but Ron Greshner! I got a signed puck and not only did he sign it but he personalized it! Same for Ag except since her name isn’t really Ag she actually got her real name on the puck?



Next was Betts! I know what your thinking don’t we already have him? Well not like this! The unveiling of how we waste our time! The pic of this little item will be shown later but lets just say Betts laughed!

Then we waited for a long time and I was getting worried that some how Tyutin was gonna fool us and come in a different way which would have been sad because we were rooting for Dad of the year to get the signature!

While we were waiting Steve Valiquette in an awesome hat came strolling out of the parking garage so yup- add that puck to the collection! Oh and Ag had a puck and pic she wanted signed and a kind young lady waiting to get Straka’s signature on a jersey took Ag’s puck so she got two sigs from Valli!



Finally Tyutin and Rozsival came strolling out of the parking garage! Again Ag- sorry don’t mean to be dissing your man but Tyuts is the smart one- he takes a slow step and leaves Rozsival exposed all alone to the dogs then skirts by as people mob Rozi! That’s allright everyone was successful in their signature hunting and Rozsival and Tyutin were very nice and signed for everyone!

Then we started heading around to the other side of the Garden with the Father of the year and while we were walking through the breezeway Mark Staal came by so I got an awesome 8x10 of him signed!

We waited and Jagr came in but alas I was not one of the few to get the JJ. That’s alright I got my quota on Sunday from an awesome kind very nice and personable Jaromir Jagr.

We continued around to the 8 Penn Plaza entrance thinking we might get lucky and get Shanny! (That was my other must get sig of the day!) I have a pic of him coming to a stop with the puck back in the days when he was a RedWing! We waited for a bit but it was 530 and chances were he was already in. That was ok because after Ron Greschenr how could I complain it was already a good day!

So with the tickets we had been given was a Meet and Greet with Rangers Alumni forum thing!!! So um . . yeah we were excited for this one! A day earlier we had received an email telling us that Ron Duguay, Stephen Matteau and Nick Fotiu were scheduled to appear! Yeah so remember how I referred to something with Betts being how we waste our time! Keep that in mind for the three gentleman just listed!

So we went in got little name tags and headed to the forum- nice little appetizer things were provided- just to help our free day- oh yeah the Soda Bread was buried at the bottom of my Cosby’s bag!

Anyway we were sad to discover that for some reason Matteau couldn’t make the event! But don’t be sad because in his place was Ron Greschner and ADAM GRAVES!!!!! So we got online to get Adams sig but apparently we were the cut off and they told us to come back after the forum was over and he would sign!

So of course we got off that line and scurried over to Nick Fotiu’s line since the Garden Staff had yet to break that one up! Well I got him to sign my ---- and Ag was right behind me but the Garden Staff member said "That’s it you can’t sign you have to go to the stage" and Nick sad "No one more I have to sign my ---" and he signed for Ag.



Then we all got settled for the forum and Ron Duguay was the host. So he introduced the forum members and himself (as if he had too). Apparently Nick and Duguay had been roommates together and this was not so fun for some of the other Rangers as they were a pair of joksters (or yokesters as it may be said with some foreign accents).

Someone of course asked about Duguay’s Sasson jeans which caused Ron to be like "I was hoping no one would ask" he paused and then began singing and dancing on the stage "oh la la Sasoon". And now I think it was Gresch who said that Duguay would do that on the ice while skating past the other bench.


Its out of focus because he was dancing and the others were laughing...
Someone also asked if they had any advice for the current Rangers powerplay and Fotiu suggested declining the penalty!

Graves said it was still a young team and that the trade deadline moves were good cause they didn’t lose young players. And as far as the powerplay goes he felt they had the players they need!

Then they had trivia and no joke I knew every answer! Who did Dubinsky debut against? The Islanders.
How many NHL teams has Shanny played for? Five.
How many career shutouts does Henrik have? 16.
And finally how many points did Straka have last year? (ok I didn’t know this one but I was close thinking 67 or so and he had 70!) But Ron never called on me so I didn’t win!!

Then we had time for a few more signatures with the alumni! We got Greschner on cards.



And then we got Duguay-





time for the unveiling here it is!





Duguay - Fotiu - Betts! Aren’t they cute? We had Matteau’s waiting but hopefully they will be signed another day!

Then it was game time! And well you know how that went! Rangers 5- Penguins 2 Henrik win 100! Avery two goals! Did ya’all hear the resign Avery chant going through the garden!

This is a youtube video we put together with some of the pictures Ag took:




After the game we headed to 8 Penn Plaza exit! I had to get my Shanny pic signed! Avery came out in his usual hurried way but I got a puck signed for Ag.



Here we meet a fellow and his step-son. We said we met Dad of the year earlier, well put this gentleman in the running for step-dad of the year! They had been at a meet and greet as well through Continental Airlines, with Rod Gilbert! I was going to trade my Ron Greschner card for a Rod Gilbert but his were personalized so the trade didn’t happen! Oh well, we met one of Ag’s myspace friends Kelly- huge Drury fan! And then we waited and waited and waited John Giannone came out and chatted for at least an hour! Finally Shanny came out! Ag was taking a pic for the kid but she had forgotten to change her camera back to automatic (she needed manual for the game photos!) So she apologized for making Shanny wait but he was cool and did! And while she did that I got my Red Wings pic signed!!!



Oh and then he signed her puck!



By the way all afternoon Ag was getting a team pic signed! It’s a photo Ag took at the Bryant park viewing party with a Rangers shield in gold on the tv screen reflecting up off the freshly cleaned ice! She already had Shanny and Gomez. So yesterday she added Malik, Betts, Valiquette, Rozsival, Tyutin, and Staal!



Pretty good day, huh?


This is the album with all the pictures we took it is named with the date and score: http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=25769063&albumId=1621924