Red Wings *FINAL*4-3 Pittsburgh*

* Ok I admit it... I grew up in Hockey Town. My Mom is a sports nut and loves all the Detroit teams. Tonight is a HUGE night. Right now, at 11:10pm the Wings are one goal away from their 11th Stanley Cup victory. The game is tied 3 - 3 in over time. Now is the Wings lose today, there are still 2 more chances to win.

* Over my life I have lived in the shadows of my Mom's love of all sports, NHL, NBA, NASCAR. My Dad gets romantic and excited about specific games but not a whole season like my Mom. Each year at the start of the Red Wings season she rips out the reschedule form the news paper, tapes it to the side of the tv, and after each game she marks it winning or losing with either red or black pen. Freak... My Dad would rather have his face in a book or be doing something rather then sit and watch 3 or 4 games at once. Mom will have different games she jumps to, NBA on one station, drag racing on the other then back to a baseball game. It is nuts!!!

* But please know she is not butch, over bearing, or crazy with "stuff". She does not have tattoos of her teams, load of bumper stickers, or season tickets. I have friends and some of Hubby's family who "bleed blue" for their blessed NY Yankees. His aunt has a house FULL of Yankee player figurines. She does not go to all the games like a few guy friends of mine, but at least 2 or 3 times a season she drives the 1.5 hours to the House that Ruth Built to eat dirty water hot dogs with traditional Sabrett's onions in sauce. No my Mom is not that cool... she is a 60 something suburban upper class house wife, mother of 2, grand mother of 4, with a deep love... not an all consuming obsession... of sports.

* So it is now 11:57pm and we are well into the second over time. I have called home to find my Mom a mess! My Dad is at a meeting over night so she is all alone with no one to hold her hand and cover her eyes. Like I said, the only good thing is when all is said and done, either the Cup stays in Detroit or we have another game Wednesday @ 8pm on NBC.

* This is so frantic. Hockey moves so fast, it can be hard to follow as the puck moves at lighting speed over the ice. 7 minutes left... so much fight left in both teams. Ok now only 3 minutes...

* Damn! Still no score! TRIPLE OVERTIME! I looked it up and in post-season play, there will be over times until one team scores. Theses guys must be so jacked up... but totally exhausted.

* Oh well... 9:57 in 3rd OT, Pittsburgh scores. Off to bed!