The Agony Of Defeat

Well that sucked.....

I Was Just Thinking....

• B's-Pittsburgh Sat night! I'm gearing up for a good hockey game. I think this is going to be the series of the playoffs. 

• Get this: buzz is that, this tea kettle is stirring up some major controversy. JC Penney put this "Bells and Whistles Stainless Steel Tea Kettle" on a major billboard on the 405 Freeway in Southern California. Seems innocent enough, right? Commuters and people in the area are complaining that the tea kettle resembles Adolf Hitler. Really??? The curved handle is said to resemble Hitler's hairline. Do you see it? Looks more like a Colorforms character to me.

• You've got to know things have taken a turn for the worst when you get a public lashing from Courtney Love. Evidently Love Tweeted some advice to falling teen star Amanda Bynes on Monday night. "Pull it together babe", Love Tweeted at Amanda Bynes, to which Bynes responded via Tweet: "Courtney Love is the ugliest woman I've ever seen, To be mentioned by her at all makes me and all my friends laugh." Hello Amanda? Have you checked the mirror lately? And if you have "all your friends" around you, why doesn't one of them tell you that you are on a crash course for disaster?

• Police say this guy...Who is known as "Thong Caped Scooter Man", isn't breaking any laws riding around Madison Wisconsin. Seems he got a little too close for comfort when he rode by an elementary school when the kiddies were walking to their bus. Staff at the JFK Elementary School in Madison alerted authorities that Thong Man was in the vicinity of an elementary school. He was questioned and said it was unintentional, but may have been "poor judgement". Good thing for Thong Man we live in the USof A, because he is free to exercise his constitutional rights. Although some may say he's just a bum....  

It's All Good..

All good things today!

• Frick is on her way home from the Big Apple!!! Congrats to my baby girl for successfully completing her first year of under grad at NYU!! I'm so happy she's on her way home, I could just blow a whole bunch of bubbles!!

• Those AWESOME Boston Bruins pulled it off last night!!! I gotta say, I had given up. With a little over seven minutes to play and down 4-1, I gave up all hope and turned the game off. It wasn't until later, while I was taking a relaxing hot tub outside, that Frack came out and informed me that I was missing an EPIC Bruins comeback. We watched the overtime together and YES! I called it! I said to Frack, when the B's were pressing in the crease, "they're gonna score". Frack replied, "I don't think so. The rest is Bruins history. Boston Strong is an understatement. Thank you Boston for always providing us with the most amazing, come from behind, exciting victories! It's no wonder we are sports obsessed in this town. You always deliver!!

• I am a blessed woman. Blessed to have a wonderful family that gave me the most incredible mother's day and which continues to support me in everything I do. And truly blessed to have the most talented and amazing staff at The Candy Bar. We just completed a long week and my staff stepped up and produced awesome work! I couldn't be prouder of the things that we are accomplishing at the store. 

I am grateful for all of my blessings. 

What are you grateful for?

I Love That Dirty Water

Yeah.....This is my 2013 X-Mas card. 

"Peace and blessings, 

Love, Candy and Tommy."

It turned out to be a "wikid pissa" Boston weekend, but I didn't intend it to be:

• Celts playoff game Friday night in the sky box. The Celts looked AWFUL, and I'm telling you they were awful from the opening tip off. We knew early on it wasn't going to be a great night for the Boston ballers. Up in Luxury Suite land, the walls are lined with a mini museum with all kinds of Boston Sports memorabilia. While I was walking around I spotted My Tommy all alone and I seized the moment for a photo op. *sigh* I love that photo. It made the Friday night loss to the Knicks hurt a lot less. 
• Sox game on Sunday in My Guy's new season tickets. LOVED the new tickets and LOVED the game. Sox won and ended up sweeping Houston and are sporting the best record in baseball right now. 
• Never one to miss out on a fabulous retail opportunity, I bought awesome Celts gear on Friday night and a killer Pats t-shirt and Red Sox hat on Sunday. I bought them from the BEST BRAND FOR TEAM GEAR ever. Super cute and sexy, and the quality is amazing.  
• Then last night, I attended a local fund raiser for Boston's One Fund. The party, held at a local restaurant called Tempo, did an amazing job! The staff, the food, the silent auction items, the raffles and the entire evening was so well done. They had a band playing and passed hors d'oeuvre's and the guests were feeling festive. I have no idea how well they did, but I know they raised a lot. It goes to the injured people in the marathon bombings to help with medical costs and funding. Right now it's a cause we can all get behind.
• The icing on the cake was a win by the Celts and another day to live in the NBA playoffs. I think I love all of my Boston teams equally, but I'm rooting passionately for the Celts right now. Saying for sure which team I like better would be like choosing a favorite child which would never happen and just not realistic. But one thing is for sure:

We all know who my heart belongs to....*sigh*

Just Shut Your Pie Hole

As my bestest friend always says, "shut your pie hole." or just "pie hole" when she wants to get her point across quickly.

It would seem that those Boston based sports/celebrity types be at it again with their big mouths wagging. After the bru ha ha that Giselle caused on Sunday, you'd think that everyone from Boston would kinda lay low for a while. Right? Wrong.

Or maybe it's not so wrong.

Here's the back story: Tim Thomas, beloved MVP of the 2011 Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins, was like a hockey God around here. Stoic, strong and consistent, Thomas created a PR bru ha ha of his own when on Jan 25 he refused to attend the White House ceremony honoring the championship team. Thomas stated that he does not support the current administration and that he feel like the government is "out of control". What was out of control was the media fire that ensued. Thomas had to face a PR nightmare and defend his choice not to attend in the media.

Thomas was quoted:

"[The controversy] is all media-driven and it has been from the start. Everything that I said and did was as an individual. It was not as a representative of the Boston Bruins," Thomas said Friday at All-Star Weekend in Ottawa. "All it has to do is with me. But it's separate from hockey. That's my personal life and those are my personal views. Those are my personal beliefs. It has nothing to do with hockey. It has nothing to do with this All-Star Game. It has nothing to do with the Boston Bruins."

OK, seems fair. You would think one would move right along and keep to the business at hand, but when you are a high profile sports figure in a city that worships their sports figures, every move is scrutinized.

Then yesterday Thomas posted on his Facebook his support of the Catholic Church's battle against the Obama administration over contraceptives. Now, if he was looking for a shit storm, he sure as hell found one. Thomas was furious that the media questioned him on his posting.

Really? Have you met the Boston media, Tim?

“I don’t think that when you become an athlete that you sign away your right to be an individual, and have your own views and post them on Facebook if you’d like.” Thomas said.

Yes, I agree with him on that, and the man has every right to speak, post and scream his opinions in a public forum if he so chooses. That's why we live in this great country and it's how we live or die, but if you are going to spew political ideologies, and you are a "public figure", you'd better be prepared to answer questions about it to the media. I would say it's a hazard of the job and after the beating he took last week over the White House ceremony, you'd think he wouldn't rub salt in the proverbial wound, unless he was looking for trouble. Either way it's his call.

Maybe he would be best served to just "pie hole".

The Holy Shoe Grail

This is NOT a post about the Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins. No, this post is about the SHOES pictured here. Just look at them! They are so stunning, so eye catching, that I really don't even see Milan Lucic in all his Stanley Cup glory. Sorry sports fans. It's just that those shoes, they are spectacular.

The Holy Grail...of shoes, that is.

The obsession started back in February when I spotted Beyonce, court side at the NBA All Star game wearing the shoes. I immediately snapped a pic and sent it to my BFF and my shoe partner in crime. We just about died. Then she sent me the picture of Lucic and his girl a few days ago.

And I can't get them out of my head.

That shoe is the Christian Louboutin Daffodil 160 in Strass, and the price is almost $7,000.00.

WHAT?

7 grand for a shoe?? Yes, 7 grand for that shoe and it is the master work of Mr. Christian Louboutin. It's heel stands at 160 mm, which converts to 6.3 inches and that's just fricken crazee. I must admit, I am so taken by this shoe that if I had money to burn, like Ms. Beyonce, who rocks them in the second photo, I would not hesitate to add them to my collection.

I might even commit a crime to own those puppies. Just sayin. The problem here is I'm not sure I could walk in them.

But I'd die trying. And with a smile on my face.

Lord Stanley's Cup

Holy Lord! We did it!

We brought home the Cup. In all of hockey, there is nothing more coveted or career distinguishing than winning the Stanley Cup. Come to think of it, in all of sports, hockey stands alone in it being all about the trophy; the hardware.

As a Boston sports fan, I have been part of a region that has blessed with a cornucopia of Championships. In the last decade we have now seen every one of our professional teams take home the hardware at least once. In football, it's all about winning a bowl that is Super. Baseball, a series for the World. Basketball, a championship and a banner, but hockey is all about the Stanley Cup.

Proud and relieved, passionate Boston sports fans can all die happy now that the modern day Boston Bruins have brought us a Stanley Cup. And the hockey town rises again.

Our father who art in Boston. Hockey be thy name.
Thy will be done. The cup will be won. On ice, as well as in the stands.
Give us this day our hockey sticks. And forgive us our penalties, as we forgive those who cross-check against us.
Lead us not into elimination. But deliver us to victory.
In the name of the fans, Lord Stanley, and in the name of da Bruins.
Amen!!

The Puck Stops Here

"Great moments are born from great opportunity.
And that's what you have here tonight, boys.
That's what you've earned here, tonight.
One game
If we played 'em ten times, they might win nine.
But not this game. Not tonight.
Tonight, we skate with 'em
Tonight, we stay with 'em, and we shut them down because we can!
Tonight, we are the greatest hockey team in the world.
You were born to be hockey players -- every one of ya.
And you were meant to be here tonight.
This is your time.
Their time -- is done. It's over.
I'm sick and tired of hearin' about what a great hockey team the Canucks have.
Screw 'em!
This is your time!!
Now go out there and take it!"
The late, great Herb Brooks to his USA hockey team before beating the Soviets.


Bring home Lord Stanley tonite.

All Things B's And Glee's

So today is a mash up of two of my favorite things. B's and Glee's!

A Daily Dandy shout out to our boys in black and gold, as they travel to Vancouver for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Championship. Let's take it home tonite boys and we will be waiting with open arms on Monday.

And for all you Gleek's out there, this was just too precious not to share: Check it out!

I LOVE HIM!!! How cuuuute! Rumor has it his grandma made him the Warbler suit!

Happy Friday Bloggers! May all your Teenage Dreams come true.

Awakening The Sleeping Giant

Now I know that most of you out there could give a good rat's a** about Stanley Cup hockey today. But over here in Championship City, we are still in it to win it. We've been watching, hopeful that our Bruins could pull of a miracle. Careful and strategic hockey is what has been played but now it's looking like our boys aren't going away without a fight and that's just what we needed.

Hanging on by our teeth is what the Bruins were doing in these final days of NHL hockey, and we have been watching, ever faithful, ever hopeful. We've been cheering the boys on and watching some good, but not great hockey being played. Low scoring games and games played right down to the wire is how this series has been playing out. Our boys on the loosing end of those paint drying hockey match ups.

Then early in the first period last night, Canuck Aaron Rome layed down a dirty and dangerous hit on fan fave Nathan Horton. It was an unforgettable moment. A moment that made every hair on the back of your neck stand at attention. We, at home, knew immediately he was down for good. It was surreal. They, the medical personnel knew it too, because they came out with a stretcher immediately. This was no ordinary hit. Horton was whisked away to the hospital.

It was then that something changed. In all of us who were there in mind and body. The sleeping giant was awakened. Passion and power were all they needed to secure a commanding win and being at home didn't hurt either. The Bruins let loose on a team that didn't see it coming. Just like the hit on Norton. An 8-1 blowout was the result and this time we were on the winning end of things.

Professional sports can be a dangerous occupation, but the show must go on and go on it did. The rest is history. While I'm not sure that the dominance displayed last night will continue throughout the rest of the series, I am sure that the Bruins needed to know that they were capable of that power against the team with the best regular season record. Momentum has pendulated (is that a word?) our way and we need to take the next one. Then it's a fair fight, on even playing fields.

The giant has awakened. The question remains if he can bring home the cup.

You're Not In Kansas Anymore

So we had a tornado hit Massachusetts yesterday. In fact we has more than one tornado hit Massachusetts yesterday. It was some wild stuff, I gotta tell you. This is how it went down for me:

5 PM: I'm at the store and I get a call from my mom. She's worried and telling me to get home, as they just issued a tornado warning for our county until 7pm. I am scheduled to meet a friend for dinner, so I, of course, pooh pooh her pleas, laugh, and think to myself that it would never happen here.

6 PM: By now everybody in the store is talking about the tornado warnings and watching the TV news. Western MA has been hit by these fast moving storms causing severe damage. I call my friend and tell her that I'm going to go home and wait till 7, because they are also reporting that traffic is at a standstill. I tell her I would wait to see what happens and that I would stay in touch.

6:30 PM: The news stations are showing all weather reports with heavy rains and wind and hail moving close to our area. They are also reporting that there is more than one area that has been hit with funnel cloud tornado's. In all 19 communities have been affected and at least one death has been confirmed.

7 PM: Nothing has happened where I am so I decide to go meet my friend, to which My Guy says, "Are you nuts?" I, again, laugh and decide to think for a minute whether or not I should risk it. The TV news reporters are talking about emergency preparedness, going into the basement or the lowest level of the home, turning up the TV and staying there. The Emergency Broadcast System is popping into the telecast about every five minutes with that annoying beep, notifying us that in the event of an emergency....blah, blah, blah.

7:15 PM: I decide to cancel, to which my friend laughs, but it's no big deal. We re-schedule. (in hindsight, we would have been FINE)

7:30 PM: We are transfixed on the TV because now they are showing live shots of some incredible devastation in the Springfield area. It looks not too different from some tornado pictures of Missouri last week. What the? This is New England. Stuff like this never happens here. I thought it only happened in other parts of the country.

7:40 PM: Gov Duval Patrick comes on TV declaring that MA is in a state of emergency, and that Springfield has been devastated by tornados. A reporter ask him about whether or not this is the worst weather the state has ever seen, to which he replies, "Well, it's not over yet. These storms are still strong and the threat is still very real."

8 PM: I switch to the Bruins game. I got my priorities, ya know. But during the commercials, we were flipping back to the news. One of the huge storms is headed in our direction. We figured if we were in danger the Emergency Broadcast System would keep us posted, but we have one eye on the game and one on the news.

8:50: The dogs are going berserk, the light show outside my window is amazing coupled with some nasty, banging thunder. I see rain beginning to hit my window in a way that is not ordinary.

9 PM: Full blown wind and hard rain are now pelting my home. We are still in Bruins mode, but the outdoor events are hard to ignore. We are now watching both the storm and the game.

9:30 PM: We see blue, flashing lights go by the house and turn onto the street where my parents live, then go right into their driveway. Red lights then follow up the street, as a fire truck then pulls into my parents driveway. Their phone goes right to voicemail. My Guy gets a call that my parents alarm went off at their house, so we waste about a nano-second getting into the car to go check it out. It's still whipping rain and wind.

9:31 PM: My dad opens the door to his house, laughing. (thank God) Their house was hit by lightening and it set off the alarm. My mom said it was so loud that it scared the Bejesus out of her. They are fine. We check the house, like the fire department asked us to, for any smell of smoke or smoldering. Check. They are all set.

9:50 PM: The rain, lightening and thunder have stopped. It's over. We were lucky. Just some wild wind and rain and save from a few branches scattered around we got nothing.

4 confirmed deaths in the aftermath of the storms. The photos from Springfield are unbelievable. Unbelievable because tornados don't happen here.

It was some wild stuff, I gotta tell you.

Summer Has Arrived!

And it's about freakin' time.

Well, well, well, our good friend summer had decided to make an appearance after it's long hibernation. What will this summer bring us? I hope long glorious days spent enjoying the beauty of the great outdoors.


We here at the Daily Dandy are kicking off the festivities tonight with a BBQ with some friends and their kids. We are rolling old school too. Burgers, hot dogs, some steak tips and chicken. We'll have potato salad and corn on the cob, our good friend Budweiser, Carona (for those with a taste for cervesa) and I got me some Skinny Girl Margarita's.

There is nothing like the smell of the food cooking on the grill to put you in that summer mode. I hope the mosquitoes don't show up, but I will be prepared. Tonight we will christen our lovely fire pit and roast marshmallows and make smores and hopefully someone will come equip with some funny jokes. Joke and liquor are just like peas and carrots.

No room for winter tonight. No siree, it's all summer all weekend long.


BUT WAIT...there is but one lonely remnant of winter poking itself into my summer celebration plans. A reason to still root for winter's last hurrah. Our Boston Bruins will be home tonight to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning with the winner advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals against Vancouver.

We haven't been there since 1990.

Wouldn't it be the icing on the cake tonight to see our boys advance? With some good friends and some good food and booze? It could possibly be a "where where you?" moment and we are set to make history. So if you happen to be a hockey fan watching the game tonight, say a little prayer for the boys in black and gold.

Have a great weekend bloggers! Happy summer kickoff!

Just A Few Things

• I missed Glee last night, so no recap today but I heard it was a tear jerker.






• It has been raining for at LEAST 6 days straight. I'm beginning to think that this is our destiny; these cold, misty days. I heard on the radio this morning that the watermelons are exploding on the vine in these here parts of the country. Does that paint a good picture?






• Arnold fathered an out of wedlock child. Well color me an idiot! I was still rooting for them to work it out.






• My Guy is away for a few days and it has been a Real Housewives MARATHON around here. I watched the Real Housewives of New Jersey on Monday night. What is wrong with those people? The question is what is wrong with me for watching it? But I can't stop and I watched them all, Orange County, New York and Jersey. I have issues.






• Great Boston Bruins playoff game last night. I'm beginning to think we may be able to pull this one off.






• Frick is getting her driver's license tomorrow.(we hope) Another fabulous milestone that confirms the fact that I am OLD.






• The Prom is Saturday and it will be a crazy weekend with the kids asking to stay out all night at the house that is known for letting the kids drink alcohol. So what do I do? If I think about it, I know I can't prevent the inevitable under age drinking that is going to take place, but do I need to put her in a situation where it is encouraged? And an overnighter? "But everyone else is staying overnight." Famous last words: "I don't care about everyone else."






• This weather is cutting into my business. Happy people spend more money. The omni-present rain does not make people happy.






• I ate half of a sugar-laden cupcake last night and this morning I feel like sh*t. Sugar is overrated.

A Winter Classic For The Dental Maven

My son Frack and Boston Bruins great Cam Neely (Bruins Vice President) at Fenway Park's Winter Classic, January 1, 2010

Picture the scene:

Historic Fenway Park; one time home to The Babe and Ted, hosting two of the NHL's original teams on it's fields, The Big Bad Boston Bruins and The Philiadelphia Flyers. They dubbed it The Winter Classic. Fenway's storied field was transformed into a rare winter wonderland, complete with NHL regulation boards, jumbo-trons, black and gold everything invading the green monster of Fenway, and thanks to Mother Nature, just the right amount of snow from the day before, covering all the right things.

It was the kind of scene that made grown men teary and young children's eyes wide with hope and wonder. For those who were lucky enough to attend, scoring, by far, the most ridiculously expensive ticket in town, it was money well spent and memories made that you could never put a price on. It was a once in a lifetime.

And neither Fenway or The Boston Bruins disappointed. It was a classic alright, from the vintage Boston logo-which was chosen by Bruins VP Cam Neely, from the 1939 team, to Coach Claude Julien's old-time fedora, worn on the bench. Everything seemed perfect. Watching the team you love play outside in the elements brought you back to a time when outdoor pond hockey with the neighborhood kids was an every day occurrence. But this time Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron were your neighbors.

The glitterati were there too, never ones to miss an event as big as the Super Bowl, bundled up in their fur to watch the game. Boston die hards like Dennis Leary and Lenny Clarke to name a few. After the ceremonious pre-game, it was time for the main event.

The game dragged on for almost two periods, scoreless, while both teams over passed and over played each other into, dare I say, boredom. Philly scored early in the second and that's was about all that happened for a while. In fact, it looked like the B's were going home winless and the game itself would pale in comparison to it's setting. But, folks, this is Boston, a sports city first, and this game ended up being one to remember when Boston's Mark Recchi scored the tying goal with 2:14 left to play.

Suddenly the Fenway faithful, who had just belted out "Sweet Caroline" in fine seventh inning tradition, were awakened. It suddenly became a game and just when everyone thought it couldn't get any better, the B's went into extra-innings. In the crowning glory of every Bruins fans dreams, Marco Sturm scored the game winner in sudden death OT and everything was right in the universe or The Nation.

"It's great. It's what we dream of," Sturm said after the game.

Indeed, so many dreams came true that special day on the hallowed fields of 4 Yawkee Way.