Night out: Hockey!

We took advantage of Gama being in town to go out Tuesday night to see some college hockey. The match-up was Eric's own University of Tampa, whose hockey team is in its first year as an official team, facing off against the University of South Florida which is also here in Tampa. The event was set up as a fundraiser (with free admission) and they played the game at the St Pete Times forum in downtown Tampa.(One of Eric's students who plays on the team had said that he was excited about maybe getting into a fight on NHL ice.)


We put Emerson to bed and still got there in time for the pre-game pageantry, including the national anthem sung by a small a capella foursome, one of whom had his hand to his ear the whole time, of course. It was neat to be at the arena for such a "small" event where the spectators were confined to a small section of seating, only one concession stand was open and we got to sit a lot closer than we normally do.

This was my first UT sporting event and it set the bar pretty high. Here's a shot of the action:

I didn't set the bar so high myself: I sported yoga pants, a large black maternity t-shirt that the light of the arena revealed had booger stains (not mine) and sneakers, dirty hair in a bun and my scratched glasses. I looked like the exhausted, mega-pregnant mom of a toddler that I am right now.* I guess I thought it would be darker at the hockey game (it usually is a little darker up high where we always sit). I thought about standing at a discrete distance when we ran into students of Eric's so as not to embarrass him but instead I just smiled and tried to stand in the shadows as much as possible.

The game was great fun to watch and when we left after the second period it was 3-2 USF. The final score was 5-4 USF so going to bed meant we missed some good action but for my part it was worth it.

*For the record: in general, I have made what I consider to be an extraordinary effort to present myself well since we arrived in Florida.