my brief encounter with celebrity

Well, I have in no way recovered from the indignities of the current exchange rate, but I was able to forget about it briefly the other night when I attended a TsSKA-Moscow hockey game with Brooke and some other people.

Now Brooke is a bonafide hockey fan, tried and true. I will admit that I don't always follow the NHL at home, but I always enjoy games, as my brother played when he was younger, and the whole family really got into it. Alina, John and I were frequent attendees at TsSKA-Moscow games in 1997. ANYWAY, the reason why we were looking forward to this game was that Jarmir Jagr, one of the most talented players out there right now, was playing for the visiting team - Avantgarde-Omsk. For all of you "sports?" people out there, the NHL is on strike this year, so all the European players who are normally in the NHL came back to play in their home countries. Even though the match ended in a 4-4 tie, it was exciting to watch, and we had front row seats. There was even a fan brawl in our section! (But nothing approaching the recent Pacers-Pistons fracas). Afterward, a few of us decided to wait and see if we could see Jagr (who is Czech) when he left after the match. When he eventually came out, I got some pictures, but he was swarmed by people. My autograph is really an unrecognizable scribble. We followed him outside, when Brooke said "we should ask him in English." So we did, and he said "at last, someone speaks English here!" And he was quite pleased, to see a bunch of girls who could actually say that they saw him play either in Pittsburgh or Washington in America, and we got pictures taken with him. (On Brooke's film camera, so I have to wait for the picture).

During the game, on a completely un-Jagr related note, the following conversation transpired:
[Don't read the following if you are anyone in my family over the age of 40, or any parents of my friends]
Desi: Hey Brooke! TsSKA's back-up goalie is a hottie!
Brooke: Desi, he's 17 years old
Desi: Oh
--pause--
Desi: Well I don't care if he is 17, I still want to ravish him.

Now Jagr is also a hottie in my opinion, and more in my age range, and is single, but he apparently has gambling debts, which would not, in my opinion make him relationship material.

So that was my weekend adventure. I did go over to my friend Maika's for dinner on Friday night, and when I arrived she said "I felt like steak so I bought steak." Hot damn! I can endorse any friend's craving for red meat, especially when I am the beneficiary.

But now I have a sore throat. :=(
ciao!