A Dance with Lord Stanley.

My blogger nightmare became a reality two days ago. Out of absolutely nowhere, my phone decided to implode, selfishly taking with it all of my pictures and videos from the last several months. When I took its lifeless corpse to the Verizon store, the worker looked at me with sympathetic, knowing eyes before informing me he couldn't fix it, couldn't access the files, and yeah, idiot. Why didn't you buy insurance?

In other words, all my pictures from our trip to see Hamilton in Chicago, my Grandmom's memorial in Eau Claire, and the Indy 500 are gone. Fortunately, I saved several pictures I wanted for this post prior to the apocalypse, so without further ado, I bring you Bucket List Item #50 - Attend the Stanley Cup Final.

The day after the Indy 500, Wheat and I piled ourselves back in the car and took off for Pittsburgh. Let me rewind a bit - Ever since I fell in love with hockey, I've desperately wanted to go to the Stanley Cup Final (duh). When it looked like the Pens had a good chance of beating the Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference Finals, Wheat not only agreed to buy tickets to the Final, but he even had to convince me it was okay to spend that kind of money on a once-in-a-lifetime experience. In hindsight, he was absolutely right.

So, we took a deep breath, thanked God for our tax return, and clicked purchase with the knowledge that if the Pens advanced to the Final, our bank accounts would be a little emptier. Sure enough, they beat the Senators in overtime in a vomit-inducing Game 7 and we were headed to Pittsburgh for Game 1.

We took it as a sign from the universe that the Pens' opponent was the Nashville Predators (Wheat's hometown and other favorite team), playing in their first ever Stanley Cup Final. Side note: He wore a Predators shirt under his Phil Kessel shirt and I never would have forgiven him had the Pens lost. We arrived several hours early, so we took the opportunity to walk around PPG Paints Arena, peruse the gift shop, and soak in the electric atmosphere. I successfully fought the urge to buy a plush Sidney Crosby, but did cave and buy a Crosby Final t-shirt.

The entire city was brimming with excitement for the series. Storefronts had signs of encouragement for the team, everyone was dressed in Pens gear, and I felt like I'd died and gone to hockey heaven. NHL Network and NBCSN were doing live pre-game coverage right outside the arena, so we saw Jeremy Roenick, Steve Mears, Kathryn Tappen, and Mike Rupp. There was also a watch party set up outside the arena and it was amazing to see how many people crammed into the area to support the team.

When the gates opened, we were given yellow rally towels (I will NOT call them terrible towels. Ever.) and gold Penguins t-shirts. I insisted that we watch warmups from the lower level, so we staked out a spot and waited for the team to hit the ice. Insider tip: If you can't afford good seats, show up early and watch warmups from the lower level. It's the best way to get a good look at the players, see how fast they actually skate, and tell Sidney Crosby you'll wait forever for his love. Ahem. Seriously though, the players actually interact a bit with the fans, bumping into the glass or tossing sticks and pucks over to fans.

After warmups, we made our way upstairs to our seats, which were conveniently located about ten rows from the top but provided a surprisingly good vantage point of the action. I was starting to wonder if I might actually pass out from anticipation when the lights finally went off and the arena announcer proclaimed, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Stanley Cup Finals." Cue the water works. It was that exact moment that I finally realized where I was and what I was doing. We were treated to an incredible laser light show on the ice and a pre-game video intended to hype the crowd. I felt like I could run through a brick wall.

Players were introduced, the national anthem was sung by Jeff Jimerson and the entire arena, and the puck dropped. I'll be honest - the Pens didn't play their best game. Far from it. The first goal of the game appeared to come off the stick of Nashville defenseman PK Subban, but it was overturned when Coach Mike Sullivan successfully challenged that a player was offsides. The end of the period saw three quick Penguins goals - one from Evgeni Malkin on a 5-on-3, one from Conor Sheary, and another one off a bad shot (by Nick Bonino) that bounced off the back of a Predators defenseman and into the net. We'll take what we can get.

I was thrilled and very cordial with the Predators fans sitting next to me. Then, because I was having such an amazing time, the Penguins didn't register a shot on goal for the next 37 minutes. THIRTY SEVEN MINUTES! ...and the Preds began to chip away at the deficit. A power play goal from Ryan Ellis, a goal off a deflection and credited to Colton Sissons, and the tying goal - a blast from Frederick Gaudreau. My heart sank and, according to Wheat, I sat in complete silence until the Pens broke the tie. Our Predator-loving neighbors began to frustrate me and I bit my tongue. A Preds fan threw a catfish onto the ice, which promptly exploded and sent fish guts flying in every direction.

We’ve got a (really gross) catfish in Pittsburgh pic.twitter.com/BuQWs7nvcW

— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) May 30, 2017

Things were looking pretty bleak and I was absolutely dreading overtime when rookie Jake Guentzel answered my prayers with a beautiful goal. The arena erupted, screaming, waving towels, and singing along with Andrew W.K.'s "Party Hard," which the Pens have hilariously adopted as their goal celebration song. Bonino scored an empty-netter to seal the 5-3 victory a couple minutes later, despite the team being outshot 26-12 in the game. My word.

The drive from Pittsburgh to Columbus, Ohio after the game can only be described as euphoric. We excitedly discussed each goal, each penalty in detail and arrived around 3:00 AM. We checked into our hotel, slept for four hours, and hit the road again at 7:00 AM. And by "hit the road," I mean that my saint of a husband drove while I slept in the passenger seat and dreamed of hoisting the Stanley Cup.

Spoiler Alert: The Penguins soon did just that when they beat the Predators in six games to win their second consecutive championship and the fifth in franchise history.

And man, being there to watch Game 1 was worth every single penny.

The 101st Running of the Indianapolis 500

One of my favorite things about living in Indianapolis is all of the hype that surrounds the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing," the Indy 500. If you had told me ten years ago that I would fall in love with a car race, I never would have believed you, but it's the truth. May in Indianapolis is simply magical and this year was no exception.

On Friday of race weekend, Wheat and I ventured downtown for the Carb Night Burger Bash, which was sponsored by Steak 'n Shake. For a couple hours, we sat on Pan Am Plaza, ate burgers, fries, and milkshakes, and watched as various drivers (including Tony Kanaan, Scott Dixon, Sage Karam, Josef Newgarden, Pippa Mann, JR Hildebrand, Graham Rahal, and others) were interviewed. Over the years, it has been fun to get to know the drivers on the IndyCar circuit, thanks to events like these.

Unfortunately, while my favorite driver (Tony Kanaan) was being interviewed, it started to storm and the event came to an abrupt end. Trent Harmon, the final winner of American Idol, was supposed to close the night with a free concert, but due to the weather, the show was canceled. However, thanks to my scary impeccable stalking skills, we learned that he was doing an acoustic show at a Steak 'n Shake nearby. After a little begging on my part, we stopped by for a few songs and I can confirm that listening to live music while eating at Steak 'n Shake is just as awesome as it sounds. I even got to meet Trent afterward and tell him that his version of "Chandelier" kills me.

The next morning, we walked over to the 500 Festival Parade to watch the drivers, marching bands, floats, and celebrities cruise by. If you're ever in the area on race weekend, I highly recommend checking out the parade because it's free (though you can pay for actual seats with an unobstructed view) and gives you a great taste of the race action. Plus, if you're an oversized child or celebrity stalker like me, you'll love seeing all the floats and celebrities.

This year, the parade featured Holocaust survivor Eva Kor as Grand Marshal and also included US gymnast Madison Kocian, WWE wrestler and manager Ric Flair, Pacers shooting guard and 2017 Dunk Contest champion Glenn Robinson III, and iCarly actor Nathan Kress. Most importantly, however, Jeffrey Dean Morgan took part in the festivities, which was my personal highlight of the entire weekend. As he rolled by with his son and girlfriend Hilarie Burton (umm..am I the only one that didn't know he was in a relationship with Peyton from One Tree Hill?!), I shrieked, "NEGAN!!!!," which elicited the exact reaction from him that I wanted: a gorgeous smile and a bonus thumbs up. I melted on the spot.

Ed Carpenter, Tony Kanaan, Pippa Mann (the only female driver in the field)

Hours after the parade, my brother and Elizabeth showed up so that we would be ready to go early in the morning. In previous years, we have always paid to take a shuttle from downtown to the speedway, but this year, they got rid of the downtown depots. This forced us to buy a parking pass and drive ourselves to the race. This was a mistake. We literally sat in traffic for three hours before arriving at the parking lot, despite leaving at 5:00 AM and only living four miles away. I'm not sure what we'll do next time, but it certainly won't be this.

Once we finally arrived at the speedway, things went much smoother. We staked out our usual spot on the viewing mounds at Turn 4 and enjoyed the pre-race festivities, interviews on the red carpet, and vibrant atmosphere. We wandered around the track for a while then found our seats before the race began. Elizabeth was thrilled to learn that Jake Gyllenhaal was on-hand to wave the green flag and I was happy to hear Chicago Blackhawks national anthem singer Jim Cornelison sing "Back Home Again in Indiana."

The race itself wasn't lacking for storylines. F1 champion Fernando Alonso, who decided to miss the Monaco Grand Prix to participate in the 500, kept the crowd on the edge of their seat as he contended for most of the race before blowing his engine. We witnessed the worst crash I've ever seen in person as pole sitter Scott Dixon's car was launched into the air, smashed into the barricade, and rolled a couple times. Miraculously, he wasn't seriously injured. Only 19 of 33 drivers were able to finish the race and the winner happened to be Wheat's favorite driver, Takuma Sato. Somehow, he was able to hold off a strong surge by three-time winner Helio Castroneves in the closing minutes, becoming the first Asian driver to win the Indy 500. Wheat's reaction really says it all.

We battled another three hours of traffic to get home, but as always, I can absolutely say it was worth the effort and the slight sunburn. It was especially awesome to have my brother and Elizabeth there for their first 500 and the thunderstorm that everyone was expecting never came. Further proof that there's something magic about Indianapolis in May.

If you're interested, here are my other race recaps:

99th Running

100th Running

A St. Louis Wedding.

Can you really complain about being busy when all the things you're busy doing are awesome? I think not, but man, I'm tired. In the last few weeks, I've gone to a wedding in St. Louis, had my in-laws visit, tried a new dinner theater and saw Shrek the Musical, hosted my brother and his girlfriend for the Indy 500 festivities, and attended Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Unbelievably grateful is one way I'm feeling. Exhausted is another.

So, let me start from the beginning...

A few weeks ago, Wheat and I drove to St. Louis to celebrate the marriage of our good friends Hannah and Connor. We spent the night before the wedding at the swankiest bar I've ever seen, Three Sixty on the rooftop of the Hilton at the Ballpark. With the famous Gateway Arch on one side and Busch Stadium on the other, the views were unbeatable and the ambience was perfect with couches and fireplaces all over the place. Pictures do not do it justice, but it was such a wonderful spot to wind down and catch up with all of our friends in town for the weekend's festivities.

We may look like it, but we aren't your college English professors.

The next morning, Wheat, Jenn, Paul, and I decided to venture over to the Delmar Loop for lunch at Blueberry Hill. The restaurant/bar has become an institution in St. Louis and not only because Chuck Berry used to perform there on a monthly basis. The place is filled to the brim with an eclectic collection of memorabilia and boasts a truly impressive 'Wall of Fame' filled with pictures of celebrities that have visited in the past. They also earn bonus points with me because they have an entire room dedicated to Elvis. The Delmar Loop area is filled with trendy restaurants, bars, and shops, as well as the St. Louis Walk of Fame, sidewalks filled with stars that highlight notable Missouri natives (heck yeah that includes Nelly).

After lunch, we rushed back to the hotel to get ready before heading to Kuhs Estate and Farm for the wedding. The ceremony was held outside underneath a gorgeous tree and fortunately, the weather was absolutely flawless for the occasion. I couldn't stop myself from admiring the pristine countryside and kept soaking in the hilltop view of a massive river. Again, pictures don't do it justice.

The reception, which took place in a tent on the farm, was a blast and Hannah covered everything imaginable with her planning. There were hors d'ouevres (including toasted ravioli, a St. Louis favorite) in a gazebo overlooking the river, a photo booth and a fire pit, and a variety of petting zoo animals, which entertained me far more than they should have. The rustic, country decor was the perfect match for the venue and Hannah (and her bridesmaids) looked absolutely gorgeous. Mostly, we loved dancing and hanging out with some of my very best friends. In other words, it was a dreamy, dreamy night.

The next morning, we woke up early to check out of the hotel and get brunch at The Wheelhouse with some of our friends. Although St. Louis had experienced flooding earlier in the week, the weather continued to be perfect during our visit, so we decided to check out the St. Louis Zoo before heading back home. Surprisingly, the zoo offers free admission (aside from $15 for parking) and we were totally blown away by the quality. We spent the next several hours wandering around its grounds, snapping pictures, and laughing at the chimpanzees as they were fed. We also got to see a baby kangaroo in its mother's pouch! I'd highly recommend checking out the zoo (and Forest Park where it is located) if you're town, especially given its lack of a price tag.

...and just like that, the weekend was over. I'm still trying to figure out how to enjoy the weekdays as much as the weekend. Let me in on your secret if you do. Until next time, St. Louis.

She's a wild one.

A full month ago (**world's worst blogger award**), my niece turned one and we celebrated with a precious birthday party at Elizabeth's parents' house. The party had a 'wild one' theme and the decor and Scarlett's outfit were too cute for words. I mean, look at the skirt that Elizabeth made for the woman of the hour.

We socialized, watched Scarlett "open" presents, and begged her to smash a massive cupcake into her face, which she basically refused to do. Instead, she picked sprinkles off one-by-one and ate them like a real lady. It took some serious convincing and someone physically pressing the cupcake into her face for her to finally get started.

Oh, do you remember Jagger, the boy baby racer that befriended Scarlett at the Pacers game? He (aka his parents) gave us a birthday present to give to Scarlett! Since he "won" the race, their prize was a cart full of baby items from Kroger and they decided to give the girly things to Scarlett with a note thanking her for keeping him company at the start line. How cute is that?

After the birthday party, Wheat and I met Jenn, Paul, Kenzie, and Zoey at Liberty Center for dinner. I hadn't been to the new-ish outdoor shopping center before and I was absolutely blown away by it. There was an impressive variety of stores and restaurants and the design of the public space had me asking myself, "This is Ohio?" A highlight for me was the amazing toy train track set up in the central park area. I could have watched it for hours.

That was convenient because we had to wait two hours to get a table at Pies & Pints, but the food was actually worth it. We split an order of pizza skins (do I need to say anything more than mashed potato pizza?) and I drooled my way through the chicken gouda pizza. Needless to say, we'll definitely be back to sample some more.

Pacers & Racers

Blogging once a month is a good policy, right? I'd say I need another couple hours in the day, but I'm a realist. I know I'd just fill that time with sleep.

I have so many things to share and no time to do it. My niece turned one (OMG). I traveled to St. Louis for a dear friend's wedding. The Penguins have advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. I found an amazing podcast, Terrible Thanks for Asking. I saw Magic Men Live (bonus OMG). For now, I'll stick with sports.

The Cincinnati Reds actually played the Baltimore Orioles in Ohio this year, so Wheat and I agreed that we'll sleep when we die and drove to Great American Ballpark for a Tuesday night game between our teams. We splurged for good seats right behind the Orioles dugout (because I love him) and he didn't throw a total fit when the Reds won, 9-3 (because he loves me). It was a beautiful, spontaneous night and the perfect excuse for some Cincinnati chili in my life.

The Pacers were swept by the Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs. In full disclosure, this made me pretty happy because it meant that Wheat returned to some semblance of a normal work-life balance. I know this is selfish of me, but it was also fun to see LeBron go into full-on cheat mode in Game 3. Seriously, if you ever get the chance, you must see him play in-person. It's like he's playing a completely different game than his opponents.

For Game 4 of the series, Wheat entered our niece, Scarlett, into a baby race that would take place on the court between the first and second quarters. After quite a bit of convincing on my part, my brother finally relented and agreed to allow her to participate (this might have been because FREE TICKETS to watch LeBron in the playoffs, but who knows?). Guys, I don't know how I'm going to handle being an actual parent because I was a total. nervous. wreck. right before the race started. I anxiously sat on the edge of my seat in the upper level, recording my brother and his girlfriend as they pleaded with Scarlett to crawl across the floor in her little personalized jersey.

Spoiler alert: None of the eight racers crossed the finish line. Scarlett did, however, make friends with Jagger, the racer next to her (and Wheat's co-worker's baby). Wheat was able to get his hands on the video board footage of the race and I don't think I'm being biased when I say that it's totally worth watching. I will be biased, though, and stress that my niece was obviously the star of the show.



Please note that the only progress she made was to crawl out and retrieve her headband to hand back to my brother, who had thrown it like a game of fetch. Tremendous. I don't think he was complaining too much - all the participants got a $50 Kroger gift card.

If you, too, think that Scarlett is the best human on the face of the earth (hi, Elizabeth, Wheat, and Mommles!), then you've come to the right place...because her first birthday party is coming in hot.