We love Pirates games, as if you didn't know that. It's the on-the-edge of our seats feeling that has us a bit addicted. So of course we couldn't miss the home game last night.

L. insists her ban on chocolate for the duration of the series is working. She's so serious in fact that she would not let her sister buy chocolate covered pretzels (and it was white chocolate and not Hershey) yesterday before the game. Instead of arguing with her sister (which I very much appreciated), G. bought a package of bulls eyes and decided they were REALLY good luck for the team.

"Look mom, it's a number one! The Pirates are gonna win tonight, I just know it!"

The game last night was exciting and highly entertaining for us. We had great seats and sat next to a very sweet, but thoroughly drunk, fan. Normally I don't encourage the girls to talk to people who imbibe so much, particularly at a hockey game, but this woman was really enthusiastic. And she refrained from using any profanity because she liked G. (they had quite the conversations going, from the game refs to the hazards of smoking). And she was so funny that the game was all the more fun for us because we were sitting next to her.

Here are a few favorite quotes from our friend (we even caught a bit of it on video too):

"Guys, are you doing your Heller Keller?" (She was yelling at the refs and using the bam bams to emphasize her point.)

"We don't like chocolate.... right now." (The hand gestures were great.)

"Hey guys, come down this way." (At the time, she was waving her bam bams like an air traffic controller. It didn't last long since the fans behind us started yelling to get her to sit down.)

The anti-chocolate comments at the beginning of the game immediately endeared her to the girls. Although she said eating Nestle was OK this week.

Hockey fans come in all shapes and sizes and going to games are all the more fun because of that.

Go Pirates!