1/29/05 - the good, bad, and the regretful

WOW! Let me first say that I was given a ticket to the OKC vs Tulsa hockey game and the seat was in a great locale...where the team comes out of the locker room and onto the ice (sure it was near the Tulsa locker room, but who cares?!?). It was also my niece Sammy's 18th birthday (cringe, here comes another grey hair). There was a group consisting of 3 guys, 2 chicks sitting in the row in front of us. They were a neat bunch, and one of them was the kind you want to take home to momma (hell yeah). They turned around during the third period of the game and said to me, "Do you realize how bad you're making us look? Not only do you know the Blazers on a first name basis, but you know the Oilers as well. But you are really knowledgeable of the sport and it's been crazy listening to the two of you get into the game." What a neat compliment. Sammy and I chuckled and said thanks.

Then the bomb dropped. And it was one of those "dirty" bombs with all the bits of metal in them. Kevlar (spelling?) and body armor would not have helped. The game was over...Tulsa beaten on their home ice by the Blazers (hell yeah). So Mr. Take-Me-Home-To-Momma asks his pals what the game plan was. They couldn't agree on anything, so he turns around and says, "Let's ask these fine ladies. Would you like to go out drinking with us?" Oh Lord, I was about to start crying. I wanted so badly to say yes, but I turned them down because I was not about to take my niece out clubbing, pubbing, or whatever. I turned to Sammy and asked her if she was going to be pouty face all the way home, and of course she said yes. I just shrugged and told her that I was not going to go out and drink in front of someone who doesn't drink, whether by age limits or by choice. So to try and make up for it, I took her downstairs at the Tulsa Convention Center and we waited for the guys to come out of the locker rooms. Then we followed the team bus to Wendy's and ate a late supper with the guys. So I guess the night ended up on a good note for her, but not for me. I'm torn apart by the whole affair. I enjoy taking my friends & family to hockey games and doing silly stuff every-so-often, but I can't shake this feeling: that I wish I had gone to Tulsa by myself so I could have gone out after the game. In the end, I know I made the right decision, but why do I feel so much regret about it?