albany

Quinnipiac is bound for the Frozen Four!

March 30, 2016

It was a weekend to remember, that’s for sure.

This past weekend, I traveled to Albany on Saturday and Sunday to watch college hockey as the East Regional for the NCAA Division I tournament was being held in the Times Union Center. The winner of the regional would advance to the Frozen Four in Tampa Bay on April 7 and 9.

My Alma mater (well, for my Masters) earned the overall top seed for the tournament and so happened to be placed in Albany. Perfect.

Regional champions… now to the Frozen Four!

This was a great chance to see Quinnipiac, which had been the No. 1 team in the country for much of the season.

The regionals are seeded 1-4, so Quinnipiac faced the fourth seed, RIT, in the opener. Not only was RIT the fourth seed in the tournament, it was the 16th seed out of 16. RIT was used to that, though, as it was 16 last year when it knocked off the overall No. 1.

Not this year.

After a slower first period when QU took a 1-0 lead, the Bobcats turned it up and ended with a 4-0 victory to advance to the regional final on Easter Sunday.

In that game, it pitted QU against UMass Lowell, the second seed in the region. Lowell took a 1-0 lead early but then things came together for Quinnipiac in the second period when three goals were scored, silencing the Lowell crowd and giving the Bobcats some breathing room.

A third-period goal made it 4-1, which was the final score.

It was a lot of fun to watch and now QU is in the Frozen Four for the second time in school history, the first coming in 2013 when the Bobcats reached the championship before losing to rival Yale.

On April 7, Quinnipiac faces Boston College in the national semifinal. A win there and it’s a date in the national title game on April 9 against the winner of North Dakota-Denver.

I’d love to go to Tampa Bay, but it’s a bit out of my price range, so I’ll be watching on ESPN and hoping for the best. It would be nice thing to see QU win the national title, so we’ll see how it goes.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please Like HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Summer of Baseball: Tri-City a fine place to catch a game

September 16, 2014

A summer trip to “The Joe” is definitely worthwhile, especially if you are within short distance of New York’s Capital Region.

Joseph L. Bruno Stadium sits on the campus of Hudson Valley Community College. It’s not what you would think about when you think of a community college stadium or one where a short-season Single-A team plays, that’s for sure.

A night of ball at The Joe!

Opened in 2002, the stadium is open-style, with a concourse that goes around the bulk of the stadium. There was spots to watch the game from the outfield and the main seating is fold-down plastic seats. There’s really not a bad place to watch a game, that’s for sure.

My first viewing of this stadium came several years ago, when I was still covering pro baseball for a local newspaper. The season before, the team I covered has been quite successful, so I got to head up the interstate to cover the opener at Tri-City. It was one of only two times I ever got to travel to cover the team, so it was pretty cool.

More than that, though, was liking the stadium. I walked around some, I peeked at what there was to offer. The press area was nice and they took care of you. But, even more so, was the overall stadium. What a feel for a game. They draw good crowds. They have a good announcer. There’s something for everybody.

I had the chance to visit two times this year, once for the Summer of Baseball Tour, and a second time as my final game of the year when I went up for the final game of the New York-Penn League Championship. The atmosphere was similar each time, though the wind as taken out of the home team’s sails in the first inning of the championship when State College scored nine runs.

When you come into the stadium, the team store is on your right. The store has a lot of goodies and the prices are pretty good. Walking into the main area, you’re greeted by a customer service area (where, if it’s your first game, you can get a button). There’s lineups on the wall nearby and each baseline has a plethora of concessions to offer. There’s the normal ballpark fare, then a pizza station and a taco stand, local beers and more. So there are some pretty good offers. I didn’t see soft ice cream, though, which always gets to me as I’d rather just have a soft serve cone than hard ice cream, especially at a game.

Everything I need at a game!

And like many newer parks, if you get up to visit a concession stand, you can see the field. The big scoreboard in right field is nice to keep track of things, too.

At the first game we attending, one friend caught a foul ball, so that was cool. The second game I went solo, so I just relaxed with my scorebook and watched the Spikes win the championship.

Parking, too, is plentiful — and free. This is also another stadium that gives programs away for free, which is always welcome. The atmosphere is nice and everybody I dealt with was extremely friendly and helpful when needed. If I lived in the Capital Region, I’d likely be a season ticket holder as it’s a great sport to watch baseball. If you are a baseball fan and are in the area, it’s definitely worth checking out.

Park Notes:

Joseph L. Bruno Stadium — “The Joe”
Troy, New York
Home of the Tri-City Valley Cats (short-season Single-A affiliate of the Houston Astros)
Visited on: Friday, July 25 and Monday, September 8
Opponent: Staten Island Yankees (short-season Single-A affiliate of the New York Yankees) and the State College Spikes (short-season Single-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals)

Ratings (out of 10)

Stadium: 8.5/10
Concessions: 7.5/10
Parking: 8.5/10
Ambiance: 9/10
Friendliness: 9/10

I am embarking on a summer of baseball with the plan to hit a minimum of 10 stadiums this summer. Hopefully, there will be more than that. I will report on each park that I hit on the blog.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Paint Nite brings out the inner artist in a fun and creative way

July 10, 2014

I’ve never considered myself much of an artist, per say.

Though I am an avid photographer and writer, I always found it hard to say I was an artist with those mediums. When I think of an artist – I think traditional, such as a painter or sculptor or somebody along that line of work.

My finished product!

In fact, in high school, I wasn’t much of anything when it came to art class. Sure, I did OK and got decent grades, but I wasn’t the next Picasso or anything.

Maybe times have changed?

A year or so ago, I came across a website called Paint Nite. Have any of you heard about it? If not, let me tell you – it’s fantastic. The idea is simple – people get together in a bar-type atmosphere, have some tunes and paint.

Simple, right?

The idea is to drink creatively. In other words, have a few cordials and create some artwork. It had been something I had wanted to try for a while, but never had a chance. It’s affordable (website is $45, but there are often deals and you can get it much cheaper on Groupon) and it’s a good way to try something different.

Tools of the day.

I recently signed up for a class with a friend who is an art teacher. It was a good way to check this out, as well as give me a reason to finally go do this and blog about it. The one I picked out was good because the art was supposed to be pretty easy. Turns out it was.

There were about 20 people for this one. From reading and looking at other events, I think they are often much bigger. This was a perfect size for a first-time person, though. The instructor, Toni, was excellent. She was fun and made sure people were enjoying themselves. There was music playing throughout and a waitress made sure you could get a refill or two, if you so desired.

As part of your experience, Paint Nite supplies the following:

Smock
Paint brushes
Paint
16×20 canvas (which you obviously get to take home at the end)

So basically, you come, grab a drink and paint.

Hard at work.

As noted, the painting we did the day I was there was pretty easy. The only thing I would have liked was if it was a little more social. It seemed like people were in their groups and kept a little to themselves. I wonder if the group was bigger or if the painting was a little different, if that would have made it more social.

It was nice a few times when there were breaks to go around and check out the other paintings. Some people had some amazing work. Mine was rather simple, which I was OK with. The painting was about being unique and the instructor offered a free class if you did it in another language.

I dug deep and remembered my French days and did it in that (if I remember right, unique is the same in English/French) and earned myself a free Paint Night class, so that’s cool. I also filled out a survey online and received a code for like 40 percent off or something for a class.

Paint.

What I truly found out was how relaxing painting can be. I’ve seriously thought about buying a few canvases and some paint and brushes and just seeing what I can do. I know I’m never going to be the next Picasso or anything, but it’s a way to relax, be creative and maybe have some things to put on my walls – or to give to somebody else. I’ll have to see what kind of investment I’d be looking into. Or, maybe I’ll just stick to Paint Nite events.

On another note, take a peek at the Paint Nite website and see if there are any events in your area. It’s heavily on the female side, so if you’re a single guy, it might be worth grabbing a couple of friends and checking it out. At the event I was at, I was one of two males there – and the other wasn’t painting. What’s the worst thing that happens? You go, have a hoot and a few drinks and socialize some.

It’s an affordable and fun evening and well worth doing. I’d encourage anybody to try it as it gives you something outside the normal zone for fun. The best part is when looking at events, you can see what you’ll be painting and what they rate it (from easy to hard) so you can decide if it’s something you can handle or not.

Paint Nite was a heap of fun and I look forward to doing it again sometime in the future.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Photo Friday: Curling and sweeping down the ice

November 30, 2012

Having the chance to watch curling up close was a really cool experience.

Ever since I first saw the sport in the Olympics, I’ve been fascinated by curling. I don’t know why, being many people consider it quite silly. But there’s something about it. In every Winter Games since it returned as an official sport in 1998, I’ve tried to watch as much of it as I could.

All the yelling and screaming and sweeping for some odd-looking stones on a sheet of ice.

Crazy.

Releasing the stone.

Curling is thought to have been invented in Scotland in the 1500s. Curling artifacts from that time period have been found that support this claim. The sport has become much bigger than one country, however. Many countries from around the world play it.

A few years ago, I was at a geocaching event. When there, a geocacher mentioned being part of a curling club. I’m pretty sure it was one of the ones — Schenectady maybe — in the Capital Region in New York. Alas, I never followed up on it as I had mentioned having interest doing some photos.

I put that in the back of my head and moved on.

I always caught curling when on TV with the Olympics and such. And with that, I always said if I hit a lotto, I’d try and hire a world-class coach and grab some friends and find a way to try and get good enough to play in the Olympics.

Needless to say, I haven’t won the lotto.

However, earlier this year, one of the guys in the Capital Region disc golf group mentioned an open house at the Albany Curling Club. Turns out besides being a disc golfer, Deric was also a curler.

That triggered my mind — I still wanted to get photos of this wonderful sport. And while I was at it, maybe learn a little about the game, too.

So I reached out to Deric and inquired about doing some photography. He eventually set it up for me to come watch one his team’s matches against his coaches team.

Let me tell you — this sport is pretty cool.

Sweeping in front of the stone.

It actually looks easy when you watch on television. Of course when you see it, you’re seeing world-class professionals. Take in mind that what I watched this past week was a local league. Think local softball or baseball. Or football. Something not at the top level.

But there’s something special about things at that level — regular people playing the sport. And understanding it. And knowing what is supposed to happen. That, of course, doesn’t always happen, but that’s what makes it even better.

With this being the only match being played when I was there, I had the chance to walk around the second sheet of ice as I took photos. This gave me the opportunity to watch the eight people — four per team — play the game. There were five males and three females among the two teams.

Though I didn’t understand everything going on, I got the gist of it. Watching the releasing of the stone and the sweeping was interesting. It’s definitely a sport that has grabbed my interest.

One thing I know — it’s a lot colder on that ice than I thought. I’ve been in many an ice rink, but it was cold! Should I go again, I’d have gloves and a winter hat!

It’s definitely a game I’d love to try one day. Hopefully, wherever I end up in this job hunt has a curling club as it seems like a great way to stay active and get out and do something fun and cool during the colder months.

You can see all the photos I have up from this past week by clicking here.

I’m also posting a few of my favorite shots below.

Sending the stone.

Some brooms.

The action.

Watching after the release.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

The faces of Steve Caouette

October 9, 2012

Steve Caouette performing at The Comedy Works in Albany in 2010.

In 2006, several of us took a trip to Montreal.

This trip was somewhat of an annual thing. A guys weekend, if you will. We’d bar hop a little, check out different things each year and whatever else. I’d always find a way to do some photography and it was a nice weekend away from it all.

I have always thought of Montreal as being able to visit Europe in North America.

This year was a bit different than normal, however. Two of us went up even earlier, making it a five-day trip. The others came up Friday.

Steve’s note that he wrote in my “Montreal 2006 Travel Notebook.”

One thing I decided to do during this trip was take a notebook with me and have people sign it. It could be people we meet, or each other, or whatever else. But the idea was to capture the trip in that notebook with the idea of being able to one day check back at it, remember the trip and smile.

It’s where I met Steve Caouette.

Caouette is a comedian. And, to be honest, he’s one of the funniest comics I’ve ever watched — and I’ve had the fortune to see many. I don’t know where I’d rank him among my all-time favorites who I’ve seen live, but I would be willing to bet he’d easily make my top-5 without a doubt.

His act is hilarious, he interacts with the crowd well and his noises and imitations he does are fantastic.

But I digress…

It was the second night of the trip to Montreal and we were sitting on the outside patio of our favorite Montreal watering hole, the Mad Hatter. The bar was emptying and we got chatting with these two fellas nearby.

We got the two of them to sign the book and they mentioned Steve was a comedian.

I’m willing to bet we asked him to say something funny. We were probably idiots like that. Ahh well, it happens, right?

Anyway, we were asked to come to the Comedy Nest the next night to see Steve perform. And, we were told there would be tickets waiting for us. For some reason, I didn’t buy it. But we agreed to go to the Comedy Nest the next night.

We arrived expecting to have to pay for tickets. We saw Steve’s poster plastered all around the area and we went to the front door. The conversation basically went like this.

Me: I believe there should be tickets for us?

Door guy: Name?

Me: P.J.

Door guy: Yup, here they are.

I was shocked, I won’t like. Further, we were seated at a table in the front. And what a treat that was. Talk about hilarious.

We hung out with Steve one or two more times that weekend. We even went back and checked him out a second time. And after that, I’ve kept in touch with Steve through the years, whether it be through Facebook or texts or whatever else.

Steve Caouette at The Comedy Works in Albany this past weekend.

A year or two after Montreal, he was scheduled for a show in Albany. So a couple of us went up. There wasn’t much of a draw for the second show that night, so we didn’t get to see him perform. Instead, it was a stroll to visit some fine establishments downtown.

I then got the chance to see him in 2010 when he hit Albany again, this time at The Comedy Works newer spot. He was hilarious, as per normal. I was in stitches just watching. The photo at the top of this post is from that show.

Steve was performing in Albany again this past weekend and I had the chance to get up there Friday night to see the show, which was held at The Comedy Works new spot. Let me say that the new spot for this club is outstanding. I’m sure it will take a little time for it to catch on at this locale, but it’s comedy only now. The food was excellent, the showroom felt like a great comedy club and the people working were all top notch and personable.

Back to Steve.

His show was, as it has been every time I see him, outstanding. But taking photos, I started realizing one thing that Steve is amazing at — his facial gestures. These sell his jokes so well and when interacting with the crowd, the faces he makes work for the situation at hand.

And that’s what I will be ending this post with — Steve and his countless faces. Below is a selection of those faces from the show in Albany this past Friday. I am leaving these images without captions — I hope you enjoy.

If you want to see more on Steve, visit his website.