I know–this is a blog about Southern California real estate. Hey, I helped pick the name. Just because I own property in So Cal doesn’t make me stupid, does it?
OK, forget that last question.
Because it’s time to be a little bit positive about this little piece of almost paradise (on a good day) that we call home.
It’s time for our home team (or at least one of them), the reigning Stanley Cup Champions, the first California team ever to win that famed prize, to begin their playoff quest to keep Lord Stanley’s trophy right here in the land of sunshine and palm trees for one more year.
It’s time to remember just how good we have it here in So Cal, even if our homes are “correcting” their value a tad right now. A big tad, maybe, but who cares?
Hey, the Ducks and Lakers are in the playoffs, the Dodgers and Angels are contending, the sun is shining, the air is clear, the high’s forecast for 78 comfortable degrees, and I just got an e-mail from Mt. Baldy ski lifts telling me they still have 1 – 2 feet of snow and half off weekday rates.
And you wonder why I don’t live in Boston or Florida? or Tennessee (see “What I Learned from Investing Out of State“).
Back to our boys in black, orange, & gold. I’ve only been a hockey fan for less than a year. Got hooked during the Stanley Cup playoffs last year, actually. Nothing quite like the Honda Center. On hockey nights it’s an ice palace surrounded by palm trees. Where the opposing team complains about “bad ice” because our outside weather’s so good! And where our team’s the champions of a Canadian sport!
It’s hard to think of something more So Cal than tailgating in the shadows of both the 57 freeway and palm trees in glorious California sunshine before crossing the street to see the Anaheim Ducks win that legendary cup last year with my son and son-in-law.
This year, they’re back, although not seeded nearly as high. But we’ve been getting better and healthier as the season progressed, and this might just be our year for a rare Cup repeat. They’re the favorites in their quarterfinal, best of 7 series against the Dallas Stars, but it’ll probably be close.
Now I know you don’t really understand hockey. Not really sure if I do, for that matter. I’d tell you it’s kind of like soccer played on ice, but you may not understand soccer either.
But we live in a multi-cultural paradise, where even I speak two languages. Why not learn a little about the national sport of our neighbors to the north?
If you tivo tonight’s game, starting at 7 on Prime Ticket or Versus, you might just like what you see. (BTW, hockey has 3 “periods” of 20 minutes of play, separated by two 20 minute intermissions, so you might want to wait until around 8 to start playing back the game. Or just watch it live & take two 20 minute breaks.)
Maybe you’ll see the beginning of a two month march to an historic second Cup. Have something to talk about at work tomorrow, too.
And benefit from a reminder it’s not all news about dropping values and rising foreclosures here in beautiful So Cal.
We’ve still got weather and sports!
Addendum, 4/10, 10:30 p.m.: OK, so our guys decided to spot Dallas the first game. Kinda took the day off–laid back, California style. Just like the real estate market’s apparently doing this year.
No problem. The weather was fantastic, & the Malard-gater bar-b-que before the game was as unbelievable as ever.
Just wait ’til Saturday!
4/12 update:OK, maybe I should have made that “Wait ’til next year!” Or maybe just switched the topic to the Lakers.
Or the “Malard-gators” tail-gate tonight. Best b-b-que chicken I’ve ever had! Sausage & braut as good as ever, too. That, & the 2nd period, kept the evening from being a total bust. That glorious warm but dry late afternoon weather was an upper, too.
The Ducks were better than Thursday, but not good enough long enough. Too many stupid offensive penalties. And I think something’s still wrong with Giguirre. Pronger seems injured too. They might regroup & turn things around in Dallas, but not if they keep playing like the last two games.
We may see the housing market make a comeback before the Ducks do.
Stay tuned.
