3.9.09

"I'm gonna run!"

If you aren't my Facebook and/or Twitter friend, then you probably didn't see what happened to me yesterday. I met Thomas Vanek for the first time about two years ago, when the Sabres had played the Penguins in the preseason and there was an autograph session afterwards. My sister-in-law and I made a quick getaway from the 100s to go find out where he was set up, and waited for awhile before he came to sit down at the table.

I was nervous as hell because this was the first time I would be meeting a professional hockey player. I had the chance to meet Michael Peca at Wegmans a long time ago when he still played for Buffalo, but was too shy to take it up. I happily was telling my sister-in-law this story so that my nerves would get all out of me. Didn't exactly help much.

So we got up to him and I set my jersey down. He signed his name and I said thanks, before my sister-in-law backed me up and said 'She's a little starstruck right now and can't talk, so would you please get a picture with her?' With this he replied 'Sure!' and we promptly got the picture taken and I thanked him again. That was then:

This is now:
Obviously a completely different situation and it was just after he finished practice (so he looks all 'rawr!'. He could've said no, though!) The best part about THIS picture was that I actually asked him myself. Funny story: Tamara and I made a quick stop the the bathroom at the Pepsi Center and walked back into the rink, and I saw him going towards the door to get off the ice. At this point, we were a little ways down and he came off. I turned to look at Tamara and went 'I'm gonna run. I'M GONNA RUN!' so I ran. I made it before he got in the locker room and asked for a picture. Then I was shaking because Tamara mentioned to me how the flash wasn't off and I was freaking out when I was turning it off, but it turned out okay. I need a new picture of us to keep me preoccupied but the first one will always be the best.

6 comments:

Caroline said...

Haha awww...that's a cute story. :) Glad you met him.

Shelby said...

Thank you, Caroline! (:

Katebits said...

Aw, those are cuties.

I don't think he looks so much "rawr" as "OMG, that's the girl from the autograph night two years ago! She's so cool and beautiful. I'm scared to stand this close to her. What if I smell bad? OMG. I bet I reeeeally stink right now. This is so embarrassing. WHAT WILL SHE THINK OF ME?!"

:D

Tam said...

I'm with Katebits!

I saw the title of this post on the list on my site and smiled! We are making good memories, between your excitement to run and my forgetfulness of my name.

Aubrey said...

Wow, awesome! And good for you! I still haven't been able to get over being starstruck, lol.

Shelby said...

Kate; hahaha, awww, you just made the way I see this situation so much better! Thank you!

Tam; good thing we actually met in person, right? :D Seriously, so many good memories!

Aubrey; somehow I've done it, and I don't even know how. I've gotten a lot of their attention for friends recently than I ever would've done a few years back.