Festivities for the NHL Winter Classic begin today, here’s some highlights to enjoy the next week or so:

Friday, December 24

Public Skate at the community rink (parking lot between Heinz Field and State AE): 3-9 p.m.  Santa will be there between 4 and 6 p.m.

Saturday, December 25

Public Skate at the community rink: 12-9 p.m.

Sunday, December 26

PAHL Youth Hockey: 8:40 a.m. – 2:50 p.m.
Public Skate at the community rink: 7-8:20 p.m.

Monday, December 27

PAHL Youth Hockey and Hockey is for Everyone games: 9 a.m.-2:50 p.m.
Public Skate at the community rink: 3-4:20 p.m.
PIHL (High School) Hockey: 9:40-11:40 p.m.

Hockey Hall of Fame and Pittsburgh Penguins Trophy Display at the Carnegie Science Center and Sports Works (Through December 31, times vary)

Ice Carving Displays at North Shore Riverftont Park (Through December 30, dawn-dusk daily)

Brighton Heights Deck Hockey: 8 a.m.

Tuesday, December 28

Penguins vs. Thrashers: 7 p.m. at the Consol Energy Center

PAHL Youth Hockey: 12-1:20 p.m.
Public skate at the community rink: 3-4:20 and 6:30-7:50 p.m.
Pittsburgh Firefighters vs. Police: 8-9:20 p.m.
Pittsburgh Celebrity Game: 9:30-10:50 p.m.

Wednesday, December 29

Elite Tournaments: 1-5:30 p.m. at the Consol Energy Center

PAHL Youth Hockey: 7:30 a.m.-2:50 p.m.
Public Skate at the community rink: 3-4:20 and 6:30-7:50 p.m.
PIHL (High School) Hockey: 8 – 11:50 p.m.

Thursday, December 30

Riverftont Park: Installation of two life-sized ice sculptures: 2-5 p.m.

Robert Morris and The Baby Pens doubleheader at the Consol Energy Center: 3 p.m.

City of Pittsburgh Pep Rally: 12 p.m., Market Square

PAHL Youth Hockey: 8:30-9:50 a.m. and 8-11 p.m.
USA Hockey (Clinics): 10 a.m.-12:50 p.m.
Penguins Skating School: 1-2:45 p.m.
Public Skate at the community rink: 3-4:20 and 6:30-7:50 p.m.

Friday, December 31

Alumni Game at Heinz Field: 9:30-11 a.m.

Penguins open practice at Heinz Field (ticket from Alumni game required): 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

NHL Spectator Plaza (Art Rooney Way, outside Heinz Field): 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

First Night Pittsburgh, Cultural District: 6 p.m.-midnight

The Art of Play Exhibit at the Warhol (time unknown, I’m guessing it will be presented all day and during the First Night festivities)

PAHL Youth Hockey: 8 a.m.-12:20 p.m.
Elite Tournament: 12:30-4:50 p.m.
Hockey is for Everyone Game: 5-6:20 p.m.
Public Skate at the community rink: 6:30-8, 8:10-9:30 and 9:40-midnight

Saturday, January 1

2011 NHL Winter Classic at Heinz Field: 1 p.m.

NHL Spectator Plaza (Art Rooney Way, outside Heinz Field): 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Elite Tournament: 8-11 a.m.
PAHL Youth Hockey: 11:10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Public Skating at the community rink: 4:10-5:40 and 6-7:30 p.m.
PAHL Youth Hockey: 9:10-11:10 p.m.

Sunday, January 2

PAHL Youth Hockey: 7:30-8:50 a.m. and 1:30-2:50 p.m.
Hockey if for Everyone Game: 9-10:20 a.m.
Elite Girls: 10:30-11:50 a.m.
PIHL (High School) Hockey: 12-1:20, 7-9 and 9:10-11:10 p.m.

Click here to get a 2 for 1 coupon from PNC for the public skating rink and click here for the fan guide to the Winter Classic (including fulls schedule and map).  Full details about each days events are available here.

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I read a lot of blogs.  One that I read regularly is Slog, The Stranger’s blog, based in Seattle.  I usually skip over their local politics, but every now and then something just keeps coming up.  And in this case, it reminds me of Pittsburgh (I may get some facts wrong here, even though I do follow this story more than their other local news, it’s still a bit foreign for me).

Bear with me, a bit of background, then the Pittsburgh connection.  There is a political debate going on (mostly about usefulness and cost, so a typical one I suppose), about the “Deep Bore Tunnel,” a proposed tunnel that would be an underpass for the entire downtown area.  It’s projected to run over budget (wouldn’t that mean they should change the budget?), and some people think it’s not necessary.  See where I’m going with this yet?

It’s like their very own Northshore Connector!  Over budget.  Not necessary: we’re really, really good at bridges.  Tunnels, not so much (see: any tunnel at rush hour).

The entrance and exit, to an outside observer are oddly placed.  I don’t think they’re really in the best places, they seem kind of cramped, thrown in.  Here’s one of the latest Slog posts about it.  And here’s the video (which is so strange without any sound) they included.  I’d like to draw your attention to the 2:00 mark.  The animation is pretty cool, you’re driving, you’re driving into the tunnel, you’re driving, OH MY GOD A MERGE INSIDE THE TUNNEL:

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I like to imagine the explosions we would have on a daily basis if we tried to merge inside the Squirrel Hill Tunnel.

Warm ups before the second game of the doubleheader.

The baby Pens went on to lose 0-1.  I’ll have a post up later about the ridiculous escalator situation and the small girl that almost got trampled because of it.

Lettuce wraps (and a drink) at the bar at P F Changs, creamy tomato soup at Panera, Harry Potter and Christmas lights.  Awesome evening!

Picture to come later, my phone lost it…

My first dinner at a Thai restaurant, and it was amazing!

We had the sweet and sour chicken (with pineapple and tomatoes!) and the Pad Thai, all highly recommended!

The Port Authority approved the cuts to routes, taking affect March 13.  The only word I can come up with is devastating.  The sheer amount of red on that document is astounding.

And speaking of, the document is so freaking hard to read.  The layout itself is goofy, but nothing that I can’t work with, and besides, I’ve seen worse before.  My big problem is the fact that you have to find your old route.  Or in my case, after being reminded once again that my old route no longer exists, find the old version of the current bus I ride and then see the cuts being made to it.

And of course, we have no specifics, so it’s more rampant speculation about what exactly the phrase “service reduced” means, and what it specifically means on over 90 routes (hopefully I counted correctly).  I’m guessing that “service reduced” means lots of different things to lots of different routes.

And don’t forget, this is not PAT’s fault.  Oh no, it’s the State’s fault.  While I certainly think they should shoulder some responsibility (everyone involved should, riders too), I’m so sick of hearing the same shuffling of blame every time a service cut is even mentioned.  We get it, you don’t want to take any responsibility for this.  But can we at least move on?

I’m venting, I realize that.  I’m frustrated.  Riders are frustrated, the city is frustrated.  I would even bet that PAT executives and state legislators are frustrated.  I’m sure I’ll discuss this some more in the future, we’ll see how things are once they settle down.

For now, just be thankful you have a Bus or T Line to get home.  You probably won’t be able to say that for much longer.

So, the idea was to watch the Winter Classic.

Four of the bartenders where I’m a regular had tickets, but the manager and others were going to be there, so I had made plans to watch it with them, even bust out my Letang Winter Classic jersey (which I also wore to the Baby Pens/Bears game, so I’m figuring my jersey is cursed).  The game got moved to 8 p.m. and I didn’t think anything of it.

Well, since it was the holiday, the bar closed early.  I didn’t even think about that, figuring it would be open for the game and since it was a Saturday.

So a buddy and I pull into the parking lot to see the building dark and empty.  We swear and try to figure out where else to go.  We decide on Dingbats, which just opened a new location at Monroeville Mall, where Houlighan’s used to be.

We head there and to the bar, and there are maybe ten people in the whole place, if that.  Having never been inside, I didn’t know what to expect.  Aside from no customers, the place is barren.  Maybe it’s just a shock from Houlighan’s, but there is nothing on the walls, everything is stark.  There are some very nice leather chairs and couches, had we not been at the bar, I probably would have headed there.  And let me note, I had the mushrooms from the appetizer menu, and they are absolutely amazing.

Since they were so slow, the manager closed after the first period.  So once again, we had to figure out where to go.

Primanti’s!  It was packed, filled with Pens fans (and some very oblivious customers as well) and a great atmosphere.  As the end of the second period approached, most of the televisions were switched to the UFC fight, which they had purchased (I’ve been there before when they buy the fights, must be their thing).  But thankfully, once the intermission was complete, the sound switched back over the the last of the Winter Classic, else we would have gone for the hat trick and found a third place to go.

A few comments about the game:

• Pensblog has, as always, an awesome write up, so make sure to check it out
• Ummm, NBC?  Why did you go to the blimp cam during play?  Was someone asleep at the switcher?  Aerial shots are awesome while things get set up, going to commercial, etc.  Not during play.
• The cameras were pretty crappy, but then again, Heinz Field is not set up for hockey.  That being said, from the second period on, it was better.
• Disco Dan’s hat is awesome.
• Yeah, the loss sucks, we’ll see how everything gets edited together for the last episode on Penguins Capitals 24/7.  I might pick up the series if they offer it as a DVD set.
• The weather kind of sucked, but as Pensblog pointed out of course, it sucked for everyone, not just one team.  And I realize that meterology is not an exact science.  However, I’m pretty good at reading a radar map.  Not for hours and hours in the future, but for at least the next four hours, I can read a radar map and tell you what’s going to happen, usually within about five minutes (it’s kind of scary).  So when you’re standing outside and it’s raining, don’t tell us that it’s going to rain.  Tell us that it’s raining.
• Most importantly, I hope this brought some more fans to the game.  I find football boring, so I don’t watch the Steelers (but will route for them), and baseball is boring as it is (unless you’re at a game with friends, then it’s fun).  Hockey is what I really like to watch, so if this gets more people energized about the sport, then good on the NHL.

Update: Added my comments about the whether, which I forgot to add earlier.

I got updates about the game via Twitter and Facebook as I was in Panera.  This was by far, my favorite tweet, after we had just won the game.

HBO has been running “Penguins Capitals 24/7″ and the three episodes have all been amazing.  I’m going to attempt to embed the third episode below (Yeah that didn’t work), if it doesn’t work, check it out here.  The music and editing throughout the series has been nothing short of amazing, and the last five minutes of this episode in particular features an awesome rendition of My Chemical Romance’s “Welcome to the Black Parade.”  Before you judge, it’s instrumental, and works very, very well.

Make sure to check it out, just not at work, as there is a lot of swearing.  The whole series has given a great look not only into the professional lives of the athletes and coaches, but also how they relax, and a fleeting glimpse into their personal lives as well.  It has been really nice to see both head coaches with their families, and members of both teams give back to the cities they live in.  Check it out, and enjoy the game tonight!

Update: The whole clip is good (it’s the last part of the third and latest episode), but skip ahead to 8:46 to catch the last segment that I referenced above, or in the youtube clip below, jump to 8:42

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qc2P9_p3In8[/youtube]