Char Niemi
Our Singles Club is known to take advantage of the many opportunities offered by our HOA. You’ll see us at dances, music events, and at the Wildhorse Grill for our biweekly Mix & Mingle. But about once a month, we do something just for us.
Member Susan Abler planned a great outing for us in February. We went to see the Dallas Stars hockey team take on the Carolina Hurricanes. She arranged for a comfortable bus to drive us to the American Airlines Center (AAC) and seats clustered together where we could easily chat with each other while we watched the game.
When we arrived at the AAC, we stopped for a picture and then lined up to have our friend Ed scan all of us in with the group ticket on his phone. Then it was up the escalator, a quick stop to get food and drinks at the many offerings at the AAC, and then to our seats, just in time for the national anthem and the starting face-off.
The atmosphere was electric from the moment we entered the arena and saw the ice. For some, this was their first professional hockey game. For others, they came prepared in team jerseys, ready to chant when the Stars scored. And when they did score, the fans were up and loud, chanting just two words: “Dallas” and “Stars” to the music “Puck Off,” a song specifically created for the team by Arlington, Texas, heavy metal band Pantera.
There was plenty to keep us entertained throughout the evening. Our seats overlooked the Dallas Stars Ice Girls dance platform where we could watch the talented dance team perform choreographed routines. Another squad of Ice Girls was responsible for clearing away the accumulation of snow around the goal and the boards. This precision team got the job done in less than two minutes.
Soon the game was over (Dallas Stars 4, Carolina Hurricanes 2). The bus picked us up right where we were dropped off. Once we were onboard, we traveled from the beautiful Dallas skyline to our Robson Ranch community in Denton. On the ride, the big Texas sky gave us a show of its own, with a large crescent moon glowing orange as it set low in the sky.
On that ride home, many of us were already planning our next adventure. As we say here at Robson Ranch, we are “living a life as big as Texas.”