Hockey 'n Heels Redux: 2/12/08

Mother Nature doesn’t like the NY Islanders. More times then not, when they try to do something different for their fan base, they get rained on, snowed on, and generally just washed out. Such was the case again on Tuesday the 12th. Not only was it Hockey ‘n Heels night, but there was also a “Women in Business” reception at the Marriott sponsored by LIJ and hosted by Mike Bossy. 

A very lovely event really warranted a better turn out. However, it started at 5 pm, the same time that the rush hour traffic came to a stand still as cars played slip’n’slide on every major thoroughfare in Nassau and Suffolk County. It took me an hour to make a normally 20 minute ride. I figured, it was even further to go home from work, I wanted to go to the game anyway, might as well check out the meeting. I’m glad I did.

I really have to learn to carry business cards. However, since I change purses with every pair of shoes, I have a difficult time making sure I have everything I need. Had I remembered, I would have had a chance at winning some great raffles. That will not be a mistake I make again. Mike Bossy played master of ceremony to the intimate group. He introduced the president of LIJ who gave a brief speech about their cancer care program that treats more patients than Sloan Kettering, sometimes providing health care to those in need at little or no cost. There are 40,000 people in their system, and their mission is to take care of people. They will be investing over a billion (yes, that’s right. That’s a “B”) dollars in the next five years to build a research center and expand their services. We, as Islanders, are very lucky to have such an organization in our own backyard with such a valiant mission.

Bossy had the best job of the evening—handing out the prizes. And although this was a “Women” in business event, there were just as many men in the group. When he was handed the fishbowl of business cards to pick from, he fully admitted he was going to rig it so that only women won the prizes. What a gentleman! I was so elegant in his grey stripped suit, standing so tall and thin at the podium, kissing each woman who won a prize. “I’m from Montreal. You HAVE to kiss twice!” he told the ladies. From the crowd, one of the jealous men shouted, “Now I know why you were the leading scorer!”

The beautiful young woman who was running the event left her cell phone and PDA on the table with me as she assisted Bossy at the podium. I could not believe my eyes as the cell phone buzzed across the table and the PDA beeped incessantly. Didn’t these people know this woman is WORKING! She’s busy! When she returned to the table, she literally had to juggle the two devices getting back to everyone and making sure all was taken care of, and meanwhile…. She was still smiling. Amazing!

Then my phone began to buzz. Everyone was worried because it was already almost 7 pm and I wasn’t inside the Coliseum. “Where are you?? Are you alright?” I love my friends. They care about me. I quickly changed out of my bright red spikes and back into my snow boots and fur coat.

“Catie, there isn&