“The status quo is not good enough. We have to get better.”

So says GM Doug Armstrong.

And he is doing what he can to make the Blues better.

We’ve talked about Brewer leaving, which was better than having to go through negotiations with him at the end of this year. We’ve talked about EJ and JMac, and about the huge benefit that CGDS and Shatty have brought to the team. We very briefly last night touched on the sending of Brad Boyes to Buffalo. Today we learned that Ty Conklin cleared waivers, and then the news broke about Brad Winchester leaving for Anaheim.

Those are some big names. And some of those big names have caused some big uproars.

The general feeling I get is that the Brewer and Boyes trades, well, they’re no big deal. In fact, they’re almost celebrated, given the money Brewer might be asking for and the money Boyes is making and not earning.The EJ/Silent Jay trade had a hugely negative effect, until we saw what CGDS could do. And then Winchester.

I’m not going to lie, I was kind of surprised at the outbursts today. Half the time, I kind of forget that he’s in the lineup. Is that bad? I mean, he’s physically a BIG GUY, tallest on the team before Bish came up. But his numbers? Far from spectacular. And he can be quiet on the ice, excepting his occasional outbursts that have had him spend 86 minutes in the box this year. He tended to hang out on that third line with Frank and whoever else is around that day (some days Boyes, some days D’Ags). But then again, let’s remember that our third line can sometimes be, well, mediocre at best, which I know sounds harsh, but what else would you call them?

Here’s how I see it. The only trades that had anything to do with money were Brewer’s and Boyes’. The Blues aren’t anywhere close to the cap (actually, they’re now not too far above the cap floor), but there were contracts that were either already not worth the money in terms of production, or not worth what they would turn into.

Winchester was not a salary dump. EJ and JMac weren’t either.

This seems to be a GM focused on the future. He has so many draft picks over the next couple years, and though draft picks are great as is for building a farm system, they’re also good in trade value, which could potentially bring in someone that could undeniably boost the lineup. The payroll left is going to be available to tie up a few of the UFAs and RFAs that are coming up at the end of the season, names that, if word came that they were traded, would turn certain Blues fans against the team. There is the capability now to build a team around a strong, young, capable core of players who, as they grow and develop with each other, could become major contenders.

And as much as some may disagree with me, I do think Armstrong has started looking past this season. No, it’s not over, and there is still a chance, however slight, that the guys being called up from Peoria could step up in a very big way, or that someone already here could step up, and get us into the playoffs. But honestly, Armstrong has done all that he probably could for this lineup. And no, I don’t think he expects this team to be playoff contenders. Now the young AHLers have the opportunity to come up and show management what they’re capable of, what could be in store for them next season. Again, focusing on the future.

All this, however, does not mean that I will stop cheering my heart out for this team, however different the lineup may look to that of two weeks ago. It does not mean that I will stop believing in that ever present glimmer of hope. It does not mean that even if it comes to a point that the Blues are mathematically incapable of obtaining a playoff spot that I will stop supporting, stop cheering for this team from the very tips of my toes.

It’s going to be ok, Blues fans. We are going to be ok.

First and most importantly, as frustrating and aggravating and disappointing and heartbreaking and every other applicable -ing this loss was, I am NOT disappointed in the way our boys played tonight.

Bish stood on his head and was, for the second game in a row, LIGHT’S OUT for the Blues. There was fire, aggression, INTENSITY for the entire 60 minutes. This is what we’ve been ASKING FOR ALL SEASON.

This game came down to ONE MISTAKE and two unfortunate instances in the zone. That’s it. A single turnover by Strachan, and the disallowed goal due to high-sticking followed by Bergie’s absolutely heartbreaking ding of BOTH goal posts to keep the puck out of the net. And you know what? All sorts of credit needs to be given to Kiprusoff. He stopped everything, as he’s been known to do his ENTIRE CAREER against the Blues. When you walk into a game having a .920 save percentage against a team, chances are there’s a very good reason for it. He showed that again tonight.

And again, all over my Twitter feed, throughout the entire game, people were giving up.

Wait, not just people. FANS were giving up.

Guys, I’m right here with you. I am watching and cheering and praying for this team, OUR TEAM to win every single time they set foot on the ice. I am shedding proverbial tears with you and drinking the sorrow-drowning beers with you and screaming at the TV and tweeting profane things and sitting on the edge of my seat with you. And you know what I have to say to some of you?

WE DON’T GIVE UP. NEVER FUCKING GIVE UP.

Does it suck to watch the team you love lose night after night? Yes. Does it suck more when they’ve gotten you all pumped and excited by the way they’ve been playing? Hell yes.

Does it mean that the instant one person makes one mistake that we should start screaming for his trade for, as one Twitter followee suggested, a half eaten corn dog? NO IT DOES NOT. Strachan is playing because Nikitin is down. No, maybe he’s not NHL ready yet, but he’s here RIGHT NOW, and as fans of a team, you support your team, ALL OF YOUR TEAM. No matter what.

I want our injured players to come back. I want to see the rest of this season end in more than tears.

And I want, as I said just the other day, THE HATERS TO QUIT HATING.

Get out of my fan base.

Also, as an addition that would have gotten its own post, but since I’m writing this as this news is coming out, the Blues have just dealt #22 Brad Boyes to Buffalo for a 2011 draft pick.

I haven’t heard about even a rental player consideration.

That? That right there is Armstrong giving up on this season too.

Dammit.

Airing 7pm CST on FSMW.

What is there to say about the Blues heading into this game that hasn’t already been said?

It’s do or die. Now or never. CGDS. Switching the D-pairings. Go Big Ben. Perron’s still out. Only six points behind our upcoming opponents. Could be a huge game for us. Play a full sixty. Blah blah blah.

No wait, that’s all been said.

Ok, fine. What about the Flames? Well, there’s a reason they’re sitting in a playoff spot and we’re not. They’re 7th in the league in goals per game. They’re third in shots against per game. Guys, they’re kind of shutting things down. In a big way. In the past couple games, forward Niklas Hagman has returned to his pre-December form, and this may be after having cleared waivers on Tuesday. Hmmm, something about knowing a team doesn’t really feel like they need you, and the 29 others don’t WANT you must be a motivator. Memo to Ty Conklin: Read the previous statement again. Just in case.

Granted, it looks like Flames forward Tim Jackman won’t be on the ice today as he was hurt in a fight against the Sharks, but stranger things have happened, and you know hockey players. Are they hurt? Let them back on the ice. Wait, they’re bleeding? So what, it’s just a scratch. They have a limb bending in ways it shouldn’t bend? Details. Wait, there are teeth nearly knocked out of my face? Let me PULL THEM OUT WHILE I’M ON THE BENCH so I can get in for my next shift. And Jackman, from everything that I’ve read, is the type of guy to go out there even if there is something a little wrong with him. We’ll see.

On the flip side, I am looking forward to seeing Iginla play, if for nothing more than he’s fun to watch. I hope our boys shut him down, but I suspect it will be entertaining (hopefully) either way.

So, here we are then. On the brink of another night, another game, another situation that could keep us in this season or resolutely put us out of it. We all know what the Western Conference looks like. We all know how fast things can change. If you were paying attention the other night, for just a brief while, the Blackhawks were at seventh in the conference after starting the night in 10th. They made this jump WITHOUT PLAYING A GAME. Crazy.

When I talk about the Blues with other fans, it’s done so with that same almost panicked and cautiously hopeful tone. They have tried breaking our hearts before, yet we’re all still here, still hoping, still cheering, still drunk-tweeting and cursing if necessary. This season IS NOT over, much as others may think it is.

It’s going to be an interesting game. The rematch on Tuesday could be even more interesting, depending on tonight’s outcome.

But all I have left is a quote. From Pirates of the Caribbean (don’t judge me). For the conference points…

“Take what you can. GIVE NOTHING BACK.”

LET’S GO BLUES!!!!

Want to know what they think? Check out Erin at The Flames Begin.

So, last night. That was a team I barely recognized.

Fire, passion, intensity, and best of all? For the ENTIRE sixty minutes. Hell yes.

First off, I just wanna toss this out there. WHO WAS RIGHT ABOUT THE D-LINES?!?! This girl. People said that it was ridiculous to put the rookies together, that there needed to be a vet on every blue line, that it would be a disaster to switch it all up, but you know what? It worked. There was more defense in this game than I’ve seen recently. And while my Nikitin-Cola line was just a bit altered, with Nikitin being held from the lineup (get well soon, N64!!), I was pretty impressed with the way Strachan stepped up. I’m just glad he was able to actually play a game, rather than spending his time as a healthy scratch, or worse, driving down I-55 every other day.

Now, remember a week ago when there were so many people UP. IN. ARMS. about Army trading away EJ? Well, how do those people feel about the trade now? Chris Stewart. He just…wow. Six goals in five games. The last Blue to do that? Brett Hull. Um, that bodes pretty well, no? Not to mention that it’s just so easy to make up nicknames from him. Seriously. One of the guys I talk to on Twitter started up the hashtag #chrisstewartnicknames, and it is worth the perusing. Trust me. I have very firm opinions on his nickname (as some of you may be aware), but some of these are just literally laugh out loud funny. What makes me laugh more, though, is the way he has NO EMOTION once he gets back to the bench. He’ll celebrate on the ice, but once he sits down, he’s all, “Yeah, that was a goal, and?” You’d think he was just chilling in front of a TV show he’d seen a bajillion times with the way he just spaces off. I love it.

Playing hockey, scoring goals, like ya do.

And let’s talk about the power play really quickly. Because guys? WE HAZ ONE. Silent Jay was a big part of the PP when he was here. Stewart? Bigger. We officially have scored powerplay goals in each of the last EIGHT GAMES. That hasn’t happened since 2005. That’s one of the most encouraging things that I’ve seen this side of the All Star Break.

But what would a recap of last night’s game be without a discussion of The Arch Bishop? Big Ben. Bish4Mayor. BishIsTheIsh. And all the other amazingly awesome things that he was referred to last night, though I’m partial to BishIsTheIsh and the Arch Bishop. He was just lights out. His huge 6’7″ frame makes the goal look SO TINY, and he got some great looks, great stops on those 39 SOGs. This was his first NHL shutout, and though he may not have broken any records, I’m pretty sure he broke into the hearts of Blues Nation. (Can I get a collective aawwwwww on that? I know it was cheesy. I’m happy for him. Give me a break).

Obviously he showed something to Armstrong as Ty Conklin was placed on waivers today. Being that the team won’t know if he clears waivers until Monday, he’s going to continue the trip to Calgary. So is Jaro on his way back in? Well, maybe. I would certainly hope so given that, well, there’s no one behind Bishop. But, since we won’t know til Monday, no use in speculating.

Either way, I don’t know about you guys, but last night’s game was a serious boost in my morale. I’ve had about enough of Blues “fans” wishing this season could be over already. WHY DO YOU WANT THE SEASON TO END?! Don’t you WANT the season to continue past April 9? Don’t you WANT to see the team go on this huge tear, and show the entire league that we’re not a joke? I’ve had this same issue with Cardinals fans, but you know what? Go ahead. Give up. Get out of my Blues (or Cardinals) Nation. I don’t need fans like you.

I’m looking forward to the rest of the season. I like the boost that CGDS and Shatty have given the lineups. I like how Bishop has stepped up. I like Bergie’s play lately. And while yes, there are things that can be improved (some need it by a lot), last night just made me happy.

Haters, don’t bring us down.

Two hours til game time and I just now thought about it. Brain dead, yep, that’s me.

Games that don’t get over til midnight plus a “real life” job will totally do that to you.

Tonight we play Eberle and Ivory. No wait, Taylor Hall and Oates. That’s not right.

Oh, that’s right, we play the Oilers.

Clearly, I’m not going to have anything worthy to say. Soooo, links again today.

STL BLues

St Louis GameTime

A look at season numbers with Frozen Notes.

And an awesome preview from the Blue Note Zone.

Please Blues? Just stop it.

Good things:

• Blues held the Canucks to under 30 shots in all four games this season.
• Petro. Just….Petro.
• The Inglorious Happy Meal of Pain line had a goal.
• There was actual puck moving today….kind of.
• 7 games in a row with a PPG, which is the longest streak since 2006.
• Shatty stepping up in a big way.

Bad things:

• Everything else.

And now I must go to bed before I’m tempted to drink more to forget the whole thing.

Tomorrow is another day.

Airing at 9pm CST on FSMW.

We are going to try this again. And we are going to try it with some optimism. Why? Because we should.

Remember this?

Yeah, that wasn’t all that long ago. It wasn’t. And we won then. Who says we couldn’t do it again tonight?

Yes, the lineups have changed a bit since then (DAVIS PAYNE, CHANGE YOUR D-PAIRINGS OR ELSE), but this time we’ve got the Inglorious Happy Meal of Pain line who have been playing so well together you’d think they’d been doing so for ages, with Stewart claiming four goals in the last three games. We’ve got Shatty, assisting the crap out of people. And hopefully after Tuesday’s game, we have a team that is pissed the hell off at their performance against a team that should have been easy to beat.

Now, again, this one’s not going to be easy (how many times in a season can one person say that?). Those creepy Sedin brothers (can anyone HONESTLY tell them apart? Even their mom?), well, they’re effing good. Daniel is leading the league with 78 points. That’s a lot. Henrik isn’t far behind with 73. But seriously. They freak me out. I can’t be the only one.

The Canucks are starting Cory Schneider in the net instead of Luongo tonight, because apparently getting beaten by a team at the bottom of the conference when he hadn’t lost a game in regulation in nearly two months was too much for Luongo to handle. Or, you know, he needed to rest. Details, right? They’re also going to have a very young Cody Hodgson trying his damndest to stay on the big league roster, competing to stay on the fourth line, and that, more than a lot of things, is motivation for a kid struggling to stay in the NHL after battling injury after injury. And even though Mike Gillis isn’t looking like he’s ready to make any Canuck trades before Monday, winger Mason Raymond, who’s currently in a season long slump, has to step it up if he plans on staying on the team favorited to win Lord Stanley’s Cup. He’s only got 3 goals in his last 25 games, and honestly, I’d be ok if his skid continued.

The Blues, though. There are some good things to remember. Since Saturday morning’s trade, the Blues have jumped up to 17th in the league in powerplay goals, after hanging around down at 26th the last little while. They’ve had at least one PPG in their last six games, which is the high mark for the season. That’s awesome.

I know we were all frustrated on Tuesday. Hell, I was still frustrated yesterday. But there’s a lot of season left. We’ve got to shake that frustration off and do whatever we can to get our hopes back into this thing. It’s a long shot, but it’s doable. Who’s with me?

Starting lines:

10-42-25

20-21-74

15-17-22

26-38-36

5-27

64-46

28-12

29

LET’S GO BLUES!!!!

Also, let’s try this for the night. I’ll be hanging around on Twitter during the game, so let’s get our chat on (in less than 140 characters, of course). Use the hashtag #stlblues and see how many friends (or enemies, if that’s your thing) you can make. I’m @annabelle151.

Edited to add: Apparently we have a Canucks writer, Christine. I don’t feel too bad since her site went up today. But check her out. The enemy.

I know with one hundred percent certainty that there is NO WAY I am the only one left disappointed and angered and frustrated and upset and just….sad about tonight.

Guys, I thought I was prepared. I thought I was going to be able to walk the high road and say, you know, I hope that EJ and Silent Jay do well, and I hope they are going to be happy in their new town. I even got a really good picture from that pretty little Penthouse Suite at the top of the Scottrade Center during warmups with both 6 and 16 in those Avs jerseys, and I was going to post it and everything. Yet at this point, scratch that, as soon as the puck first dropped, they became the enemy, and now? I feel nothing but anger.

Maybe I shouldn’t be writing this right now. Whatever.

I have been defending this team all year. I have been standing behind them and swearing that, you know, they made a run at the playoffs a couple years back, and it was successful (-ish) and exciting and wonderful, and sure they can do it again, yet all I can think of is that after these last two games, these last two HEARTBREAKING defeats, is that we’re done.

I’m trying really hard not to think that, but there’s so much of me right now that just feels broken.

Now, I realize this game is not as easy as a lot of the professionals make it look. It requires skill and athleticism and aggression and passion and so many other things that make this sport what it is, that makes this sport SO FANTASTIC TO BE A FAN OF.

At the same time, there are supposed to be reasons these guys are getting paid what they are to do what they do. And going out and losing to a team who is now 1-9-1 in their last 11, with the rest of the entire season on the line, is NOT THAT THING. I thought we had this locked. Yes, like I said earlier, Budaj has a great save percentage against the Blues historically, and tonight he absolutely was lights out. I am not taking away from that. Yet we outshot the Avs 45-27. FORTY-FUCKING-FIVE SHOTS ON GOAL, and our final score was three? How does that even happen?!

It would be really easy to start blaming outside sources. You know, like Mellanby did tonight by saying they were tired. I get it. This is game number four in five days, of course they’re tired. But they’re also not the first team to have done this. Strangely enough, the two guys we just traded away are coming off of a three games in five days stint, and last I checked, the final goal was off of EJ, and McClement decided to show Cola a thing or two about who was boss towards the end of the game by laying a pretty big hit on him.

Maybe it’s easy to say the Blues would have gotten a goal given the opportunity at a power play after the non-call on the BLATANT goalie interference. I mean, they held Conklin for a good 20 seconds, and nothing. No call. And this is coming after TWO goalie interference calls yesterday, one that took away a goal.

Ha, you know, I say that, and that’s after watching a 5-on-3 where nothing, literally nothing was done with the puck besides passing it around the outside of the zone. Well, that and just giving the puck away, seemingly standing there and watching as the Avs cleared the zone no fewer than four times. ON A 5-ON-3. What. The. Hell. So how could I possibly think they’d do anything with a power play?

I could go ahead and (again) mention the potential D-line shifts, since they went back to what they’ve been doing, which is obviously not working, and shockingly enough, tonight it STILL DIDN’T WORK. Pietrangelo got caught looking as though he’d just seen an obnoxiously sparkly jersey and been distracted by it with how easily that first goal got by him, not to mention the number of times he limped off the ice (which does suck, and I really hope he’s not banged up too badly). The team is banking on HIM stepping up in the wake of the loss of EJ, and tonight I didn’t see it. Cola kept getting rocked. And does anyone really know what Jackman was doing when that unassisted EJ goal got past Conklin?

Oh wait, yeah, that’s right, the goal that EJ PROMISED WOULD COME. He swore that he’d go ahead and make Armstrong regret ever trading him, and you know what? He did.

My favorite thing that I read all night came from a friend of mine. He said:

Someone should probably tell Eeej that if he’d shot the puck like that while wearing the Note he’d still be WEARING the Note…

It’s frustrating. I mean, trading him and Jmac was to shake things up. It did. That showed on Saturday. They even tried a teensy bit of it tonight, switching Inglorious Backes and McRae in the lineup for a good chunk of the second period. Did it work? Well, not really. My line, my favorite line right now, my Inglorious Happy Meal of Pain line, didn’t do a lot. That final goal, yes, they were all on the ice for, but at that point it was pretty much too little, too late. And that is, as everything else was, disappointing.

I will say, that even though the guys I cheered for as recently as Friday did some damage tonight, what we got in return did the same. Shatty assisted Stewart’s first goal, and then Stewart garnered another (the goal was given originally to Andy Mac, but Stewart will be given the credit come morning). Kudos to the two of them for stepping up, for doing what they could to show their former team just what EJ spent his night trying to do.

I am feeling very down right now. I do not like to watch losing games when I get into my team’s arena (I know, I know, who does?). I do not like that two losses came back-to-back like this. I do not like that the loss tonight came against a team who, quite honestly, shouldn’t have been lost to. I am struggling to maintain excitement for the next two months, because this is torture.

I don’t know if I can take it without getting myself one wicked booze habit. Is this why Cubs fans drink so much?

Yeah, I just likened the Blues to the Cubs. I’m not the first to do so, and you should know how much I hate the analogy, but right now, it’s not far from the truth.

I hope that in the morning my anger will have subsided, that I’ll be able to post another optimistic and “Let’s Go Blues”y post. I do not want to continue the season like this.

I REALLY hope the Blues don’t either. Otherwise it could be a very long two months.

Katie’s pretty happy right now. See?

Airing at 7pm CST on FSMW.

As we all know, tonight’s game is the rescheduled one against the Avalanche, from the Little Snowpocalypse that Couldn’t. What has changed, again as we all know, is the fact that two guys we thought we’d be facing are now going to be on our side. And two we thought would be crucial to our success are going to now be trying to thwart that plan.

The former Blues, and Armstrong, have had quite a bit to say about the whole thing today, and I think Lou sums it up very, very well over at In The Slot. I can’t see EJ and Silent Jay getting anything but the warmest reception as their time comes on the ice, but once that puck drops, they’re the enemy. And hopefully our boys show up to win.

I’m curious to see how this evening pans out. The loss yesterday hurt. They had fire in the first, and then they tried to bring it back at times through the third, but it wasn’t good enough. It DEFINITELY wasn’t good enough in the second. And there were some players out there who could have gotten a game misconduct because of arguing with a ref over goalie interference, but I like to think that was intended to fire the rest of the team up. Pity it didn’t work like that.

I will say, though, that I’m IN LOVE with the Andy Mac-Backes-Stewart line. So so so very much. It’s like they’ve been playing together for YEARS the way that Stewart and Backes just seem to know where each other are on the ice. And with Happy Meal speeding around in there, there’s just so much potential as this line grows and develops.

That said, I would like to see some blue line shifting. I’ve always been a little edgy about the Jackman-Pietrangelo line, and I never could place why, but yesterday was a pretty good indication that all of the D-lines need a change. I like seeing Nikitin paired with Polak, but remember seeing the Polak-Jackman line? They shut shit down. In a good way. I’d also REALLY like to see Shatty and Pietrangelo on a line. How happy would that be offensively, seriously?

I don’t know if my hoping for this switch-up has gotten through to Coach Payne through clairvoyant vibes or whatever, but Lou seems certain the lines are changing. Not quite to what I’d like to see, even just for curiosity’s sake, but I’ll take it.

The Avs tonight do get to see the return of their center Matt Duchene, who’s been out with a hand injury, and that could make this game even more interesting than it already is going to be. He’s been pretty great against the Blues, ranking a +3, but the fact that it’s his first game back could mean he struggles to get back in the groove of things. However, we all know EJ wants to make us pay. He’s said so. He wants to make the Blues regret letting him go, and Silent Jay wants to prove himself to his new team. We know what they’re both capable of, having watched them for years, and now, we get to see what it’s like from the other side of the ice. The Avs are starting goalie Peter Budaj, who has a .911 save percentage and 2.47GAA against the Blues, which could be interesting for us, unless our forwards crash the goal. Get in there and DO something with the puck.

I’m looking forward to being in Drinkscotch Scottrade for the second night in a row. It’s got the potential to be a fantastic game. I’ll be cheering loudly, I hope you will be too.

Projected starting lineup:

10-42-25

20-21-74

15-17-22

26-38-36

5-46

64-27

28-12

29

LET’S GO BLUES!!!!!

Want the perspective from the other side? Check out Katie over at Hockey Without Oxygen. She makes an excellent point about David Backes, but you guys already know how I feel about him.

First period: YAY!!!

Second period: Noooooooo!!!

Third period: Too little, too late.

Really, what else is there to say?

Actually, there’s quite a bit to say. The question is, where to start.

First of all, I’m going to go ahead and toss this out there. Never, and I mean NEVER, boo your own team. I’ll be the first to admit that I can get beyond frustrated with our team. I will yell and curse at the ice and the TV, depending on where I’m watching the game, but I think booing your team is one of the worst things you can possibly do as a fan. I recognize that a couple of the goals that Bishop let in were heartbreaking. That watching our 2-0 lead disappear into oblivion is the same kind of let-down we’ve been dealing with all season, but don’t you think that maybe, just maybe, the players are just as frustrated? There is NO reason, as an actual fan of a team, to boo your own players. ESPECIALLY someone who is new to the NHL and has already made some absolutely ridiculous saves throughout the entire first period, saves that no one ever expected him to make.

So maybe it’s that I’m super annoyed by the guy who was sitting in front of me at the game. Yeah, that guy who knew so little about the game that I literally had a friend holding me back from throttling him because “he didn’t have bail money.” Like that’s a legit excuse. Please.

And I’m going to save my pink jersey rant for another day.

Either way, this game was broken by the same thing that’s haunted us all year. The absolute lack of PLAYING THE FULL SIXTY MINUTES. The lackluster effort and disheartening ignoring of any player (Backes) who tried to nearly get himself thrown from the game in order to rile his players up.

Where was the heart? The intensity? The SAME TEAM who absolutely SLAUGHTERED Anaheim? Did they just disappear? Because I saw NO trace of them today.

I just…..I really have nothing more to say. Well, I do, but it’s not entirely pertinent to this game in particular.

It’s frustrating to watch, even more so when you happen to be friends with Hawks fans (who I adore, but still). I’m not happy they walked off the winners today. Not happy at all.