It’s Over & Other Crap

Tonight officially ended my NY Islanders season. We ended on a high note by beating those piece of shits sometimes called the Rangers in a shootout. I truly hate that team even though my uncle works for them. Perhaps I was bred that way, but so be it. I hate losing to them more than any other team in professional sports.

In case you missed it, look at this wicked wreck. This video is slowed down, but that first impact was at about 189 mph. Don’t worry, he survives. Kudos to the technology geniuses who designed the safer walls and safer race cars.

For a working Dad, Fridays are very exciting. Not only to I get to leave my work behind for a couple days but I get to spend 2 full days with my girls. Rain is in the forecast for both days, but I don’t care. We’ll make the most of it I’m sure. Go fish and Uno are certainly in my near future. Oh yeah, and Mrs Hockeyman will be there too.

I get to play hockey tomorrow night but not until 10:00 PM. That time may sound bad, but after a discussion with the league director today I learned it was either a 10:00 PM Saturday start or an 11:30 PM Wednesday night start. I’ll take Saturday…

Next Friday night I get to see Iron & Wine. If you don’t know him, I provided a link. The music is definately not for everyone and is severly on the mellow side. However, it is beautifully crafted acoustic art that I find highly entertaining.

Why can’t ALL kids movies be as good for adults as Pixar movies are? I know there are a couple but overall Pixar flicks beats them all. Hands down.

Videos online with my girls and sometimes myself and my wife now available for consumption.

Good news, the Office comes back this week. If you cannot relate to at least one character in this show, please tell me where you work and how I can apply…

On behalf of the anniversary of the official formation of Microsoft, I love Apple and the products they make. They simply work and work extremely well. Oh yeah, they look pretty nice and are sometimes thought of as innovative. Gates may have started the whole personal computer revolution, but Apple certainly made it better. Vista??? HA!

Off to bed, please oh please let my girls sleep in for me tomorrow as they did for their mother the past 2 days…that would be nice.

Ahhh…Opening Day

My NY Islanders season has 3 games left and no playoffs this year which means only one thing, baseball starts on time this year! My NY Mets started right with Johann Santana leading the way to a 6-2 win over the crappy Marlins. Even if you don’t watch or like baseball, you gotta appreciate what it represents, aside from the juiced players. Spring has arrived, cookouts, hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn, ice cold beer, overpaid adult men under-appreciating the fact they work in glorious parks every single day lying to federal grand juries. Make sure you turn on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball at least once this year, it gets no better than Morgan & Miller calling a game. If your fortunate to live in a baseball town, especially minor leagues, make sure you spend a day at the park. It’s more fun in person and you get to make fun of the drunk people who paid $6 per beer! Schmorons…

Let’s Go Mets!

PS - Avoid my wife’s blog unless you wanna see the sexy side of Hockeyman. Yes ladies, that’s the real deal. I also use Axe and commercials don’t lie. Please try to contain and restrain yourself. It’s ok, I’m used to it.

Hockey Night in Orlando & Squibs

It’s hockey night for hockeyman but I had to share a new creature my 3 year old created. They’re called Squibs. They’re rond, soft and come in dark colors. You can’t see them because they live under the dirt. They survive on coffee and jellybeans, but they have no mouths, ears, noses, hands, or feet. They eat through a hole in their head. They don’t go to work, they only go to other squib houses. See below for pictures, and perhaps my Mrs. Hockeyman will share links to the video we took later.

What a Lunatic

As a goalie in ice hockey myself, yes we have ice in Florida, I found this to be a disgusting act that degrades the beauty of the game. Hockey fights can be poetic and most often justifiable, but this is awful. Obviously the prick gene was passed down and like father like son has been displayed in the worst way. Link

Perhaps they can get matching tats like these fine upstanding citizens…
Picture Link

Quick Shifts

My wife says I should post more to my blog, so I will try to find stuff to blog about for her to read. If anyone else is out there, please leave a simple hello comment so I know there is an audience and motivation to continue to write more.

Family Stuff
Recently my grandmother passed away. This was very sad for me as she was very integral to my childhood and I was close to her. She helped to raise my sister and I and we spent nearly every Saturday at her house in her backyard at the pool. Pure bliss. She was 90 years old and as healthy as anyone until her body just stopped. The hardest part for me was my last time with her at her hospital bedside just 2 days before she died. What made these moments so hard was knowing these would be my final moments with her. I got to sit and sort of chat with her as I held her hand which she never let go of and maintained a tight grip even as she went in and out of cat naps. I remember staring at the clock wishing it would slow down as I fought back the tears so she could not see them. I will never forget giving her a hug, telling her to be strong, that I loved her, kissing her forehead, and walking away knowing that was the last time I would ever see her again. It was the last time I wept as in my family, wakes and funerals are an excuse to drink lots of beer mixed with occasional shots. We are Irish and made the most of the reason to all be together. She would have liked that.

My Girls
Nothing brings me more peace and frustration in my life than being with my girls. Watching a hockey game with them after they have fetched me a cold beer from the fridge is the perfect evening. When they cheer or identify the hockey team being my NY Islanders, life couldn’t be better. Every day I am amazed at how quickly they learn and adapt at just 2 and 3 years old and I wonder if I was just as amazing to my parents. I’m sure I was, but it’s more fun to see it on this end. Although I don’t update them nearly as much as I should, I recommend to all parents (future or current), I maintain a notebook for each girl that I occasionally write letters to them in. My feeling is when they are older and matured and starting their adult lives as mine is ending they will be able to read these letters and hopefully appreciate my experiences raising them. My Dad and his Dad were writers and I get great enjoyment reading the tales from their youth.It’s kind of fun to do and in 5 years and on you might find you enjoy reading your own words to remind you of certain special moments.

NY Islanders
No playoffs for my team this year in the NHL. This is mostly due to the injury bug which has claimed 11 of the 20 rostered players so the team is currently now more their minor league affiliate than any other. A double edged sword for me as although there will be no glory, there will also be no stress from watching the playoff games themselves. At least I still play hockey year round, but it’s more fun during hockey season. Although concussions are never fun and I think I got one last game as I took a direct shot right in the kisser (I am a goalie) but I made the save so only the bell sound and slightly dizzy headache lasted. If the puck went in, it would have hurt worse but we came back and won.

NY Mets
New season, final one at Shea Stadium, begins in a week. Excitement and expectations are the highest for my team and I hope to find some way of watching as many games as I can. Let’s Go Mets!!!!

Rediscovery
Being the music lover I am, one of my favorite activities is rediscovering artists and tracks on albums. Today I rediscovered Damien Rice and his last record 9. The song Elephant in particular grabbed me and I found new deep enjoyment listening to it. His music is pure heart and soul and I wish the damn guy would come within 2 hours of Orlando so I can see him play live. To me there is nothing better than listening to a song you have heard several times before but are hearing it for the first time. Whether it’s a lyric that grabs you in a new way or a subtle background melody that you never noticed before, it is a wonderful sensation to me.

Vegas
I just completed booking a work conference trip to Las Vegas. I am excited as I will get to see Love as part of the conference and I booked a ticket to see Spam-A-Lot because I have to push the pram a lot and my mother smells of elderberries. Ahhhh….I just farted in your general direction.  I do feel a bit guilty as my wife cannot join me and hopefully the guilt will not prevent me from trying to enjoy my time there. I will be alone and if you’ve ever travelled alone for work you will know it can be the most depressing time of your life. If your not working, your in a hotel room scanning the 13 channels they give you on TV. It is Vegas so the entertainment mecca of the world will be below me, but how much fun can you have when something that may make you smile also reminds you no one cares as you turn to find a friendly reassuring smile from someone you know. Hopefully I will not lose my kids inheritance, the family car, or catch any diseases from the porno flyer pushers on the street. Why do they wear masks?

Again, if I have an audience let me know with a simple “hey” and I’ll make better efforts to post. Thanks for spending some time in my head. Unless you’re gonna pay I think it’s time for you to go.

NBA Game

I managed to score some free tickets, thanks Ed, to the Lakers/Magic game Friday night. Since my wife was sick, I took the girls and my wife’s girlfriend to the game. Yes, you read that right. The girls had never been to a game and through most of the first half they just sat in amazement at the spectacle that is professional sports. We went to a baseball game in New York last year and they loved it, but there isn’t quite as much going on all around you at a baseball game. The non-misses and I enjoyed the action with Kobe and Dwight Howard along with seeing Tiger Woods, Chris Tucker and Jonathan Silverman in attendance. The kids did great sitting on our laps and it was a fun time all around. So parents tae advantage while they’re still young/small enough to get in free. They’ll do better than you might expect.