I'm headed downtown in a few hours to officiate in Steve Hyjek's annual post-Christmas game at Verizon Center. I think this is the third year in a row that I've done it.
Two midget-aged teams face off against each other. I get paid and get free tickets to the Capitals game at night. What a deal! Thanks Steve!
This year is more special for two reasons. It's my last year in town, and the Sabres are playing the Capitals tonight. Let's Go Buff-A-Lo!
Friday, December 26, 2008
Marley and Me
Gayle and I went to see Marley and Me on Christmas evening. Great movie. Jennifer Aniston is still hot at 40!
Anyway, if you love dogs, you have to see this movie.
If you're not crying near the ending, you're not a true dog lover.
Gayle and I both cried a bit when we put ourselves into Grogan's shoes. Trudy is getting on a bit, and we're not too sure how much more time she has. Couple of years at best. More, I hope, but we don't want her to suffer. She's got arthritis in her spine. Poor little girl.
Anyway, if you love dogs, you have to see this movie.
If you're not crying near the ending, you're not a true dog lover.
Gayle and I both cried a bit when we put ourselves into Grogan's shoes. Trudy is getting on a bit, and we're not too sure how much more time she has. Couple of years at best. More, I hope, but we don't want her to suffer. She's got arthritis in her spine. Poor little girl.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
SOLD!
Well, Gayle and I got incredibly lucky when my officiating friend Rich agreed to buy our house. Yes, we lost money on the deal, but selling it allows us to move forward and get the hell out of DC!
It's official now, as we had the closing yesterday. The lawyer who runs the closing office is actually a fellow Buffalonian from Orchard Park.
THANKS RICH! Best wishes to you and your lady once you finally move in!
Here's video of the Zamboni delivery at Wrigley Field for this year's Winter Classic. Nice job, fuggtards!
It's official now, as we had the closing yesterday. The lawyer who runs the closing office is actually a fellow Buffalonian from Orchard Park.
THANKS RICH! Best wishes to you and your lady once you finally move in!
Here's video of the Zamboni delivery at Wrigley Field for this year's Winter Classic. Nice job, fuggtards!
Monday, December 15, 2008
Lost weekend in Pittsburgh
Well I went to Pittsburgh, and we stayed in the Shadyside district, about half-way between the rink and downtown at a Courtyard by Marriott. The hotel was decent for the 50 bucks we got it for on Priceline. I'd hate to pay more than that, though. Couldn't get the Internet working in the room.
What a retarded place to buy beer! We stopped at a convenience store, and the foreigner behind the counter was less than helpful when we asked where we could buy beer.
I finally asked a white guy going into the store, and he said in PA, you have to buy six packs at bars or at certain stores. He directed me to one that was on the way to the hotel. Terry paid eleven dollars for a six pack of Labatts. Are you kidding me? What a ripoff! Pittsburgh sucks.
Anyway, Ryan, trying to impress his uncle, tried a little too hard in WARMUPS for God's sake, and hurt his knee. He banged it into the goal post after he caught an edge and did a flip backwards. Jeezus!
The first game was against 94's, which are a year older and a lot bigger than Ryan's team. Final was 6-3, which is respectable. Ryan played, but we could tell he was laboring. After his fall in warmups, I thought he'd hurt his butt or tailbone.
After the game, we checked into the hotel, then went to Dick's to get him a neoprene knee wrap. Dave at the store gave us some good directions to get back to the rink, because with the stupid traffic trying to get to Dick's, time was short. Thanks Dave.
The second game was against the Pittsburgh Jr. Pens 95's. Very good team, with a lethal power play. Noah Gatis has professional player written all over him. Outstanding player. I don't remember much about the game, except that Ryan was benched for most of the third period. I did color commentary for Steve Rosenthal's HD video for all three games. I'm excited to hear my commentary. I tried to be serious, but also had some funny stuff, too. The Regals lost this game, and Ryan looked a little better until a big hit early in the third period. We didn't see him much after that. I think the final was 5-4 Pittsburgh.
Saturday night, we didn't do much. Stayed in the room, watched TV, and fell asleep around 11 PM. Ryan didn't take a shower. What a dirtbag!
Woke up at 7 AM on Sunday, went to the rink, and Ryan played much better. I don't think his little knee bruise was bothering him at all. Like Herb Brooks said, a bruised knee is a long way from the heart! The game ended in a tie with nice goals from both sides.
I left after the game so I could play in my game. We tied the Laughing Skulls 5-5. Young punks. I didn't get any penalties, though!
I would like to comment on the Pittsburgh officiating. In a word, brutal. How the Western Pennsylvania Hockey Officials Association can assign referees that continually get faceoff locations incorrect is beyond me. Faceoff location is elementary for a referee. It's the most basic thing. Also, their blue line positioning is less than stellar. C'mon guys, at least you can hustle! I also saw many no calls of obvious checks from behind after the whistle (all by Pittsburgh no less) go uncalled. It seems coach Larry Gaus of the Junior Pens has the officials intimidated. Triple-A hockey deserves Triple-A refs. There's room for improvement here, guys.
Luckily, I avoided the Sabres @ Devils score for over 24 hours, and watched the Sabres excellent 4-2 victory last night in beautiful HD! Wish I could have avoided the Bills game permanently. WTF are you doing passing on 2nd and 5 when you're trying to run the clock out, Jauron? You are a frigging idiot. Please, just go away, DICK.
What a retarded place to buy beer! We stopped at a convenience store, and the foreigner behind the counter was less than helpful when we asked where we could buy beer.
I finally asked a white guy going into the store, and he said in PA, you have to buy six packs at bars or at certain stores. He directed me to one that was on the way to the hotel. Terry paid eleven dollars for a six pack of Labatts. Are you kidding me? What a ripoff! Pittsburgh sucks.
Anyway, Ryan, trying to impress his uncle, tried a little too hard in WARMUPS for God's sake, and hurt his knee. He banged it into the goal post after he caught an edge and did a flip backwards. Jeezus!
The first game was against 94's, which are a year older and a lot bigger than Ryan's team. Final was 6-3, which is respectable. Ryan played, but we could tell he was laboring. After his fall in warmups, I thought he'd hurt his butt or tailbone.
After the game, we checked into the hotel, then went to Dick's to get him a neoprene knee wrap. Dave at the store gave us some good directions to get back to the rink, because with the stupid traffic trying to get to Dick's, time was short. Thanks Dave.
The second game was against the Pittsburgh Jr. Pens 95's. Very good team, with a lethal power play. Noah Gatis has professional player written all over him. Outstanding player. I don't remember much about the game, except that Ryan was benched for most of the third period. I did color commentary for Steve Rosenthal's HD video for all three games. I'm excited to hear my commentary. I tried to be serious, but also had some funny stuff, too. The Regals lost this game, and Ryan looked a little better until a big hit early in the third period. We didn't see him much after that. I think the final was 5-4 Pittsburgh.
Saturday night, we didn't do much. Stayed in the room, watched TV, and fell asleep around 11 PM. Ryan didn't take a shower. What a dirtbag!
Woke up at 7 AM on Sunday, went to the rink, and Ryan played much better. I don't think his little knee bruise was bothering him at all. Like Herb Brooks said, a bruised knee is a long way from the heart! The game ended in a tie with nice goals from both sides.
I left after the game so I could play in my game. We tied the Laughing Skulls 5-5. Young punks. I didn't get any penalties, though!
I would like to comment on the Pittsburgh officiating. In a word, brutal. How the Western Pennsylvania Hockey Officials Association can assign referees that continually get faceoff locations incorrect is beyond me. Faceoff location is elementary for a referee. It's the most basic thing. Also, their blue line positioning is less than stellar. C'mon guys, at least you can hustle! I also saw many no calls of obvious checks from behind after the whistle (all by Pittsburgh no less) go uncalled. It seems coach Larry Gaus of the Junior Pens has the officials intimidated. Triple-A hockey deserves Triple-A refs. There's room for improvement here, guys.
Luckily, I avoided the Sabres @ Devils score for over 24 hours, and watched the Sabres excellent 4-2 victory last night in beautiful HD! Wish I could have avoided the Bills game permanently. WTF are you doing passing on 2nd and 5 when you're trying to run the clock out, Jauron? You are a frigging idiot. Please, just go away, DICK.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Buffalo Regals 1995 AAA this weekend.
I'm going to Pittsburgh this weekend to see my nephew Ryan's team play. I'm going to unleash the Titan to ensure I arrive safely. Not sure the Cavalier is the most reliable car to take on a 250 mile trip in mid-December. The Titan has been mostly sitting in the lot at TISCOM saving gas and keep miles off her. She's paid for with only 28K miles. I think she might last 10 years more!
I'm excited to see Ryan play this weekend. With the new house coming, it will be the only chance I get to see him play this season. I'd like to see Bryce play, too. Unfortunately, an extraneous trip isn't in the cards at this time, as Buffalo is 8 hours and PGH is only 4. Sorry buddy. Next season, I'll see you guys a lot!
I hope I don't get too upset with the officials in these games!
On they way back, I'll stop in Laurel, MD for my game against the Laughing Skulls at 6:40 PM. Another bunch of young punks who've got another thing coming!
I'm on the Blackhawks, here's our league's website: Laurel Gardens Adult Hockey Silver 1 Division. Notice who's in first place? Click on the team name to see stats. Remember, I play defense, so goals are secondary. I'm leading the team in penalty minutes, too!
I'm excited to see Ryan play this weekend. With the new house coming, it will be the only chance I get to see him play this season. I'd like to see Bryce play, too. Unfortunately, an extraneous trip isn't in the cards at this time, as Buffalo is 8 hours and PGH is only 4. Sorry buddy. Next season, I'll see you guys a lot!
I hope I don't get too upset with the officials in these games!
On they way back, I'll stop in Laurel, MD for my game against the Laughing Skulls at 6:40 PM. Another bunch of young punks who've got another thing coming!
I'm on the Blackhawks, here's our league's website: Laurel Gardens Adult Hockey Silver 1 Division. Notice who's in first place? Click on the team name to see stats. Remember, I play defense, so goals are secondary. I'm leading the team in penalty minutes, too!
NEED TV OR COMPUTER CABLES?
If you need computer cables or a/v cables for your home theater, you won't find a better selection or better prices than at Monoprice.com.
I found this site about a year ago when looking for some cables. I searched the avsforum.com for some info, found this site, and instantly added it to my favorites.
I've recommended it to several of my friends, all of whom have been equally amazed.
Check it out if you need some cables. Skip Best Buy and just go to monoprice.com.
I found this site about a year ago when looking for some cables. I searched the avsforum.com for some info, found this site, and instantly added it to my favorites.
I've recommended it to several of my friends, all of whom have been equally amazed.
Check it out if you need some cables. Skip Best Buy and just go to monoprice.com.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Buffalo Sabres picking it up lately
It's nice to see at least one of my teams able to turn a slump around. The Bills? What a damn joke. I knew they were a fraud at 4-0, and I never really felt that good about 'em. Jauron must go. The man is a corpse walking the sidelines. EMOTIONLESS.
The Sabres won their third straight last night against Tampa Bay, and came back from an early 2-0 deficit to do so. They're starting to pick it up lately. Thomas Vanek is on fire and leads the league with 22 goals. Way to earn that big contract Thomas! Let's Go, Buff-a-Lo!!!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Inferior Turbinate Coblation Surgery
I've suffered for years with stuffy nose symptoms. Even so much that it has affected my sleep.
During my retirement out-processing, Doc Zarychta referred me to the ENT Clinic at Bethesda, where they recommended a sleep study and inferior turbinate coblation.
I wish I had pictures of what I looked like during the sleep study. It was ridiculous! They glued about 20 leads to my head, and then told me to sleep! Well, it took 2 sleep studies, but it showed that I have sleep apnea. Great. What else can Mom and Dad pass along?
I had the inferior turbinate reduction surgery on Monday, December 1st. We had to get up at 0400 to get there at the 0530 arrival time. Thank God our neighbor girl Allie was able to walk Trudy and Lexi for us.
All I remember from the surgery is that the needle into the back of my right hand hurt a bit, then I felt cold and burning sensations up my right arm as I............
When I woke up, I was being wheeled past Gayle in the waiting room, and remember saying, "Hi Baby".
I must've looked great with two giant gauze pads up my nose!
The nurse took out the pads and I really didn't bleed at all.
I felt OK. Some sinus pressure, and of course my nose was pretty sore.
After two days, the pressure got worse (percocet!), but then it got better.
I just went to see the doctor yesterday and she professionally picked my nose. She pulled out a few scabs that were blocking my airflow, and voila, I CAN BREATHE THROUGH MY NOSE!!!
This surgery is amazing, relatively pain free, and most of all, it works! I'm supposed to get even better of the next few months.
If you're having chronic nasal breathing problems, check out inferior turbinate coblation. Awesome Stuff!
During my retirement out-processing, Doc Zarychta referred me to the ENT Clinic at Bethesda, where they recommended a sleep study and inferior turbinate coblation.
I wish I had pictures of what I looked like during the sleep study. It was ridiculous! They glued about 20 leads to my head, and then told me to sleep! Well, it took 2 sleep studies, but it showed that I have sleep apnea. Great. What else can Mom and Dad pass along?
I had the inferior turbinate reduction surgery on Monday, December 1st. We had to get up at 0400 to get there at the 0530 arrival time. Thank God our neighbor girl Allie was able to walk Trudy and Lexi for us.
All I remember from the surgery is that the needle into the back of my right hand hurt a bit, then I felt cold and burning sensations up my right arm as I............
When I woke up, I was being wheeled past Gayle in the waiting room, and remember saying, "Hi Baby".
I must've looked great with two giant gauze pads up my nose!
The nurse took out the pads and I really didn't bleed at all.
I felt OK. Some sinus pressure, and of course my nose was pretty sore.
After two days, the pressure got worse (percocet!), but then it got better.
I just went to see the doctor yesterday and she professionally picked my nose. She pulled out a few scabs that were blocking my airflow, and voila, I CAN BREATHE THROUGH MY NOSE!!!
This surgery is amazing, relatively pain free, and most of all, it works! I'm supposed to get even better of the next few months.
If you're having chronic nasal breathing problems, check out inferior turbinate coblation. Awesome Stuff!
Going to see Peanut, and Jeff Dunham, too
(Sung to the tune of Oh Christmas Tree)....
Oh Jeff-afa, Oh Jeff-afa, without me-eee, you would suck-aka! HAHAHAHA!
Gayle and I, along with Jay and Audrey, are going to see Jeff Dunham on January 2nd. We're very excited, as we've really enjoyed all his DVD's and Youtube bits.
This dude is the best comic out there. Peanut is outrageously funny, and I've had a few of my friends say that Walter reminds them of me, because I don't like people, either!
I'll let you know what I think after we go!
Jeff Dunham's Website
Wear a freaking cage, dumb-ass!
This guy in a game I'm reffing last night got clipped by a high stick. It was during a scramble in my end, so I was watching the puck near the net and didn't see it occur. Next thing I know he's bleeding profusely from near his right eye.
He leaves the ice but comes back later with a butterfly on it.
After the game I said, "Dude, wear a cage!". He said, "No way, cages are for pussies!".
I didn't get a chance, but I should've told him that cages are for guys that like to keep their teeth, their eyes, and their blood.
I've been playing hockey for 36 years, and I've never lost a tooth, been cut by a stick, or poked in the eye. I block plenty of shots when I'm playing in my league, all without fear of being seriously injured.
Anyone who plays pickup or in a men's league without a cage is, in my opinion, a dumb-ass!
I saw a guy about 3 weeks ago take a clearing attempt right in the mouth. My guess is it will cost about $2500.00 to fix all 4 teeth that were chipped. RETARD.
I got the above picture from a fellow official who took a puck in the face. It's his CT scan image. Just ANOTHER reason to wear a cage when I play (and yes, I wear a shield when I officiate).
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