Well, I missed a week. I was going to give my thoughts on Teppo's contract once they were released, but I got busy then figured most people had expressed my opinion (in a nutshell it's a good deal for a veteran with a lot of experience to pass along.) Then I was visiting friends in WNY, and proceeded to visit the Philly area for a while. I figure I owe you all something about why I love hockey and a few things about myself.

I love how quickly a game can swing. You can go 2 periods of being ahead, even be up by 2 or 3 goals, then suddenly in five minutes it's tied or you're losing. It's a game where no one can afford to let their guard down. One missed assignment can lead to a devastating goal (as we Sabres fans have seen many, many times this past season). It's a game where even with 10 or 7 seconds left you are never safe if you're only ahead by one. In baseball there's a measure of safety and comfort when you're ahead. Sure there can be an inning where the other team rallies, but you know that you'll have your chance next. Basketball often has run-away scores. I've tuned into the end of enough basketball games to know that the momentum shifts take longer in basketball. Football just takes too long with its constant pauses in the action. But in hockey you have such a fluid game that can change in less than five seconds. One missed assignment and someone has a shot to catch the goalie out of position. One quick poke check and you have a breakaway. And one stupid move and you have a powerplay opportunity.


Now a few things about myself. (1-25)

1. I'm the 3rd of 5 kids, and the first 4 of us are boys.

2. Both my older brothers are married and have kids. My oldest brother has 4 kids, and the next has 2 kids.

3. I lived in the same house until I moved to college. My parents have lived there for almost 28 years.

4. I am in the National Guard.

5. My maternal grandpa is 92 years old, and my maternal grandma is 84

6. Growing up we had a dog, a duck (well, more than one, just one at a time), a parakeet, a quaker parrot, hermit crabs, fish, a turtle, and cats.

7. I'm a Christian.

8. I'm working towards becoming a chaplain. I still need to get my master's degree, then I plan on going active duty.

9. I'm going to be deploying soon. I start my stateside training before the pre-season starts, but I should still be able to go to at least one game this year.

10. Since I live outside of WNY I have to listen to most games on WGR's website.

11. I'm currently single but not really looking.

12. I usually weigh about 8 pound more in the winter than the summer since I'm far less active.

13. I don't own a TV right now.

14. My favorite foods are Beef on Weck, REAL Buffalo Wings, and Steak and Potatoes.

15. I have seen an open heart surgery. It was really neat, and I was staring over the sheet into the chest cavity when the patient's heart started beating again.

16. My favorite color is green.

17. My favorite holiday is Easter.

18. I call the day after Halloween "Candy Day" because I usually buy a lot of candy when it's half-off.

20. One of my hobbies is running sound stuff. I'm running sound for a friend's wedding next week.

21. My favorite thing to order from Burger King is the Rodeo Cheezburger.

22. I hate tomatoes and ketchup, but love BBQ sause.

23. I still try to see the falls at least once a year. I've been very successful the past few years.

24. I took 2 semester of Biblical Hebrew, which is slightly different from Modern Hebrew.

25. I own an antique rifle. It's a Russian M-44 from 1944, and my unit has one of the exact same model they captured in WWII in a display case in our armory. It's the first and only firearm I own.