Today was a good day.

Today had a high of 48 degrees, which is a new record (the average high is 23 degrees).

Today was sunny, which has been quite rare over the past few weeks.

Today my team at my company took the afternoon off to bowl and play laser tag, all on the company dime.

Today I saw more evidence that a piece of code that I wrote for my forum is doing it’s job, thus solving a huge resource issue that has been plaguing the server for months.

Today I will play ice hockey, which is always fun.

Today I am alive, young, and in relatively good health; the possibilities are endless.

Tomorrow will be good too.

What do you feel passionate about? What is your dream? What do you want to do with your life? While some may dismiss these questions as excessively introspective, I think they are at the heart of human existence. I’m still searching for my answers.

——

About a month ago, I had the pleasure of going to Las Vegas for the weekend with some friends. It was my first trip to the city of sin. Like everybody, I had read about it and seen pictures, but the reality blew me away.

The opulence of the Strip stuns the senses before the plane even lands. Hedonistic excess abounds wherever one turns. On one side of the road, a model of the Eiffel Tower juts from the ground. On the other, a multi-acre fountain glistens in the sun. Both are so out of place as to be gaudy desert blights, evidence of money being spent for the sake of spending money. I wonder what future archeologists will think when they discover a giant black pyramid in the heart of the North American continent?

Our group stayed in one of the newer casinos, the Bellagio. It was far and away the finest hotel in which I have ever had the pleasure of lodging. Amazing lobby, wonderful art in the hallways, incredibly comfortable beds, wonderfully appointed rooms, and a decent view. The card room wasn’t bad either, which was a good thing, because I spent a large amount of time there.

Aside from playing lots of poker, my group also experienced a fine meal at Craftsteak and an absolutely astonishing performance of the Cirque du Soleil show, Ka.

Overall, it was a great weekend, and better yet, I took enough money off of the other poker players to pay for a large chunk of the trip.

——

That leads me to my next adventure. When I went to Europe in 2004, I never had the change to visit the United Kingdom. I’ve been considering a trip to rectify that omission, but it’s never worked out. Well, that’s about to change.

This afternoon, I decided to be spontaneous and take action before the little voices of reason and fiscal austerity inside my head could mount a defense: On the second anniversary of my first trip to Europe, I will be in London, England.

I’ve purchased the plane tickets but haven’t thought everything through, so if you have any advice about places to stay, things to do, or things to see, I want to hear it. Also, in the (admittedly remote) possibility that anybody else wants to go, I’d obviously like to hear about that, too.

You know it’s cold outside when an ice arena feels warm.

Four years ago, this site took on its current form: a blog. Including comments, there are nearly 90,000 words that would require over 250 pages to print out. Therefore, in celebration, let us look back to my favorite five posts. It should come as little surprise that most of my favorite posts are written as stories.

(In reverse order of preference)

• 5 – The tale of car repair
• 4 – The succinct story of the bull run (as opposed to the more detailed account)
• 3 – The narrative of my triathlon experience
• 2 – The story of Bid Tuesday
• 1 – The Porsche

Two more posts that almost made the list are my commentary on Duck Duck Gray Duck and my first homecoming as an alumnus.

For the curious, here is my longest entry and my shortest post.



Here’s to many more years of writing!

One year ago, I first stepped onto the ice as a goalie. I’ve loved every moment since then.

As I’ve mentioned in the past, I never played team sports growing up (save for two brief stints when I was very young that I hardly remember). I wish I would have started playing organized hockey when I was younger, but I am glad that I did finally start playing competitively last year. All it took was the will to get off my duff, the humility to admit that I needed lessons, and, frankly, the financial wherewithal to fund the endeavor (not exactly cheap, hockey).

I ran into a guy the other week at a game of shinny who was in his 70s. In spite of my late start, if my body holds out until I too am a septuagenarian, I could play for half a century. I like that thought. I wonder how the game will change by 2055? (For comparison, in 1955, ice hockey goalies were not yet wearing masks)

I must admit that my current team is a bit deficient in the offense department. Well, the defense could stand to improve, too. In other words, we’re not very good. By way of example: In our five games so far this season, we have been out-shot every time, between 10 and 30 shots per game. At 40-45 total shots per games, at least I’m getting plenty of experience. I just wish that I had more of a chance with some of those shots.

I believe that every shot is stoppable. With hindsight, I can figure out exactly how I could have saved every shot that ended up getting past me. I screw up my fair share, and I’ve let in plenty of “easy” goals, but I’m getting better.

Of course, some situations are nearly impossible, particularly 2-on-0 breakaways and one-timers off back-door passes. In fact, either of those plays, if executed properly, should result in a goal. I find myself facing such scenarios quite often, and it’s frustrating. Want to know the best way to look like a better goaltender? Get better defensemen.



Ragged defense or no, I enjoy playing goal. There are few thrills like coming up with a clutch glove save on a breakaway. I love learning a new save. I love getting better, stronger, quicker, and smarter. I love learning from past errors and twisting a player’s predictable shooting habits into stellar saves. It’s hard work — MUCH harder than it looks — but I love it.

Drop the puck!