Quick (really quick) Hits

I don't really have much to say, but I get antsy when I've had a single post up too long. Especially when the subject is in LOLcatspeak. That's cute for like a day. We're going on 3 now.

Buncha quick hits:

My dog, who is 8 years old, got groomed... like proper groomed by the kind of people who know how to make poodles look like topiaries... for the very first time yesterday and he's such a priss now!

I'm not sure if he just SEEMS prissy because he looks so neat and trim or because he knows how good he looks and he really is being a priss. He's such a "rugged" looking dog normally.... it's jarring when a dog has a better manicure than his owner.

--------------------

Super excited about this weekend in sports. Excited about the Wild because Cody Almond is up and eager to see how he fares. Love to see all my pimping backed up with the big club. The kid is the whole package IMO.

Also, of course, the Olympics start. To be honest, I don't much care about anything but hockey. No figure skaters have done any kneecapping lately, so ... meh.... Mostly when I see all those talented skaters twirling around out there, I just wish more girls would play hockey. At least there'd be fewer divots in the ice. *grumble*

However, Russo is covering some of the winter events apart from hockey, and as I've often said, it's just such a thrill to watch someone who is the best in his league doing his job and loving it. This blog post tonight from Vancouver was about 18 different things, completely jacked up on coffee, and an awesome read. It proves to me that there's nothing Russo could write about that I wouldn't read. He's just good.

Finally, the Aeros have 3 in 3 at home this weekend and it looks like they're going to keep Khudobin up in Minnesota for the weekend, which means Brusty gets a start or two. And that means I'm happy for a few more days. And then Mean Mr. Mill will make bitter bunny bitter again. (There's gotta be a children's book in this right? I could do it all in jaggedy stick figures. It would be awesome. Maybe I'll do a short version as a blog post sometime.)

----------------------------------

I have plans to interview the goalie coach of the Dallas Stars system next week. Great timing huh? I'm excited to talk to him. Usually when I interview, I have trouble coming up with questions.

I'm a terrible interviewer because a) if I'm genuinely interested in learning about someone, I don't want surface stuff. I want to really know what makes them tick, but it's hard to get there without building some trust, and that requires coming in through the front door, conversationally speaking.

And b) if I'm not genuinely interested in learning about someone, I have a hard time faking otherwise.

But in this case, I may have too many. My focus will be on the AHL level but gosh, you just can't ignore what's going on with Turco and Lehtonen and Auld.... a little goalie threesome up there in Big D.

------------------------

STOP RAINING! NOW!

------------------------

My new cat eye cage still hasn't shown up. You'd think ordering something from freaking Canada is like ordering it from Iran or something for how long it takes to get here. Come on, customs people, it's just a cage. Get on it!

-------------------------

Awesome segment on ABC 13 tonight about Jeff Crawford, the Aeros practice goalie who nearly had to step in and play when Brusty got sliced last week. (May I just interject that I've watched that injury happen like 3 times in the last 24 hours and it still sends shivers up my spine every time. *shudder* The injury happens so fast, you don't eve know it's happened... it's when he goes to get up that my heart drops to my stomach every single time I see it.) Good job by the PR guys for getting a cool story out there.

Hopefully there's video soon, but if not, I'll record it off of TV and share it at T3I.

-------------------------

I'm finally convinced that I'm being ridiculous skating on a 1" hollow (hush, stop laughing). So I'm going to start ramping the hollow up.

Honestly, tough, I'm not a very patient ramper-upper, so I may not even bother with 1/8th increments and just go right to 3/4 for the first sharpening. Holler at me if that's insanity, but if it's just a matter of being awkward for a few sessions... well, I already am, so no biggie.

But the more I thought about the following comment from Mike McKenna over at IGM, the more I started thinking about how the very things I'm having trouble with revolve around using my edges. I hardly have edges with my current sharpening!

Q: Isn’t the 1/4” – 3/8” hollow in the skates pretty aggressive for a goalie? I thought most goalies used at least 1/2? hollow to make it easier to glide side-to-side? – Steve

A: Not really. Almost every pro goalie is around 1/2” or under. By gliding side-to-side I presume you mean shuffling. Today’s goalies never shuffle more than a foot or two at a time and it’s very controlled. T-pushes and power-pushes (movements while down in the butterfly) require sharp edges if you want to have any kind of explosiveness. I’ve been sharpening my skates like this for nearly eight years, so it’s not that new of a concept. Unfortunately many pro shops don’t understand the needs of modern goaltenders and their ‘goalie cut’ (or standardized goalie hollow) is often 1” or higher. Scary.

I'm excited to try it and see what it does for me ... or to me... Hah. Hopefully I can get it done by Sunday and get to try it out in practice.

I asked one of my pro goalie pals what his hollow is and he doesn't even know. Amazing. I sometimes wonder how some of these guys would survive without an equipment manager to take care of them. Must be like herding cats. Really buff cats with great asses, though, so it's not like I'm tossing any pity their way.

---------------------------------

Aaaaand with that hockey player ass reference, I think I've done my job here for the evening.

Apropos of my day: