Thursday, October 14, 2010

Quick Hits: Empathy, Monster, Major, DITL

Funny little phenomenon. You know how I play in a cluster of days, like Saturday-Tuesday and then have a solid break during the week? I noticed that I almost can't stand to watch On the Fly on the NHL Network on the nights I've played.

Because really, what are hockey highlights 75% of the time? Goals. So I watch and I just get more and more tense for these poor goalies. In the context of a full game, it's no big deal, but when it's condensed into a highlight reel... ugh. Can't take it.

But then tonight, with no game until Monday, it doesn't even phase me. I can look at goals against fairly objectively and don't get all, "Ohh, that hurts my heart, baby. I'm so sorry those mean boys scored on you."

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I think it's really cute that Ron Wilson calls Gustavsson "the Monster." I wonder if he busts out his real name when he's mad at him. "Jonas Monster Gustavsson! You get out there and challenge that shooter!"

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Major is back to the dog park after 3 weeks with that godforsaken cone around his head because of a hole he chewed in his side. I was watching him today and marveling at, aside from our red hair, how much we have in common.

The old boy turns 9 this month (Happy Birthday Booboo!). He's had one ACL surgery and has severe dysplasia in both hips. But he's still a puppy at heart and he runs and runs with the fast young dogs, except he runs about 10 feet behind them, tongue dragging, no hope of catching up unless they just flat out stop.

And sometimes when they're really going, he just stops and waits for them to circle back. Older, wiser with his energy. I watch him and realize that we're not real different in our playtime. Neither of us is very well equipped for it or very good at it, but we have as much or more fun than anybody else.

Also, we both stink like something died when we're finished playing.

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Ryan Stanzel, the Wild's PR guru and all-around nice guy, tweet-asked if it sounded like a good idea to tweet a "day in the life" of an NHL PR guy on the day of the home opener tomorrow. I love the idea, so I told him if he did that, I'd tweet a day in the life of a marginal, minor-league, third-string beat writer the day of the Aeros home opener on Saturday.

Should be good fun. It's going to be like 12 hours of hoping the dining room has mashed potatoes and 2 minutes of checking that my recorder has a fresh battery. Though in reality, I'll be jonesing so bad to go sit in the arena, I'll probably skip dinner and just go take it in for a while before the madness starts. This has been one seriously LONG summer.

4 comments:

maalivahti  October 16, 2010 at 9:17 AM  

Awww. My friend's dog had ACL surgery too! And he's about the same age as your dog and still runs around like a nut. I love your dog park tweets. ;)

maalivahti  October 16, 2010 at 9:18 AM  

Oh and PS even though there's goalies much bigger than Monster, I love that they call him that. Hehe.

Dee  October 16, 2010 at 2:17 PM  

Happy Birthday, Major! Thanks for sharing the story - brought back great memories of my 10 yr old before he passed last year. We'd go to the park with the neighbor dogs to have play catch with frisbees. When Casey would get too pooped to make the run back to me he'd just plop down and pant for a few minutes. We'd all yell "old man down!" and then "old man up!" He'd be the last one to head back to the truck though. Tell Major he's still got heart and that's all that counts!

Ms. Conduct  October 16, 2010 at 2:22 PM  

Aw, thanks. Sorry about your baby. We're seriously considering getting a brother for him in hopes of keeping him young and active for as long as we can. Going to revisit in February when my big project at work is done.

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