Just Wait 'till Next Season!!

Roller hockey playoffs started a few weeks ago. We finished the season 8-2 and in first place, so we got to play the 8th place team for the first game. That was an easy game, 8-0, mercy rule at the end of the second period.

The semi-final game was much tougher, we won 3-2 in a nail biter. It was the kind of game that you love to win, hate to lose. Fortunately for us, we were on the right side of the final score.

So the championship game was this morning. It was our third championship game in the last four seasons, so you would think I wouldn't be too excited, right? But no, every playoff game brings real anticipation. Sure, it's not the NHL, it's just the bronze league at the Northeast Racquetball Club, but still...it gets the blood flowing!

To make a long story short, we lost our championship game today to the Pylons, 6-5. Which was exactly how we started the season, with a 6-5 loss to the Pylons. Such symmetry. Damn symmetry.

So what to do about another loss in the championship game? Easy, blame the refs!

Robert Left for PS Tonight

Robert was home this week for spring break. It seems like he just got home, and off he goes returning to school. He's having fun at school and his grades are, as far as he admits, still very good. After not seeing him for months, it's really great to have him back, even if only for a week, and even if he spends most of his waking hours with his friends. The biggest change when he is home is that the decibel level seems to increase exponentially. While he is not as loud as he was when he was younger, he still pumps out the vocal volume. My relatives nicknamed us the Loud Family.

Right now he is driving back with Chris, his roommate for next year. It reminds me of roadtrips of my youth, making an adventure out of a simple trip. I hope these trips, indeed his whole school experience, leave him with memories that will last a lifetime. What a great age he's at, what a great experience it is for him being a college student.

I already miss him. In two months he'll be home for the summer.

Crista is Going to Penn State!!!

Crista made up her mind this week, she is going to Penn State! Yes, it makes me happy...for lots of reasons. Right now you're thinking I'm happy because PS is a state school and it will save us big bucks compared to the private schools she was considering. I won't deny it, that does factor into the equation, but it's far from the only reason, far from the most important reason. PS provides a great education, has a terrific campus, isn't too far from home, and has outrageous school spirit. And there's more...but I'll save that for another post.

While Pam and I are thrilled with Crista's decision, her big brother, a PS sophomore, is not at all happy. I'm not sure I understand that feeling, the campus is so big that he won't see her unless he wants to see her. But I'm sure he'll be on call to fix her laptop when it crashes.

Which makes me think about August when Pam and I will be empty nesters. That will be interesting, a mixture of quiet and loneliness that will make for a strange change. At least Crista will welcome our phone calls, unlike her brother, Robert, who reacts to them like they are a dose of poison. I'm not ready for this empty nester thing, maybe we need to have another child...kidding!

While I'm on Pet Peeves

This is another thing that just drives me crazy. I see this every morning on my drive to work.

Why do people double park when there are open parking spaces only a couple car lengths away? Sure, it would be nice to always park right in front of your destination, but can't you park 25 feet away and walk? And you think it's just fine to disrupt and slow down rush hour traffic to save yourself a few steps? Come on people, you are not the sun, and the earth does not revolve around you.

Now I feel better.

A Snow Pet Peeve

This drives me absolutely nuts.

Why do people not clear the snow off the top of their cars before driving off?

It's dangerous - don't they understand that snow flying off their cars can create a hazard for the people driving behind them? Really, it's not that complicated to understand. So, are they just flat out lazy? Or are they just simply rude? You don't need anything fancy to clear the snow, an old broom will work just fine. And if you can't find a broom, just use your hands. Seriously.

And Even More Snow...

Ok, the first snow storm was kind of cool. But again and again?

So in preparation for the upcoming snow, I started and warmed up my second (smaller and older) snow blower. I put fresh gas in it and it started on the second pull. Since I had this snow blower in the shop over the summer to have it prepped for the winter, I wasn't surprised that it started easily. Not surprised, but still relieved.

So the snow starts Tuesday night and just keeps on coming. I go out Wednesday morning to snow blow the sidewalk and driveway. Being cocky because of the easy snow blower start the day before, I fill up the tank and pull on the starter rope. And I pull and I pull. And pull some more. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Then I notice gas leaking from the carburetor. I never did get to use this snow blower during the storm. For those of you counting, that makes two broken snow blowers in one week.

That meant shoveling. Five hours of shoveling. Two hours in the morning, two hours in the afternoon, and then one hour just prior to bed time. For anybody that had to do something similar, I have one word for you: ibuprofen. And if you want to do it right, take the ibuprofen before you start working, not after.

I actually don't mind shovelling. It's nice to do something and see immediate results. But then again, as soon as a path was cleared, it was covered again with fresh snow. But it was a truly beautiful snow, just too much of it.

Can you believe they are calling for another three to six inches of snow next week?

Snow!

As I write this, we have 18 inches of snow down, and the possibility of several more inches to follow. So far, this is the sixth heaviest snow fall in recorded Philadelphia history. It's Saturday, I have a snowblower and gas, so this should be fun, right?

Sure, it's fun, but my staff and I manage a 24x7 emergency call center, so we have to worry about getting the staff in and keeping them there as long as they can stand it. The management team is great, as is the call center staff, so that helps to keep the stress levels in check. But it's still a worry. Thinking back, I haven't been able to truly enjoy a snow fall for 25 years, as I've always had to deal with staffing issues.

The staff is in, so far so good. Now I just have to decide when to go snowblow...that is, until the 5:00 shift change.