1-2-3 Hockey: Oh, Hockey. We Just Don’t Even Know What To Say That Could Bring You Back

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1-2-3 Hockey: Oh, Hockey. We Just Don’t Even Know What To Say That Could Bring You Back

August 30, 2009 by Schnookie

1-2-3 Hockey: 8 of 39

Matsui’s a total camera hog, and can’t resist posing on the ironing board in the downstairs snuggery.

Posted in 3-2-1/1-2-3 Hockey, Off-Season, Self-Indulgence | 48 Comments

48 Responses

on August 30, 2009 at 9:52 pm Morgan

Have a great week everybody! I’m off for beach days at Fire Island and four(ish) days in Montreal! Internet access will be limited, so take care of the hockey lovin’ store while I’m away!
on August 31, 2009 at 8:51 am Amy

I’m not a cat person, but what a little cutie!
on August 31, 2009 at 9:03 am Pookie

Have a great time, Morgan! Hockey must be getting close if it’s already time for your annual Montreal trip! Woo-hoo!

Amy, Matsui says, “Thanks!” :D

Good morning, everyone! It’s genuinely chilly in the house this morning! I’m sure it’ll warm up considerably as the day goes along, but still! This is encouraging!
on August 31, 2009 at 9:36 am Schnookie

Good morning, everyone! There really is nothing worse than having to catch up on emails after a few days out of the office, is there? Sigh.

Have a fantastic vacation, Morgan! We’ll try to keep complaining about the Devils even though you’re gone… :D
on August 31, 2009 at 10:21 am Mags

Have a good time on vacation, Morgan! Weee, Montreal :D

I love Matsui’s eyes. They’re exactly the way cat eyes should be (in my opinion).

Anyhoo, I had my first class of the 09/10 academic year today, and it wasn’t bad. It was actually pretty fun! How bizarre is that?
on August 31, 2009 at 10:30 am Amy

There really is nothing worse than having to catch up on emails after a few days out of the office, is there?

I would put catching up on the voice mail backlog a close second, followed shortly by dealing with those people that think 830am on the day you returned is the perfect time to call you to discuss what they left you a v-mail about.
on August 31, 2009 at 10:38 am Pookie

Mags, classes have started already?!? Madness!

those people that think 830am on the day you returned is the perfect time to call you to discuss what they left you a v-mail about.

:^::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
on August 31, 2009 at 10:53 am Schnookie

Holy yowzers! It’s the new school year for you already Mags? That IS crazy! I’m glad it was fun, though. That’ll wear off before too much longer. Heh.

followed shortly by dealing with those people that think 830am on the day you returned is the perfect time to call you to discuss what they left you a v-mail about.

Oh my god, those people are the WORST! My boss called me basically as soon as I got inside the door, and he was just back after two weeks away, so he had no excuse. I was like, “Not only have I not read all my emails yet, but I’m also coming back from a five-day weekend, and consequently am not AWAKE yet. Chill!” :D
on August 31, 2009 at 11:02 am Mags

followed shortly by dealing with those people that think 830am on the day you returned is the perfect time to call you to discuss what they left you a v-mail about.

Gah, that sounds like SUCH a pain in the butt.

That’ll wear off before too much longer. Heh.

Oh I know, but I’ll take what I can get as long as it lasts. I’m going to need it come June.
on August 31, 2009 at 11:14 am Schnookie

I’m going to need it come June.

Hey now — take it one semester at a time! You’ve got to pace yourself! :P (I actually always liked the first semester, just because it’s during the good time of year! Second semester, though? Always sucked. Heh.)
on August 31, 2009 at 11:21 am Mags

You’ve got to pace yourself!

Pace, yourself? What is this of which you speak ;)

This semester is pretty relaxed. I’ve got 3 days of classes. Of course, this isn’t interesting enough for me, and I’ve put in an application to take some 3rd year courses. That way, I can apply for exchange to someplace exotic next year, and not worry about graduating. Planning, yes. Pacing, no.
on August 31, 2009 at 11:22 am Pam

Good morning! What a fantastic cat Matsui is! (Val was a big fan of the photo too!)

Our semester starts tomorrow, and now, for the first time since god knows when, I’m not taking any classes.
on August 31, 2009 at 11:29 am Schnookie

Whoa, Mags, that’s quite a good plan! When you say “someplace exotic”, do you have any ideas?

And WOO HOOO!, Pam, for not taking classes!
on August 31, 2009 at 11:30 am Pookie

3 days of classes? Sweet! My first year of undergrad I had classes 5 days a week, and then the second and third I had to work 9-5 internships 3 days a week on top of my other classes. Finally, senior year rolled around and I got to have a normal college student’s schedule; I was like, “Oh, so this is why people say college is fun!” :D
on August 31, 2009 at 11:34 am Pam

Pookie sounds like you were a bit insane! When Val was a freshman she had four 8:10 am classes. I felt the need to laugh at her expense. I don’t remember my freshman schedule but it wasn’t that bad.

I recently realized that I’m starting my 10 straight year at Rutgers. Bill Clinton was in office when I fist got here. Holy shit. (At least I’m done with classes!)

Mags, what qualifies as “exotic”?
on August 31, 2009 at 11:35 am Pam

10 = 10th, fist = first…ugh
on August 31, 2009 at 11:39 am Pookie

Pookie sounds like you were a bit insane!

Yeeeeeah. And all for a degree in a career I quit three quarters of the way through. Kids, don’t do what I did! :D
on August 31, 2009 at 11:43 am Mags

When you say “someplace exotic”, do you have any ideas?

A few. Mostly hockey places.

for the first time since god knows when, I’m not taking any classes.

WOOOOOOO! How’s MatLab treating you then eh?

My first year of undergrad I had classes 5 days a week, and then the second and third I had to work 9-5 internships 3 days a week on top of my other classes

I understand, that’s what my two years of dentistry looked like. Economics is almost too relaxed after that. Almost. I mean it’s still 3 whole days a week! Horrors!
on August 31, 2009 at 11:43 am Pam

Hey Pookie, it happens. It’s hard to decide what you want to do in college. Ideally, I wanted to major in watching hockey games, but Rutgers didn’t have a department for that!
on August 31, 2009 at 11:45 am Schnookie

Ideally, I wanted to major in watching hockey games, but Rutgers didn’t have a department for that!

Wait, isn’t that what my degree from Rutgers is in? *Checks CV* Huh. Art History. Who knew? :P
on August 31, 2009 at 11:45 am Pam

Mags, MatLab slowly kills my soul and my eyesight every day. (I didn’t wear glasses when I started grad school, but I’m two prescriptions into it. It took hockey to make me finally get my eyes checked.)

But I updated the license today, so today is a good day! I wish being done with classes meant I was done here, but there’s that annoying little thing of research that I’m supposed to be doing! Ugh!
on August 31, 2009 at 11:47 am Pam

Schnookie, I just couldn’t find any “watching hockey” classes in that damn course catalog. We must have chosen the wrong school.
on August 31, 2009 at 12:03 pm Patty (in Dallas)

Come back, hockey! All the plants are gonna die! (Stripes)
on August 31, 2009 at 12:08 pm Schnookie

Come back, hockey! All the plants are gonna die!

:^::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Of course, after reading what little I did today about the Paul Kelly firing, now I’m like, “Oh why even bother coming back, hockey, if you’re just planning to go away again?” :P
on August 31, 2009 at 12:12 pm Amy

Come back, hockey! All the plants are gonna die!

Stripes is such a great movie.

I’m reading about the oddness that is Ovie’s tattoo. Can it really be called a tramp stamp if it’s on a guy?
on August 31, 2009 at 12:13 pm Schnookie

Can it really be called a tramp stamp if it’s on a guy?

Of course it can, especially if it’s on Ovechkin. :P
on August 31, 2009 at 12:15 pm Pam

That tattoo gives me the creeps, and his lack of chiseled muscle disappoints me.
on August 31, 2009 at 12:18 pm Patty (in Dallas)

I was chuckling at the guess as to what Ovie’s tattoo means. I really wish it would be translated into something that he didn’t ask for.

I think “Wysh was here” was my favorite. :D
on August 31, 2009 at 12:18 pm Amy

That tattoo gives me the creeps, and his lack of chiseled muscle disappoints me.

I saw summer pictures of Derek Roy earlier, and I didn’t know a six-pack could ruffle over a bathing suit. He obviously needs a week or six on the Ice Girl Diet.
on August 31, 2009 at 12:21 pm Patty (in Dallas)

When’s the next CBA negotiation? Next summer? Ugh! I was on the players’ side last time, but I might not be able to pick a side next time.

The owners/GMs cancelled a whole season to get the cap then wasted no time at all trying to get around it.

I’m with Schnookie. If it’s gonna be union talk for the whole season, I might have to rethink my enthusiasm for it.
on August 31, 2009 at 12:26 pm Schnookie

I was on the players’ side last time, but I might not be able to pick a side next time.

Yeah. I didn’t pick a side last time, either. I’m just of the, “Are you KIDDING ME?” mindset about CBA negotiations. It’s professional sports, not something actually important. Just do whatever has to be done between the billionaires and millionaires to get the product back on the playing field. *Eyeroll* (That said, I did have a lot of fun writing our fantasy season. So when the next lockout rolls around, I hope we can do that again. :D)
on August 31, 2009 at 12:39 pm Patty (in Dallas)

That said, I did have a lot of fun writing our fantasy season. So when the next lockout rolls around, I hope we can do that again. :D

Hm. That might be interesting. Finally, an 82-0 season! And a 16-0 post-season for the Stars!
on August 31, 2009 at 12:42 pm Schnookie

Finally, an 82-0 season! And a 16-0 post-season for the Stars!

Shockingly, the Devils only went something like 79-2-1 in our SPECTRE season. And we didn’t write a postseason, because it was kind of beside the point. When you do that kind of exercise with only Devils fans, you know who’s going to win. :P
on August 31, 2009 at 12:50 pm Amy

When you do that kind of exercise with only Devils fans, you know who’s going to win.

The Rangers, right? :P

The owners/GMs cancelled a whole season to get the cap then wasted no time at all trying to get around it.

Not to mention that the lockout lead to the “new NHL,” which now is pretty much right back to where the “old NHL” was.
on August 31, 2009 at 12:58 pm Patty (in Dallas)

And we didn’t write a postseason, because it was kind of beside the point.

So even a 79-2-1 season doesn’t get you out of the first round? :D
on August 31, 2009 at 12:59 pm Schnookie

So even a 79-2-1 season doesn’t get you out of the first round?

:^:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: It’s funny because it’s true.
on August 31, 2009 at 1:00 pm Patty (in Dallas)

Also, that is a HUGELY adorable picture of Matsui. By the way.
on August 31, 2009 at 1:05 pm Schnookie

Thanks! We took a bunch of pictures that were far more indicative of our day yesterday, but Pookie pointed out that this one of Matsui is probably the first picture in either of our 365s that involved a living creature actually looking at the camera. Heh.
on August 31, 2009 at 3:26 pm Pookie

So even a 79-2-1 season doesn’t get you out of the first round?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Man, that’s the Devils in a nutshell, isn’t it? ::heaves a big sigh::

I was going to say I don’t pick sides in the labor disputes, but ultimately it comes down to two sides: Sports Business and Pookie. I side with Pookie every time. :D
on August 31, 2009 at 3:31 pm Schnookie

ultimately it comes down to two sides: Sports Business and Pookie. I side with Pookie every time.

:^::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: That’s a good way of looking at it. :D
on August 31, 2009 at 4:48 pm SueNJ97

Very adorable picture of Matsui.

This will be the 3rd head of the NHLPA since mid-2005. They really need to decide what they want.
on August 31, 2009 at 5:21 pm Pookie

They really need to decide what they want.

Well, finding out that the Devils player rep is David Clarkson is illuminating. They are perhaps too dim to figure out what they want. Pretty, but dim. :D
on August 31, 2009 at 5:39 pm SueNJ97

Pretty, but dim.

There was a song from the 1980s by Julie Brown called “I Like Them Big and Stupid”. Maybe that should be the slogan for the NHLPA.

From everything I’ve read the player reps didn’t vote, the Executive Board did but I can’t believe they wouldn’t have done it w/out at least talking to the reps.

Then again, this is the NHLPA.
on August 31, 2009 at 6:30 pm Patty (in Dallas)

I shudder to think who our rep is. I think it might be Toby Petersen.
on August 31, 2009 at 6:36 pm Schnookie

“I Like Them Big and Stupid”. Maybe that should be the slogan for the NHLPA.

:^:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Considering all the names that keep popping up as key players in the NHLPA, that’s definitely the case.
on August 31, 2009 at 6:55 pm Amy

From what I’ve read about the deal, the NHLPA E-Board includes Andrew Ference, Matt Stajan, Mike Komisarek and Brad Boyes. And TSN has Chelios acting in the role of spokesdude.
on August 31, 2009 at 7:08 pm Pookie

Mike Komisarek? Well, there’s you’re problem!
on August 31, 2009 at 7:19 pm Schnookie

Oooh, them be fightin’ words, Pookie!