MattPie

Oh jeez, we were staying right where you worked. AC Hotel on Nash and Maple a block or two south of LAX. I didn't ride Ballona Creek path (although that was on my radar), I was going to ride along Playa Del Beach, but instead went to Venice beach and then rode from there up to the end of the path past Santa Monica pier and back. I rode a bit of that section of Imperial Highway and I found it uninspiring, other than airplane-fan me looking over at LAX.

Some more LA photos. Turns out, you can ride a bike up to the top of Mt Lee behind the Hollywood sign. Also some Santa Monica beach pics in there. https://photos.app.goo.gl/moQwMPBHnAyPgLuG9

That's such a sweet ride, congrats. I don't have a carbon bike, but I love all the other things you mentioned; brifters, disc, and clipless. And gravel bikes rock, almost as fast as a road bike, but go anywhere. I do a Thursday night ride that ends up on gravel roads, state forest roads, and some state forest trails. I'm doing a minivacation in LA right now, and managed to do a decent climb in the Santa Monica mountains last night. 2000ft up over a little under 8 miles. Never thought I'd enjoy riding bikes up hills this much. https://photos.app.goo.gl/BfGWHw4JdywMQB8B7 Latigo Canyon Road, near Malibu. It's cloudy, but the ocean is in the distance there. Life goals.

Userfriendly was a hit when it stopped creating new content too. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_Friendly

How could you have possibly figured that out?!!?

FWIW, I work for a large company. There are at least 50 employees with "Colton" as a first name. Based on scanning the profile pictures, they're not all NHL-player aged. Does seem like a lot of them work in southern states, so it might not be as common in the Northern states.

I suspect teams in the finals *could* make a trade, but the incoming player wouldn't be eligible to play so there's zero benefit. Interesting question though: if you play a game in the finals or enough during the season, but get traded before the end of the series, do you still get your name on the cup?

Rando New Pink info in the comments:

Think so, early on. I remember there being a "New Pink" to, but have no idea where that was.

I don't think I was ever in there. I didn't drink much when I lived in Buffalo, that start after I moved away. MsPie used to sneak in the kitchen door when she was in high school, lol.

Weird that you get to decide which priorities are "wrong".

Interesting, I didn't know about Rochester Method! I knew there were different ways to sign but regional differences are fascinating. EDIT: Oh, interesting: Rochester method is finger-spelling the English in full, as opposed to words having unique signs.

I wonder what the ASL signs though. It can't be the names (other than maybe goals) because of how long they take to spell out, so are they just describing the action that you can already see? Or telling stories about the players? 🙂

Duh, thanks. I was brain farting on that one. I'm now thinking that Craig Patrick is the root of the Pens-affinity in the Sabres' hiring. I vaguely remember talk of "pulling people from the Pens because they're successful" early in Pegula's ownership. You're right, it might all be connections in other orgs. Leone and Appert are both former USNTDP coaches, so "guys we've worked with".

Ruff literally worked for Pegula as NHL head coach before, he's the ultimate "we know this guy already". 🙂 Nolan was also a Sabres guy, although that's a bit more tenuous. Karmanos, Sexton, Ventura, and Bylsma: Pegula, IIRC, has some Pens connections (his empire is largely based in Western PA). Can I amend the pattern to include people that worked for the Pens? There's a strong current of raiding the Pens' org for people, which like the USNTLP is "someone we know". (I didn't check on Patrick because I don't know who that is, lol. unless we're talking James Patrick)

"Outside the org" would imply a fresh voice, but this seems like "I worked with this guy before in the USNTLPNCBWBBBQ". It may be a great hiring, but *everything* the Sabres do seems to be "we know this person" or "this person already works for us". That's fine if you're running a successful organization. The Sabres aren't so "more of the same" is met with reasonable concern.

Between the four teams starting the third round, this is the finals the NHL can't have wanted, lol.

Really, comes down to: did the scroll at the beginning say "Episode IV: A New Hope" in the original run?

I like "Itah, Utah, Wetah"

Especially with younger people seemingly less interested in spectator sports. I'm sure it's my personal bubble, but all of people seem to be moving to participatory sports.

I did that trip to London once; PHL to ORL, ORL to LHR. That was before I saw there's a direct flight from PHL to Gatwick, which has better train connections anyway. I think my parents recent did it that way, since it was easier. I suspect they took the same cruise, and loved it.

He missed a lay-up there with "We’re a few days in but we’re excited about the group that we have when tomorrow comes"

I'm falling into the rhythm of the local MTB ride on Tuesdays, gravel bike ride on Thursdays, and a Fantastic Friday after thinking about how much I enjoy them.

Oh man, I was at that game. Upper deck, at the Canes blueline camera-side when that goal went it. It was a mad house. That game (and the rest of the series) was the origin of the baby-eating, and "Drunkard" getting into the Canes fans' heads.