Ogre

Impressive? Sure. Kid has skills but what I saw that contributed to that play was the lackadaisical defense played by the Sens. That was poke check city. He had his head down throughout the majority of the play. The kid won't get away with that very often. A team that plays strong D will line him up and blast him right out of his skates.

Good God funerals are expensive! In typical dysfunctional fashion my brothers have claimed all my Dad's fondest possessions and left me to pay for his final expenses. It wouldnt be so bad if I hadn't just paid $6g for a new well that I can't even connect to my house now due to the staggering cost of a funeral that I need to square up on in 2 weeks. I don't mind taking care of my family(Mom). I'm proud to do it. Just like always though, to my brothers I am nothing more than a source of cash. We buried Dad today and none of the four brothers are here at the house. Guess they are waiting for me to head back to WNY tomorrow so they can dodge the subject. JC, guys. At least be here for your mother.

That's ok. The salt will preserve your flesh for your next date. I should also add...giggity.

Suck up all the experience you can! "...work 16 hrs, go home, sleep, and come right back to work." Dude that's paradise! It's been my experience in life that usually those folks that matter are the ones noticing the hard work and diligence. Keep working hard and good things will come of it. That's an impressive thing to be able to include on a future resume. It's like be able to boast that you work harder than the other applicants. Also. Money.

She was released from the hospital yesterday and avoided the rehab facility by will alone. They did find cancer so in few weeks she needs to start treatment. She has started to plan Dad's service so we can finally lay him to rest. She's a relentlessly tough woman. She deals with this crap like a pro. Thanks for asking, bio.

Shrader, I definitely have you and your family in my prayers.

I know the driving force behind the rise and fall of pensions in this country has been well discussed but the point you're making has been exactly what I've been thinking. As a guy who's always had a pension, I paid particularly close attention to the "why" involved each time I saw a company pension program die. Every time the argument that 401k will do everything a pension did for you was used. Scam? Absolutely. The fact that Ink was compelled to inquire about a comfortable amount to have saved should be the flashing light for the truth about 401k savings. In the days of pensions no one would have worried about retirement because the pension payed you for life. I teach a course to apprentices about home budgeting/money management and I use the three legged model from the 60s/70s. Retirement=pension+SS+savings(annuitys/401k/investments). Replacing pensions with 401k saved huge amounts of money for the corporations even when the philosophy started with 100% match. 50% match up to 6% sounds like theft to me. The corporations save on pension contributions and operating costs and still managed to "bargain" their responsibility for your retirement even lower seems archaic. What's next? Will the Pinkertons return with their baseball bats to start smashing our kneecaps?

I drove a '96 Park Avenue for three years. What a machine! I was envious of those driving the Roadmaster.

Playoffs have been so far removed from my mind that I never considered this angle. I absolutely agree that he's one of those guys that's only going to get stronger as the playoffs progress.

You all know of my hesitation to be a complainer and there's a good reason for it but here I go. Two weeks ago my mother was taken to the hospital with severe abdominal pain. She hadn't seen a doctor since her last child was born 42 yrs ago. They were having a tough time figuring out her problem and she had been suffering the whole time. Last Friday they took my father into the hospital with a blood infection. He's been on the feeble side for years and we were of course all worried. By Sunday night they had realized that my mother's colon was severely inflamed and needed to come out that night. Meanwhile they moved Dad out of ICU because he seemed to be getting better. I got to the hospital early Monday morning from WNY to learn that Dad had passed away. My mother was now in ICU under sedation from her surgery the night before. They didn't remove the ventilator from her until Tuesday morning but the doctor told us it was unwise to tell her about Dad until Wednesday so we were given a brief visit thinking she would be groggy and forget to ask how Dad was doing. Of course all she wanted was to hear how he was so we lied to her. Yesterday we broke the news to her. Not a very fun day at all. The part where us boys needed to make a decision on embalming or cremation ran us ragged because with Mom unavailable we had a very vague idea as to what he actually wanted. Luckily we're all tough as nails and made the right choice. We have been handling all the nuts and bolts type stuff that need to be done and focusing on her. I haven't even had time to grieve for my father yet. Maybe this post is me beginning the process. My Dad was tough as nails and never wanted any of us to be whiners. "The world has enough of those" he would say. Fred was a very good man and I am fortunate to have his genes and his philosophy on life. Fred was only 70 yrs old. God Bless you, man. You were the best.

Moose can be an A hole. I once saw him try to dry hump an older gal.

I love what Des brings. Just drew and extra 2 min.

Painful struggles. Sounds exactly what I saw. Someone used "high hockey IQ" in reference to the guy. I choked on my beer when I read it. In his defense he hasn't been as boneheaded on the big club but it's still there. That's still a part of him. I'm not going full on Debby downer though. I'm often proven wrong and I don't mind that. Especially when it improves my hockey team.

We leave the window open a bit throughout winter. Flannel sheets and piles of blankets. It's very nice to have a wife that shares the sentiment.

I would be forced to stab both of my eyeballs with a table knife.

Those two will be playing for the LV Throat Drips by then.

How about a nod to one of the cities big industries back in the day? The Buffalo Cokers?

Not a bad idea. How about the Bisons sporting blue and gold?

5 goals on 29 shots sounds suspiciously like the Ullmark I watched last year.

I originally asked if you were in the area because I often have extra Amerks tickets. It would be fun to have beers and debate the futures of X,Y and Z. For the record I'm always hoping I'm wrong about my negative impressions about XYZ. I'll be watching Baptiste again this year so I'm hoping your more right than I am.

I go into my bank yesterday and notice a man and woman in what appears to be a disagreement with the teller. The teller is saying "I've never seen it done like this". I'm thinking this is some sort of scam. While doing my banking and over hearing the whole scene I realize this guy gets his pay on some sort of card and the employer sometimes has money on it for him and sometimes not. It troubled me at the time but I was in a rush and left without asking this guy some questions. I'm kicking myself in the ass now. I feel a dedication to help those workers that are getting screwed and I have no doubt I my mind now that I've thought on it a bit that this guy was a victim. How could you employ a fellow human being and treat them that way?

Us competent people need to stand up and take this damn workforce back. I remember a time when everyone in my trade was a smart as hell and a go getter. I literally carry a card in my pocket to pull out and give me solace when I'm surrounded by incompetence. It reads "You can't fix stupid."

Goose looks eerily like Glatt in that photo.

Tequila and whiskey are the only two I really like. I'll agree with the sipping of both but I find the flavor of tequila almost irresistible.

I grew up in a drinking culture. Up North they don't try to make their children be the things that they currently aren't and treated you like a little adult. If that makes sense. I would always beg my dad for a sip as a kid. He drank pbr and cream ale so those sips at 10 or so set the stage. If I'm at your house and you want to get drunk on Dog Bite...buddy, I'm in.