Summer Blues Update

This by no means is, or will become, a hockey blog but anyone who knows me knows that Blues hockey is most certainly my #1 interest in this short time I have on Earth. So you can expect a hockey post from time to time: this being one of them.

Last season the Blues jumped out to a great start and looked to definitely be a playoff time come April. But it was not to be as the Note limped their way to the end with a dismal second half of the season, missing the playoffs for the third straight season.

So here we are, almost August, roughly 2 months from the start of the 08-09 season and the question on everyone's mind, well mine I guess, is: What have the Blues done to improve and make sure they aren't on the outside looking in come next April.

The answer: Unfortunately not much.

They did address one major need by acquiring goaltender Chris Mason from Nashville, ensuring Blues fans won't have to suffer through anymore painful losses due to the netminding of Hannu Toivenen.

Grinders Jamal Mayers and Ryan Johnson have both been traded away leaving one of the Blues strengths from last season, the penalty kill, in question.

There are some positives to report though. Top prospect TJ Oshie is is now a St. Louis Blue, leaving college after his junior year to play in the NHL. David Perron is a year older and hopefully will continue to improve and become a real offensive threat for this team.

Paul Kariya is in the second year of his three year contract and, although the assists were there last year, the goals were not. Hopefully he can regain the scoring touch. Also, Lee Stempniak cannot possibly have an off a year as he did last year, can he?

Also, the Blues drafted 4th overall in this years entry draft and picked up a stud defensemen by the name of Alex Peterangelo who will start the season with a 10 game tryout in the NHL. Combine him with Eric Johnson and the Blues defense is set for years to come.

Unfortunately, a few of the teams in the Central Division, namely Chicago and Detroit have made some serious splashes in the free agent market and look to be serious competition this season.

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In other Blues news:

In September, the Blues are releasing a 3rd jersey rumored to be navy blue, featuring the lace-up front and will incorporate the Gateway Arch.

Sigh of Relief

So I was recently at going through a drive thru (or is is through?) of a local fast food establish- ment and as I approach the window I start to hear a clank-clank-clank-clank sound coming my car.

I turn the radio down, roll down the windows, and the sound is just that much more audible.

Let's give a little back story: My car is less than 8 months old. There's no way it should be making anything other than typical car sounds. Nothing should be wrong at this point in my cars lifespan.

So I'm panicking. All I wanted was my two tacos for 99 cents but now I've got much bigger worries. My new car is f#*ked up and I don't know why.

I get my food, exit the drive-thru lane and suddenly the sound goes away. The engine sounds fine. So what the hell was that noise? Do I have a problem; need to take my car in?

I circle back around the parking lot one more time just to make sure my ears weren't deceiving me and that the sound truly was gone.

That's when I hear it. The clank-clank-clank-clank-clank. But it wasn't coming from my car, it was coming from the car behind mine in the lane that was now receiving their delicious meal.

Phew. I could now enjoy my food and my night was saved.

You gotta love averted disasters.

The Blog is Back in Town

Four months and 15 days later, welcome back to my blog.
I know I've lost all my readers by now but one by one I'm hoping you'll all come back.

Let's play a little catch up together so we can attempt to understand why I've been "out of order" so long...

It all started back in February when a little run in with HR not only caused my blog to come to a screeching halt, but also led to one of my best friends quitting. Apparently some people didn't take to kindly to a few things I had written on here. I think I accidentally humiliated a coworker or two and may have made a comment like, "I'd rather work on my blog at work and get paid for it, than work on it at home." Which is true by the way, I would. But since my bosses at work (and ultimately my human resources department as well) got a hold of my site, printed it out, and read every word, it's safe to say they weren 't too impressed at how I was spending some of my time there, which is totally understandable.

For more on this click here.

After losing a friend to this incident I really wasn't in the mood to post much, especially since I now have to do this at home. There's just lots of other thing to do when your home, you know. You've got the TV, Xbox, exercising (which we all could do more of, especially me); not to mention I've got softball and soccer two nights a week. It just doesn't leave a whole lot of time to sit and write.

That being said, even four months after the fact I still get the occasional plea from a friend, usually Dustin, wondering if the blog will ever be back.

Well it's safe to say it is.

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I'll leave you with this:

If you are in your car and decide you want to intentionally ram your vehicle in to someone else's, would that still be called an accident? I don't think it should.

It should be called an on-purpose.

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PS: The blog has been returned to public status, where anyone can view.