Introducing...Me

I'm that weird girl from your high school who could ramble off a hockey player's statistics, who always knew when the next Penguins game was and what time it was being televised, and who used the Public Speaking class to explain off-sides and two line passes.

While my love of the game has by no means decreased, I finally feel that my classmates have finally caught up to me (about 10+ years later) in their appreciation for hockey too, which I can deduce by their Facebook profiles pictures and status updates.

I started watching as a freshman in high school.  I'm not sure why I stopped the TV station on the game, but it caught my attention.  It was action-packed, even if I wasn't entirely sure what was going on.  You see, in gym class hockey, you couldn't even take your stick off the ground without getting a penalty; you'd end up running around all hunched over, and it always felt so awkward.

I studied my Encyclopedia Britannica to learn the rules.  Mike Lange, with his colorful commentary, was my professor.  "Welcome to the Jungle," "Cotton-Eyed Joe," and "Come Out & Play" constituted the soundtrack.  And the obsession began.

To me, it was like learning a new language.  I had to figure out who else could communicate with me...starting with my family.  Then figuring out which neighbors were fans.  More males than females could speak hockey, though it was not a completely gender exclusive topic.

Now so many more of the people I grew up with are fluent.

Hockey, as passionate as I am about it, is not my life.  I also love photography, reading, cooking, and gardening.  And more than any of those--my family.

My husband George actually hated hockey when we first dated, and now he is a convert.  He is a musician, aspiring to be a CEO, and the ultimate family man.   He also continues to challenge me and helps make our lives an ongoing adventure.  One day he'd like to run for public office.

My son Gregory, 7, is the least interested in the sport, and that's perfectly fine.  He has special talents for diagramming how things work, for math, for drawing.  One day he's into legos, the next it's Pokemon, and the day after it's insects.  When he grows up he'd like to be a baby-sitter.

My daughter Olivia, 3, refers to hockey as "pockey," which I can only imagine is a combination of "puck" and "hockey."  She wants to be my "pockey girl."  She is a princess in galoshes.  She loves cats, tea parties, and "chocolate milk in white milk."  She is our Olivia Pie.

Our dog Flower, 7, is a purebred Treeing Walker Coonhound.  She is the sweetest dog ever.  Gregory thinks it's hilarious that Fleury's nickname is the same as our dog's name.

We are also active members of our church.  What is life without faith?

We are actually concentrating on moving right now.  We've been displaced fans for seven years now and anticipate moving to Pennsylvania to be nearer to extended family.  I look forward to the day that I can watch my team play on regular cable programming, rather than through NHL Center Ice, though it has been a godsend.

Following the Pens helps me eliminate stress.  Well, at least when they're winning.  I'll be honest that I sometimes get a little cranky during a losing streak.

And I look forward to talking a little hockey with you, and sharing how it influences my life, and how it brings my family together.

Let's go, Pens!