As I emerged from the train station this morning in the heart of Union Square here in NYC, I glanced up and say an inflated, 35-foot Spiderman stuck to the side of a building.  The weather has finally become New York-like, after several days of fair and dry climate.  Summer movie promos and muggy weather just seemed to go hand in hand.

Sliding in on the coat-tails of the NHL Teams many of us idolize, my team goes into the playoffs in two weeks.  We've pretty much locked our spot, now we just have the luxury of controlling who we will face.  This will be my first playoff run with this particular group, and I am hoping that my reputation as a playoff goalie carries me through to another cup.  This season was marred with ups and downs, and my last game had some severe looks coming my way from the bench.  So its just the stage I happen to love; adversity from the opposition, perhaps some from within my own ranks...

...and the golden opportunity to show them all the hell up.

I used to hate the pressure of this position, and much like my idol Grant Fuhr I sought to defuse it internally by filling my veins with icewater, being impassive and just playing it out.  But the waning years of my hockey career here are slowly spelling out to me that while I mimic my idol from a technical (as well as fashion) sense...mentally we are completely different.  I am 10x more productive at everything I do when I am pissed off.  Work, expressing myself, writing...everything.  I think I need to tap that response a bit more on the ice.

Last night my girlfriend drove up to show me how her haircut looked.   We were both a little nervous about this.  You see, like many other women, Joann donated a large portion of her long hair to a charity called Locks for Love.  This is an organization that makes wigs for chemo-patients, specifically children.  Joann, a speech therapist who works with autistic children, waited for her hair to get to a proper length...but we were both a little concerned at how she was going to look.  I have never been more pleasantly surprised!  She looked absolutely fabulous, and this woman who cut her hair (for free, I might add!) has officially replaced her old stylist.  =P

As far as the ol book is concerned, Pete and I laid out a schedule of "online internet meetings" which will interwine what we produce on a weekly basis.  This should be tremendously helpful as we both seem to work better on short-term deadlines.  He's putting some geography together now while I close the end of a lengthy chapter and prep the introduction of our new landmass.  With my summer slowdown and his being outta class...we should get a shit load done, if not completeing it outright.

Stay tuned....

$L1D3|2

Alright I am officially giving my liver a break.

Coming down off a tear that started Thursday afternoon, the whites of my eyes have turned yellow and there is a distinct swishing sound when I shake my head too fast.  This all culminated in what was probably one of the poorest goaltending perfomances I have had in recent memory.  Not that I have any real regrets, aside from said hockey game.  It was a good time all around.

In other news I seriously need to get to the beach this weekend.  Yes yes I know...wear sunblock.  I CAN'T alright?  For some strange reason, the combination of sunblock and saltwater has a severe itching reaction on my very very sensitive skin.  >X(

It sucks!

Anyone who has any suggestions for why this might be...post em.  My girlfriend has checked no less that 10 brands for me...same results everytime.  As soon as I get out of the water, I am scratching myself like a flea-infested mutt.

I'm glad the whole Reagan thing has finally come to a very solemn close.  Yes, I do think Reagan was a fantastic President and I still maintain that he set a great standard...LET ACTORS BE PRESIDENTS.  They are dynamic...and you dont mind SO much when the interupt your shows because they are showmen themselves.  Yes I am mindlessly jabbering because its Monday, the AC is on the fritz in this office and I have a general dislike for the public today!

INTO THE ZONE
At last...a consistent streak of gameplay!  Ticks dominated Sports Illustrated by a score of 8-1 on Sunday as we continue on our end-of-season streak.  Despite the lopsided score, I saw my share of action and the opposing goalie also played really well.  If nothing else, its testament that I just cant skip weeks once I hit my stride.

Now I need to plan some long weekends.

"...that which is understood need not be discussed."

Van Halen
2004

...everything else is gravy.

Woo Hoo!

UPDATE ON EVERSPIRE
Writing again.  I am pleased to announce that the first installment of the first trilogy is proceeding at good speed once again after a good two-month hiatus.  I found that there was an aspect about 25% in that just struck me as dull and cliche.  Up until this point I felt the book keeps good pace, so I gutted it.  Being a major naval buff, I decided to throw a boomerang in plotwise that promises a lot of suspense and good deal of human connection.  A book is only as deep as the characters you love and hate...and I felt that this addition to the plot will expand on that.

Now if only my 'motivator' would get off his ass as well...but as Pedro Cerano of Major League decreed...

"If you no help me, I say fuck you Jobu!  I do it myself!"

Alright as many of you who know me already know I am in the midst of undertaking a massive writing project, I am getting burned on that specific area of fiction.  I'm about 15% of the way into the first book (of nine).  The entire series is completely mapped, its just the whole introduction of key players, as well as establishing them as interesting characters can be heavy on the head.  I've always been so much better at creating atmosphere and mood, creating personality is a laborious challenge.

To keep me "producing" I write short stories all the time for a message board, "The Daily Herald" which hosts the news and happenings for the online game Ultima Online.  The problem is, most of the fiction I write there is of a similar vein to the beast that is Everspire.