Prof's Classroom

New page....

2007-05-11T11:29:00.000-04:00

Hey gang,

I recently boght an account to .Mac so I can have a proper web presence. The new blog, along with many other new features can now be seen at:

http://web.mac.com/ryan_mckenna/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html

Ssssssseven Days...

2007-04-24T11:30:00.000-04:00

Every two years-or-so, around this time of the year I start getting that excited feeling in my stomach. It's because there is a new Rush album coming outand THAT means there is a tour soon to start after that.

Not beoing a group who likes to let their fans down, Rush is releasing "Snakes & Arrows" on May 1st. There is a North American Tour scheduled to start in June and run through September.

It's a pretty cool cover and from what I have heard from the sample of songs available out there, the music is fresh and eclectic. You either love Rush or you hate them...however with this new release, and from the music I have heard from it, I believe that Rush have make an attempt to win over some new converts.

Mind you, they would never say this out loud and I believe them when they say that they make music that satifies them and not looking to pre-package a hit single to be mass distributed to zillions of eager consumers. It's just that this album has a more organic vibe to it and more of a topical theme. It's a well-known fact that because of Neil Peart's lyrics and how he constructs them, a Rush album begins to generate a general theme to it. It's not all of the albums and it's definantly not a trend; "Roll the Bones" had to do with taking chances, "Counterparts" expressed the inate differences between men and women, "Test for Echo" dealt with an individual's need to feel like they are part of something....whatever that may be.

"Vapor Trails", however lacks a defining theme. That's not a knock, it's just my impression of it. The songs are excellent and translate perfectly to their live show. I still rock out to "Secret Touch" when it comes up on my iPod.

"Snakes & Arrows" seems to find it's common theme in faith. The song titles at least seem to point that way, "Working Them Angels", "Faithless", "Hope", "The Way The Wind Blows," to name just a few. The first single, "Far Cry" is instantly recognizable (I dunno if that's good or bad in the band's eyes) and goes right along with their tounge-in-cheek attittude concerning their numerous detractors (here's MORE of everything you hated about Rush), which they embraced with "One Little Victory" from "Vapor Trails."

Will this new album be their re-introduction to mainstream music? Probably not. I keep holding out that everyone will just wake up one day and feel the same way I do about this band. Let's face it, in order for a band of Rush's status to get a smash hit record that climbs the charts, they'd have to get Jay-Z, Rob Thomas and Beyonce' to make guest appearances like Stantana did with "Supernatural"

In fact the more I think about it, the more I am reminded that the highest charting single a member of the band had was a collaboration single that Geddy Lee released in the early 80's......but that was with Bob & Doug McKenzie.

May 1st, class....mark it down.

I am an honorary Baldwin brother!

2007-04-20T11:23:00.000-04:00

FYI....

I moderated a RadioTour yesterday with Stephen Baldwin. We were promoting National Volunteer Week, which you can find more about at www.volunteer.org. I have to say that he was a class act throughout the whole process.

It's very easy for someone to get bored during these types of inetrviews, I mean you are saying the same thing again and again for hours on end...it can get tedious, even when you are promoting something as important as what we were talking about.

But he's a professional and handled it all with class. I was impressed.

When the tour ended and I thanked him for his time and effort, without missing a beat he replied, "You got it brotha!"

That was good enough for me.....

Thank you guys...

2007-04-09T23:27:00.000-04:00

I know it's been a while since I posted, however, if you have been following the Islanders' playoff race over the past few months then you hopefully understand why. If not then just watch the highlights from the Isles/Devils game with the knowledge that if Isles win then they get into the playoffs... by the longest route in recent memory.

New Years Eve

2007-01-01T22:39:00.000-05:00

We are so damn sexy......

.......well, at least WE think so!

It's legal with both the church and state...

2006-12-22T10:56:00.000-05:00

Congragulations to Christine & Jerry on their marriage (once again)! This time the union received the blessing of the Catholic Church at a short ceremony in New Jersey on November 17th.

It was great to see Jerry's family again and to share the special night with our close family and friends.

The next day we whooped it up big time. I mean a party out the ass kinda shindig at Pasta Cucina in New City. The bride and groom were joined by 100 family and friends for an afternoon of dining and dancing. We even had a movie star crash the party...see below:

That's right...Emmy Award winning actor Armand Assante was spotted at the party in a classy double breasted jacket and tie. Now it helps that he's a cousin of the bride and myselfbut really... a movie star darnit, at my sister's reception! I had not seen Armand in quite a while and it was great to finally see him and his beautiful daughters again.

Not to be forgotten but the othe man in the picture is my cousin Ross who attended the reception with his lovely wife Christa. They recently welcomed their first daughter, Hannah into the world. Amy & I were lucky enough to have been at her Christening.

It reminds me that this past year has been about reconnecting with family. With the events of April, May and June and the loss of my dear Aunt Maddy, it's become even more important to connect with the people whom you care about the most. No matter what the time between visits has been when everyone is together, all is forgiven and good times are had by all.

Which, of course, is how it should be.

Happy Birthday!

2006-10-18T10:09:00.000-04:00

Belive me folks when I tell you this:

I have the most wonderful wife anyone could ever hope to have.

Mow there are countless stories, memories, jokes and moments that have led me to the above statement. Not least of all is how she was an absolute rock this weekend while her hypochondriac of a husband sat and shivered, struck down by anxiety over what he thought may be wrong with him.

Just take my word on this. She turns 31 today. I congragulate her on joining the rest of us in the next box down on all applications. Give her a call or an e-mail and wish her a Happy Birthday.

Opening Night

2006-10-05T21:29:00.000-04:00

Quick post which I will use as a reference once the NHL regular season ends. It's the end of the 1st period of the Isles opener, they are playing the Phoenix Coyotes and are down 2-1. All I can say is that if the rest of the season goes like this and the Isles are not in the top five in the league in penalty killing, they will NOT make the playoffs.

But it is great to see Ted Nolan back behind an NHL bench.

What a month!

2006-09-14T09:32:00.000-04:00

I am so glad that August is over.

Apologies for the above statement to:

Jerry and Christine, who's wedding we attended.

Chris and Deanna, because we had a wonderful time during our trip to Louisville; a place where they make baseball bats and smoke like chimneys. Great fish there though!

Mary Ellen & Jay, who visited us.

My father who celebrated his birthday on the 25th.

My little cousin Michael, who celebrated his birthday on the 24th.

I am just so glad that August is over because I can not remember a month where so many things went wrong with me from start to finish. To begin with, we had the sinus incident/hospital visit during the first week. Right after that we had the Meclizine mishap where my meds were causing me to feel worse than when I was in the hospital. There was a slight reprieve (Louisville) where all was well for a few days. Then upon our return I proceeded to pinch a nerve in both my neck and back which rendered me immobile for a week. Seriously, I moved around like to robot from "Lost In Space."

"DANGER! DANGER! AMY MCKENNA, WATER IS BOILING, PASTA MUST BE INTRODUCED. DANGER! DANGER!"

One bottle of Motrin and some fancy stretches later (thanks Chris), I felt back to normal. Right in time for the trip up to St. Bonaventure for Brian and Shawna's wedding. This was the weekend we had been waiting for for just over a year. A chance to return to our stomping grounds and relive life like it was back in the mid-90's. One thing I found out toot sweet:

"You really can go home again but just don't expect to drink like you were able to when you were first there."

Make sense? Good. So after so much drinking, my immune system was in disarray and decided to punish me with a bad head cold. I am just getting over it now and unfortunately, Amy caught it before I could have it banished from our apartment. She's almost 100% as of this writing.

(knock on wood)

This brings me to my second subject. What do I do with my first few days of good health? Why I completely mess up a whole room in our apartment. Why? Just because I can and just because every six months I get the urge to redecorate a room. Move everything around, get another point of view.

Well I got a little ahead of myself this time and I really don't see any way out without some consultation from any reader of this blog. Between all of us I am sure there are at least 1,000 "Trading Spaces" viewing hours. Put them to use when you look at the following photo:

In the above photo is:

One convertible couch, one coffee table, two end tables, a computer desk w/ chair, three waist-high bookcases, a TV cabinet, one 30" HDTV which weighs as much as car and, according to Amy, one hapless husband.

Oh yes....I forgot. One dancing crocodile.

According to the Park Station website the room itself is 14' 2" x 9' 7". If you are looking at the room from the top of the stairs the longer walls are on the left and right.

How would you situate everything in the room? Submit your plans here. The winner will receive naming rights to the loft for the length of The McKenna's tenancy. Good luck and think outside the box!

3 & 1/2 Minutes....

2006-08-09T00:01:00.000-04:00

I opened up my e-mail this evening to find the following message from my mother:

Hi Honey,

Now that you are feeling better I look foward to a blog update for Christine and Jerrys big day Friday.

You know how you did that one for Dee and Chris....and it was so damn cute....they would love one

not to mention all your blog groupies ...like me

Mom

To summarize... Last Thursday I was in the hospital, suffering from a sever sinus infection and spells of vertigo. I felt like absolute crap and the battery of tests that they put me through at the hospital did not help out the hypochondriac in me either. However, just to be safe they went through all of their tests and found me to be OK, except for the aforementioned sinus condition. The anti-biotics they have me on are throwing me for a loop and only TODAY have I felt anything like my old self. Then I open up my e-mail......

It really should no come as a surprise to anyone. I mean this is the woman who gave the biggest guilt trip to either of her children whenever they summoned up the courage to suggest they might just be sick enough to miss school. I think in 12 years of grade school and high school I missed four days total. Three of them were for illnesses that could very well be featured on a two-hour special of "House".

That e-mail above is making some more sense, yes?

What is the "big day" that she is referring to? Well this past Friday, August 5, 2006.... MY SISTER GOT MARRIED!

That's right. My sister officially became Mrs. Christine Elizabeth Alfano at New York City Hall at 11:20 AM in a brief, 3& 1/2 minute ceremony attended by family. I know it's expected of me to go on this long, lengthy digression about love and how patience, luck, fate and destiny all have parts to play in this wonderful happening.

All I keep coming back to is this: I love my sister. My wife and I are the happiest we have ever been for her. What's more is that she has found her perfect man. Jerry loves and honors her every day. Plus they simply are a wonderful couple to be around. If only to see how they interact with each other; One minute they could be all lovey-dovey and the next playing practical jokes on each other.

This is how couples should be. Congragulations to you both on the beginning of your life together!

Glory, glory!

2006-07-20T10:39:00.000-04:00

Back when I was in middle school, it was suggested to me that I start playing more than one sport. Hockey had been my life when not in school for so long that my parents feared that I might get burned out. It also would provide me with alternate ways to stay in shape once the hockey season was over and to get into shape before it began.

So I jumped at the chance. In seventh grade I signed up for the soccer team in the fall and the laccrosse team in the spring. The months in-between would be spent at Sport-O-Rama and on the Garden State Parkway.

So began my interest in The Beautiful Game. I was a goalie, and a damn good one at that. Why they still talk about my save on a peanlty kick which preserved a 0-0 draw against Felix Festa in the fall of '87. Yes, many-a Capri Sun juice pouches were consumed on that day my friend. Although it is a funny sight; to picture 12 middle schoolers trying to douse each other those things....the straws are just too small so all it wound up looking like was a poorly constructed and malfunctioning fruit punch fountain.

But I digress....

The seed was planted and cultivated with stints in high school. It was there, in the fall of '91 when the playing career ended on a crisp, cool evening in Montvale, NJ. There was little fanfare.

Like all soccer players I began to take a keen interest in the professional leagues. Unfortuantely the MLS was not formed until 1996 so there is no hometown team to root for. As a result, the love lies dormant for the college years. Girls become important, good thing too beacuse I met my wife during this time.

Then one night I'm watching the television and I see some highlights from the English Premier League. It was a goal scored by a French player named Eric Cantona. Now even with my limited knowledge (at the time) of soccer I knew that this was a spectacular goal. However, it was the celebration which caused me to sit up and proclaim, in pure Ryan McKenna fashion, "That was freakin' awesome!" Click the link below to see what I am talking about:

Cantona

Pretty cool, right?

Cantona played for Manchester United and after further study from me, I found out he was a legend there. What's more, I found out that he was not the only one to play for this team. Legendary players like George Best, Bobby Charlton and Bryan Robson seemed to find their way to United and increase their profile. I also found out that United were the champions of the EPL at the time. This is an important fact, which I will get back to.

I made a mental note about this team and wished that there were more games from England on television. I would not, at the time, consider myself a hard core fan (like I am with the Islanders) but a curious observer who had more than the average amount of knowledge about the team. Time passes again....

Jump to May of 1999. I am checking the listings for the upcoming week and low and behold, there is a United game on the schedule. This is not just any game, but the final of the Champions League. The Champions League is an annual competition which pits the best teams from every European league in a year long competition which will eventually crown a champion of Europe. Quite simply, it's a big deal and United were in the final against a team from Germany, Bayern Munich.

In the days leading up to the match I found out that United were not only the winners of their league, they were also the winners of the FA Cup, an annual NCAA-style tourney which pits each and every team in England against each other. They were going for history. No team had ever won all three major competitions in the same year. I decided I would watch and, more importantly, would root for United.

In one of those serendipidous occurences, the 1999 Champions League Final was the most dramatic in the long history of the competition. It didn't start out that way though. For 90 minutes, United was lackluster and Munich was juuuust good enough to be ahead. Then it happened.

During the three minutes of added time, Manchester United earned themeslves a place in history and my dedication forever. In the 91st minute, they had a corner kick. David Beckham (yes THAT David Beckham) launched it into the box. The ball came bouncing out to Ryan Giggs who sent it towards the net where Teddy Sheringham was there to slot it home.

I sliently raised my arms in the air. "NICE!" was my proclamation. A little underwhelming to be sure. My bad.

Two minutes later my loyalty was cemented. With seconds remaining, United again earned a corner kick and again, it was Beckham who would take it. The ball curled in to Sheringham who mis fired on a header. Fortunately the ball was sent down to a Norwegian player, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who like alll good scorers in any sport, found a way to get the goal. In this case it was a clever little toe flick which sent the ball into the roof of the net, and sent me into the celieng in my room.

"OH MY GAWD," and then.... like clockwork, "That was freakin' awesome!"

Take a look at what I am talking about here.

It was one of the most dramatic sporting events I have ever seen. I became a fan on that day. Not a dediacted one yet, but I had a favorite team. I also had a favorite player. After seeing that winning goal I did my research on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. I discovered that he was well-known for his ability to take advantage of any kind of scoring chance. It reminded me of another athelete who had that description....my favorite athelete of all time, Mike Bossy.

Well than cinched it. Since then I have followed them as best I could. After the World Cup of 2002, and the subsequent dramatic increase in EPL matches here in the States, I became more than just a fan of the team. I became what is known in England as a "supporter."

The lockout of the 2004-2005 season helped me develop a greater sense of loyalty and connection to United because I was able to watch more games than ever before and I did not have the Islanders to dampen any kind of good mood I was in. Since the move down here to MD I have found a nice Irish pub to watch all of the games during the season.

Have I jumped on a bandwagon? Some would argue absolutely. Others,ones who know me, would say no. I'm not one to jump on a bandwagon. Just look at how why I became an Arizona Diamondbacks fan (a future blog, I'm sure). I would argue that my loyalty for the team was formed in the same way that it was formed for the Islanders. That is to say they earned my loyalty by creating memorable moments for a person who was wanting to see them. In addition, they had (and continue to do so in United's case) the same kind of player that I love to watch.

So here I am, in 2006 with a spanking new Ole Gunnar Solskjaer jersey on its way from the United team store at Old Trafford (their home stadium) looking forward to the beginning of the season on August 20th against Fulham. In order to cement my loyalty to the club, I have begun looking into travel option so I can go to at least one game at Old Trafford.

Why the long post? Well just wanted you guys to know what I will probably be doing should you call me while a game is on this year...and to warn you if you see me in a bright red soccer jersey with a weird Norwegian name on the back.

This just might work...

2006-07-11T08:14:00.000-04:00

Hello people,

I am getting back on the horse as far as the blog is concerned. You'll see a lot more of me. I'd like to welcome the many new readers we have thanks to a mass e-mail from my sister. Apparently she loved the previous post so much that she wanted "like EVERYONE to see it!"

I just got done watching a trailer for "Rocky Balboa." This is the sixth film in the series and the first in 16 years. Now thanks to "Superman Returns" I am trying not to get overly anxious about a movie because of what you see in a trailer. That is what they are supposed to do; show you exciting clips from a film in order to have the viewer store those images in the back of their head and build up anticipation based on what was shown. The process is repeated again and again, and more frequently as the release date approaches. The problem I had with "Superman Returns" (in a trailer sense) was that it got me anxious the see one kind of story when it turns out that the movie was telling another.

However, after reading the few pages of the "Rocky Balboa" script that Stallone made available and then finally to see this trailer and see how they are visualizing that story...I'm thinking this film just might work.

The question going through your mind is, "yeah, but isn't Sly like 60 years old?"

Well, actually yes...he is. He just turned 60 last Thursday. Do you think he looks it?

I am taking tons of heat in my circle of friends down here for even suggesting that this film might be good. They may turn out to be right, but I am NOT going to pass judgment now on something that I will not see until December. This character is one of my heroes. A perfect movie persona created by the only man who could play him on the big screen. I feel like I owe both the character and the actor, at the very least, an open mind going into the theater. I also appreciate Stallone's loyalty to the actors who have been a part of the series since the beginning... they are all back, with one tremendous omission which the story explains beautifully. He's even got Tony Burton back as Duke. Here was a guy that was Apollo's trainer for the first two films, then brought in by Apollo to help train Rocko in "III" and then Rocky's trainer in "IV" (in which he had the most underrated scene in the whole film). Burton was professional enough to have a short five or six lines at the beginning of "V" and that's it. Sure he's old, everyone you are rooting for in this film is, but so what? This story, at least what I have read and seen, makes fine use of this real life fact. One last note on casting, apparently Stallone even brought back the girl from the original "Rocky" whom Rocky took away from the corner store. Not just the character, the actor as well.

Classy guy, but alas, one who knows where to make necessary changes.

Two actors from "Rocky V" are, thankfully, missing this time around: Tommy Morrison, who just flat out sucked and Sage Stallone, who was worse than Morrison.

Finally, back to the trailer. Antonio Tarver plays the current champ Mason Dixon. Tarver, is the former Light Heavywight champ and still one of the top rated fighters in the world. If what we see in the trailer is any indication then Rocky is going to be taking a serious beating. Now I know what you are saying...

"How is that different from any other "Rocky" movie?"

Point taken, but I don't know. Just something about the way the story works out coupled with the extremely violent final shot of the trailer just makes me think that maybe, juuuust maybe, Rocky is going to go the way of the Apollo at the end of this one. Personally I think that would be devastating to my demographic, but in the context of the story it's a logical and ultimately acceptable fate.

Take a look at what I am talking about. Copy and paste the following link:

http://playlist.yahoo.com/makeplaylist.dll?id=1445131&sdm=web&qtw=640&qth=400

Nice...real nice!

2006-07-05T11:09:00.000-04:00

You know....I like to think that I have an understanding family. One that not only loves my wife and I but would never, ever do anything behind my back. A family that would never keep my wife and I in the dark about anything that would be considered the least bit life changing.

For 32 years and three weeks I lived with that secure feeling.

This past Friday, the walls of trust were smashed to the ground when it was revealed to me that on Tuesday, June 27th my sister Christine was proposed to by her boyfriend Jerry.

Now..... from Tuesday to Friday, just over 96 hours, not only my immediate family, but it seems everyone in the NY/NJ area was told of this most exciting news...People at work, relatives, heck, even strangers on the street were all let in on the news that my lovely sister and her wonderful fiance' had become engaged to be married.

SOMEONE, I won't say who, thought it would be a great idea to keep my wife and I clueless for 96 hours! Can you imagine doing that to someone you love? Sheesh....I don't know if I can trust anyone anymore! The family had a big laugh at our expense and now the focus shifts to the happy couple and their plans.

Now I COULD tell you nice people on the web what they are...but I think not telling you would give you a slight sense of how I felt when I was told and therefore make me feel a little better.

Ahhh....that's better.

Now, in all seriousness, Amy and I are so happy for Christine and Jerry and their future together. They are wonderful couple to be around and they are having so much fun calling each other "fee-aahhhn-SEHHH". They visited us this past weekend and to celebrate, Amy and I redesigned the Washington Monument in celebration of their announcement. It was a last minute job and since my mother could not be found to help celebrate the announcement, it was the best my wife and I could muster.

Congrats to my sister and future brother-in-law!

2 down.....

2006-06-20T23:36:00.000-04:00

Congragulations to my sister-in-law Deanna and husband Christopher on their recent nuptuals in Alfred, NY.
They have just returned safely from their honeymoon in Hawaii and are excitedto start their new life together!

Aunt Maddy

2006-05-30T17:16:00.000-04:00

My Aunt Maddy passed away this afternoon after a long bout with cancer. She was in her early 60's. She leaves behind a husband, Anthony, two children, Lisa and Anthony, and four grandchildren. She had been battling liver cancer for the past few years and, right up to the end, still found time to entertain visitors, which is how I will remember her.

She was above all else, a loving person. Even when you were on the other side of an issue with her, she never stopped loving you. Family was the most important thing to her and it is absolutely no surprise to me that the memories of her caring about other family members before herself are the ones that are finding their way into my head at this moment.

I was very fortunate to see her during this past Easter weekend. Amy and I made it out to Long Island to visit her and Uncle Tony and we found her in good spirits and enthusiastic about seeing us. Needless to say there was food present (we'll get to that) and no shortage of things to talk about. It was, in every sense, a perfect visit. Although I found myself exhibiting my usual selfish qualities when it came to the conversation, which I immediately felt remorseful about. She'd have none of it.

"I am at peace," she told my wife and me. "I want you to live your lives and do not feel sorry," she continued. That was it as far as her addressing her illness. The rest of the afternoon was filled with talk about her kids and their grandkids, my mother, my family, Amy's job, my job, and the relative uselessness that a bottle of Bailey's has behind my Uncle Tony's bar.

Pulling out of the driveway Amy and I were greeted with the sight that was a staple of hers for as long as I could remember. Aunt Maddy stating in the driveway, waving goodbye right up until the time we were out of sight (a practice that I later utilized when Amy and I were driving back and forth to see each other last winter and spring). I noted to Amy, "If that is the last time I see her, that is the perfect way to remember her."

Heading back to Rockland on the L.I.E. I suddenly had a feeling of panic wash over me. Why? Well with my Aunt's successful plpan to get the attention away from her and her condition, she completely disarmed me of any kind of sentiment that I wanted to express to her. Which of course, is exactly what she wanted to do.

There were so many things that came flowing back into my head, each one an important childhood event for either my sister or myself. Graduations, hockey games, religious ceremonies, birthday parties, all the things that are important in a person's life. Every single one of those memories had her in it. I wrote her a letter a few weeks later:

Aunt Maddy,

Amy sends her love. I wanted to write you and let you know, quite obviously, how loved you are by each member of our family. It has always been tough for me to express that and when I saw you I found myself again verbally handcuffed.

Somewhere on the LIE I found myself going back through each and every important event, not only in my life but my sister’s as well. Confirmations, graduations, weddings and holidays. When I did, there was an image of you there. I mean, Lycoming College in ’91, in Williamsport, PA. You were there. 7:45 games at Superior ice rink, Wedding in Alfred, NY, HS graduation parties, birthdays, the list goes on and on. You were there and I was either too young or too self-centered to ever say thank you.

Thank you for being there. Thank you for making those days special.

This letter and gift are not an attempt to make up for anything, but rather to let you know that the positive impact you have had on my life has not ever or will not ever go unnoticed. You provide the best examples of how to treat your family. I will have that gift with me, pass it on to my children, and they will give it to their children.

All that because of you.

I only ask one thing. Keep fighting Aunt Maddy. Keep setting the example for us to follow. Do not ever give up. All of my strength goes out to you. All of my hopes and most of all, my love.

Your nephew,

Ryan

February 8, 1996

2006-02-08T13:19:00.000-05:00

10 years ago the to five albums on the Billboard Top 200 were:

5. Oasis, (What's the Story) Morning Glory?
4. Mariah Carey, Daydream
3. Alanis Morissette, Jagged Little Pill
2. Tori Amos, Boys for Pele

1. Soundtrack, Waiting to Exhale

Clinton was in office, and Lewinsky was under the desk. Gas was about a buck a gallon. The telecommunications industry was overhauled with the siging of The Telecommunications Act of 1996, which effectively degregulated all broadcasting mediums.

John Williams...the greatest movie composer of all time turned 64. My sister-in-law, who is getting married in June turned 15. Happy 25th by the way Deanna.

Without sounding too cheesy...it was the day that my wife and I first started dating. The realization hit us a few days ago. We have been so busy with our respective jobs that we haven't had time to sit and just think about the last ten years and what has transpired.

In typical Ryan & Amy fashion....we looked at each other with an un-spoken look of "that is SO COOL!" and gave each other a high-five....then proceeded to go right back to watching Iron Chef.

Honestly....it really is kinda cool! I LOVE YOU SWEETIE!

Dip, baby, dip

2006-01-30T02:26:00.000-05:00

Big thanks to my cousin Leslie for providing Amy and myself with the recipe for her famous three layer chili dip which was a HUUUGE hit at the dinner party thrown by our good friends Al & Amy Hagovsky. Funny....I just said I went to a dinner party.

Yeah...we're all civilized and stuff.

In other news...The Montgomery Blue Devils won on Sunday. Big win for the kids with four weeks left in the season. Nice comeback too, after being down 2-0 early in the second big blue erupted for four straight en route to a 6-3 win. I'm looking forward to my impending sabbatical from hockey as Amy and I will enjoy some quality time together not freezing our asses off in a rink somewhere along the beltway.

In a related story, my invitation came today for the SJR Alumni Game. March 11th at Sport-O-Rama for a good laugh as yours truly again tries to convince himself that he can turn back time....make sure someone gets a pic of me after my first shift. It's that look of "Oh ^%!@" which makes for a classic story.

Head's up!

2005-12-12T00:33:00.000-05:00

Our first tree in Maryland...quite a story. Well not really. In short, we finished decorating this fine specimen you see above and then...as soon as we paused to admire our handywork?

TIMBER!

Yes indeedie-doo, the whole thing came crashing down on our living room floor. Water everywhere, needles strewn about the place..oh the humanity! Luckily, a quick trip to the local Wal Mart and $27 later, Aim and I had ourselves a state-of-the-art tree stand...fully adjustable and ready to make the holidays safe once more for uneducated tree decorators like The McKenna's

Happy Holidays!

Here is my wonderful sister Christine.....

2005-11-28T10:45:00.000-05:00

.....who has complained that she is not featured in this blog enough.

....who, if given the chance, would gladly sacrifice anything for a pristine DVD copy of the 1980's flick "Secret Admirer"

....and who, ominously watches over me and takes care of every little screw up I had in my childhood and beyond.

He's coming back!

2005-11-18T08:50:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a very big day for me. First meeting downtown for NAN. My first sale came through for the company....and when I got home? I saw that Warner Brothers released the teaser trailer for Superman Returns.

If you have a few minutes while you are sitting at your desk in the office or at home check out this link to see some footage for a movie that I am already planning on seeing a dozen times next summer.

Check it out, then come back here.....

OK..you're back? Amazing, wasn't it? That was really Marlon Brando's voice from the first film. This new kid, Brandon Routh, that they have gotten to play Supes looks right on, Director Bryan Singer (X-Men) has a firm grasp of what fans want to see and they are using John Williams' original score.

All this and don't forget, Kevin Spacey is playing Lex Luthor!

It's seven months and counting until we all start tying our sheets around our necks and start jumping off our beds!

Bi-polar iPod

2005-11-10T15:52:00.000-05:00

Whoa!

This just had to be documented for all eternity:

Yesterday I was riding the Metro back up to Rockville to meet up with Amy to take me home. The iPod was in a groove I tell ya. I usually have it on shuffle and just let the randomness take over.

It rarely lets me down, sometimes lifts me up when I'm feeling low....and on the a few occasions, provides me with some laugh out loud moments. Yesterday was one of those moments. Here is the list of songs that were played yesterday on the Red Line to Shady Grove:

1. Secret Touch - Rush
2. London Calling - The Clash
3. Vertigo - U2
4. People of the Sun - Rage Against The Machine
5. Daybreak - Barry Manilow
6. Runaround - Van Halen
7. Rough Justice - Rolling Stones

Now, can you see from this playlist where that moment may have occured?

So what's the scenario?

2005-10-31T11:00:00.000-05:00

Ugh...you'd think I'd get five minutes to update this, right? Well throw that idea right out the freakin' window. Nutshell update:

1. Work is work. Under-staffed and stretched to the limit is no way to run a business.

2. Team has improved by leaps and bounds. Since my last update we have been playing around .500 hockey. I am proud of that.

3. Apartment is still gorgeous..although Amy and I both susbscribe to the notion that it's still summer until you turn the heat on. Needless to say we're both fighting off head colds.

4. NHL Center Ice is the GREATEST invention ever! The fact that I can sit in my MD apartment and see every Islander game is still something I am giddy over.

OK...I have decided to just take five minutes and write. It seems to be the only escape I can find in this office....so lucky you! I have I told you how much I despise my office mate? I am not a vindictive person, nor am I one to be unsympathetic to a person's problems but GEEZ! Every single motion this guy makes must be accompanied by a grunt or moan. Add to that is necessity to impersonate Keith Moon whenever he's typing on his computer and even the most tempered person will lose their lunch. This man is evil and he must be stopped.....or at least moved to another part of the zip code.

Best of luck to my sister-in-law, Deanna. Today she is taking the final part of her CPA exam and has spent the better part of the month studying for it! Keep her in your thoughts. Dee and Chris are quickly approaching 200 days until their wedding.

Aim and I have begun sharing our commute on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. It made sense, she goes right by a Metro station and I have a long standing love of standing in between tourists and giving them the wrong directions to the White House.

It's the simple pleasures, the no money fun that gets me up in the morning.

Good Day!

The Living Room

2005-09-23T12:29:00.000-04:00

Dunno why but people are just wanting to see a picture of our completed living room set.....well here you go!

A long season...

2005-09-03T20:53:00.000-04:00

This is written in a hotel room in Exton, PA.

This is going to be a long season. Long in both a literal and symbolic sense. These kids give their all for me, night in and night out. However, if they are continually thrown into the mix against teams that simply have more skill and experience then I doubt we will make it through this year looking the same as we do now.

It seemed back in May and June I had time to write books for this blog. Heck, it's been nine months since I started this thing and the post (as I am sure you have noticed) are getting less and less frequent. Well there is good reason for that. One, Amy's here now, and the time that was usually spent in front of a PC is now spent with her.....just spending time together, catching up for the last year of living apart. It's absolutely the best thing ever to have us under the same roof in a wonderful new apartment. Both of us working and just doing the husband and wife thing.

Two, NAN has become a very, very busy place. Just look at it in these terms; When I first worked there in 1998-1999, there were 16 full-time employees, including four Project Managers. At this point, we now have 7 full-time employees, including two Project Managers. This reduction in manpower is not coinciding with a reduction in projects which means that not only is the workload doubling, but the people that the managers count on to get the bits and pieces done on the projects are nowhere to be seen.

The end result is more work, same money, and very low morale. Not that I am complaining. I do love the work that I do, I'm good at it and it does give me an opportunity to help out people. We are currently working with the Department of Health and Human Services on delivering PSA's to the affected areas of Hurricane Katrina. If you go to www.radiospace.com you will see what we are working on.

So that's it for now. As time allows I'll post some pictures of the apartment. We've gotten all of our furniture delivered and it looks great! Amy's sisters are in town in November to go dress shopping for Deanna & Chris' wedding on June 10th (nine months you guys!)

Later people!

One Year

2005-08-05T13:24:00.000-04:00

Yup....we know

Just have to pop on for a sec and say Happy Anniversary to my beautiful wife! One year, two states, three schools, two new jobs and a loft!

Why are we so kick ass? I love you sweetie!

My bad

2005-07-21T00:31:00.000-04:00

I know, I know, I know.

Let's just leave it at that, ok?

cool.

This is an update from Hyperspace as we are in the final stages of the big move to get Amy down here. We have secured a beautiful two bedroom two bathroom apartment, with a loft! It's in nearby Gaithersburg, MD and we can't wait to move in. Problem is, we can't do that until August 20th and our lease in Nanuet is up on July 31st. What this means is that Amy will be living with Ron and I for few weeks until we can move into the place.

A little inconvenient but it's absolutely worth it.

It doesn't help the blog updates that it has been completely bonkers at work. I'm updating when I can (it's 12:30 in the morning right now). We'll keep you informed as time permits.

Wish us luck!

2005-07-06T16:40:00.000-04:00

Classy Guy!

Go Baby Go!

2005-06-17T10:54:00.000-04:00

Ball Game

Look at the picture above. That's Afleet Alex in high gear.

That's something that I had never, ever seen before and the most impressive thing I've seen anything with four legs do since my old dog Cindy scarfed down a whole burrito in three seconds.

Hey gang, the Triple Crown season is over and oh man did we have a blast at The Belmont Stakes in NYC. Vinny, myself and his friend Marissa headed down to the track at around 9:oo am, a little later than usual but with the absence of a Triple Crown contender, the crowd was lighter than in recent years.

The Stakes was a race for the ages, but we also had a rare opportunity to see a former Triple Crown contender race as Funny Cide ran as a five year old to the delight of his hometown crowd. It was a little surreal to see the old colors out again two years after the weather and a bad stumble at the start of the 2003 Stakes cost him.

However, Afleet Alex was the story of the day. His sprint from the final turn to the finish line stretched over a third of the race, the final third of a mile-and-a-half race. Where most Triple Crown contenders run out of steam (just like the rest of the 2005 field), this horse just kept getting faster. The jockey even had time to pump up the crowd before he crossed the finish line.

The $1 exacta box on the 9 (Afleet Alex)& 7 (Andromeda's Hero) won me about $30 bucks...ending the longest horse betting schnide I have ever been on.

We missed you there, Chubb.

Birthday Bash for Ron & I tonight at The Barking Dog in Bethesda. Ron says his goal is to get just slightly less intoxicated than I was back on New Year's Eve. If that is the case, please keep Ron in your thoughts tonight and wish nothing but good things and an unimpeded trip to whatever bathroom he ends up in.

Finally, I know I'm a sappy, Lloyd Dobler-like guy...I don't apologize for it but it needs to be mentioned how freakin' hard my wife is working right now. Not only is she working her full-time job at her Elementary School but she's doing that while finishing up a full load of classes at LIU. This week imparticular has been extra tough as all of her classes are coming to a close. She's working all week and then taking a full load of classes this weekend. It really is quite impressive to see and hear because she's not only taking these classes but doing very well in them. I am amazed every day by her.

To paraphrase Rod Tidwell....she's the shit.

Here we go again!

2005-06-02T10:21:00.000-04:00

Hello people!

Great news out of Louisville, KY where our good friend Lt. Chris Remillard popped the question to my sister in law, Deanna. Needless to say, she answered with a resounding, "YES!" The whole story is priceless and I recommend you head over to Chris' blog to see the details.

Congragulations to you both, I could not be happier!

The Happy Couple

What this means of course is that we will soon again be in "wedding mode". Alfred will once again need to be mobilized in anticipation of an invasion, even more so this time because of the number of service people that should be attending. Tentative plans call for a May 27, 2006 wedding at St. Jude's (where Aim & I got hitched).

In other news, Amy makes her first trip down to DC in awhile. She has been unable to because of weekend classes at LIU which she signed up for to ensure she has her Master's degree before moving down here. There is something I will be able to do to show her just how much I appreciate her sacrifice....I just have not thought of it yet.

Also, Flag Day is approaching. Flag Day is my favorite holiday of the year. The day that the country celebrates the adoption of the stars and stripes as our national flag. It is truly the most underrated national holiday and deserves more of the country's attention. So this Flag Day, get out there...plant a flag and paint the town red, white and blue.

-Good Day!

What time is it? 4:30...it's not late...nahh...it's just-a early, early!

2005-05-23T13:04:00.001-04:00

This is what 4:30 am looks like on 54th street in Manhattan. Life on the NYLine in it's purest form.

4:30 am

If you are wondering, I have Episode I in the DVD player, headphones in my ears and a Pasta Cucina hat on my head. Always helping out a friend where I can with a little free advertising . Your welcome Jimmy!

Anyhoo, this was the night before the premiere of Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. The final Star Wars new movie to be released on the big screen. You can't tell from the picture above but believe me, I am having the time of my life and feeling great about what I am doing for the Starlight Foundation.

Thanks in part to those of you who clicked on the button, and those of you who donated in person, NYLine was able to raise an amazing $46,600 for Starlight. To those of you who do not know....that number is an absolutely incredible amount of money in comparison to the previous two lines. In 1999, NYLine I raised an impressive $15,000 and in 2002, NYLine II upped that to a generous $18,000.

So now you know what this was all for.....$46,600 which goes directly to making the lives of sick children better.

Congrats to us all for making a difference.

My Old Kentucky Home

2005-05-09T11:12:00.000-04:00

Twin Spires

Whooooooo doggie! I'm-a here to tell ya that ol' Kentucky Derby was one rootin'-shootin' time y'all!

It'd be easy to think that everyone in Kentucky spoke like that but it's just not the case. I apologize to any Kentuckians whom I have offended with the above exclamation. However, it is how I am feeling about the whole weekend......what a freakin' blast. Chris, you were a gracious host and very, very forgiving! Thank you for showing us a great time and for showing us what kind of place you can get in Kentucky for a little less than half of my rent. Two floors, two bedrooms and 1 & 1/2 bathrooms with, basically, your own personal Burger King.

Derby day started early, we parked about three blocks from the track, got to the gate about 30 minutes before they opened and , when they did ($40/person later), we found exactly what we wanted to...a spot up close to the fence and near the big screen. A word about the infield at Churchill Downs, nuts, absolutely nuts. I mean back in the day we would probably have done the same kind of thing but we're not those kinds of people anymore. There were a whole group of guys dressed as Austin Powers, and another dressed as football referees (complete with flags which they would toss at women whom would not show their.....you know). It's a different world, one where the famous Mint Julep costs a whopping eight bucks, that's right EIGHT BUCKS for what amounted to probably about a 10 oz cup. With beers being six bucks (for a much bigger cup) and water being three bucks a bottle we stuck with the tested rotation methos of the latter two.

Another thing about Saturday's Derby. It was hot! Damn hot! Real hot! Temps hovered in the 80's with little cloud coverage. I put on a healthy amount of suncscreen and never took off my t-shirt. My reward? A tan that Walt Czworka would be extremely proud of. From the neck up and the elbows down. With my Doebler's hat on, the transformation was complete.

Now after spending 40 bucks to get in the door and close to that on drinks I was left with little to wager with and when I did it was only on the Derby itself. Of course we know how that turned out. Giacomo? 50-1? OH COME ON!

Another was eye-opening facet of Louisville itself is the sheer number of smokers in the city. Chris informed me that a recent study in a mens health magazine rated L'ville the unhealthiest city in the country and after 48 hours in the area, I can understand why. I mean everyone smokes there. We had two groups in the same are that we were in the infield. On our left were the college kids, probably about 15 of 'em and all of 'em, at one point or another, lit up. On our left, the family....mother, father, daughters, sons and friends, probably 15 in all, puffing away. It was a very interesting thing to see.

So now, back in DC. What was first on the agenda? Well an eight hour marathon of Season Two of 24. Eight hours! I have a greater love for that show than ever before and am so addicted that it borders on insanity. Thank you Ron for purchasing them before I moved in! Tonight it's back to Season Five. Were there enough numbers mentioned in that last paragraph?

After that focus shifts to the premiere of Episode III next Wednesday at the Ziggy. Please do not forget do click on the button on the right and donate to the Starlight Children's Foundation. I'll be back in NYC for a looooooong overdue visit with my wife and to subject myself to my first of two overnight shifts on 54th street. I'm looking forward to it.

Folks, if you have been trying to call me and haven't been getting the call back let me apoogize both for past and future occurrences. This May is a very, very hectic time for me. Work, travel, my NYLine commitments and two weddings will conspire against me and test ProfRocket 2000 to it's very limits. I'm not bad at this, I just have this nasty habit of putting too much on my plate at once. I am very sorry if I have snubbed you.

Finally. This weekend did have one drawback. It was the first time in a while that I wasn't able to spend Mother's Day with my Mom. She, of course understood why and, like the trooper that she is, signed up for an extra day at work so she could make some extra coin. She teaches me new lessons every day. She doesn't hear it enough from me but I love her. Happy Mother's Day. I'll see you on Friday. Also, I was unable to spend Mother's Day with my new Mother-In-Law. A cool thing on Sunday for me to do was to make two phone calls. Lucklily I was able to speak with her, say hello and gain an even deeper sense of gratitude and appreciation for the way she has welcomed me into the family. That may sound cheesy, but it's the truth!

54th Street, NY Line III, Day 1

2005-05-02T11:33:00.000-04:00

Day 1 on the Line

Hello class,

Just an FYI, I broke myself into the world that is NY Line this past weekend. Shift #1 was this past Saturday from 11 am to 3 pm at the Ziegfeld Theater on 54th St. between 6th and 7th Ave. Episode III arrives in theaters on May 19th and between now and then I am going to be making numerous trips back and forth to the city to join in the festivities. It's going to be fun, and no, it's not what you think. We do not get in a single file line and just tap our feet and check our watches for the shifts. There are tons of events going on and the always inquisitive foot traffic who take a moment to ask, "so what are you guys doing?" or my personal favorite, from a 20-something recent college grad who asked me, "are you guys Star Wars fans?"

Mind you, I was standing next to a guy who was dressed as Darth Vader......here's your sign.

Also, I was happy to see that Brian Conaghan was gracious enough to click on the animated button you see to the right and donate to the Starlight Children's Foundation. Please, if you can...do the same...follow B's lead and remember, "It's for the kids!"

This weekend I take a break and head on out to the Blue Grass State and the Kentucky Derby. Lt. Remillard has his new digs all prepared and Vinny and I are all set to go. It's actually very impressive how we did it. We both booked flights out of two different airports which arrive in Kentucky 20 minutes apart....I'm sure it happens all the time, but I was impressed.

Click on that Button!

2005-04-26T14:24:00.000-04:00

Hey guys,I know Mom, long time, no blog.

First things first, take a look to the right of the page. You'll notice a new addition. An animated button which has the logo of NY Line on it. Please click on it and, if the mood and your current financial situation allows it, donate to the Starlight Children's Foundation. It will accomplish two goals:1. It will help in making the lives of some very sick children better tha it was a day ago.2. It will make you feel good about yourself. It really will.

Back at Bona's I was always involved with the Merry Christmas Melody Marathon (MCMM) and it's mission to purchase toys for the underprivileged kids of Olean & Allegany, NY. It's the kind of feeling that you can't get from anything else. You see first-hand, the fruits of your sacrifice, and it's the kind of smile on a kid that only selflessness can produce.

Help me continue doing that and get a little feel-good vibe for yourself at the same time. Click on the button and follow the instructions. If you have friends, e-mail the address to this blog and let 'em know what to look for.If you wanna know what NY Line is all about, click on any of the links in the column to the right. Also, check out the issues of the NY Clone, which I have done some freelance writing for. It's really quite a remarkable publication and I am proud to be a part of it.

How, you ask, am I able to write such fascinating pieces of work on the go? Well take a look at the newest addition to the GDP's arsenal:

Prof Mobile HQ

That's right, thanks to some financing, my car being paid off, and my wife being very understandable about all of it. I was able to secure a new 15" PowerBook on March 31st and like the 1961 Ferrari GT Californian....it is so choice. If you have the means I highly recommend picking one up.

Now I could go into all of the bells & whistles but that would just take up more webspace than this server has to give. Suffice to say, my creativity jones finally has the perfect compliment. I am mobile and connected 24/7. Which is good because I am going to be very mobile over the course of the next few weeks.

So there you go Mom, a nice, neat blog update. I hope to have more soon, including updates from the Zeigfeld Theater during the festivities.

Remember, click on that button!

The Montreal Canadiens of High School Hockey....

2005-04-05T09:59:00.000-04:00

It's true....a spring, 1992 edition of the Bergen Record likened my alma-mater, St. Joseph Regional High School to the great Hab dynasty of the 1950's, 60's & 70's. I mean just look at that banner behind us.....lotsa numbers there!

Last month was the annual SJR Alumni Hockey Game. Where out of shape professionals, to most of whom SJR was another lifetime ago, return to re-live the days-gone-by, even if it is only for a few hours. Honestly, that's all I could take. Man...it was embarrassing to realize I am this out of shape! Treadmill, here I come. That being said, for not playing an organized game in two-plus years, I did not do half bad. I didn't have the pace to keep up with the game but I had the pace to wait around until the game came back to where I was on the ice. Either way, I was in the right place at the right time. Two goals, two assists...your typical McKenna line for a game, yes?

Other than the obeseness realization, it was an absolute blast to see some guys that I haven't been around in close to a decade. I remember in the locker room, back in the day, when we were told that we would always be connected by what we accomplished. As a teenager you brush it off immediately but it's true, the feelings come rushing back to you as soon as you see a familiar face.

SJR Hockey Alumni-Photo Credit, Mr. Barry Donnelly

I shared two State, three league and two league playoff (Gordon Cup) championships with some of the guys in that picture . There are others in that picture who came before and actually built the program up from the ground, guys that traveled an hour each way, just so they could play hockey for their high school. There are still others in that pic who came after me, who kept the tradition alive by representing the school with grace, class and determination. Those kids who came after had the toughest part of them all, inheriting a program with a rich history and tradition but suffering a number of setbacks off the ice which crippled the recruiting power of the school for a long while. Those kids are as important in the history of the program as any. If I could give 'em all rings, I would. For them, the payoff is coming....sooner than most people think because after a strong season this year, in an infinitely tougher NJSIAA hockey season than when I played, SJR made the states and made people sit up and take note once again. They have a young team, with almost everyone returning, next year it's moving day for the Knights.

Well, Springsteen's "Glory Days" is just about over on my iPod, as is this little trip. If I bored you, tough. I earned that right, yes?

No thanks....I'm full Gram! Oh well....okay just one more!

2005-03-20T10:26:00.000-05:00

I am convinced that Grandmothers of the world are indirectly or directly responsible for every single good thing in the world. It’s absolutely impossible to act rude around them, to deny more food on your plate when they ask and to turn them away when they ask for kisses. They are the bringers of unconditional love and the one person in your family that should be above and beyond criticism or ridicule.

My Grandmother, Madeline, passed away a year ago and there is not a day that goes by where I do not think of her and the absolute joy she brought to her family and to the world. If meatballs were currency she would have been a millionaire.

Like all Italian mothers, Gram could cook. Cook like nobody’s business. Her sauce was the stuff of legends (as it should be) and she always, always thought she was cooking for a party of thirty. Even if it was just me and Amy coming over, the BIG pot would be on the stove and here would be this immaculate little woman reaching up to stir its contents.

“Hiiiii theeeere!” would be the greeting that welcomed you into her home. If you were a first-time visitor to her home, the first ting you would notice would be the amount of pictures that she had about her place. Her parents, siblings, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, relatives and friends were all represented throughout her place. If there was any free shelf or wall-space it did not remain that way for long. She was a one woman historian for anyone that wanted to know the history of our family. She embraced it and never missed chance to tell a story about a family member from the old country.

Her strength and fortitude should be mentioned as well. This is a woman who raised three children by herself. She was the mother and the father in the lives of my father and two aunts. She never complained about it or used it as any type of crutch or excuse. It simply was what life had dealt her and she’d be damned if she didn’t make the best of it.
Her reward for this was a fulfilling life filled with children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She has family on both coasts and friends sprinkled in every nook and cranny on the planet. Her personality was contagious in the sense that she could make friends with someone almost immediately. It was never hard to get her to care deeply about someone or something, it always came natural. Her love was unconditional, unwavering and unending.

Gram & I - June '92.

If you knew her, no matter how remotely, you know exactly what I am talking about. If you did not know her, believe me she would have wanted three things for you:

1. To see you smiling.

2. To have you call her.

3. To have some more food (no matter how full you were).

Now #3 usually took care of #1. For me, it was #2 that will always sit uneasy. I always had the opportunity to call her but only took advantage of it a fraction of the time. Yes, our family made light of the way that she answered the phone and how she spoke to us, but it was always, always done out of love and with the unspoken thought of “man, I should call her more often” going through everyone’s head. We teased her about the amount of tin foil she had in her apartment. I mean the amounts of it would make your fillings hurt if you knew. I’m sure she could pick up radio signals from space in her refrigerator, but I digress. The point is, we loved her for everything that she was…absolutely everything.

Hers was the kind of life that deserves to be remembered with love and smiles. Her last thoughts, I am sure, were about how she could help somebody with something. She is directly responsible for every good deed that I have done or will do .

We love her, we miss her and will always have her with us.

Off to Never Neverland...

2005-03-09T23:35:00.000-05:00

There are only a few things in this world that can put me in a car for hours on end. Like Julie Andrews in "The Sound of Music" these are a few of my favorite things. I don't know why I'm thinking of them right now. It could be because the Bonnies just got trounced by Dayton 78-48 to end their season at 2-26.

When you're in college, especially if you're a guy, you know all about road trips. Movies have been made, songs written and books published on the subject. When executed with the right balance of timing, courage and spontaneity it creates lifelong memories and limitless amounts of stories...all which begin with the phrase, "remember that time when...."

Hey Cappy, remember that time when we drove up to Rochester on a Monday night for the midnight release of Sammy Hagar's new album? We got to the great, great, great House of Guitars only to find the doors closed and the lights out. Man that was so funny, getting all psyched up to get the album and then...nothing. However, that was only one goal of our trip.

The other is pictured below...

Garbage Plate

That's right folks. Nick Tahou Hots. Home of the Garbage Plate. Five pounds of heaven for only five bucks out of your pocket. What you have there are two cheeseburgers smothered in hot sauce on top of a bed of macaroni salad. Take a bottle of ketchup and empty half of it on top and mix it all together for one of the best tasting meals you will have outside of your mother's kitchen. Sure it looks exactly the same in both directions but that's a small price to pay, yes?

Securing our Plates we then got back into our borrowed car for the trip back to Bona's. About 1/4 of the way back I looked down at the gas gage.....to see it firmly pointing to "E".

Now you have to remember, this is western New York state. On a weeknight, everything, and I do mean everything closes at 9 pm. This includes gas stations. Oh man, Cappy, you had the master plan...you put in Metallica's black album and off we went. Two hours later we pulled into SBU. That's right....Metallica got us all the way back. It fueled the car. I can't make this up.

That's just one of a ton of memories that come from road trips. I encourage you to act on the impulse the next time it strikes you.

Good Day!

South Bethesda

2005-03-01T10:53:00.000-05:00

Hey gang......just a quick update. In case you were wondering, here is the view from my desk here at North American Network. Not bad digs.....Bethesda is the unch capital of the world. It has everything you could possibly want and more...all located withing a two block radius.

The view from the 14th Floor

That's no moon.....

2005-02-23T14:39:00.000-05:00

iPod update:

1,945 songs, 7.2 days, 13.4 GB (out of 40)

Last song added: Beastie Boys, "Paul Revere"

I've taken on some freelance work for charity. It's a side-effect of this blog actually. All of this writing has gotten me in the literary zone, so to speak. I have been working with the people over at NY Line.

NY Line is the group that has gathered together every three years too celebrate the opening of the latest Star Wars movie. On April 1st they'll start all over again outside of New York's Ziegfeld Theater in anticipation of the last new Star Wars movie to be released, Star Wars: Episode III, Revenge of the Sith.

When Episode II was released I entered a contest to win tickets to the premiere at the Ziegfeld. I was lucky enough to win and spend the day with these people who are completely devoted to everything Star Wars. My friend Ken Morris and myself went down to the city and just immersed ourselves in the fun and silly-ness that is a Star Wars premiere.

Not to sound too dorky, but it was a blast. I mean where else can you go to see a painting of the Death Star on a pregnant lady's belly? It is another world there, one where it's okay to quote movies 24/7. I can't tell you how excited I was about that. Of course the actual viewing of the movie was in itself an incredible time. If you haven't been to a Star Wars premiere with hardcore fans, do yourself a favor and make sure you get there with this last chance that you have. yes there is hootin' and hollerin' but it's done at the right times and totally in support of the movie. All of those scenes that you watch at home where you think to yourself, "that's awesome" is met with thunderous cheers and applause.

One that stands out is when Yoda whips out his lightsaber for the first time.

I have never heard a theater so loud before. The atmosphere creates instant memories. Something tangible that you can almost grab onto. At the very least.....it's a nice ride with cool eye candy.

So here it is....Almost March, 2005 and the countdown is set to begin again. This time I plan to earn my way into the midnight screening and not back my way in through a contest. In addition to writing for the organization's newsletter. I will be asking for pledges to help out the Starlight Children's Foundation. This is a non-profit organization which, among other things, raises funds to purchase entertainment systems for children in hospitals. It's a great cause.

So I get to be a dork one last time and rock out to a new Star Wars movie. Please bear with me if I become uncontrollably juvenile and incoherent as the days dwindle down.

I'd appreciate that.

-GDP

An Open Letter......

2005-02-17T23:10:00.000-05:00

To the NHL and the NHLPA:

Go f$#* yourselves.

Sincerely,

Ryan McKenna

Rumblings and Physics

2005-02-16T10:20:00.000-05:00

iPod update:

1,921 songs, 6.8 days, 12.1 GB (out of 40)

Last album added: Duran Duran, Greatest Hits

Apologies for not updating for a bit but it has been hectic at work (which I do love saying) and my computer time must be spent actually creating something professionally. However I consider this work because it has become the best way for sharpening my writing skills.

That being said, there are no shortages of distractions here at the office:

I share and office with what is known, I think, as a grunter. Nice guy to be sure but every single movement is accompanied by a grunt, yammer or bellow. His vociferation cries out for attention and believe me before the summer is done, he's gonna get it.

But I am a professional, and as such, I will work through these distractions and do the job I am expected to do.....end of rant.

Bonnies @ Xavier tonight at 7. Hopefully the brown and white can manage the upset. Hopes are high but expectations low.

In other sports news, the GDP (that's me) registered for his rookie season in the World Adult Kickball Association yesterday. This is a league of 30 & 40-somethings who relive the glory days of elementary school when everyone used to chant your name and cheer you on during gym class. Apparently, the sentiments between the players are not the same as in school because things can get heated.

I imagine it's very easy to get out onto the kickball field and really get into the whole "turn back the clock" mentality. You remember the rules to kickball, right? Same as baseball for the most part but a batter can be called out if he or she is hit with the ball while between the bases.

Now when you were a kid you threw that ball as hard as you could, but if you were 3B or SS, that's a long throw, right? Chances are that the ball maybe bounced once before it got to where it was intended. Either way, there wasn't the same amount of mustard on the throw from start to finish.

Not so anymore. Ground ball, third base, third baseman picks it up. Batter sprinting towards first to try and beat the throw. Third baseman launches the ball.....

Child mentality, adult results.....

The ball, which has now become a red sphere of destruction, speeds towards its target with enough velocity to make a first grader cry for a month straight. There is no arc to the throw, no dip and certainly no bounce. Nope....the ball finds its target, the left temple of the batter. The rest is physics...especially if it's a girl who was the batter. But then again....some things, I guess, haven't changed from grade school.

I am anticipating a blast being had during this season and enjoying myself immensely.

Hopefully they'll let me play third base

Night Fever

2005-02-10T10:34:00.000-05:00

iPod update:

1,910 songs, 6.7 days, 11.7 GB (out of 40)

Last album added: Bee Gees, The Number Ones

Yes...The Bee Gees are on my iPod. I can't help it...."Lonely Days" is one of my favorite tracks from them and I cannot be without "Jive Talkin'". Don't be mad, or worse, judgmental. I like the Bee Gees....there, I said it.

Mid-week update here from Prof-ville where I have one sick roommate.

Ron's got the pneumonia.

I say it like they would in medieval times because that's what he sounds like when he was at his worst. I feel for my friend. Bad cough, fever, the works. It's been a busy week here at work so I haven't had the time to help him out as much as I could. For that, I apologize.

So I am living in a cloud of Lysol and patting everything down with Chlorox wipes. I even bought that hand sanitizer! So far so good, no symptoms and no news is good news. If you have a sec, give RonJuan a call and see how he's doing.

As always....donations are being accepted. In lieu of flowers you can send cans of Lysol and Chlorox wipes....Vitamin C will also be appreciated!

I'm going to be in NY this weekend in what is being billed by Amy & I as a Public Relations Tour. We'll be making appearances at Pasta Cucina on Friday, Brooklyn Pizza in Ridgewood, NJ on Saturday afternoon, Sport-O-Rama on Saturday and Sunday evening, and the Palisades Center at different points during the weekend.

Autographs will be available for a reasonable fee but we will only be signing official copies of wedding pictures and this blog.

Good Day!

Traditioooooooon!

2005-02-07T11:33:00.000-05:00

iPod update:

1,891 songs, 6.1 days, 11.7 GB (out of 40)

Last song added: Everclear, "Everything to Everyone"

Prof is a sore boy this morning. Spent the better part of the weekend helping out The Hagovsky's prepare their new home for the move-in which will take place during this upcoming weekend. Amy made the trip down and it was fun to play house for awhile (albeit in someone else's place). We took a few moments and looked around and said to each other, "Yeah. I could see us doing this."

That's how it is with us and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Terrible coffee this morning.....bad start to the week but we do have a new episode of 24 tonight so everything will even out.

Terrible game last night. Anti-climactic with a bad bad start and absolutely bland commercials (except for that Career Builder spot with the monkeys in the office) made for a bad TV viewing experience. Paul McCartney was the only bright spot in an otherwise FCC-controlled atmosphere. Kudos to http://www.godaddy.com/ for their somewhat risquee spot during the game. At least someone had the guts to put their original ad on. Then again, I don't think they had the money to film a backup.

I could go on about the FCC and the spineless people that cower to them and their narrow view of the First Amendment, but why beat a dead horse?

Work is good. Amy is well and we are slowly but surely making our way closer to the time when we will once again be under the same roof. It's tough folks. I remember telling Amy last September, "You know...it's going to be tough in the beginning but by February we'll be used to it and it won't be so bad."

So much for that BS statement.

Like sands through the hourglass......

On a happier note, Happy Birthday to my sister-in-law Deanna. Tomorrow she turns 24, a cool age of which I am very jealous. I told her that 24 is a mature age but no too mature to still have some spur-of-the-moment road trip to Toronto.

I have adopted a practice with Deanna, introduced to me by my cousins, The Daismont's back when I was a teenager:

Whenever they could, during holidays and birthdays, they would send me a copy of an album or cassette. This was my introduction, and turned into my passion for music and its emotional power (see the "walking to work" and "back in high school" posts). So I have decided to continue that tradition with Deanna....her present will be arriving shortly.

Good day people!

Sappy as I get (publicly)...

2005-01-31T09:51:00.000-05:00

iPod update:

1,858 songs, 6.1 days, 11.5 GB (out of 40)

Last album added: Eric Clapton, 24 Nights

This is the tough part.

Monday morning after a great weekend with my wife. I left NY at 7:00 and made it back before 11. Pretty good time for the drive and probably what I'll wind up doing for the rest of the time.

What a great weekend though, not to sound too sappy. It was like one of those musical montages kind of time. "Something Tells Me I'm Into Something Good" or something like that. Cheesy? yes, but I can't wait for it to happen again.

Back to work (which I love saying) now and a busy week here at NAN. NewsFeeds, RadioTours, all that good stuff which I get paid to produce and distribute. It is a great job with great people who genuinely look out for each other and care about the advancement of the company. We have a lot of pride in what we do and that we are the #1 company in our field.

Thanks to a great gift from my Dad, I know just how far I have come:

In October of 1984, I was a 10 year-old hockey prodigy who needed to learn how to make a buck. What better way to do that than scorekeeping hockey games? Right? Yup. Five bucks per (they make $15 now) to sit there and run the clock. First thing I found out about working? It's freakin' cold in a hockey rink when you're not actually playing!

Well when I got that first check my dad took it, gave me a five dollar bill and had that check framed. It sits on my office wall and is a constant reminder of how far I have come from freezing my ass off in a hockey rink in October of 1984.

In other news. Congrats to Lori Morris who, over the weekend, was married to Paul Flores in a beautiful ceremony in Totowa, NJ. Amy & I were fortunate enough to be invited to share in the day.

Al & Amy Hagovsky continue the slow process of moving into their new (and first) home. My wife and I will be helping them out next Saturday when she visits. From what I hear it's a great place with tons of Poker and Super Bowl potential! Were helping them move but we are not driving them to the airport!

Finally, speaking of the game...If you are in town this upcoming weekend and need a place to watch the game, come on over to our place. We've got 55" of Super Sunday goodness!

Good Day!

You daaaaam right.

2005-01-25T09:11:00.000-05:00

iPod update:
1,766 songs, 5.4 days, 7.13 GB (out of 40)

Last album added:
Roger Waters, The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking

So I'm walking to work this morning and it dawns on me that a person is very insulated from all around him/her when you have the tunes going.

Case in point. I have the iPod on shuffle so 1,766 tunes play in order and "Alive and Kicking" by Simple Minds comes on. This tune has a great start, good bass drum beat. Next thing I know I'm walking pretty briskly to work! It's the darndest thing but I feel like the coolest guy in the town. Walking with tunes is like having your own theme song (every good hero should have one).

With an iPod, everyone is Shaft.

So that got me thinking. What are my personal favorite walking/Shaft-esque tunes?

- "Bullet the Blue Sky", U2
- "Staying Alive", The Bee Gees
- "Moby Dick", Led Zeppelin
- "One of These Days", Pink Floyd
- "All Mixed Up", 311
- "Would?", Alice In Chains
- "Rockin' The Suburbs", Ben Folds
- "Monkey Man", The Rolling Stones
- "Xanadu", Rush

Happy downloading!

Sad, sad, sad.....

2005-01-23T16:24:00.000-05:00

iPod update:
1,522 songs, 4.7 days, 6.19 GB (out of 40)

Last album added:
Bruce Springsteen, Born To Run

I don't care one iota about the National Hockey League right now. It's an absolute disgrace how they have taken our game and made it their game. I get more joy and satisfaction from watching and being a part of youth leagues and pick-up games to even care about what some millionaire thinks should be important to me.

I am the target audience for the NHL and the NHLPA. 18-39 and middle-class. The NHL game should be accessible to me but hasn't been since 1996 when I could get a Sabres ticket for half-price with my student ID. There was a time when I would drive two hours through lake-effect snow to see a game. Those days are gone because now, even if I needed to, I wouldn't drive to an NHL game.

Don't get me wrong....I'll be back. I don't know when my faith will be restored (probably sooner than later) but what the NHL and the NHLPA have done over the course of the past few months have scarred me to the very core. In a game that relies on emotion they have sucked it right out where all that is left is an empty shell.....and I live in Maryland. What's happening in the Great White North?

Is curling that popular? I don't think so. In fact, the lockout has had such an effect that a man in Ottawa used his dying words to denounce the current state of affairs.

Amen, brotha.

I love hockey. I love the Ramapo Saints, the St. Joseph Regional Green Knights, the Indian Hills Braves and the New York Islanders(honestly, I do!) However, right now I'd drive the four hours back to NY/NJ to see the first three play but not the five minutes to hop on the Metro into downtown D.C. to see the Isles when they are in town. It's like when you are so mad at someone you just do not want to even see their face.

That's how I feel about the NHL.

Moving right along

2005-01-18T10:37:00.000-05:00

"Bear left."

"right frog."

There is something to be said about chemistry. The chemistry that existed between Frank Oz and the late Jim Henson when they were manipulating and performing as Fozzy Bear and Kermit the Frog is something that comes along every once in awhile. The scenes from The Muppet Movie in the car when it's just them is some of the funniest ever put up on a movie screen.

I'm big on inspiration. Maybe even bigger on "psyching up". I like the way a movie or a piece of music can just change your mood instantly. It doesn't matter where you are or who's around....if a piece of music comes on you get that jolt through your body like you just got hit by lightning.

A few pieces of music do that for me:

August 7th, 2004. I'm getting in the car to drive over to the hotel to get ready for the wedding. It's my last time that I'll have by myself before I am overtaken by the madness that is a groom's wedding day. I fire up PR2K (ProfRocket 2000) and slip in Exit...Stage Left, the first Rush CD I ever bought. For the 4:50 second trip over to the hotel I rocked out to "The Spirit of Radio". I'm telling you, I felt immortal for those sublime minutes.

Another song that does it for me is Led Zeppelin's "Achilles' Last Stand". It's on their lesser known Presence album but believe me, nothing kicks ass like that song. At 10:50 seconds the song is just long enough to get me from my old house on Prospect St. in Nanuet to Sport-O-Rama in Monsey. 10:50 to get psyched up for each and every home game for St. Joseph Regional High School (the Montreal Canadiens of high school hockey). Two nights ago I put in on just to see if it still did it. Sure enough, the time machine was activated as soon as the first note hit my ears. I even lost it in the car when John Bonham hit that sick drum/cymbal combo in the middle of the second verse. Like clockwork and a drink from the Fountain of Youth I was 17 again, driving to the rink, feeling unbeatable.

I dunno what the point of this is. It could be that I got a 40 GB iPod as a present to myself for landing this great job. Every CD I own is now stored on a device the size of a deck of cards....the only thing I can muster when I try to fathom that is a dorky, teenage, "oooooooooooooo!" Like those toys that live in the crane game in Toy Story.

Later people, stay warm and don't forget what I said.

-Good Day

View from the 14th Floor

2005-01-11T17:33:00.000-05:00

Nice disolve!

Hey gang, I'm looking out of my 14th floor window in front of my desk here at my new job in Bethesda. I'll get a pic up as soon as I can. I've got a nice clear view of western Bethesda, which is like having a view of western Paramus but hey....beggars can't be choosers, right?

Definantly a good day today folks!

J-E-T-S

2005-01-10T01:06:00.000-05:00

Oh yeah baby!

Everything from here is gravy for the Jets. After that emotionally draining football game on Saturday night/Sunday morning nobody expects them to do anything against the Steelers, Pats, or Colts, so should we pull off....nah, I'm not saying anything more than that. I'm a happy Jets fan right now looking forward to an exciting week on all accounts.

I was so high on adrenaline that I wasn't able to get to sleep until about 3:30 AM. Normally, that wouldn't be bad on a Sunday morning but yours truly had to officiate a Junior Caps game at 10:00 AM in Laurel. Three 20 minute periods, keeping up with 18-21 year olds. Top notch hockey and thanks to some intestinal fortitude and overall great skill, I had a gem of a game. Felt good to be able to ref at the highest level and be considered by my peers and the spectators.

I came home and crashed for four hours.....utterly exhausted.

So the week starts anew, literally. I go into NAN on Tuesday for training and orientation. I'm psyched to get going. Like I said before, it's a great company with the right people. I look forward to being part of the team on a full-time basis.

My sister-in-law's boyfriend, Lt. Chris Remillard got his station assignment for his tour of duty. He'll be a Physical Therapist, stationed at Ft. Knox in Kentucky (yes, that Ft. Knox). He's off to the Blue Grass State in April. Good luck Chris!

More to come in the next few days!

Vindication

2005-01-05T22:21:00.000-05:00

(exhale)

"That ends the longest f%^$#$g losing streak I've ever been on"

It's a line from Slap Shot, the greatest movie of all time and it was the first thing I said after I hung up the phone this evening. Yes indeed, the GDP's full-time again. It's nice to be wanted....wanted by anyone professionally that is, and this afternoon North American Network, Inc. in Bethesda, MD asked me to join the team.

I will be a Project and Client Services Manager for NAN, which is a public relations firm specializing in radio. You can visit our website at www.nanradio.com. It is a great company with excellent people who share a common background, love and friendship. It is the company which took me in back in '98 and saw that I shared all of the qualities which they posses. The decision was a no-brainer for Amy & I.

Now I know that I posted in the last message that I wanted to write and believe me, I still plan on pursuing that in whatever capacity I can. It's just that I have such a great feeling about all of this. The company, the people and the future. This is where we are going to spend the foreseeable future and it is all at once exciting and nerve-wracking.

One last high note. My good friend from high school, Dawn Cassiello got engaged over the holiday break. Congrats to you Dawn!

I start next week and will put all of the resume paper I have in stock up on eBay. Wish me luck!

-Good Day!

History

2005-01-03T21:58:00.000-05:00

The evidence is in from New Year's and believe me, most of the pics I've seen show the same face as the one I posted below. Getting drunk is better advertising for Gatorade than anything Michael Jordan did in the 80's & 90's. It's an elixir. If you are planning to get sauced go out and buy two 32 oz. bottles (make sure you get the Frost brand, that is, no color because the traditional ones leave a bad aftertaste in your mouth) and put 'em in the fridge before you go out.

It's gold Jerry....GOLD I tell ya!

Sunday was a day of rest in every sense of the term.

So now it's back to the grindstone. I like my job right now but it has no room for advancement. It's freelance work so I'm hoofing it in downtown DC on the days that I'm not in the office....getting the word out that the GDP is in town and available. I've done everything but scribble my resume on the Union Station bathroom stall.

I've also started the official Ryan McKenna PowerBook fund. It's up to $350 right now, which is about a third of the way. I stopped in the Apple Store in Tyson's Corner and test drove the 12" (another Aerosmith reference, DAMN!) and convinced myself it's going to be the machine which will best help me make my future happen. Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you that over Christmas I was inspired by a gift.

Amy got me a family history plaque which has my family's crest and a brief history of it's name. Turns out, my family comes from County Monaghan in the northern province of Ulster in Ireland. It gives a history of when my ancestors came to this country and what they did, specifically, it gives the most notable accomplishments. As it turns out the most notable accomplishments come in the field of literature. Our family has never been one to make mention of the accomplishments of our ancestors, simply because we come from so many different backgrounds, but me being the most Irish looking (and acting as New Year's proved again), I found an instant bond formed between me and my past family members.

So here I write, trying to stir up what I know is inside me. Finding any and all outlets to keep on keepin' on. Am I a novelist? Columnist? Lyricist? Maybe.....gasp a poet? Who knows? I could end up writing for Hallmark.

The die have been cast.

Valuable lessons learned....

2005-01-02T15:08:00.000-05:00

Oh man....bad things.....bad things. I learned a very valuable lesson on NYE:

Getting drunk in your 30's is a lot worse than getting drunk in your 20's. It sort of snuk up on me without any warning. Rum and coke, rum and coke, rum and coke. Any body think to count? Nahhhhhh.....let 'er rip, GDP, let 'er rip.

We started the festivities at Al & Amy's with casual drinking and a sprited round of Scene It. It was me vs. everyone in the room and I lost by the thinnest of margains....Little Nicky will forever haunt me.

We then turned to poker where yours truly was the winner of a $5 buy-in game. I won Amy's metro fare for the evening (which turned out to be important). At around 9:00 we headed out to Polly Esther's and our third straight year of NYE celebrations on 12th street.

Well Ron, Al & I made a rule when we arrived. The rule was.....whenever one person ordered a drink that person would order drinks for the other two. The end result was alot of double fisting. In addition, because we're just all-around great guys and bartenders react well to great guys....we had RUM and cokes and not cokes and rum.....long story short, after about two hours there this is what we looked like:

So we ring in '05 (apparently five minutes late but c'mon, look at the picture.....five minutes late is pretty good, yes?) and about two hours later it's time to hop on the red line and head back home. God bless my wife.....she stayed by me the whole time and got me back to our apartment. What happened after that I'll take to the grave with me.

I hope you had as enjoyable a celebration as I did. Thanks to Doc, Liz, Shawna and Brian for making the trip down and sharing it with us. It's truly the best party of the year (well second best this year).

Same Old Lang Syne

2004-12-31T13:55:00.000-05:00

"Merry New Year!"

"You mean Happy, Happy New Year."

"HA HA HA HA! Thank you for correcting my english which stinks!"

Good quote which I always revisit on this day. Best wishes for a successful and prosperous 2005 from the GDP. We're heading over to Al & Amy's for all day poker, movies and general merriment. Then it's off to Polly Esther's for a night of 80's goodness at Culture Club. The Purple Rain will be flowing and I'll be wearing my sunglasses at night. I'm keeping a secret list of songs that I want to hear and will follow with a full report on Sunday or Monday.

No doubt we'll here the traditional Auld Lang Syne and once again I'll have to go into the whole "When Harry Met Sally" scene which searches for an answer to the song's meaning.....classic stuff and I'm sure that Amy will not miss a beat.

Time to hit the shower and get ready.......best wishes for a safe and happy New Year's Eve. I hope you celebrate it in style.

Good Day!

Calling the shots

2004-12-30T13:42:00.000-05:00

Prof on the bench

Just trying this picture posting tool. Here' a shot circa last February. I'm on the bench with my championship winning JV team from Indian Hills High School in Oakland, NJ.

Update for those interested.....

2004-12-30T01:41:00.000-05:00

An interesting thing, these blogs.

A chance to vent to the entire universe concerning everything from the most mundane to the most life changing. I think I might like it here. However, since I am currently confined to posting in my apartment, I do not know how many times you will be rewarded with literature nuggets from the GDP. I am saving up for a PowerBook and when it arrives, hoo boy! However, this being the time for resolutions, (cue Jackie Gleason) and aaaaaaaway we go!

I think I should start by giving everyone an update on my current situation. I am currently living in Rockville, MD with the best man from my wedding and the best kind of friend anyone could ask for, Ron Dermady.

Friends tell me that I have the best kind of deal anyone could ask for. Married but living the single life. Not to sound too sappy...but it's just not the case. Amy, my wife, is a rock. She's living alone for five days a week and doing a tremendous job with her first grade class. All this while pursuing (very successfully) her Master's degree. If you didn't know it before, know it now, she is the greatest source of inspiration that anyone could ask for.

I love scotch, scotchty scotch-scotch. Here it goes down, down into my belly. Mmm, mmm, mmm.

Sorry, Anchorman moment......

New Year's is almost upon us and we are once again going to be heading down to Polly Esther's in D.C. How could you not? Great price, all you can eat and drink, good music and a great place. A 1970's retro-bar, however we will not be getting dressed up....I fresh out of leisure suits.

After that it's back to work and back to the weekend grind that is USA Hockey officiating. I am a Level 3 this year (for those of you that do not know.....that's very good) I've started to get UVA games and Tier II Junior games. Neil Peart wrote "Big Money goes around the world." I, however, only have to go to Laurel, MD.

We'll see how I do with this...Aim's coming down for NYE then she head's back up to Nanuet to see her first graders and graduate books. She's a trooper, and a pretty darn good looking one at that.

Good Day!