Time flies when you're doing nothing.

I've been MIA for a while, mainly because of being away and working and then losing track of time and all those other commonly used excuses. I care about everyone, I really do!
So my trip to New Jersey/Philly/NY was wicked awesome.

I encountered real life non-Buffalo traffic (like a 30+ mile long line of cars),

went to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty,

Where's Soupy and Veins Veins Veins when you need them?

and saw my favorite band play on the 4th of July in the pouring rain.




Yes, there were tubas, keytars played with teeth, stuffed peppers, makeshift tents and tarps and one small light, and all that other stuff.

We were wet, Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers were wet, the stage was wet, but it didn't matter. Even though everyone was dripping from the rain at the end, they still played and we still watched. And everyone had a blast.

- Sportsy related, we had to travel back and forth to all the places we were going to see. Driving on the Walt Whitman Bridge into New Jersey, you would always see the sports complex... the Wachovia Center - home of the Flyers/76ers/etc, Citizens Bank Park - home of the Phillies, and the Lincoln Financial Field - the home of the Eagles. It was kind of cool to see with everything in that one location, unlike ours with the Ralph out in Orchard Park and then HSBC and Dunn Tire downtown.

NOW. Clarkie, Pumpkin Pie-eh, and Mancari have all been resigned! I had no doubt in Paille, and maybe a little in Clarkie and Mancari's case. What can I say, I get sucked into the rumors sometimes. Don't judge! But this is obviously another great step forward.

And the schedule is up! Is it me, or does it seem that the season is starting later this year? I think last year started October 5th, and this year the 10th. Not a huge difference, but whatever.

I'm not sure if I like the new schedule format completely, but I do know that I like that Vancouver and LA come to HSBC throughout the season. Playing each Western Conference team once, with exception to our "at large" opponents (Anaheim, Detroit, Phoenix), is great so we can see other teams that didn't we see much of before. No seeing Pat Kane or Soupy at home though. Darn. I wanted to hear the booing.
Scanning through, there are no more back-to-back, home and home series with any teams. There are still back-to-back games, but none with the same team both times. If there are, they are more spaced out.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with the schedule, I think. Besides the only 3 home games in January.

Oh, and in closing random news, Stephen Page was arrested on drug charges. That makes me a little sad. I love the crazy Canadian fools otherwise known as the Barenaked Ladies, and this happening when they're on a children's tour no less. Sad!