Busy Weekend

Today was a (sort of) momentous day.  The first Lowell hockey game of the season.  Okay, it was just preseason and it wasn’t actually Lowell playing even though it was in Lowell.

Training camp opened for most NHL teams this past Thursday.  That makes today day four… and some how a number of NHL teams played exhibition games today.  Including the Bruins and the New Jersey Devils.  Since the AHL franchise in Lowell is now owned by the Devils, it was decided that an NHL preseason game would be played at the Tsongas arena in Lowell between the Devils and the Boston Bruins.  Today was the day.

It was a little strange.   Regardless of my season tickets for the team-formerly-known-as-the-Lock-Monsters I am still a 100% Boston Bruins fan.  The keyword there being Boston.  I bleed black and gold and all that horse shit, but when I’m sitting in the last row of section G at The Senate (that’s my personal nickname for the Tsongas Arena… Paul Tsongas was a US Senator… get it?) the Bruins (from Providence this time) are the enemy.  It’s a little confusing to route for the Bruins in that setting.  I did it though, and as you might have guessed New Jersey spanked Boston’s ass in humiliating fashion.  5-0.  It was so bad there was one guy actively Booing the Bruins.  It’s day 4 of training camp and they’re hearing booos.  That can’t be good.

Granted, the Devils were one Martin Brodeur away from a pretty good NHL line up, while the Bruins had Patrice Bergeron, Brad Boyes, and most of their rookie camp.  Given the rosters, the slaughter was not surprising.  I was hoping we’d get to see Zdeno Chara make his triumphant return to Lowell.  Chara played for the Lock Monsters during their first season, back in ’98/’99.  I was also hoping to see the B’s first round pick, 18 year old Phil Kessel who is said to have completely dazzled during the rookie camp last week.  No dice though.  Neither guy played.

Here’s a picture… this was from the second period, and I think when the puck popped into the air above goalie Frank Doyle’s head it was as close as Boston came to a goal.

Now for Saturday’s festivities.  We had an engagement party for My sister Lisa and her fiance Ken.  Ken is originally from Maine and most of his family is still there, but they all made the drive to Tewksbury and we had a catered clambake.  It’s a little crazy… the wedding isn’t until July (click here to see how much time is left until their big day) and they already have most of the planning work done.
Church?  Check.
Reception hall?  Check.
Dresses?  Check, for all of them.
DJ?  Check.
I think the only thing left is the little thing that goes on top of the cake.  Everything else seems to be accounted for… and only 10 months or so left.

I wandered around the yard taking pictures.  Here’s a shot of Lisa & Ken that I cut out of a much wider shot.

Finally there was Friday.  I went to Bill’s Bar to see The Glass Set.  I tried to get a couple of people to go with me, but no one was available.  So I snuck into town after work and did some wandering until the doors opened at 9:00.  The band was kind enough to let me take pictures.  I was hoping I’d get lucky and take a few that they’d be able to use for something.  Not terribly likely.  I managed to touch up a few so that they were slightly better than disgustingly aweful, but for the most part I ended up with pictures that were either blurry enough to make you dizzy, or just pitch black.  Here’s one that was almost sort of okay.

This picture is actually a pretty good summation of them all.  Some light on center stage, and no light at all on either wing.

The band was excellent.  I don’t know if it was the new bass player or what, but they were much tighter than the last time I saw them.  The new songs sounded great.  I’m really looking forward to the next record.  If you get a chance to see them, go.  Just do it (as the commercials used to say).  See The Glass Set.

Now it’s Sunday afternoon and I am completely whiped out.  Just in time to be on call for a hospital’s Go-Live!  Yeah!  There were supposed to be two hospitals and I was kinda worried about one of them, but they moved their date until next month.  If you heared something that sounded like a wind storm on Tuesday or Wednesday morning last week it was probably me breathing a giguntic (as my cousin Abigail said yesterday) sigh or relief.

Right then, off to nap until the alarm clock goes off tomorrow, or the cell phone rings tonight… whichever comes first.

Good Day