It dawned on me yesterday morning, after I got gas on the way to work, that I wouldn't have to fill the gas tank again while I was in my 30s. :o)

So far this week I've been trained on one new task regarding handling some of the incoming mail. It's something that a co-worker hasn't got time to do along with her ton of other tasks, so I'm taking it on. Believe me, that's just FINE with me. The more things I do, the more indispensible I get, and the more likely that this assignment will continue. Maybe I can even add, "and the greater the chance that this will turn into a temp-to-perm positon".

This has been an aggravating week for me, as a fan of our Phantoms alumni who are on other NHL teams. I have NHL Center Ice on digital cable, so I can watch other cities' NHL telecasts. I put the Tampa Bay Lightning game on, only to learn that the player I'd tuned in to see, Rusty Fedotenko, was a healthy scratch. I tuned in to a Buffalo Sabres game, and Andy Delmore was a healthy scratch. Both of those guys have been in a slump to start the season, which makes me feel disappointed for them. I'm hoping they get back into the lineup and turn things around soon.

But the most frustrating of all the Phantoms-alumni news was that goalie Brian Boucher isn't even *practicing* with the Phoenix Coyotes, never mind dressing for games or playing for them. I don't know what drugs the powers-that-be are on, out there in Phoenix, but if they used a few brain cells they could manage to allow all three of their goalies to practice with the team. I've watched the Flyers do it during training camp: each goalie takes turns sitting out, and all the netminders get to take part in the practice and the drills. I can't imagine what the Yotes are thinking... you don't pay a guy $2M/year to take shots on goal from the GOALIE COACH for an hour prior to the team's practice. That's ridiculous! I was furious after I read the article on azcentral.com. I'm trying to get some fans together on a couple of Phoenix and/or goalie-related mailing lists I'm. There are several Brian fans on those lists, including me, and I'm encouraging people to send Boosh some upbeat snail mail. There aren't many concrete things that fans can do to help a player or a team, but taking action to boost morale IS something we can do.

I am REALLY looking forward to tomorrow night... the Phantoms will be playing their first home game since October 19. I miss the heck out of the team and of watching live hockey. It'll be nice to see the team again. It should be a colorful game... we opened a can of goal-scoring on the Bears last Sunday in Hershey, with a 6-2 win. The Bears started gooning it up, including four fights, with about six minutes left in the game. Tomorrow there'll surely be some scores to settle. I'm betting the first fight happens within the first five minutes of the game tomorrow. IF it even takes THAT long. LOL.

Well, speaking of hockey, the Flyers/Caps are on TV, so I'll return to watching that now.

Oh, and P.S., I nearly forgot. We had a bit of an adventure at work on Halloween. Check out An adventurous Halloween to see the pics.