Five Minutes In The Box

All it takes is five minutes in the box and I'm like a new man. Bam! Why do we wait so long some times?

Historically, after confession my prayer life is re-invigorated, my temper subsides, my thirst for the things of God is sweetened, I'm more reliable, cheerful, and much more charitable towards others.

In hockey you go to the Penalty Box after committing a foul. Two minutes for minor penalties, five minutes for really serious offenses.

I was complaining that I needed to go to Confession, and the guys said, "Is it that bad?".

I said, "Well, after so many two-minute minors, it adds up to a five-minute major."

Only In Women's Hockey ...

... will you see a girl with mascara and eyeshadow on under her hockey mask. A girl's gotta look good while competing for a gold medal at the Olympics!


That must be some seriously waterproof makeup.

Stories From The Cold: Paraliturgy

This is the Diocese of Arlington's inclement weather policy:

All baptized Catholics are obliged to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. However, there are particular circumstances or conditions that may excuse a Catholic from this obligation. If there is severe weather conditions that make attending Mass dangerous to your safety or that of others, you are excused from the obligation.

Some people in the area made it to Mass, others of us live at the bottom of a hill in a no-clout neighborhood. It didn't matter that the main roads were as clean as a whistle - we couldn't get there from here. Blynken remarked, "This is the first time we've never gone to Mass -- ever."

The Diocese goes on to say:

If you are unable to attend Mass, the Church recommends making a spiritual Communion and spending some time in prayer.

So, that is what we did. Yay, Internet.

Wynken read the first reading from his new Bible, Blynken did the Psalm, Nod-girl insisted she was big enough to read the second reading (and did surprisingly well for a first grader), and dear old Dad read the Gospel.

The toddlers ran around like it was circus time. Oh, well, you can't win 'em all.

We even got a nice video homily from the Inter-tubes, and then we talked about the readings, and I checked their understanding. Then we listened to the readings again online. Not a bad para-liturgy.

Then Grandpa Nod called to say that the Caps just won their 14th game in a row. I told him about our para-liturgy and he said over there they were praying to St. Capitals and Holy Ovechkin. He was kidding.

I think.

Caps Hockey Season Screeches To A Halt

It was one of the most heralded games of the 2009 NHL playoffs: Game 7 of the Washington Capitals vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins, featuring the battle of the superstars, Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby. It's an endurance game and the best team wins.

Game 7 was full of drama: Gonchar played, Varlamov got benched, both superstars scored goals. But in the end, it wasn't even close. Pittsburgh put the smackdown on the resurgent Capitals, winning by a decisive 6-2.

The Captials will be full of recriminations, explanations, self-searching. Lots of words will get said, but in the end there's only one word for it: choke.

Don't worry guys, I'll be back next year with jersey on.

Capitals Tie Series

There will be a Game 7!

In a dramatic overtime period, the Washington Capitals have tied the NHL conference semifinals with the Pittsburgh Penguins. With the exception of Game 4, the games have been tight. Game 6 has been the highest scoring game in the Caps-Pens semifinals.

National Hockey League's biggest stars will face off one more time at Washington's Verizon Center on Wednesday to see who will be one of the final four teams to go to the Conference Finals. Will it be Ovie or Crosby? 

On one hand, it won't matter because this is some of the most exciting playoff hockey you'll ever see; this is the match-up that everyone wanted to see; THIS is our Stanley Cup playoff.  

On the other hand, LET'S GO CAPS!!

Let's go CAPS!

Keeping alive in the playoff series, the Washington Capitals played like they meant it tonight -- it's about time.



C-A-P-S! CAPS! CAPS! CAPS!