Sunday morning homily XXIX

For a week devoid of hockey, I'm having a hard time remembering a better one in our time down here in Hockey Bay. From chasing trains to wearing 3-D glasses for a movie to watching race cars top 200 mph, we haven't missed hockey hounding one bit.

Yes, it was Colin's spring break last week. And though we didn't stray too far to home -- our work schedules had something to do with that -- we did the best we could to make it a memorable "stay-cation." Mostly, though, it was about spending time together and, hopefully, creating some memories:

~ Watching Colin's eyes light up as he heard the rumble of an approaching CSX freight train during our visit to the Train Depot Museum (shown above) in Dade City. It had been far too long since he'd seen a train;

~ Squirting some fruit-punch Powerade into his mouth during a break in our back patio hockey practices. Earlier in the day, we stumbled upon the final pieces of his rag-tag collection of goalie equipment. And you know we just had to try it out; and

~ Becoming more jacked-up about open-wheel racing by taking in the opening days of the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Among the highlights was having a brief "He's so shy" conversation about Colin with Indy Racing League star Danica Patrick during a nighttime parade down St. Petersburg's Central Avenue.

As much as I try to make this blog about hockey hounding, it's just as much about spending time with one's family. Hockey and hounding play a big role in our lives, but it doesn't consume us. Comes close at times, I'll admit, but there's much more to life than that.

Believin' in Steven

Hound Central 4.0 offers a tip of its roughed-up Cooper SK600 to Lightning rookie Steven Stamkos for tying Tampa Bay's rookie goals record of 21 in his initial NHL season. With a few games remaining, perhaps Stamkos will catapult past Brad Richards for his own team mark.

It's hard to believe, isn't it, that a few people didn't believe that Stamkos, the No. 1 overall pick at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, wasn't ready for the rigors of a full season in the NHL. To be honest, his early play did nothing to dispel that notion.

Once he got into a training program, though, Stamkos has shown that he has the abilities to be a top-flight NHL player. I'm thinking, too, that he's only going to get better.

In a season full of disappointment, watching Stamkos make progress has been something to hold on to.

5 Big Sigs

It's the final week of the 2008-09 hockey-hounding season and two of the league's tougher teams -- the star-studded Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals -- are coming to town:

~ As always, getting Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby to sign Colin's Crosby #87 replica Penguins jersey;
~ Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin on Penguins and WJC-Russia pucks;
~ Washington's Alex Ovechkin on Colin's Ovechkin #8 replica Capitals jersey;
~ Washington's Nicklas Backstrom on a Capitals puck; and
~ Knocking out a Lightning team helmet during Thursday's red carpet festivities before the home closer.

Going racing

Just because the Lightning were up in Long Island tonight, it doesn't mean that we sat home and twiddled our thumbs. Nope, not with the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg taking place just up the street.

From taking in Indy Racing League practice laps yesterday to watching American Le Mans Series and Indy Lights races earlier today, we've spent the past two days getting our fills of speed, roaring engines and generally immersing ourselves in this particular racing scene.

It's been a hoot, too.

Lots of interactive exhibits, up-close looks at team paddocks and more than a few photo opportunities inside sleek and colorful machines.

And, of course, the weekend wouldn't be complete without snagging a few autographs from a few of the IRL's big name drivers:

Scott Dixon, defending IndyCar Series champion, won the 2008 Indy 500

Dario Franchitti, the 2007 Indy 500 winner, won the 2007 IndyCar Series

Alex Tagliani, a Montreal native, also races in NASCAR's Canadian series

Did you know that Dan Wheldon lives right here in Hockey Bay? I can't remember, though, if I've ever seen him at a Lightning game.

Check out the metallic finish on this IRL driver card from Justin Wilson.

Other IRL drivers signing over the past few days were Ryan Briscoe, Ed Carpenter, Mike Conway, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Darren Manning, Raphael Matos, Hideki Mutoh, Will Power and E.J. Visu.

Gearing up

It's amazing how a random assemblage of equipment, picked up over impromptu visits to select Play It Again Sports locations throughout Hockey Bay, can create a great day of spring break vacation for a young street hockey goalie in training.

He's had the pads for some time, presents from Santa a few Christmases ago. The stick's seen a ton of use, too. The pants, the first pair from his fledgling ice hockey career, are getting renewed and much-appreciated life.

The jersey? It's a Danny Gare replica, depicting his days with the Red Wings, plucked from eBay a few years ago for $5 plus shipping.

The chest and arm pads were the first find, joining the equipment bag about three weeks ago. Yesterday, on our way back from a train museum in Dade City, we hit the mother lode -- adding a street hockey goalie mask (A Red wings model, as fate might have it) and glove set.

Combined, they're perfect for our practices out back on the patio.

Look at what we found

In Florida, you never know when you'll encounter some exotic form of wildlife. Roseate spoonbills. Armadillos. Iguanas falling out of palm trees on wicked cold days. Yesterday, during a scouting trip for bait fish, we stumbled upon a true Florida icon -- a family of manatees.

With Colin home for his spring break and the Lightning bound for Boston to play the Bruins, we checked out some spots along a nearby seawall where we might catch bait with a cast net.

Instead, we found these wonderful creatures. Cool, huh?

I just wanted to share a little slice of Florida. Hope you don't mind.

One of the manatees, the most inquisitive of the bunch, raises its snout for a breath of fresh air.

Here's three of them. Notice the gashes, most likely from a boat propeller, on the back of the big manatee on the left.

That's us, the shadows in the bottom left corner.

Look at the school (the little gray specks) of baby baities, as we like to call 'em, swimming over the manatees. At that size, they're way too small to be useful.

They delivered

Despite the best-laid plans, there are hounding adventures that simply don't work out. Yesterday's planned morning trip for the Ottawa Senators, in town to play the Lightning, was just one of the instances.

Between morning thunderstorms and an afternoon shift at the newspaper, I was unable to hound Ottawa. Instead, two highly capable replacements -- Colin and Momma -- were dispatched to the scene.

They came through in flying colors, adding a couple of sweet signatures, including Dany Heatley (top left) on the work-in-progress Team Canada jersey, to the collection.

In all, they scored 17, including 11 on Colin's team sheet.

Beyond Heatley, Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson was the other big name who stopped to sign. In doing my prep work, I was surprised that I've yet to get Alfredsson on any type of Senators puck.

This puck, commemorating the 2004 NHL All Star Game, is a welcome addition, nonetheless. It's relevant, too, as Alfredsson scored two goals, including the game-winner, in the midseason classic.

Given that Ottawa will travel twice to Hockey Bay next season, I'll have to remember, though, to try to get Alfredsson on some Senators pucks.

Colin also had pretty decent luck adding to his late-season project, a goalie-only mini stick.

Ottawa's Alex Auld, who's bounced around a bit over the past few seasons, became the fourth netminder to sign the stick.

Sorry, but you'll have to wait until next season for a Senators photo gallery. It's hard to take good pictures when you're sitting at a desk about 18 miles away from the action.

Standing out

It's always nice when one of the NHL's top stars does something to help his autograph stand out on one of Colin's team sheets. This time it's Ottawa's Dany Heatley providing the honors.

Heatley's signature, big and in blue, certainly stands out among the 11 players who took the time to sign the sheet, doesn't it?

Other notable signers were Mike Fisher, Chris Phillips and Anton Volchenkov.

To the defense

Once again, a visiting team, as in the Ottawa Senators, stayed Sunday at the same hotel housing some members of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

That's how Colin was able to get Lightning defenseman Richard Petiot to sign this 8x10 of them taken last week before the Columbus-Tampa Bay game.

And, for good measure, Colin got Andrej Meszaros, one of the Lightning's injured blueliners, to sign a couple cards, including this one, during the first intermission of the Senators-Lightning contest last night.

Sunday morning homily XXVIII

Spring break is one of my favorite times of the year. Especially when it's Colin's. And though I didn't request the week off, letting another Newsroom Dad enjoy a week off, it's still going to be a fun-filled week. In a way, it'll be a working stay-cation.

Beginning this afternoon (the morning trip was postponed due to thunderstorms) with a trip to Tampa with Momma to hound and watch the Ottawa Senators (I'll be at work), we'll spend the rest of the week knee-deep in other adventures down here in increasingly warm and muggy Florida.

Our only regret? The Lightning are on a road trip, rather than a homestand.

No worries, though. Also on the itinerary:

~ a road trip to look for trains, something we haven't done much since leaving New England;
~ go see Monsters vs. Aliens, our latest 3-D movie; and
~ look for Danica Patrick at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

Chances are, too, we'll get in a little fishing and skating. Bottom line, though, it'll be about hanging out. Between work and school schedules, our time together is usually somewhat limited. That changes this week.

It's one of the perks of being a parent. And that, my friends, is my favorite job.

The other March Madness

It was a wonderful afternoon yesterday -- house all to myself -- kicking back for a few hours and watching some college hockey. Even better, the game was University of New Hampshire's overtime upset of University of North Dakota in the first round of the NCAA men's championships.

It's nothing against the Fighting Sioux; they're one of Hound Central 4.0's favorites. Our primary loyalties, however, are with UNH.

Having lived in nearby Portsmouth, N.H., we attended games in the early 1990s at the old Snively Arena. They were a fun and feisty team, players like Dominic Amodeo, Savo Mitrovic and Jeff Levy. Only Kevin Dean, a defenseman, made it to the NHL.

Here's hoping the Wildcats make it into the Frozen Four. If not, I'm saving a Flyers puck for left winger James vanRiemsdyk, Philadelphia's second overall pick in 2007 who's expected to turn pro soon.

5 Big Sigs

It'll be a one-and-done kind of trip this week, with only the Ottawa Senators coming to Hockey Bay. In fact, they're in town now. Here's what we're hoping to add:

~ Right winger Daniel Alfredsson on a 2004 NHL All Star Game puck;
~ Center Jason Spezza on the Team Canada jersey, a 2007 NHL All Star Game puck and a Senators mini pennant;
~ Left winger Dany Heatley on the Team Canada jersey, a Team Canada puck and a 2006-07 Bee Hive jumbo card;
~ Forward Ryan Shannon on the Portland Pirates practice jersey and a few cards; and
~ Tampa Bay defenseman Richard Petiot on an 8x10 of Colin and the blueliner.