• It's odd how celebrity deaths always seem to come in bunches; often threes. Even someone really famous can become an 'also dead' if someone else goes too.
  
• After going several years without seeing the Pirates win when I went to their game, I saw them win twice  in three days. Almost unheard of but pretty cool.
  
• Disappointing moment: Hearing a great story about closer Trevor Hoffman's entrance (seen here) and thinking of the other great ones like Enter Sandman for Mariano Rivera or even Wild Thing in Major League. Then Matt Capps comes out to some country western song. It made me a little sad inside. 
• Proudest moment: Knowing Ross Ohelndorf's alma mater and thus answering the trivia question before the choices were even given. The guy in the row in front of me seemed mildly impressed. FYI: It's Princeton.
  
• Bittersweet moment: Seeing the Pirates load the bases with one out, then saying it doesn't matter because JJ will hit into a double play. Then seeing him do it four pitches later. I hate being right.
  
• At some point leaving the game Thursday, my wallet fell out of my pocket in the parking lot. I didn't know it was missing and checked my e-mail Friday morning. Apparently it had been found, they called the number found on my address with was MVNU. The one girl who works at Switchboard who knew who I am was working, and sent me a message on Facebook so I could find it. God and technology at work. 
• I've noticed in life I'm often over guarded about what I say to people, because I feel it may not be that profound, important or clever. Then I realize I am often that way with God. I'll actually skip praying about things I don't deem to be important enough to 'bother' him with and that's probably not smart. Something I'll need to keep working to fix.
  
• I had a bad vacation from a travel standpoint. My plane needed a jump. My dad's car had a short in the battery. My sister's tire had the tread come right off of it. Luckily I had no problems on the flight home.
  
• I find it interesting how kids can go from hating you to being your friend when they find out you can entertain them in some way. For example, my niece hated me for five days, then found out I'm good at kicking a ball. Now we're good friends.
  
• Has journalism fallen so far that TMZ is really the ones breaking all of these stories? As annoying as their show can be for me, they truly do seem to have sources everywhere.
  
• If you're going to see a sequel, perhaps it's better to see the first movie on something more than the four inch screen found on a tour bus.
  
• There are a few occasions in life when it's always best to be with either that special someone or at least a group of friends. Valentine's Day and New Year's Eve would certainly be at the top of the list. I'd add a fireworks display near the top as well. They always seem to have a little something extra to them when you have someone with which to enjoy them. Preferably not your father. No offense, dad.
  
• It's weird what moments you think will be turning points in your life. When you look back, some of them were, others weren't and some were, but in the opposite way you may have expected. 
• One of the worst things about vacation is losing your sleeping environment. Different bed, noises, lighting. It's always such an adjustment, you can never sleep well and are often left tossing and turning with only your thoughts to keep you company.
• I went past Heinz Field three times this past week. If I wasn't completely ready for college football before, I am now. Too bad it's not appreciated in New England. 
• Two family weddings to go to in the next three and a half months. Those wishing to serve as a 'Plus One' for the festivities or simply wanting a free piece of cake, please forward a letter of interest. Ha.
  
• I have to laugh at businessmen trying to board planes. They are so thrilled to board first and can barely wait to be called. They pay a lot more and don't leave or touch the ground any sooner than I do in the back. I don't see what all of the excitement is about.
  
• I picked four teams to make it to the Final Four in college basketball. I had none of the picked correctly. I picked one guy to make it in The Bachelorette. Naturally, he makes it. I'm also really good at Fantasy Fishing. I hate fishing.  Can anyone explain this? 
• On vacation, I saw a few episodes of Family Matters from the early seasons. It wasn't the Urkel show and was a lot better.
  
• Cold war humor is still humorous. At least on the Fresh Prince. 

After receiving a lot of reader feedback, I've decided to add a new feature: The Recipe of the Month. This month we'll be focusing on making something special for the 4th of July.

The Big Texan's Barbecued Chicken Legs 

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 cup Heinz Ketchup
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon bottled hot pepper sauce
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
6 chicken legs (thigh-drumstick piece, about 2-1/2 pounds total)

Directions:

1. For sauce, in a saucepan melt butter. Add onion, garlic, chili powder, and sage.

2. Cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in catsup, water, vinegar, sugar, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt, bottled hot pepper sauce, and black pepper.

3. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Meanwhile, grill chicken, skin side down, on an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 20 minutes.

5. Turn chicken; grill for 15 to 20 minutes more or until chicken is tender and cooked through.

6. Brush with sauce during the last 10 minutes of grilling. Heat remaining sauce until bubbly; serve with chicken. Makes 6 servings

Stanley Cup Nuggets

• I think one of the reasons it's so exciting to win the Stanley Cup is the amount of time you end up spending in postseason mode. For the NFL, it's three or four games spread out once a week. Hockey is (generally) every other day through the course of four best of seven series. That's a lot of time for your mind to be on high alert. 
• That Max Talbot fellow is pretty good. So are a few of his friends.
  
• I like that Scuderi mis-spoke and is now being called 'The Piece.' I hope one day I can say something wrong and end up with a sweet nickname.
  
• There was a lot made during The Finals of Detroit's depth, yet it was always Pittsburgh's third and fourth lines that caused issues. Perhaps the Penguins aren't so shallow themselves
• Chris Osgood is an elite goaltender, despite any issues that may have arisen during the regular season.
  
• It's hard to believe things went poorly enough for Fleury to be pulled in game 5 then to respond that well during the next two games. A lot of that had to do with a strong defensive showing in front of him.
  
• A lot of made of Zetterberg taking Crosby off his game and statistically, it was certainly true. Zetterberg also finished the series with just six points, which is far below what one would expect of a team's scoring leader. Tired from playing defense? Just a bad series? Worth a mention.
• I think this Abeldaker kid is going to be a really good player in the future and it's odd he didn't get to play more after scoring in the first two games of the series.
  
• I hope Ovechkin enjoyed being the 'best player in the world.' Perhaps he and LeBron can form some sort of MVP support group.
  
• One of my favorite songs last year was this one. Now I just listen to it and laugh at his decision.
  
• I can't stand NBC's coverage of hockey, though game 7 was easily their best broadcast. The announcers stayed out of the way of the game for the most part and the avoided that end zone camera.
  
• That said, having the final on a Friday night isn't the best idea. You were done first. Don't let 'I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here', Conan O'Brien or the NBA dictate your schedule.
• Also, let the fans watch the game together NBC.
  

Life Nuggets

• I get to go back to the greater Pittsburgh area (the 724 as my hip, urban wannabe friends might say) toward the end of the month. Hopefully I can pick up a Pennsylvania point or two while I'm back
  
• Mini list of non-people related things I am looking forward to seeing: The Fort Pitt Tunnel, PNC Park, Eat'N Park, Hoss's, Jerry's, Kretchmeyer's, The Good Ship Lollipop (I lost my tooth on this vessel in first grade when I bit into an apple my sister packed in my lunch), The Hot Dog Shoppe, and various other establishments
• I have found myself taking walks lately, particularly late at night when I can't sleep. I load the latest B.S. Report onto my iPod and head out. The past two weeks I had been seeing a skunk from a fairly safe distance. On Thursday morning, I saw the skunk again. From about six feet away. Turned around and with it's tail up. Knowing it was already spooked, I jumped and ran as far and fast as I could in the other direction, through a puddle and into the middle of the road. Luckily there was no oncoming traffic. I wasn't sprayed either, so fortunate all around. Ten minutes later, a cop stopped me wondering what on Earth I was doing out at such an hour. No charges have been issued at this time.
• Our DVR still has the most recent Super Bowl saved. I'm not sure how my sister-in-law will react to seeing a hockey game there as well. We'll just hope for the best.
• 84 days until Pitt's first college football game.
  
• I hope the Pirates still have players left by the time I'm back to see them in June.
  
• Ham is an overrated food.
  
• Matches are fun, but aren't a toy. Handle with care.
  
• It's odd how old problems can creep back into your life, whether it be a big one or a small one.
  
• My next Mighty Ducks devotional will involve Greg Goldberg. Be ready. It will be awesome.
  
• The first five or ten minutes of Tosh.0 is generally pretty funny. Mildly hit or miss after that, but still worth the trouble of recording on the DVR. 
• It is often said that a doctor can be his own worst patient. I think that is true with advice. We can easily see what to prescribe others, but often find our own pills hard to swallow.
  

One of the questions I get a fair amount of the time, both from other people and internally is 'Why does Patrick love sports so much?" I'm often seen watching sports, reading about sports or heard talking about sports with other people. It is just a game after all, so it is not uncommon to wonder what the big deal is. I even need a reminder myself from time to time. So here are a few reasons.

(Note- I actually wrote something similar for the Lakeholm Viewer once, if this seems a bit familiar. If it doesn't, don't worry. I had forgotten myself until I had written half of this)

1. Consistency- As someone who has moved as many times as I have, you begin to long for things to remain the same at times. One of the easiest things to stick with, particularly with all of the information available, is a sports team. It gives you that link with life back 'home.' You know the people feel the same things that you do about the team and you know that for those couple of hours during the game, that though you're far away, you're not alone. You're part of (Insert Team) Nation  ---Side note: I hate hearing (insert team) Nation on TV for every fan base, but it makes the point--- Wherever you go, you carry that banner with you. That links becomes your lone constant, and you want to hang on to that.

2. Commonality - A perfect example happened at work tonight. I was checking a guest in at the front desk when he noticed my name tag said Pittsburgh. He smiled and said that he had grown up in Pittsburgh. He followed that up with 'Go Steelers!' and a fist bump. Was it awkward? Sure, but it was still neat that something as simple as sports could create that instant bond.  Try walking through Ohio in the middle of the fall and yell 'OH without having 25 people yell back 'IO'. Annoying to be sure, but it certainly shows how sports can bring a society together and frankly the world could use a bit more of that.

3. Characters- Just like movies, TV shows, or dare I say, a good book, the sports world is filled with characters. Some major, some minor. Some good, some bad. Some heroes, some villains. They go on adventures. The have struggles. They have victories. You cheer for them. You can't wait to turn to the next page. Following a sports season can be just like reading a good story. There are metaphors, stories within the stories. Red Herrings. You name it, there's a link. Contemporary literature has nothing on a good playoff run.

4. Competition- Whether fierce for friendly, competition can bring out the best (and worst) in people. We have competition in every day life. It can be in the workplace fighting for a promotion, or simply try to be the first to call shotgun for the front seat. We respect competition and tend to enjoy watching other compete, since we know what it can be like to win. It's also fun to see people lose.

5. Connection - Particularly within family. Much like community, sports can bring a family together. I spent many a morning as a kid reading through box scores with my grandfather. When  I talk to my dad, conversations tend to shift toward sports. Some of my best memories are getting to go to Pitt games with my brother. It can bring your family together and give you those common experiences. I'm sure many think it's sad that it takes sports to create that connection, but at least there is a connection. It doesn't have to be the whole substance, but it can at least provide a foundation.

6. Cheerfulness- Because I enjoy it. Sure it's not a lot of fun when my team wins, but when you invest the time and energy and then see your team win a big game, it really gives you a great feeling. It seems like people are quick to put that feeling down. They act as though you are wasting happiness, as if there is only so much to go around. Perhaps instead of trying to take away the happiness we put into sports, we should try and be that happy about other things. There's plenty to go around, so why not be happy when your team wins. We all need to smile more, so root for your team and smile when they win. ( Except Flyers and Capitals fans. You guys just stay sad). We should take the happiness we get from sports and use it as a foundation for happiness in other areas. Pretend each little thing that happens to you is like your team scoring a goal. Then life will have more smiles, and more high fives.

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Random Thoughts 06-06-09

• Three years ago, this date was unlucky. I guess it's a good thing it's three years later.
  
• Recently, I've seen a disturbing trend. As if it wasn't bad enough people are settling for 'congrats' instead of congratulations, I've seen a few people shrink it further to 'grats.' To quote the maître d'  from Ferris Bueller 'I weep for the future.'
  
• I love the Stanley Cup playoffs, for many of the reasons above. Every year I forget how much I love hockey and every spring I'm reminded.
  
• That said, as much as I love the sport, I'm starting to hate NBC's coverage that much. You show the post-game show right after the game. Not after Sports Soup. Also, avoid phrases like 'He looked like he slipped on a sheet of ice' when commenting on the action.
  
• I've had a fair amount of moments lately where I am reminded of a young Cory Matthews and I'm not sure how I feel about that.
  
• I find the key to contentment is watching a quality television show as you fall asleep. For me, I generally rotate between Arrested Development, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and The West Wing. (Side effects include being woken up by Lucille's rape horn and having dreams about needing to pass a bill through congress by the end of the day.) 
• If you like trivia, visit Sporcle . You won't be disappointed. 
• Apparently some classic movies are classic for a reason. I may have to try more of them.
• I don 't mind getting in trouble at work if I've done something wrong, but my being too efficient should never be a reason. Three times in a the past two weeks that has been an issue. Please spare me. I'm sorry I do so well. It won't happen again.
  
• Apparently some classic movies are classic for a reason. I may have to try more of them.
• Sometimes I wonder why I bother writing all of this. Perhaps it's because I don't talk to enough people. Perhaps I'm just bored. Mostly, I just know how much of my life I have forgotten, as people tend to do. I just like the reference point of what was going on in my head back in the day. 
• I'm thinking about putting all this together into a book some day. It might not be any good, but that doesn't seem to be stopping anyone else.
• I've also decided I need to stop writing these in the middle of the night. The ideas are usually good. It's the words and the grammar that tend to decline after 2 a.m.