Mike Machnik writes:
> Several of us decided to unofficially nominate Dave for HOCKEY-L Dad
> of the Year.  See if you don't think this deserves something.
>
> Dave and Ryan drove out to Albany on Friday...a *school* day.  Dave
> let Ryan take the day off from school, spend part of the day with him
> at work and then they made the trip.  Boy, is Ryan lucky or what.  I
> don't know many dads who would have done that.
>
> BTW, Dave made sure to tell us he wouldn't have done that if Ryan
> wasn't a good student.  Of course, once you get to college, it doesn't
> matter - you find a way to justify it anyway. :-)  (I'll make up that
> work SOMEHOW!)
>
 
Well, I'll accept the nomination with enthusiasm, especially since it seemed
50-50 odds for a while there that instead I'd be getting a visit from the
Department of Social Services.   :-)
 
> It was a lot of fun, getting to see the game and the experience of
> bigtime college hockey through the eyes of a nine year old.  Kind of
> made Heather and I think of what it might be like for us someday.
> It's funny, they see things differently from us in many ways, and to
> them college hockey might as well be the NHL.  And they're the future
> of the sport, either as participants or supporters.
>
> I just want to ask Dave if this qualifies Ryan for membership into the
> Hockey Get-A-Lifers as its youngest honoree. :-)
 
Absolutely.  I've felt that someone else had to nominate him, but ever since
that time he was three years old and sat down for a game and didn't get up
until it was over, he's had Hockey Get-A-Lifer written all over him.  If I had
a dollar for every time he was stickhandling with a tennis ball instead of
getting his teeth brushed in the morning... I'd at least have enough to fly
out to St. Paul.   :-)
 
> Ryan knows his hockey, too - heck, he has a great teacher.  He knew
> from watching the Harvard warmup that Tracy was going to have a good
> game.
 
He does have an uncanny knack for spotting things.  I've given up on
disagreeing with him on details -- if he says number 15 tipped the puck, then
I fully expect to hear the PA announcer corroborate Ryan's opinion.
 
Thanks to all who were so nice to him this past weekend.
 
*****************************************************        ,-******-,
* Dave Hendrickson "Robo" [log in to unmask] *     *'     ##     '*
*        A Hockey Polygamist and Get-A-Lifer        *   *##   ___##___   ##*
* GO BROONS!!!      Go Red Wings!!     Go LA Kings! *  *   ##|   ___  \##   *
* GO UMASS-LOWELL!!!    Go Maine!!           Go BU! * *      |  |___)  |     *
* --------------------------------------------------* *######|   ___  <######*
* Although I can't remember ever having an original * *      |  |___)  |     *
* thought, and am certainly parroting someone who   *  *   ##|________/##   *
* actually has a brain, these opinions are mine,    *   *##      ##      ##*
* not Hewlett-Packard's.                            *     *,     ##     ,*
*****************************************************        '-*******-'