The Land of the Ice and Snow

I went on an Alaskan Cruise aboard the Norwegian Cruise Ship Encore.  The ship is beautiful and very well kept.  The crew could not have been kinder or more helpful. Kudos to all.  The food was decent.  The specialty restaurants were very good.  The entertainment was enjoyable.  All-in-all a good experience.

Alaska was not what I envisioned.  No snow - just on top of the mountains. Ice, yes, in Glacier Bay which was pretty cool...cold???  Got to see some whales while in Juno.  Skagway was fun (a little tourist trap).  Glad I went.  Cross off one more from the bucket list.

Victoria, Canada is a great place.  Enjoyed the tour.  Would have liked to have spent more time there.  Got to spend a couple of days in Seattle. The Space Needle was crazy!  Stayed at the Edgewater hotel (lots of famous bands have stayed there going all the way back to the Beatles.)  Wonderful place!  It was nice to get away for a bit.  I'm glad to be home. 

Speaking of ice, I went to the Penguins-Sabers game last night.  What a phenomenal experience!!!!  Geno scored his 500th goal.  Sid scored his 1600th point and then gets the game winner in OT. I have to say I loved the game.  It will be one that will stay in my memory for a long time!

In case you've wondered why no hobby stuff as of late, I just moved and am still in the process of unpacking here at the new place.  It was time to downsize and get everything on one level.  I got a bonus, my new neighbors are super great.  It's a fresh start and I'm happy about it.

Until next time....be safe out there!

Win Over Washington

Last night the Penguins looked like the NHL champions, not the Washington Capitals.  Captain Sidney Crosby's 2 goals helped to propel the team to a 5-3 win.  The top line was awesome with goals by McCann and Guentzel as well.  Geno Malkin got 2 assists to reach 1,000 career points.  Matt Murray had another great night between the pipes stopping 38 shots.  The bright spot for the Caps was Alex Ovechkin reaching the 1,200 career point mark.  Congratulations to both of these amazing Russian hockey players for their achievements.  The victory was huge for the Pens as they look to make a major push toward the playoffs.  Go Pens!

Yo-Yo

The 2018-19 season for the Penguins has been like watching a yo-yo.  One game the team is up and the next it's down.  It's been tough to watch.  Injuries have played a part no doubt.  Malkin, Schultz, Aston-Reese, Maata, and even Murray have all been out at one point or another.  Players have come and gone.  Other players have been hot and cold when it comes to goal scoring.

Tonight the Pens take on the Flyers in a Stadium Series game in Philadelphia.  I'm hoping that this game will start the Pens on the upswing that they will need to make a strong run into the playoffs.  Tonight, the stars need to shine!  It's go time for the Penguins!

WRONG - Wouldn't Be The 1st Time

A while back I blogged about Geno Malkin becoming the captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins.  I went on to say that Crosby's time had come and gone.  Could I have been more wrong????  Sorry Sid!  Please forgive me for my stupid remarks.

Since those remarks Crosby has become the hottest thing on two skates and the Pens are on the march into the playoffs.  Since Geno went out with an injury, the Pens are 10 and 1.  I don't know what that says about the big Russian.

Certainly the new guys have made an enormous impact.  Kudos to Jim Rutherford for making great trades.  The guys from Wilkes-Barre have done an outstanding job stepping up.  No more "Baby Pens" in that group.  These guys are legit NHL hockey players.  Last but not least Coach Sullivan has got the Penguins playing at a very high level.  Let's Go Pens!!!!

I have enjoyed watching the Pens while knocking back a couple of Negra Modelos.  This lager beer from Mexico is outstanding.  I love its sweet Dunkel style taste!!!  If you haven't tried it...give it a shot!  I've been turning a lot of friends onto this lately.  None have seemed disappointed.

For Christmas I was given a set of Cygnar Jacks and Warcasters from a special someone in my life.  I don't collect any metal miniatures, but the young lady didn't know this.  Since she is wonderful and was excited to give them to me I decided to keep them, build them, and paint them.  I finished the last of them today.  All-in-all the group turned out well.  I tried to keep loyal to the Cygnar theme while including some ideas from my friend.  I hope to get a pic or two up with the next entry.