Best Present

I didn't follow Mike's suggestion of writing about the beginnings of my blog yesterday, mostly because I don't know why I started a blog. I know I started it sometime after I moved back from NYC and before I moved out of Mom and Dad's house, but that's about all I remember, and to write anything else I'd have to go read my archives, which seems like a lot of work.

Ok, I read my archives, and they are completely useless...I have no idea why I started a blog.

Anyway, I can tell you about the best present I ever got. Actually, it was more like the best Christmas ever. It was the Christmas of 1996 (I think.) I was a freshman in high school and slightly obsessed with the Sabres, more particularly Dominik Hasek.

Dec. 23rd Dad, Esther, Mary and I went to see the Sabres play the Bruins at the Aud. Esther and Mary were sitting together across the ice from me and Dad, so we walked separate ways and as Dad and I were walking to our seats I mentioned how much I wanted a Hasek jersey (I'm nothing if not subtle.) Dad told me that he couldn't get me one right then, but maybe after Christmas once they pay off all of the presents they had gotten us he'd look into it.

I really thought I was getting a jersey. It was all I wanted that year. I was a little disappointed, to say the least. I even remember telling Esther later that I wasn't getting a jersey. She said she knew what I was getting and it wasn't a jersey, but it was pretty cool.

Christmas morning (after finding Rae, another great present) we all went to our piles of presents. After everyone got to theirs, I walked to the one that was left. There was a hockey stick leaning up against it, so I thought maybe it was supposed to be Louis' pile. I mean, I didn't play hockey. But it was a goalie stick. And he didn't play goalie. I picked it up and it was greasy, obviously used. I was so confused...why would I get a used goalie stick for Christmas? I looked up, still totally confused, and then it hit me...it was a game used Hasek stick! I didn't even want to open the rest of my presents. But I did. I got the book A Day in the Life of the NHL, a signed Hasek lithograph, some other stuff I don't remember (stuff that was not Hasek related...and probably underwear), and then, at the bottom of my pile, was my signed Hasek jersey.


***DISCLAIMER*** Mike -- Although this was MY best Christmas, I don't think Lisa wants a Hasek jersey or stick for her birthday.