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What happens now?

A week ago, the hockey world was turned on its head. Well, mainly the city of Washington DC and the combined states of Maryland and Virginia. This team wasn’t supposed to be good. They were the team that the world had given up on. They were playing an expansion team that hadn’t played like that all season. They were playing a team of misfits that nobody wanted. To me, it was the perfect storm for The 2018 Stanley Cup Final. It truly was The Stanley Cup Final that no one expected to see. For myself, I grew up a Washington Capitals fan. I have been since I was 6, which coincidentally was the last time The Caps made it to The Final Round where they were swept by The Detroit Red Wings without so much as a whimper in four games. I remember players by the names of Witt, Kolzig, Bondra, Gonchar, and Zubrus and so on down the line. I remember the years we were good but not good enough. I remember the years we owned everyone we played but couldn’t get past whoever we got matched up with in the second round. I remember the years we had 3-1 leads in series only to squander opportunities and lose. For years it always seemed like getting to the second round was an accomplishment and a let down at the same time. We would ultimately play The Pens [a team we hadn’t beaten in the playoffs since 1994], Rangers, Flyers or Lightning and ultimately be sent packing each time. Over the years, to say we as Capitals fans had come to expect disappointment was an understatement. We didn’t just expect it, we embraced it. That’s how bad it had gotten. This year though, things just seemed different. The boys faced adversity at every turn. There were two times during the season that I thought our head coach would be sent packing. Once in November of 2017 and then again in February of this year. Both during horrible stretches where I know our owner, Ted Leonsis had to be scratching his head and asking what’s wrong? Braden Holtby was by no means spectacular during the regular season. There was a time at the end where I thought we wouldn’t see Holtby much of at all during The Playoffs because of how his back up, Philip Grubauer was playing. Alexander Ovechkin was his typical self all year. He reached milestone after milestone and yet one always seemed just out of reach. Nick Backstrom, Tom Wilson, DSP, Brett Connolly, and the rest of the cast were just along for the ride at one point. We were on cruise control. Then, something magical happened. Hell maybe even the best thing to happen to this team happened. We got backed into a corner against Columbus in the first round after Holtby was benched for the first two games in the series. We had to play with urgency, and we did. Winning in 5. In Pittsburgh, Tom Wilson got suspended. The Caps became a different team after that. Kuzy wins game 7 on a breakaway 5 hole goal on Matt Murray. Nick Backstrom got hurt and was sidelined for multiple games heading into Tampa Bay. For this team, it was just next man up. We blew through Tampa like a hot knife through butter once we got our acts together, winning 3 in a row to lock it up. Then came Vegas. Winners of the Western Conference. The expansion team that nobody had been able to stop all year. 51 wins, 109 points. Doesn’t sound like an expansion team to me. We basically gave Vegas the first game in The Stanley Cup Final. After that, it was all caps, all the time. Braden Holtby stands on his head in game two, and comes up in the clutch by making what we now refer to as “The Save” on what should have been an easy slam dunk for Ryan Reaves. The offense wakes up in games 3 and four back here in DC, by lighting Vegas up like a Christmas tree. With thoughts of clinching on their minds, they headed back to Vegas. One game at a time. One win at a time. They never got too far ahead of theirselves. In game 6, it happened...they did everything right. The hockey gods made sure of that. Every good thing that could happen, did happen. Just like it was written up. We dealt with a phantom clock that showed 15:36 left when there was under a minute to play in the third period. No one had a clue what the time was at one point. Then it came down to 0.06 seconds and a faceoff left. A lot could have happened but again, the hockey gods interviened. When the clock finally showed 00.00 left, that’s when it sunk in. We were Stanley Cup Champs. Watching this team celebrate has been a thing of beauty. They didn’t go behind the velvet rope and forget the fans. They embraced them, Hell they even included them. From keg stands off the cup, to swimming in a fountain in Georgetown. They’ve only just started to do it all. Their parade was just as amazing. It could be the last time this group is all together the way they are, due to free agency and trades that could happen. You just never know. We took it all in and enjoyed one last ride together. Just like our Captain said to us at the end of it all...“at the beginning of the year I say, well we say that we’re not going to be %#*+ing suck this year, we’re Stanley Cup champions!” Boy, what a year it was!

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I wake up every day knowing that this gorgeous woman belongs to me. Being able to call you mine is something that I treasure and don’t take lightly. Every day you give me another reason to add to the already impressive list of reasons I love you. You, Lisa Marie...are the love of my life. You push me to work harder, to before successful than I have been, to be a better man and a better boyfriend. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you, no matter how long it takes for us to get there. You know that the important question is coming soon enough and I think you already know what your answer is going to be. I...can’t wait to find out.

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She hates when I do things like this, but I do them anyway lol. We’ve been together for almost 7 months officially but really we’re coming up on 8. Where has the time gone?!?! Honestly, I’m not entirely sure

When you walked into my life, completely by chance...you immediately had my attention. There was just something special about you, and I kept telling myself that all I had to do was earn a chance because I knew it wasn’t going to be given to me right off the bat. 

I’d be lying if I said that when we went on our first date in December of last year, that I wasn’t scared. I hadn’t exactly been out on a real date in forever so I wanted to do it right. You hadn’t ever really been on a “real date” at all. How that happened still surprises me. 

As you’ve put it so many times, I was like a deer in headlights. I apparently had that look on my face that said I’m completely scared because I have no idea how this is going to go. I remember walking towards the mall entrance and basically having you meet me in the middle. You walked up to me, said hey and the next thing I knew, your lips were on mine. I guess the surprise of it actually calmed me down haha. 

From that day forward, our entire relationship has been an adventure. One that I’m extremely happy to be on. I’m even happier to have you by my side through it all. I know you better than I know myself. I know all of the little ticks, how the tone of your voice can tell me what kind of day you’re having, I know that when you have a bad day at school you’re going to drive home with the music up and the windows down (depending on the weather of course), I know that your friends mean the world to you and that you’d do anything or be anywhere for them, I’ve learned just how deeply you can love and how lucky I am to be the guy to receive every bit of that love, and I’ve learned so much more about you than I ever thought I would.

When I look at you, I feel like I’m home. When I look at you, I see my entire world and everything important in my life...all right in front of me. I see the future I so desperately want, I see the life I’ve always had planned out for myself, and I would do anything to protect you because of that. Being with you has shown me that I can do things I never thought I could. You’ve pushed me because you care, and you’ve pushed me because you love me. I know that you’ll always have my back even when it’s not the popular thing to do. I know that you’ll always support my decisions, even when nobody else does. 

I think in the last 8 months, I’ve learned more about myself as a person than I have in the last 25 years. I’ve done everything I could to change the kind of person that I was when we met, and that’s all because of you. I’ve learned that no relationship is perfect, and that sometimes you’ve gotta be willing to give more than you take in order to make a relationship work. I’ve learned that my girlfriend isn’t always going to get along with all of my friends (and that’s fine), and I’ve also learned that my girlfriend isn’t always going to get along with my entire family (which is also fine). Not everybody is going to be the best of friends. That’s life. 

My girlfriend is the most important person in my life. She’s my best friend. She’s truly the love of my life and the one I’ve always wanted. I would do anything to protect her. I would do anything to make her happy and to see her smile. I hope that some day in the future, I can give her the life she has always pictured for herself and most importantly I hope that I can continue to give her all the love that she deserves and more. Without Lisa in my life, I know that I would be lost. I’m not wandering around aimlessly anymore because I have a purpose. I’m not scared to be myself again. Loving you is the easiest and single most rewarding thing I’ve ever had the privilege to do. 

I love you more than anything in the world, Lisa Marie. Each and every day I fall more and more in love with you. I said it before and I’ll say it again...our relationship and life together is an adventure and there is no one in this world that I would rather be in a relationship with or sharing a life with than you. Thank you for making me earn my chance, and for showing me what true love really is.

#JustBecause

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Jason...I couldn't be more proud of you and the choice that you've made to serve this country. As you're older cousin and another older brother figure in your life, I can't tell you how much fun it's been to watch you grow into the young man that you are today. Three years in Japan is going to seem like forever for us, but probably extremely fast for you. They always say it's harder on military families when someone goes on deployment then it is for the one who is actually there. Stay safe, have fun, and most importantly you come back to Maryland in one piece! We already miss you Bubba.

#HumbleBrag #NavyCousin

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This will SIMPLY be known forever as "The Catch"...#Cap10America

Adam Jones robs his Orioles teammate Manny Machado of a home run - March 18, 2017

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Out of all the friends I made in college, I obviously have that small circle of people I will always consider my best friends and as my family. AP and Vinny fall into that group. This is what happens when Vinny decides he wants to get real with AP and I. It takes a lot for those words to come out of Vinnys mouth, but you know he means it when he says it. These two are the brothers I never had, and I love both of ya'll.

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Best Friends

I know I’ve said that I have my fair share of best friends over the years. I think everybody has at some point. As I’ve gotten older and gone through college, I’ve learned who my real best friends are. Going to school in a different state makes things like that really clear to you. 

I’ve always been the kind of person that can make friends anywhere I am. The catch is...will those friends I make stick around. I’ve gotten lucky enough to know who belongs in my tight nit little circle of friends that I like to call “my chosen family”. 

Going from public school to private school in high school separated me from the people who I thought would be around during those years, to the ones who I knew would be around during those years and long after. The same thing happened when I got to college. The friends I made during my time in the WVU system, are the friends I know I’ll have for the rest of my life. 

For a guy to say they have a best friend or a group of best friends seems weird doesn’t it? I mean at least that’s what this article I read earlier said. For me, I’ve never really had a problem saying that I have a group of best friends. My best friends always like to remind me that I’m one of their best friends just like I do for them. Happens kinda frequently actually. 

I have a circle or family of about 14 people I talk too every day, or at least on a regular basis. Theres Chris, Ashley, Kenny, Danny, RT, Chris D, Pat, Britt, AP, Mara, MaKay, Vinny, Drew, and last but not least Darin. Each one of these people is special to me in their own way. It’s just how it is. The first 6 names on this list I’ve known for over 10 years now, and the latter half I’ve known for almost 7 years now. Without these people, I’m not sure where I would be. Each of them has done their part to get me through some of the easiest and hardest times of my life. 

With all of the people on that list, I have way too many memories to go through to pick out a few of my favorites. The thing about best friends is, that you don’t have to talk to them every day for them to still be considered a best friend. Hell each of these people are family too me. When you’re parents ask about your friends more than they ask about you than you know they’ve done something right haha. 

I’ve got my bros in Chris, Kenny, Danny, RT, Chris D, Pat, AP, Vinny, Drew and Darin. I can’t leave the ladies out either...Ash, Britt, Mara, and MaKay would all hurt me if I did lol. I can go to each of them for anything. I joke with my parents that when I do eventually get married if it ever happens, that I will have friends attending from all over. I mean alone theres Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, and South Carolina. 

These people are always going to be the most important people in my life because they’ve been there when I’ve needed them, when I haven’t and even when they haven’t always been wanted around. You never forget the people who mean more to you than anything else. That group of people is the group I consider my family. I’ve learned over the last 6 years that family doesn’t end at blood. It can always be more than that. 

Just wanted to let you all know that you’re not forgotten. Sometimes it’s nice to remind your people how important they are. When you don’t always tell them, and you almost expect them to know...you can always remind them out of the blue just like I am. I know most of them wont see this, but on the off chance that they do...this one is for you guys. I’d be lost without you, and just know that you all in your own way help keep my feet on the ground and from letting my head get too big. NO JOKES YOU ASSHOLES lol!

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Jeeze lady, anybody ever tell ya, ya look like a barrel of assholes

Stan Miller or John C. McGinley

#StanAgainstEvil

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I’m just your friendly, neighborhood, Quail Man!