R.I.P. Bonzo - 1989 - November 24, 2007

That's her on top.

Your memories will be cherished. Your passing will be honored. Rest in peace my furry friend.

Pinball - The Beginning of an Obsession

Before I jumped right in and started describing my latest pinball adventure, I figured I'd present the reasons why I got into pinball and now count it among one of my favorite hobbies.

It all started way back when I was about 7 years old, making it 1973. A close friend of mine had a toy pinball machine in his basement. It was all plastic with legs that barely supported it and the scoring was kind of hit or miss, but it had a real metal ball with come decent bumper action. Batting that ball around with the underpowered flippers was actually amusing in relatively small doses. Improving my score through repeated play kept me coming back for more.

A couple years later I'd have an opportunity to play the real thing. Once a week I would find myself in a local bowling alley waiting for the time when my bowling league would start. To kill this time I'd often wander up to the couple of pinball machines available. If I was lucky enough to have some spare change, I'd undoubtedly drop it in. I was finally playing with real flippers, real bumpers and real chimes. This machine was also sturdy enough that I quickly learned that a little body English could also affect the ball in play. I really enjoyed playing and when I a loud knock let me know I'd won a free game, I really felt a sense of accomplishment.

The next major event that impacted my pinball fascination came in 1979. At age 13, I moved to Hopkins, MN. Much to my delight I lived a block away from a local arcade, S. S.Billiards. This was also around the time I started earning my own money, first through baby sitting, then through caddying and finally in manufacturing. For a teenager, I had a pretty decent amount of disposable income. One place more than any other saw the fruit of my labor, S. S. Billiards. Admittedly, a lot of the draw of the place was the video games that were just hitting the streets. Over the course of the 6 years I lived in Hopkins, I played almost enough Robotron, Moon Patrol, Joust, Donkey Kong Jr, Tempest and Star Wars to buy those machines for the owner. I also found time dump a rather large amount of change into the collection of pinball machines including Black Night, Eight Ball Deluxe and Playboy (pretty hard for a teenage boy to resist that one). Being big into mechanical things, the pinball machines fascinated me. Machines with sampled speech and computerized sounds were icing on the cake.

I grew older and interest turned to different things. After 1984, I left Hopkins behind and moved to Atlanta to go to college. Between school, work and a modest social life, there was little time or interest in pinball. If I ran across a pinball machine from time to time, I might drop a quarter or two but never spent a huge amount of time in arcades.

Fast forward to 1996. I finally had a decent job, bought my first home and was beginning to think about purchasing some items to put in my home. For awhile I had a list of possible purchases and a pinball machine made its way on to this list. However, other items seem to always take priority. I figured things like a food/clothes for my daughter, furniture, a lawnmower, etc. were probably more important than a pinball machine. Plus I had little idea how to acquire a pinball machine. It's not like the local Target was offering one for sale and this was before the world wide web existed so information was somewhat beyond my fingertips. Thoughts of owning pinball machine faded to the back of my mind.

A couple years later and I'm was doing much better financially. That will happen when one's career gets going and you are able to get out from credit card and school loan debt. But first and foremost was a new house. But, the new house came with some huge perks. I now had more rooms to decorate/fill. I was certainly much better at filling than decorating them. I now had a 3 room basement with some grand plans. First, a room was going to be a home theater. In fact, the house was bought with that in mind. Second, I was going to set aside a room for my daughter's art/play area. That left fairly large empty room. What would I do with it? I figured why not a gameroom. Might as well make the whole basement an entertainment area.

One of my favorite arcade games of all time is Robotron. I'd played hours in my youth and never grew tired of it. I'd been playing a XBOX version on my TV for a few weeks but been a bit disappointed when the small sticks couldn't replicate the arcade experience. This being around 2002 with the Internet age in full swing, I discovered M.A.M.E. (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator). Here was a program that some severely dedicated individuals had created to document the history of video arcade games. The nice side affect of this documentation was a program that could run on a PC and allow you to play all those classics (and some not so classics). A little more research opened up a community of people building cabinets to look like arcade machines that contained PCs running M.A.M.E. I now had my first plan. I was going to build a M.A.M.E. cabinet so I could finally play Robotron in its full glory and be able to play another 4000 games to boot!

I built this cabinet as quick as possible, bought a PC to run M.A.M.E. and bought a really nice control panel from SlikStik. The end results was something not terribly pretty but highly functional.

While researching M.A.M.E., I made another interesting discovery. There was also a couple programs available, PinMAME and Visual Pinball, along with a great source of information at
the Visual Pinball Forums. Using these tools, the same cabinet that ran my 4000+ arcade games could also be used to simulate hundreds of pinball machines. Perfect!

For awhile I was content to play a pinball emulator on the cabinet. However, there was something missing. Without the real metal ball, without the real electromechanical bumpers, slingshots, up kickers and other devices, the game simply didn't feel the same. I was craving real pinball. It just so happened, I now had plenty of room and enough cash to add one to the gameroom.

WARNING : If you ever find yourself reaching this stage, take a moment to consider the ramifications. Pinball machines are like Lay's Potato Chips. You simply can't own just one. Before you know it ever nook and cranny in your house will be filled with machines. Each and every pinball owner can vouch for existence of this disease. If you do tread down this path, don't say you weren't warned. If find yourself trapped, don't worry. There a plenty of like minded individuals to turn to for therapy. More of these later.

Once I get my mind set on something, I generally operate pretty quick. Although I did spend some time researching about how and where to buy a pinball machine, I wish I would have spent a little more time. Because this was going to be my first purchase I wanted at least some guarantee should it break down shortly after purchase. I wasn't comfortable dealing with an EBay purchase or even someone without a storefront. This led me to a place called Gameroom Gallery just a few miles away from the house. The good thing is I was able to walk in, sample and examine several games before deciding on a purchase.

I knew going in I wanted a fairly recent pinball machine. I like the machines with a lot of features, multiball play and dot matrix displays. This also meant it wouldn't be cheap as these were the machines with the most demand. I knew I also wanted specific features including a spinner, drop targets and pop bumpers. Before arriving at the store, titles I had in mind included Twilight Zone, Star Trek : The Next Generation, The Adams Family and Indiana Jones. All had TV or movie themes which I though would go well next to my home theater. I got to play all of them and quickly ruled out The Adams Family because I found the play boring. Star Trek got ruled out because it really didn't capture my interest and I'm simply not that big of the series.

The store also had a new The Simpson's Pinball Party. Being a huge Simpson's fan and already having several Simpson's collectibles in the basement, this seemed like a perfect fit. The fact that the pinball machine had all the features I was looking for was definitely icing on the cake. More than a couple games played with it and I had another option to consider. Next, Indiana Jones got eliminated because there was simply something awkward about the play I just didn't like. It certainly didn't help that the artwork was pretty faded and the game needed some work. With only Twilight Zone and Simpson's left to consider, it came down to comfort level. I simply felt more comfortable buying a machine that was brand new and needed absolutely no work. I got out the checkbook, made the purchase, had it delivered and the rest is history. Although one tough game to play, I love the challenge and still play it quite frequently.

Up next : Do Pinball Machines Multiply?

Thrashers Game Report - 11/06/07

Final Score : Thrashers 2 - Capitals 1 OT

I knew going into this game that it was going to be a tough contest. First, Washington was coming off a fairly embarrassing loss at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes, 5-0, the night before. They were bound to be playing harder in an effort to make up for that poor effort. Second, the Thrashers were playing their first game back from a long 7 game road trip. It's a well know fact that teams tend to struggle in that scenario. It's been stated that the prior reason for these struggles has to do with returning home and facing the everyday tasks of family and house they didn't have to deal with on the road. Third, Washington has been a tough task for Atlanta lately. They play them quite tough and a nice little rivalry has developed. Ovechkin is always a thorn in their side.

The first period certainly showed it wouldn't be an easy night. The Capitals did a much better job than the Thrashers it getting to loose pucks and controlling play. A large majority of time was spent in the Thrasher's zone. The Thrashers' rookie goaltender, Ondrej Pavelec, making his first home start, was in net and did a fine job keeping the Thrashers in the game as Capitals out shot the Thrashers 16-6 in the first period. Pavelec looks very comfortable in the net and shows great form. His rebound control may already be better than Lehtonen's. He still needs work on puck handling but if he keeps it up, he might be challenging Lehtonen for the starting role before too long. The defense played very well in front of him including killing off 3 separate penalties in the first period. Pavelec and team defense kept the 0-0 headed into the first intermission.

The Thrashers offense played better in the second period, carrying the puck better and creating scoring opportunities. Six minutes in, it paid off when a brilliant effort and shot by Kovalchuk found the back of the net giving the Thrashers a 1-0 lead. The goal gave Kovalchuk the NHL lead with 13 goals and the place went nuts. Continued pressure resulted in multiple penalties to Washington, but no more goals. Then, with about 6 minutes left in the second period, Kovy made an awkward twist for a puck before doing one of patented wind-ups for a slapper from the point. Kovy went down in a lump and immediately the crowd fell silent. Kovy eventually left the ice on his own but it was obvious he was suffering pain near his shoulder/upper back. He didn't return for the contest. As of this moment, they are reporting it as back spasms and he almost returned so it doesn't sound too serious. Hopefully, it isn't because without Kovy the Thrashers are in a heap of trouble.

The third period opened with the Thrashers clinging to a 1-0 lead. History has shown that one goal is rarely enough for any team to win, let along the Thrashers and when Holik took a boarding call against Ovechkin, the Capitals were able to capitilize with a goal by Nylander. Pavelec got caught a little out of position, but it was hard to blame him for the goal when he had absolutely no help down low. Down the stretch, the Thrashers had some opportunities, including a power play for the final 1:46. However, they simply couldn't generate many good scoring opportunities. Without Kovy to create space and carry the puck, the team look a bit lost in the offensive end. The best chances can on a couple of point blasts by Tobias Enstrom. The third period horn sounded and the Thrashers were headed to overtime.

The Thrashers did a pretty good job of controlling play in OT and their hard work resulted in a deciding goal. Todd White made a great play to keep the puck in at the point and Kozlov quickly grabbed the loose puck. White headed along the boards and began moving towards the goal. Kozlov made a nice saucer pass to the open White who ripped one high blocker side from a tough angle to score the game winner. It was White's 100th career goal and one that sent the crowd home happy.

White, Pavelec and Kovy were named the 3 stars of the game, deservedly so. Enstrom, Klee and Exelby also had strong games. With the win the Thrashers are no 6-3 since the coaching change and have leap-frogged Washington and Tampa Bay into 3rd place in the Southeast Division. Kovy's injury is obviously a concern but things do look like they are headed in the right direction.

Follow-up on Kovy's injuery. Kovy said after the game "I can't really move or get up but I hope it loosens up and I hope to be ready for next game." He'll have an MRI done on Wednesday just to be safe but he's hoping to play in Friday's contest in Florida.

Hartley Out - See Ya Coach

OK, this is a little delayed. Some times other things simply have to take precedence. However, I didn't want this significant event in Thrashers' history to pass by without a least a brief mention.

I'm completely in support of the decision to let Hartley go; much like I was in support of hiring him in the first place. If it had been my decision, I would have let him go around early February of last year when the Thrashers suffered through a 10 game losing streak. I don't think management had the guts to make the move at that time.

My biggest gripe with Hartley was that he could never get consistent play out of the team. For every extended winning streak, there was always a losing streak. I guess it took another 10 game losing streak, 4 in the playoffs against the Rangers and 6 to open this season for Waddell and company to think the same thing.

Hartley was a great improvement over the Thrashers previous coach, Kurt Frasier and I have no doubt Hartley will land yet another job before too long. He does have a decent record of creating improvement but his methods seem to wear thin after awhile. He can certainly be credited with getting the Thrashers into their first playoff appearance but in reality that wasn't much of an accomplishment. With 16 of 30 teams making it to the playoffs each year even a coachless team could probably do it eventually. I think Hartley was able to get most of the players to buy into his system but his system simply wasn't going to work with the players in the organization. This became even clearer this season when the Thrashers were forced to go younger and smaller.

Hartley certainly isn't the only problem. The Thrashers have a roster that simply is going to have trouble competing night in and night out in the NHL. But getting rid of Hartley is another piece of the puzzle towards rebuilding the team as a whole.

Before all is said and done, there will probably be more changes with the Thrashers. Waddell's job is almost certainly tied to the current roster and whoever he picks to be the next coach. Things have to change if the Thrashers are determined to compete for a cup. Its going to be a long and tough road ahead but I'll be there through it all.

Robert Plant | Alison Krauss - Raising Sand - Music Review

As a long-time Robert Plant fan, I look forward to each and every Plant release. The former Led Zeppelin front-man has never disappointed me. He has never been one to fear branching out into different genres and trying new things and his collaboration with Alison Krauss on Raising Sand continues that long tradition.

Prior to hearing about this release, I'd never heard of Alison Krauss, so I won't pretend to be an authority. It's my understanding that she is an accomplished bluegrass singer and fiddle player. At first this might sound like an odd pairing for Plant, the power-rocker. However, Plant has always had an fond appreciation for uniquely American music and bluegrass certainly fits that bill.

It doesn't take a long listen to realize that the Plant-Krauss pairing is a brilliant one. Both vocalists work together flawlessly, each bringing out the best of each other. Their voices blend to form an almost eerie, magical sound that transcends genres and makes each track quite beautiful. They take turns sharing leads but their best work comes when they blend their voices.

A third party has a huge influence on this album. T Bone Burnett takes on the role of producer buts it is obvious he had helped choose the tracks and shaped the performances. All tunes except one are covers/re-makes. The lone exception being a Plant/Jimmy Page/Michael Lee/Charlie Joins track entitled "Please Read The Letter".

Each track can stand on its own as a musical delight, but it is as a group the songs really shine. The tracks span genres from blues, gospel, honkey-tonk, blue-grass and R&B with many tracks being somewhat difficult to categorize because they have elements of multiple genres.

Although I'm loving this album more with each listen, I'll admit it isn't for every Plant fan. If you want to hear hard-rocking Robert Plant, this CD isn't for you. However, if you have enjoyed some of Plant's other musical departures (Honey Drippers, Dreamland, Strange Sensation, etc.) then this one is definitely worth a listen.

Thrashers Game Report - 10/13/07

Final Score : Devils 6 - Thrashers 5

Another all too typical Thrashers game. Leading up to the game, the players were talking about how important it was to take a lead, establish some momentum and build some confidence. How do they respond? Less than a minute into the game, Havelid takes an interference penalty and the Devils get a quick power play goal. However, Atlanta bounces back pretty quick when Haydar gets a nice shot behind Brodeur off the post, his first NHL goal. Unfortunately, Sterling gets called for holding late in the period when he gets caught a bit out of position. Beginning what will be a theme for the game, the Thrashers' atrocious penalty kill allows a late period goal when Elias scores with less than 2 minutes to go. Thrashers head to the first intermission down 2-1. So much for playing with the lead.

The second period is one of the Thrashers best periods so far this season. Kovalchuk nets rare Thrashers' power play goal when his laser shot finds an opening. This goal ignites the crowd which had just found their way back to their seats. Kovy looks like a man on a mission, trying to establish himself as a dominant player in the NHL. He's doing it by working hard every shift. It is unfortunate the rest of his teammates aren't following his lead. Kovy's goal gets the team going and Exelby and Holik both net goals before the mid-point. Holik's goal is especially sweet because it is a hard-working, chippy goal caused by great traffic in front of the net, something the Thrashers historically have had a hard time doing.

Things are starting to roll and the 4-2 lead looks great heading to the end of the 2nd period. I kept thinking to myself that they just need to make it to intermission. Once again I'm let down as the Thrashers allow a goal with less than 20 seconds left in the period. A disgusting lack of focus takes what could have been a great period and casts doubt as to whether or not the Thrashers can break out of their winless slump.

The lack of focus continues into the 3rd period and the Thrashers lose the lead as the result of 2 Devil goals. Now down by a goal, the life is gone from the Thrashers and the crowd. Things are starting to get pretty ugly. With under 3 minutes left, Kovy comes to the the rescue. His hard slap shot from just above the left faceoff circle finds a hole and ties the game. The crowd comes back to life. But once again the thrill is short lived. You'd think after giving up late period goals twice already in the game that the team could stay disciplined in the final 2:30. Instead, Exelby takes an ill-advised penalty behind the Thrashers net when he halls down a Devil. This was a call that was so blatant the ref had no choice but to call it. In steps the Thrashers penalty kill.

Can you sense where this is going? With less than 30 seconds left, the Thrashers fail to kill the penalty and Elias puts the Devils in front for good. A valiant, but too late, effort by the Thrashers gets the puck within inches of the goal line with seconds to go but like every other game this season, the Thrashers end up on the losing side.

These late period collapses remind me of the early Thrashers years. The lack of discipline and focus are disturbing trends. When the offense manages to score 5 goals on 17 shots against Brodeur, the defense must come through. It must play better than the opponent 35 shots.

There is now a huge lack of confidence on the team. I could see it in the pregame warmup and you could sense it in the third period. Kari's inconsistency is also a bit alarming. While he can't really be solely blamed for many goals, it is about time he steps up and steals a game from time to time. Kari's biggest technical problem is his rebound control. Too many rebounds are being directed towards the center or into traffic. To be an elite goalie he needs to direct rebounds out of harms way.

The only thing that is going to help this team is a single win. They only way they are going to get that win is by playing hard for a FULL 60 minutes and in all phases of the game. Based on passed experience, I'm not so sure they are capable of doing that.

Hossa Dilemma

The Thrashers have a major dilemma on the hands. Management doesn't care much to speak about it and the players certainly don't want to mention it. Weeks or even months could go by without addressing it; but at some point they are going to have to face reality.

The issue is Marian Hossa. One of the Thrasher's best players and a top 10 talent in the league is in the final year of his contract. If he makes it until next July 1st without a new deal, he'll become an unrestricted free agent and free to sign with another team without compensation for the Thrashers.

The Thrashers simply can't allow that to happen. It's not just that they can't allow him to sign with another team. Rather, they cannot allow it to even get that far. The Thrashers are not in the best financial shape. The lack of playoff success is hampering the Thrashers' cash flow. Right now they can't even afford to spend all the money allowable under the salary cap. Troubles within the ownership group are making it difficult to give out long-term contracts. If Hossa reaches free agency, he's going to have multiple suitors who can pay him far more than the Thrashers can offer and offer a longer contract (all contracts in the NHL are guaranteed).

Hossa and his agent aren't stupid. They see this golden opportunity coming. Hossa has said he is very excited to test the market. It's hard to blame him for wanting to get the most he can, while he can. Although some articles have made it sound like Hossa wants to be with a winning team, I don't believe his intention was to mean that Atlanta couldn't be that team. As long as Atlanta can make a competitive offer, I think he'd be willing to stay.

But Thrashers GM, Waddell, and company must do what is best for the franchise. They must work diligently to get a contract done before the trade deadline. The numbers for a reasonable contract should be fairly clear at this time with the likes of Briere, Heatley, Iginla, Thorton and other similar top 10 talent recently getting new contracts. The Thrashers must make there best offer sooner rather than later.

Whats the rush you say? Its the importance Hossa value represents to the franchise. Letting him walk away in free agency means they'll get nothing but the cap space to replace him.
The Thrashers simply aren't going to find an equal talent available next summer at a lesser price. So, if they can't re-sign him, they must get something in return via trade.

Assuming they make their best offer and Hossa refuses, the biggest obstacle to trading him may be ego and job security. Anything the Thrashers get in return, especially around the trade deadline, is going to be future prospects or draft picks. Those players will not help the Thrashers make the playoffs this year which may be necessary to save Waddell and Hartley's job. I think a deadline deal that only nets prospects is also going to be a hard sell to most Thrasher fans if they think the Thrashers are headed to the playoffs or on the cusp.

If was in their position, I'd be considering trading him sooner rather than later. That way they could get someone who could help them now and in the future. I don't want to see Hossa go as he's one of my favorite Thrashers and he has skills no other Thrasher has. However, I want what is best for the Thrashers in the long-term. That means either signing Hossa ASAP or sending him packing ASAP.

NHL Shootouts - End the Madness

I hate the shootouts. It's a recurring theme with me. Every time I see one in person or on TV I think about how much crap the NHL is feeding the fans when they describe it as the "most exciting moment in sports". I've been know to walk out on games when overtime is done because I don't even want to see it.

Shootouts aren't real hockey. Hockey is played by teams with defensive players on the ice. It isn't a one on one contest between shooter and goaltender. A game shouldn't be decided based on it. Ties aren't marketable, but the false drama a shootout creates isn't much better. Ask most NHLers or people in hockey management what they think and I'm pretty sure they'll tell you the same thing.

Today I saw a couple stats from 2006 that made it even clearer. Ottawa, Detroit and Anaheim were three of the best teams in hockey last year. Their record in shootouts, 8-24. Some of the best scorers in the league including Heatley, Zetterberg, Lecavalier, Forsberg, Kovalchuk and Ovechkin were miserable in shootouts. Great goalies like Broduer, Hasek, Luongo and Kipprusoff were near bottom in shootout save percentage while goalies like Denis and Thomas were at the top.

When the best teams in the league and the best players in the league are least effective when comes to a segment that is used to decide wins and loses, its a travesty. The NHL executives that continue to serve it up as the bees knees are no better than the carnival hucksters that try to take your local midway. At least on the midway I might win a cupie doll. Stop the gimmick. Stop it now.

NHL Preview

With all apologies to Southern California fans, the NHL Season begins tonight. No more meaningless preseason games. No more hiding deficiencies. Time to suit up for 82 games of ice-cutting, twine-tingling, stick-breaking, great-saving, fist-pumping action. Its time to put the biscuit in the basket, block the hard slap shot and make the diving save. Give us the hard work and wins and we shower you in adoration.; fall short and risk being booed out of the auditorium. This IS hockey and it is no place for wimps, mama's boys or sewing circles. So, don your helmet, tape your stick, lace up your skates and don't forget your cup because it is time for another season of NHL Hockey.

Detroit Red Wings - Coming off nice playoff run that arguably left them about 15 seconds short of another championship, the Wings are ready to compete for it once again. Many pundits had written then off last year after the retirement of Yzerman and Shanahan leaving town for the Rangers. What this pundits didn't realize is there was plenty of leadership left behind, a budding group of stars and some youth biting at the bit for their opportunity to shine.

During the season the Wings suffered numerous injuries and along the front line and that allowed some youngsters the chance to earn some valuable minutes. Players like Hudler, Kopecky, Filpulla, Quincy and Meetch were valuable contributors. The minutes they played last season will go a long ways towards making an impact this season.

Datsyuk and Zetterberg showed why they are regarded as some of the best young talent in the league and look ready to explode this season. If Zetterberg can play a full 82 game slate, there is no reason he can't compete for the scoring title or even MVP.

Defense is still a strong point for the Wings as Lidstrom and the ageless Chelios return. I thought Chelios played some of his best hockey in years when asked to play more as a result of Kronwall's injury. With Rafalski replacing Schneider, Kronwall healthy, Ledba maturing nicely and Lilja a steady force the Wings have one of the best units in the league.

Backing it all up is the other ageless on in Hasek. Maybe not at his peak but he can still be dominate at times. Considering the defense in front of him he's bound to be near the top in goals against. Osgood is very good for the backup position.

With Nashville getting weaker, St. Louis and Chicago still a few years from serious competition, the Wings should have no trouble winning the division and will continue their remarkable streak of consecutive 100 point seasons. There is no reason Detroit can't win the President's Trophy.

I'm a bit concerned about the weak competition they'll face down the stretch. The West is full of tough teams so the playoffs should be a dogfight. Barring injury I think the Wings have as good a chance as any so I'll go ahead and predict they take the championship back to Detroit once again.

Atlanta Thrashers - Few want to admit it, but there is a rebuilding going on in Atlanta and it is a rebuilding long overdue. Out with the old, slow and tired. In with the new, fast and energetic. The is still enough veteran talent around to make the team competitive but the influx of youth will likely result in a step back. I just wonder how far back they'll fall.

Up front the Thrashers bring back Holik, Kovalchuk, Hossa, Kozlov and Dupois. Adding veterans like Eric Perrin and Todd White might make a difference but probably not enough to offset the acquisitions made throughout the Eastern Conference. However, the youthful additions of Bryan Little and Brett Sterling should give this team a bit of energy it has been lacking. If somehow these players met than fan's high expectations, the offense could be dangerous. Hopefully Hartley finds some good line mates for Kovy as recent years have seen him trying to do everything on his own.

On the defense side, the pylons (DeVries and Sutton) are finally gone. Their replacements appear more active and energetic but it remains to be seen whether or not they are an improvement. Zhitnik and Havelid should be OK as the top pairing and Exelby continues to develop nicely but the rest are all wildcards (Klee, Engstrom, McCarthy). Engstrom looked a bit tenative in preseason and McCarthy has had difficulty cracking the top 6. I somehow doubt the unit will be drammatically improved in the early going. I'm also concerned that the biggest of these guys in the 6'1" 215 Exelby (I'm not even sure he is that big). I fear they are going to have a hard time shutting down some of the more physical wings in the league.

I'm much more optimistic about the Thrashers goaltending. Lehtonen takes a lot of heat for his rather poor playoff performance but he has made progress each year with the Thrashers and I see no reason he can't improve further. People need to remember he's only 23. Hedberg is a very solid backup and plays the role well. However, I think it is important that Hartley modifies the playing schedule for these two. Kari needs a little more rest and there is no reason not to give him it with a solid #2.

I see the Thrashers taking a slight step back this year which just might mean missing the playoffs. Carolina should rebound nicely and Tampa Bay will still compete despite poor goaltending. The Thrashers better watch out as both Florida and Washington are coming on fast in the division. I don't think they'll win the division, instead finishing a close #3.

Fortunately, there are a couple of other teams in the Eastern Conference on a slide, namely Buffalo, Toronto, Montreal and the New York Islanders. But Buffalo won't slide drastically and only the Islanders made the playoffs so their is little margin of error for the Thrashers. It could come down to the final week once again but I'm guessing the Thrashers are on the outside looking in this time.

A few notes about those other NHL teams :

New York Rangers - back to trying to buy the cup again? Don't they ever learn. At least this time they do have some youth to mix in but how long will they be able to maintain it. This team should battle for the top spot in the East but has some question marks on defense and a glaring weakness at the backup goaltending position. If something happens to Lunqvist, Sather better hope he can make a deal or convince a retiree to lace it up.

Flyers - I think they'll turn things around pretty quick and be fighting for a playoff spot. Probably can't compete for the cup just yet though.

Maple Leafs - This team needs to accept the fact that the roster needs a rebuilding and get started. Move Sundin at the trade deadline get started soon.

Tampa Bay - Are they paying the price for putting so much cash into 3 players. Can they find a solid goaltender at a cheap price. Their playoffs depend on it.

Ottawa - A team built the right way and stock full of talent, most of it in the prime of their careers. They've had a good taste and should want it even more. With Heatley now under contract I think they'll return to the finals unless goaltending issues become overwhelming.

Bruins - see Maple Leafs

Ducks - Will the Cup hangover curse their chances. Will Neidemeyer or Selane return? How bad is Schneider's injury. Will Bertuzzi be a factor? That's a lot of questions, but their is still a ton of other talent. They'll be in the running come June for repeat.

Sharks - Probably the most underachieving team the last few years. However, the window is still open wide considering how good the Sharks are at developing and acquiring talent. Sign Roenick was a bit strange. This could be the year for the Sharks but they'll have to regain the edge they somehow lost against the Wings in last years playoffs.

Flames - Any bets on how long before Keenan wears out his welcome? Will Kipper get the contract he wants or run for the big money next year (Wings in the waiting?). They need to find consistent scoring outside Iginla to get to the top.

Phoenix - How much longer will the Great One want to be latched onto the Great Wasteland?
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Predictions:

Wings win cup against Senators (if I keep saying it, eventually it will come true)

Rangers and Sharks make conference finals.

Flyers, Blues and Avalanche return to playoffs.

Thrashers, Leafs, Canadians, Stars missed the playoffs.

NHL Fandom - The Two Sides of Evileye

For those of you who may not know me quite so well, I'm a pretty hard-core hockey fan. I love the sport in person and on TV and do my best to bring new fans to the sport. I've had the good fortune of attending both Stanley Cup Playoff and Finals games and can say that the atmosphere at those contests rivals any sport.

I grew up in Minnesota, hockey country USA, so hockey is in my blood. I didn't play a whole lot of it in my youth but I did grow up a Minnesota North Stars and Golden Gopher fan. The 1980 Olympics and the Miracle on Ice took things to a new level. Several of the players and coach went to high school in Minnesota or played for the University of Minnesota so it was easy to be a fan. When they pulled off the upset of a USSR team I highly respected, I was amazed. To bring home the gold was icing on the cake. A few of those gold-medal players went on to join the North Stars shortly after the Olympics were over.

But in 1993 tragedy struck. The owner of the North Stars decided he was going to move the team South to Dallas. It didn't matter that fan support was extremely strong in Minnesota or that hockey was a large part of the local culture; he simply wanted the bigger money Dallas and its more modern arena could offer. I decided I couldn't support the team any longer, so I broke my emotional ties with the franchise and went in search of a new team to root for.

At this time I was living in Atlanta and there was no NHL franchise. I supported the local IHL (minor league) franchise, the Atlanta Knights, but still wanted an NHL team to root for. I picked the Detroit Red Wings for many reasons. First and foremost they were a team with a lot of young talent and were fun to watch, but they also had deep hockey traditions and solid ownership committed to winning. I joined on at just the right time as they have been one of the most successful franchises ever since.

Fast forward a couple of years to 1999 and Atlanta finally gets an NHL franchise, the Atlanta Thrashers. There was never a doubt I was going to be a fan of this team. I'd been waiting years to see NHL games in person once again and I had a great opportunity since the company I work for bought season tickets.

I've been going to Thrasher games for 8 seasons now, seeing roughly 25 games a year. It has been painful, at times, but is great to see NHL in person once again. Although I still root very hard for the Red Wings, I root even harder for the Thrashers. I believe the tipping point may have come two years ago when I honestly admitted the Red Wings took a back seat to the Thrashers. The emotional tie is simply stronger when I see the games in person. The fact that my daughter can share that experience makes it that much nicer.

So, you'll be seeing posts about both the Thrashers and Red Wings over the course of the next season and beyond. If it seems a bit conflicted, perhaps this long story will shed some light on the method to this madness.

Tideland - Movie Review

** WARNING REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS **

Over the weekend I finally had time to take in Terry Gilliam's latest offering, Tideland. I've always admired Gilliam's work because he takes chances with his film making and creates movies that visual impressive and thought provoking at the same time.

Tideland fits this mold quite well and is perhaps his best work. Even a couple days after watching this movie, I'm not sure I have a full grasp on what I watched. The movie touch on so many emotions it left me puzzled. At times the fantasy story made me smile and laugh but there were just as many scenes that left me with a disgusted and horrified feeling.

The story focuses around a young girl, Jeliza-Rose, played by Jodelle Ferland. This young girl has quite an active imagination and counts among her friends several bodiless dolls. Her fantasy world serves as crutch because her real-life world is such a mess. Both of her parents (Jeff Bridges & Jennifer Tilly) are heroin addicts. Because her parents are hardly attached to reality to begin with, Jeliza-Rose barely notices when they both end up dead.

Before dying her father takes her to a broken down house he once called home. Jeliza-Rose sets off to explore her surroundings and encounters characters who are scary and innocent at the same time. Desperate for a real friend, Jeliza-Rose latches on to epileptic man-child and forms one of the strangest relationships ever seen on screen. It is this relationship which becomes the guiding principle for the remainder of the film. At times it plays out in a friendly manner with each "child" simply having fun. At other times it becomes quite uncomfortable as a weird sexual tension develops between Jeliza-Rose and the "man".

Following the fantasy through to the end, the movie culminates with a scene that is both disturbing, happy and sad all at the same time. Through it all Jeliza-Rose appears unaffected and this is were I think the main point lies. As adults we see things much differently than children and because of it events affect us in much more dramatic ways. But children take events more in stride and simply go on living. As adults we try to teach our children well but perhaps it is also important for adults to learn a few lessons from children.

This isn't a film for everyone. I'd have a hard time recommending to all but a few select friends because the subject matter and the execution is so far from mainstream cinema. However, for those who like thought provoking movies, can handle some disturbing themes and don't mind finishing a movie without all the answers, I highly recommend Tideland. In my perfect world we see more directors take the sort of chances Gilliam took in making this film. I look forward to his next work.

Stanley Cup Odds

Here are odds on winning the Stanley Cup as of today:

Anaheim 6-1
Detroit 7-1
San Jose 7-1
Nashville 8-1
Ottawa 8-1
Pittsburgh 12-1
Buffalo 15-1
Minnesota 15-1
N.Y. Rangers 15-1
Vancouver 15-1
Colorado 20-1
New Jersey 20-1
Calgary 25-1
Dallas 25-1
Carolina 30-1
Tampa Bay 30-1
Toronto 30-1
Atlanta 35-1
Montreal 40-1
Islanders 40-1
Phila. 40-1
Fla. 50-1
St. Louis 50-1
Edmonton 55-1
Wash. 65-1
Boston 80-1
Chicago 80-1
L.A. 80-1
Colum. 100-1
Phoenix 100-1

It's too easy to look at the top and agree that those are the favorites. Instead, I'll look at a couple that might nice gambles :

Colorado 20-1 : team rebounding quick from a mini-rebuilding. If goaltending can stay strong, they'll be in the hunt. However, can they survive in the against the top heavy Western Conference.

Calgary 25-1 : Will Mike Keenan get this team back on track? The talent is certainly there but they lack a lot of discipline. One of the toughest teams at home must find way to win on the road.

Now for some terrible gambles :

Nashville 8-1 : Who one earth are these betters put money on the Predators to make them 8-1. With all the turnover they'll have a difficult time making the playoffs let alone winning it all. They still have talent but no where near enough to get it done come playoff time.

Phoenix 100-1 : This team should be at least 500-1. They'd need some major lucke to make the playoffs and some strange sort of viral infection to get out of past the second round. Winning the cup would probably require a plane crash or two so the opponent couldn't field a team. If you are making this bet you better be working on cloning a young Gretzky in your spare time.

Iceland Trip Report - Part 12 of 12

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 2nd - Journey Back Home

Everything went very smoothly on the return to the U.S. We spent the last of our Icelandic money in the airport and our plane left on time and arrived on time in Boston. Since we both had allowed extra time in Boston in case things didn't go smoothly, when they did we tried to get earlier flights home. We both managed to get them although Delta charge me $50 to change my flight to Atlanta. My brother and I exchanged quick goodbyes in Boston and went our separate ways. The flight to Atlanta was also very smooth with a minor hiccup when my luggage didn't show up on the carousel. Just as I was reporting it missing, my lone bag popped up to my delight. I got to my car, dropped the top and I drove the last miles to my home. The first thing that hit me was how hot and humid it was.

SUMMARY

Overall the trip was a smashing success and I'd highly recommend Iceland to anyone who has the time and money to make the journey. Although I think one could enjoy a long weekend in the Iceland, a week or more is really necessary to see most of what it has to offer. My favorite parts were the pub crawl in Reykjavík, the lava tube at Raufarhhólshellir, the drive along the Southern coast and Skatafell National Park. About the only place I didn't enjoy was Hvergerði. If I went back, I'd want to see either the Western Fjörds, Snæfellsnes Penisula or more of the interior. The Þórsmörk to Landmannalaugar hike is something I'd love to do at some point. I could also spend more time around Lake Myvatn.

If anyone has any questions or want some pointers on planning a trip to Iceland, please don't hesitate to ask.

Iceland Trip Report - Part 11 of 12

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 1st - Back to the Big City

We briefly discussed making diversions to the Western Fjörds, Snæfellsnes Penisula or the interior but realized we simply wouldn't have enough time to do any of those diversions justice. Instead, we made a beeline back to Reykjavík sticking to Route 1. The journey along the western end of Route didn't feature any major landmarks or stops but the drive was quite pleasant and once again different than most of the rest of the country. Most of it follows a large river valley with fairly large mountains along both sides of the valley. Unlike most of Iceland, there was a lot of green in this area. The area featured literally hundreds of small waterfalls but nothing spectacular enough to make us stop. The only major choice we had left was whether to take the tunnel near Akranes or drive the extra distance around the fjörd. Our final decision was based on price. Since it was less than 1000 ISK ($16) we decided to take the shorter route.


Back in Reykjavík we found ourselves some parking close to our hotel, the Radisson SAS 1919. This was much easier than we anticipated. Fortunately, we were there early enough to grab a space before the evening crowd rolled in. This time we got an even nicer room on the corner of the hotel. The view from the corner was really neat because it was right on a fairly busy intersection and we could people watch for the hours leading up to the pub crawl. After dealing with relatively simple farm house accommodations, it was really nice to be in a big city hotel. The bathroom, showers and beds felt huge and having a couple more TV channels to flip through while we relaxed was certainly welcome.

The next step was to go out and gather up some souvenirs. This is really easy to do in downtown Reykjavík as there are numerous gift shops and book shops. Because it was some special Saturday shopping day, the streets were pretty full of shoppers but not so full as to be a hindrance. The weather was cold and wet but after circling the countryside it really didn't phase us. I picked up a book for myself, a sweatshirt and socks for my daughter and a couple things for friends before calling it quits. After some more rest at the hotel we set off in search of dinner. We walked around for almost an hour trying to find the perfect place.We kind of hoped to find some uniquely Icelandic food. Something like whale, smoked puffin or reindeer would have been nice. However, we didn't want to overspend on it and settled for good fish and chips. Afterwards we had some coffee and cake to kill some time before a mini-pub crawl.

Since out flight was early the next morning, we considered staying awake all night. However, it became apparent we were pretty run down from the trip and some sleep was going to be necessary. We waited until the crowd began to come out around 11:30 and hit a local bar. We had a few drinks, called it night and I quickly few asleep in the very comfortable bed.

Iceland Trip Report - Part 10 of 12

FRIDAY AUGUST 31st - Lake Myvatn

For some odd reason, the Farm Holiday's tour recommendations completely skipped the Lake Myvatn area when putting together our Ring Route trip. However, after reading about it I knew it was foolish to overlook this area if you are anywhere near it. Because we had to get pretty far West by the end of the day, we had to make the journey relatively short. We headed back East toward the area and decided to take Route 848 up the West side. Originally thinking this might be a gravel road slowing our trip, we were pleasantly surprised to see it paved. We didn't really stop anywhere along the western lake shore instead waiting to stop until we found a nice tourism office on the Northern end of the lake. After some great pointers, we headed towards the Hverarönd geothermal field. This field was quite big and had some nice steaming vents, mud pots, sulfur deposits and fumaroles. The sulfur smell was quite strong and the area made me think of walking in a cat litter box as our shoes were caked with sulfur filled mud upon exit.

After cleaning our shoes the best we could we headed for the Reykjahlið swilling pool to take a look. We didn't have time for a swim but I wanted to see if it was really as nice as the Blue Lagoon as I had read. While the actual pool may have been as nice the building certainly wasn't as impressive. It is a much plainer facility. However, since it costs a lot less to enter, I can understand why some people chose to go there instead of or in addition to the Blue Lagoon.

Next up was the Viti explosion crater. A short drive through a geothermal plant left us at the bottom of a short trail leading to the top of the crater. Less than a 20 minute walk put us up on the rim staring down into this blue water filled crater. No really a spectacular sight but pretty unique.

A couple minutes later and we were headed back down and back towards the lake. Neither of us are bird watchers but considering how much I'd heard about Lake Myvatn being this huge bird-watchers paradise, I expected to see more birds. Maybe the birds were already gone for the season or maybe there went enough black flies and midges (there were more than enough to pester me). Whatever it was there simply weren't many birds. On the East side of the lake I stopped briefly to marvel at Hverfell tephra ring.

Later, we stopped to admire the cool lava field and rock formations at Dimmuborgir and Markhraun. We finally finished up our lake area exploration by wandering around some pseudo craters on the South end of the lake. We had spent about 3 1/2 hours exploring the lake. We easily could have spent more but I was very satisfied with what we were able to see.

Leaving the lake and heading back West once again we stopped for another set of waterfalls at Godafoss. These large falls were quite impressive and you could walk right up to the edge of them. It took a little carefully maneuvering and one wet shoe but I managed to get myself positioned within inches of huge water drop. This would be the last significant falls we'd see in Iceland although we see literally hundreds of more small falls during the rest of our drive.

We breezed through Akureyri this time around and only briefly considered a rafting trip in the Varmahlið area before continuing on a long winding drive to our next and last farm house at Stðarskáli in Hrútafjöordur. The host greeted us nicely but told us she was thrilled that this was her last weekend dealing with the Ring Routers. Apparently her season was over and not a moment too soon. We opted for the dinner this time paying close to $65 for a simple dinner consisting of some sauce covered fish, rice, bread and a very small serving of vegetables. We were surprised to see that even in Iceland, Dr. Phil made his presence on TV.

Iceland Trip Report - Part 9 of 12

THURSDAY AUGUST 30th - Jökulsárgljúfur National Park

Another full day had us heading towards Jókulsárgljúfur National Park. Back on Route 1 we found a nice pullover in the long stretch between Egilsstaðir and Route 864 where the black winding road looked really nice against the mostly black surrounding landscape. It was apparent many others had also enjoyed this lookout as the parking area had a collection of at least 50 cairns. Cairns are rock piles you see throughout Iceland, some in the strangest spots. Apparently they used to be used a signposts for locations and routes. Now, locals and tourists alike create piles of rocks all over the stark land. Some of them are very short and disorganized. Others are tall and very structured. Although we often went for 10 to 20 minutes without seeing a car, we rarely travelled for more than a minute without see a cairn. We often wondered how long some of the cairns had stood.

When we got to Route 864, we turned North towards the park and started a rather fun drive up to our first stop. At this point I had become quick comfortable with driving on loose gravel roads and really started enjoying it. There's just something about the feel of the gravel hitting the car and swerving to avoid the biggest ruts that made the adventure that much funner. After a good 30 minutes driving in the stuff we reached our first stop near Dettifoss (falls). More volume of water falls over Dettifoss than any falls in Europe but because it is relatively short and the water is filled with sediment, it isn't Iceland's prettiest. However, I was still pretty impressed.

From Dettifoss we did some short walking and a short drive to see a few more falls, Selfoss and Hafrailsfoss. The canyons surrounding the falls are also pretty dramatic.

After leaving the falls we drove to the northern end of the park to see Asbyrgi. This area of the park is filled with numerous trails so we decided to follow one that did a small circle around the canyon. This canyon is sometimes billed as Iceland's Grand Canyon" but from this person who has seen THE Grand Canyon in Arizona on multiple occasions, Asbyrgi isn't even close. Although a nice departure from most Icelandic landscapes as it has a good amount of green, the walls of the canyon a relatively featureless. It is certainly worth a trip if you are in the area but if you skip it I don't think you'd regret it.

From Asbyrygi we headed out on Route 85 towards the North coast and Husavík. The drive was nice but fairly featureless. This would be northernmost part of our journey but would leave us about 40km short of the Arctic Circle. We briefly considered a flight to Grimsey so we could step inside the Arctic Circle but reconsidered when we found out the flights were limited and there really isn't a good marker for the spot. Instead I gazed into the distance and held off the journey to the Arctic for a future trip to Norway? Husavík was a decent size town by Icelandic standards but we really didn't spend too much time checking it out. We only stopped for a short lunch at restaurant attached to local gas station. From the window of the gas station we could see the somewhat famous Icelandic Phallogical Museum but never considered entering it.

Next up was an early check in at our hotel, Narfastaðir in Reykjadalur. Another typical farmhouse in a nice location between Husavík, Akureyri and Lake Myvatn. After checking in and relaxing a bit we headed out for Akureyri. Since we were going to be heading back eastward to check out the Lake Myvatn area we thought it best to check out Akureyri today rather than try to fit it in the next day. The drive in to Akureyri was quite nice and the town was the most developed since Reykjavík. We set about exploring the city on foot and found it fairly accessible. We didn't do much significant other than check out a church and catch part of girls soccer game. We didn't realize how significant this game was until we caught highlights on TV later that night and on future nights of trip. Perhaps we should have stuck around a little longer. Having had our fill of Akureyri we headed back East to the hotel.

Iceland Trip Report - Part 8 of 12

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 29th - Glacier Up Close

I decided before the trip that one of the things I really wanted to do was drive a snowmobile on a glacier. I figured this journey could serve three purposes. First, it would get me on a glacier. Second, the ride up to the glacier was via an F Road (4WD) in a super jeep. Finally, I'd get to drive a snowmobile which I hadn't done in almost 25 years. We decided to go with Glacier Jeeps. They offer pickup at a lot right on the Ring Road & F985. For 9900ISK ($158), they drive you up to the glacier, outfit you with a snowsuit, helmet, gloves and boots. That price is per person with 2 people sharing a snowmobile. To ride alone it costs an extra 5000ISK ($80). Reservations were not required but we very surprised how many people showed up at the bottom lot (about 25). For all the money these people make of tourists, I would have expected the guides to speak better English. Instead, they were the worst English speakers we met in the country. However, their English was certainly better than my Icelandic so I couldn't complain.

The ride up to the top was pretty crazy. The drivers are obviously used to it and they drove quite fast. It was a pretty steep road of loose gravel and switchback turns. It didn't make me very nervous but you could tell several of our fellow passengers we not so comfortable. After 20 minutes we reached the small building high up above the coast. It took awhile to process payments from everyone and get everyone equipped for the journey. In the mean time, I enjoyed the great view from up top. When everyone was finally set, we walked down to the snowmobiles. Now it was time for instructions. This was a bit of challenge with the fractured English but he got most of his message across with some visual aids. We all hopped on our snowmobiles and began our trip in single file. From here it became painfully apparent who had no experience or intuition about how to drive a snowmobile. Several people tip their sleds in the first turn and one couple went complete off the path and into some rocks. However, most people adjusted as the trip went by. My brother allowed me to drive and I handled things quite well. Only one time were we close to tipping over. My biggest gripe was the idiot in front of us who clearly had little skill yet insisted on thinking he did. He'd frequently hold back to create a gap so he could speed ahead. I was just waiting for him to fly off his ride since he nearly did several times. The conditions were far from ideal. The path we took was fairly well worn and we spent a majority of our time in slush, ice, water or rocks, very little on packed snow. I guess you can't expect much better in late August. When we finally hit a nice patch, the guide told us to stop for pictures before we started heading back. The whole time on the snowmobiles was probably 50 minutes tops.

Once back at the shack, we removed our gear. Although we would have loved to head back to the car immediately, they make you wait so the guests can enjoy lunch at their restaurant. I think the set meal was around 2400ISK ($40) so we decided to pass. After about 45 minutes we gathered up for the ride down. If the ride up was hairy, the ride down was more so. I kept expecting them to fish tale around a turn or two and have the wheels slide off the cliff. I couldn't help but wonder how much effort went in to building this road that served no other purpose that to get people to the snowmobiles. Once at the bottom we jump in the car and headed out. It was now 1:30. The whole thing had taken about 4 hours. I liked the experience but doubt I would ever repeat it.

Ahead of us we had a fairly long drive to Eqilsstaðir. As the crow flies, it wasn't that far away, but we were following the coast. At this point the coast turns into a long series of fjords. These fjords take forever to navigate as each long trip inward is followed by an equally long trip outward. At times we we wishing for a nice bridge or tunnel shortcut. However, I've got to admit there was something tranquil about these fjords and their nice high rounded peaks. We saw so few cars on this journey it made me feel as if the track was specially laid out for us. When we got a little hungry we even managed to find a nice restaurant along the edge of one of these fjords that looked newly erected, perhaps just hours before our arrival. We felt a little awkward ordering only chocolate milkshakes to go but we needed to survive and keep going on the open road.

We made a brief stop at the start of Reyðarfjórður to get a picture of the both of us in front of the lighthouse at Vattarnes. Dad and Joanie love lighthouses and frequent a restaurant that features photos of many of them. This was our best chance to give them a nice gift. The walk to the lighthouse was more than bit challenging as it was across a nice stretch of moss covered lava field. When we got out there we realized just how small the lighthouse was, coming in no taller than 25 feet. It almost looked like a kid's playhouse. When leaving we got a little scare as a street sweeper started approaching the car. For a few moments we thought we'd come back to the car all pitted from rocks. Fortunately, it turned around just before the car but not before forcing us to run across the rough field. We jumped in the car and continued to Eqilsstaðir.

Egilsstaðir was easily the biggest city we'd seen since Reykjavík. Much of it has been built in the past few years to support the big dam project located no too far south of the town. After we checked in to Guesthouse Egilsstaðir we decided we still had some extra free time. Prior research had revealed that the drive to Seyðisfjördur was short and interesting enough to check out. When we realized that Wednesday was the day the ships arrived from Norway and there were extra activities in the town, we decided we'd drive down there, check out the city and get some dinner. The drive didn't disappoint. The hills down into the fjord were very nice and towering over the city made for a great photo. However, once we got to the city, it was almost dead. Little to no activity was going on and we couldn't find a single place to eat after criss-crossing the entire town. We headed back to Egilsstaðir a little disappointed and hungry. Choosing to avoid the pricey ($64) and romantic setting of the hotel meal, we opted for the diner connected to the gas station across the street. This diner was typical of many we'd find. We got a decent pizza at a "reasonable" price. Leftovers would come in handy the next day.

The hotel was actually quite nice although the outside looked relatively simple. The view was especially good looking out on the lake, Lögurrin. I'd heard of the sea monster that supposedly lives in the lake but never saw it. However, there were some nice horses out back the lighting was just perfect for some excellent photos.

Iceland Trip Report - Part 7 of 12

TUESDAY AUGUST 28th - "Blow Your Mind" Drive

The Farm Holidays information describe this day's drive as "mind-blowing" and it wasn't far from the truth. However, before we hit the road I needed to take a shower. Now you may ask yourself why would I bring this up? I bring it to your attention because it was the most disgusting shower of my life. From the moment I turned the hot water on, I was surrounded by a very strong sulfur smell (rotten eggs). This smell grew stronger and stronger the longer I was in the shower so as you might expect I made it fast but not before almost gagging. Fortunately, when it was done, and I had left the bathroom, the smell didn't linger on my body. Of course, maybe my brother thought different. Either way we got the hell out of Dodge.

The first thing we came across on the drive was the Great Sandur. When volcanoes go off under the glacier, they melt the ice and when this water comes pouring down towards the ocean, huge amounts of sediment are carried with it. For miles and miles of this drive the coastline and a few miles inland were covered with this black sand sediment. The sand, the road, the ocean and the glacier make for a very dramatic picture.

Up next was a stop at Skatafell National Park. The park is just of the Ring Route and has several hiking trails, many of which lead up to the glacier. First we took the short hike up to Svartifoss (waterfall). This waterfall is a pretty impressive sight as it is surrounded by basalt columns. Feeling adventurous, my brother decided to walk behind the falls as I stayed back at took pictures of him. From his description the walk behind was relatively easy and he only got a little misted.

From there, we continued up the trail another 20 minutes to the edge of Skaftafellsjökull (glacier). Although, from this point, you can't actually touch the glacier, you do get a great view of it and can better grasp the huge size. We didn't want to take the same path back down we took up, so ignored the "closed" sign of another path and took our chances. Yes, yes, I know this isn't the brightest thing but we weren't looking to "follow the rules". Unfortunately for us, about half way down we ran into the crew working on this path. The were a bit irate the we'd ignored there signs but we just kept on walking. About 15 minutes later we were back at the car and alive. Time to hit the road before the "man" came after us. We'd spent a total of about 2 hours in the park.

Around 2:30 we reach the Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon. This lagoon can't be missed from Route 1. The road passes right over the lagoon with the best views from the East side of the bridge. There is an amphibious boat ride for 2500ISK ($40) where they cram about 30 people into a small space with life vests. After watching the relatively short trip this vehicle takes (about 30 minutes), we realized we could see just as much walking around the lagoon and opted to save the cash (a rare opportunity in Iceland). We spent a good 45 minutes checking out the lagoon and were treated to a nice ice breakage that set off a nice chain reaction of collisions in the lagoon. This place is, without a doubt, is one of the biggest tourist traps in Iceland and was probably the most crowded area we encountered in our entire journey. Someone is making big bucks off this lagoon.

We got to the Smrylabjörg farm house around 4:00 wanted to take it easy a bit. Monday's long day and hike had taken a lot out of us and we weren't even halfway done with our trip. We decided to pass on the 3500ISK dinner ($56) and eat peanut butter sandwiches instead. Most of the hotels offered a common area and we generally made good us of it, spending a couple hours watching some TV and downing some drinks. Unfortunately, few other guests made us of these areas so meeting people was infrequent. We did meet a nice group of 4 from the Czech Republic that were following the Ring Route as well and we shared some experiences. TV at the farm houses was at best hit or miss with between 1 and 5 channels. 5 channels might sound like a good amount but when 2 of the channels are showing the same show, a third is showing a still frame picture of what looked like paella and a fourth has greatest hits from some British talk show that makes little sense, this American TV junkie is at a loss. Thank goodness we had some alcohol.

Iceland Trip Report - Part 6 of 12

MONDAY AUGUST 27th - Volcanos, Lava and Our First Glacier

Determined to cram a lot into a day, we headed off for the Pjórárdalur Valley and area surrounding Hekla. This area has seen numerous eruptions of Hekla and the scenery reflects that. The ride up Route 32 and down Route 26 was rough but manageable. Much of the area has little to no life. The stark landscapes are filled with huge volcanic rocks that obviously came flying down from the sky. Huge lava fields extended for miles in every direction. It looked as if we were on another planet and at any moment one of the volcanoes could erupt once again. While in the area, we visited the ruins at Stöng. I made the mistake of drinking what I thought was nice clean glacial water only to discover a sign later warning of high fluorine content. Sounds like nasty stuff but I appear unaffected. On the way back to the Ring Route we could see Hekla to the East although seeing it completely was a challenge through the cloud cover. On this 2 hour journey, I think we saw 2 other cars.

Once back at the Ring Route we headed West towards Hveragerði. The visit to the geothermal area was a complete waste of time. The area is surrounded by a chain link fence and is accessed through a restaurant / information center. A couple of mud pots and steam vents hardly make for interesting viewing. We spent about 15 minutes and left. However, the diversion was not a waste as the lava tube near Raufarhhólshellir did not disappoint. Its 1km long and goes right under Route 39 near the intersection with Route 42. Although the signs clearly warned of danger and the rocks on the roof looked like they could fall at any minute, we climbed inside with only a headlamp and a pocket light. A more safety conscience person might want at least a helmet. We figured if we died here at least it would be a unique way to die. Climbing down and inside was chore but no too difficult. You have to navigate lots of huge rocks being careful with each step. The only light provided is from the entrance and a couple of holes in the ceiling opened by collapses. We spent about 45 minutes inside and only got about half way through before turning around and heading out. Get in far enough and it is pitch black.

Now it was time to head back to Route 1 and start our journey counter-clockwise. We stopped next at Seljalandsfoss and Gljúrárfoss (waterfalls). The first is beautiful high falls you can walk behind. The second requires some light climbing up a hill and past a fence to see.

Next up was another falls, Skógafoss. A nice wide falls that drops over 60m. We took the stairs up (a fairly steep 15 minute climb) to get a vantage point from above. It was quickly becoming apparent that waterfalls are everywhere in this country.

Already 5:00PM we aren't at our destination yet and still want good glimpse our first glacier. We decide to take a detour on Route 221 towards Myrdalsajökull (glacier). This is a very rough road and is a lot longer journey than it looks. Starting to worry about damage to our rental car and the clock, we turn around after about 20 minutes but not before catching a glimpse of the glacier only a short distance away.

Back on the Ring Route again we decide to check into the Hótel Hófðabrekka just past Vík. Another nice but simple farm house. With little else to do, we decide to check out the black sand beach at Vík. Other than the pretty black sand, we aren't overly impressed. Much of the sunlight is blocked by the Reynísfjall ridge so pictures don't even look good. Then, it dawns on us that the lighting is probably perfect on the other side of the cliff so we hop in our car and head back West a bit to Route 218. Avoiding a small herd of cattle, we make our way to the black stone beach and the unbelievable stack of basalt columns. We get some great pictures of these columns, even managing to climb them a bit. Just around the corner from the columns we found a nice view of the sea stacks of Renisdrangur.

Iceland Trip Report - Part 5 of 12

SUNDAY AUGUST 26th - The Golden Circle

Getting a full nights rest, we check-out of the hotel and waited on our ride from Hertz to get our rental car. They didn't show up as scheduled but a quick call got them out there in time for us to hit the road by 1PM as planned. After a quick stop at a grocery store, we left Reykjavík behind and headed for Þhingvellir. Once in the area, we hit a tourism office for some insight into where to go and what to see. We decided to walk around the Almannagjá rift area and walk the rift to Oxarafoss (waterfall). The area was very picturesque and the rift between the North American and European plates was impressive. I only wish they left the walking areas more natural instead of cutting and laying the stone trail. We spent a good 2 hours at this area.

Next up was Geysir and the surrounding geothermal field. Stokkur, which erupted about every 8 minutes did not disappoint. Kind of funny to watch all the tourists waiting to snap their pictures. After an initial test run I was able to get a nice sequence of photos on the next spout. I quickly realized how important it was to take pictures with people or nearby objects to give all the great Icelandic landscape shots some point of reference for scale. The rest of the geothermal area was nice and didn't take much time to explore. We spent a total of about 40 minutes at this site.

Our final stop for the day was Gullfoss (waterfalls). After hearing numerous stories about how they can be a bit underwhelming, I found the site quite beautiful. A lot of this had to do with timing. The late afternoon lighting was perfect against the waterfalls. A short walk down some stairs gave us a great view of the falls from many different angles. I captured several nice rainbows against the waterfalls.

This night found as at the Hotel Hekla farmhouse. Decent accommodations where we could see the Hekla volcano in the distance when it wasn't covered by clouds. We decided to have the farmhouse dinner this night and paid about $60 for the privilege. The "fish stew" was really mostly potatoes mixed with cheese and fish. A vegetable and a beer rounded out the meal. From this point on we decided we'd skip most of the farmhouse dinners for cheaper alternatives. Here we also discovered the a "hot pot" is simply another name for hot tub / jacuzzi, not some natural hot spring. We got our first dose of really brisk air as the temperature dropped near freezing that night.