What Alien is Thankful For....

Its 1 AM and the last remaining person in my household has just gone to bed. I was lucky enough to have some family come out from Chicago and spend Thanksgiving with us since we could not go there to visit. My mother-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, 2 nieces, 2 nephews, my 2 boys & wife sat down today to a great Thanksgiving dinner. They even let me sleep in until 11 am since they knew I worked SO hard at the Tourney the night before.

We didn't say a very long and complex grace before dinner, but I did mention that I was happy that family came out to see us in Iowa since we could not leave. (My brother-in-law & sister-in-law even left at 9 PM tonight to get him home to Chicago for a 4 AM work day).

All this made me realize that there was much to be thankful for.

1. A great wife who lives & breathes hockey right alongside me
2. Antonio & Nicholas (my boys) who sometimes stay at the shop longer than they would like
3. My cousin Mike who not only keeps things running when I'm gone, but also a friend who shares my passion for the game
4. My cousin Mark for being a great coach of our kid's team and great babysitter when needed
5. All family members that have provided financial & emotional support to us during our first years of business
6. Every single person & customer who I have met that plays hockey, supports hockey, loves hockey & supports our business & the growth of hockey.

Thank you to all for allowing me to do something I enjoy.

A few "extra" things I am thankful for:

1. Shane occasionally stopping a shot
2. Tim Close's daily purchase of a Vault.
3. Topliff's attention to detail when it comes to his personal stats.
4. The fact that Lowell is same height as me
5. Winning the coin toss that got my team Barker as goalie
6. Wermer's "suggestions" on how games should be reffed
7. Bishop's patience with anything special ordered
8. My Vegas Teammates
9. The tattoo credit I have with Koenig
10. LeFleur's face off wins to Fascian (which come right back to me)
11. Danielson & Hoekstra's dedication to staying late Wednesday nights
12. Team Atlantic Coca Cola / Yankee Doodle Dandy Tattoo
13. The sweet aroma of Brown's goalie's gear
14. Whitaker's drive to play more hockey per week than me
15. Many, many, many more.......

Sincerest thanks again to everyone I know, to those that read my blog, and all supporters of Alien Hockey !