An Old Hockey Favorite Returns

As the Team USA men's Olympic hockey team approaches Sunday's gold medal game against a yet-undetermined opponent after today's 6-1 rout of Finland, one of the most popular search strings that leads to this blog appears to have been rejuvenated.
Over the last week or so, the number of readers of this blog who got here through the search "Ryan Miller shirtless," for the Buffalo Sabres/Team USA goalie, has increased about tenfold. This started as a joke a few years ago when former Buffalo Sabre Daniel Briere did a television commercial shirtless; I mentioned how surprisingly ripped he looked and joked that I doubted the blog would get similar searches for Miller, who is rather tall and lanky/thin.
Let's see how long this surge in searches lasts, and hope that Team USA can win the men's Olympic gold and increase the search total.

On a Positive Note

My wife, Val, has been an absolute tower of strength and great support for me over these past seven weeks, and I love her more and more each day. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I hope I can be there for her, too, if she ever needs the support.

Another "Progress" Report

I know I still haven't been overly informative or post-crazy recently, but as I hit Week 7 of my unemployment status, I'm not really happy about things.
I realize that people shouldn't make their job their entire identity, and I don't, but I feel pretty much like a sack of garbage as I close in on Day 50 of not having a job. The financial cushion I had established when I lost my job January 7 still exists, but is smaller now, I don't want to run through it all and we need money to pay the mortgage, utilities and other bills; nothing surprising, but I don't want to put anything Val and I have worked for so hard in jeopardy.
And, despite the well wishes, compliments and good-luck exhortations from friends and relatives, this has been and continues to be a soul-crushing experience, particularly when you receive rejection letters from jobs you damn well know you are qualified to do and can do a very good job performing.
But I will keep applying for jobs and keep on going through the same thousands of job listings until I find a job and get back to being useful and supporting Val and our modest way of life. But my blogging may continue to be less than effusive for now.

The Hosey Report: Bring It Back?

Years ago, I wrote a monthly column on music and other arts and cultural topics, strongly focusing on local original music, called The Hosey Report. After being published by Buffalo Night-Life Magazine for more than 10 years, it was printed in Buffalo Beat until I retired it in 2000-2001.
But due to my seeing a few more shows recently than I have had time to write full-blown reviews on, and receiving more local CDs to review than I have been able to publish, I am considering bringing back The Hosey Report, at first as a bi-monthly column that will eventually be published on our BuffaloRoots web site, but to be offered first as a free-subscription e-mail column to people who want to receive it.
I was quite fortunate to have received a very strong response to the column, both positive and negative; I was as honest as written words allowed me in both praising and criticizing bands, radio stations, clubs, promoters and occasionally other writers and publications.
I will be writing about local original band shows, reviewing CDs and writing opinions and news about other parts of the local music and arts scene, but I am wondering if I should bring back the old column, which started in the late 1980s, or rename it. Any thoughts you fine readers may have, particularly those who read The Hosey Report, are welcome.

Update II

I wrote a bit about a job for a senior writer/editor that I had applied for and made it past the first round and into the next one, where we were assigned two writing tasks to submit for consideration.
Sadly, while I believe I am extremely qualified for this position, I got an e-mail back Monday saying I had not advanced to the next round, which would be job interviews. Some people got this notification more than a week before I received it.
I do have a couple of other jobs I have and am in the process of applying for, among others, so we will see what happens next. But damn, I am sick of not working.

Update I

After a few months of treatment from my chiropractor, Dr. Steve Niemiec, my back is feeling amazingly better; we've gone from 3 days a week to 2 days a week to once a week visits to now, every other week.
While the spill I took while walking Walker Evans on an icy sidewalk didn't help, I have been able to stick with the program and the pain is basically gone. For that, I am thankful.

Catch Me Now, I'm Falling

Here is why I posted a piece on people not shoveling or clearing their walks Thursday.
Walker Evans and I were taking our daily stroll through the neighborhood when we turned off of Norwood Avenue onto Highland Avenue, heading toward Elmwood Avenue. In almost exactly the middle of the block, there was a house with its sidewalk and driveway entirely covered with an inch or two of ice and, where there was no ice, snow even deeper. This was a frequent site on our walk, but most yards had at least a bit of their walk cleared.
So Walker continued walking, using his four-leg approach to handle things nicely; I took one good, firm step, and then the second one was where the fun started. My foot went up about a foot in the air and clumsily to the front, and I started the please-let-my-feet catch-some-traction ice dance. After a moment, I thought I had caught myself, but then the next step led to my right leg going up high, and I fell.
I landed on my left knee and hip, both which remain sore now, almost 24 hours later. I limped away, but fortunately, the pain subsided and my soreness isn't too bad, along with some slight brush burns. My back, which didn't immediately hurt, is a bit sore now, but not overly painful. The leash came out of my hand, but Walker not only stopped, but came over to me right away.
Let's just say that the owner/owners of that house should feel damn lucky I am neither hurt badly nor a litigious minded person, because it would appear that a worse injury could have led to a lawsuit. I'd prefer that these and other people just clear their sidewalks.

Mea Culpa, Somewhat

Yes, I know I said I was going to start posting here more, and after two comments in one day, it's been a week since I added anything.
I am still busy job hunting and doing some other things, and I have to go into downtown Buffalo with my mother to do some business for her today. I do have some things to write about, so maybe I will find the time soon.