The Top 5 Things That Did NOT Suck About Being Unemployed

as far as hockey goes anyway. Having no job SUCKS. Collecting unemployment SUCKS. Getting tossed out by the company you moved here for 8 years ago SUCKS! I loved where I used to work and would go back in an instant. But, in the 14 months that I was unemployed, there were a few cool hockey related things I got to do that I probably wouldn't have gotten to do if I had a job. So to celebrate my new (temporary...but hopefully going permanent) job, I've gathered these pictures together and compiled a list of cool shit I got to do.


5. Drinking coffee and hanging out with some Thrashers.
This one probably could have been done with a job, but I couldn't have lingered as long. As a special promotion with the AM/PM stores located at BP gas stations (before the oil spill), you could drop by one morning and have coffee with various Thrashers.



The AM/PM by my house had Slava Kozlov, Christoph Schubert and Nik Antropov.



After getting some free coffee and chatting with the players, my husband and I headed to practice where they saw me again. This probably confirmed my status as a stalker.



4. Going to weekday practices.
I love going to Thrasher practice. It's a great source of free, hockey related entertainment.



The more practice sessions you go to, the more you learn the players personalities and the better the chance you see stuff like this. Besides, what the hell else did I have to do?



You also learn a lot about the game. I really enjoy watching the drills. It's also fun to see the guys cut up or get competitive with each other.



Week day practices are less crowded, making it much easier to get memorabilia signed.



Sometimes they get a little too competitive with each other. While going to practices, I saw two fights between the guys. This one was between Boris and Thorburn.



The other fight I saw was between Eric Boulton and Colby Armstrong. I was on the other side of the rink, but Tim Stoklas was right in front of the action and let me use these pics.



I love the look on Boult's face.



Week day practices also turned out to be good for checking out new additions to the team, like when Artyukhin came to town.



On the flip side, I was able to get a few last pictures of Kari Lehtonen before the trade.



I love practice! I'll still be there on the weekends, but I will really miss going every day.


3. Watching the Thrashers play paintball.
After training camp a few lucky fans and members of the Atlanta Thrashers Fan Club got to play paintball with the Thrashers! Club president, Lisa, needed a good photographer! Unfortunately, they all had jobs, so that left me! I got to tag along to take pictures of the fun.



Playing were Evander Kane, Spencer Machacek, Eric Boulton, Chris Thorburn, Zach Bogosian and several of the trainers. At first I was a little sad I wasn't playing. I got over that quickly.



Evander getting some ammunition.



Zach was intense and brought his game face.



2. Prospect Camp
Like practice, I plan on attending the weekend sessions, but I loved going every day. I got to go to both 2009 and the 2010 Thrashers Prospect camps. Honestly, before attending I didn't keep up with the prospects much. That has completely changed now!



After watching the likes of Klingberg, Koper, Kane, Sol, Carrozzi etc. etc. etc. I'm hooked on the prospects.



Not only do I follow the guys at camp, I follow their progress all year in my feature called "In The Nest."



Thanks to the excitement of my first prospect camp, I've not only become more interested in our prospects, but the entire draft.



And of course it's a great way to learn about new goalies!



1. Watching the Pittsburgh Penguins practice.
When you are a rink rat like I was the past season, you meet people and hear things. I had it from two different sources that the Pens were going to be in town early for their game and would be practicing at the Duluth facility.



Sources were correct! Me and several friends (who had jobs and took the afternoon off) headed up for practice. Not only were the guys going to practice, they were out in the parking lot playing soccer!



I love this picture of Geno looking at me like he is wondering how the hell I got through security.



I couldn't believe I was watching the 2009 Stanley Cup Champs practice, especially my Flower!



I got photobombed by Dupuis!



*sigh* Flower Power



Free Candy, bitches!

Seriously one of the most awesome hockey memories EVER (yet)

Hopefully when/if this job goes permanent, I will have some vacation time saved up by next season and can do some more stuff, but for now I'm a nights and weekend girl!

Working on a Habitat for Humanity build with Marty Reasoner and Chris Thorburn was awesome! This pictures can't technically be used, even though it was super cool. Why? I was still employed. THREE days after this picture was taken, I got laid off.