The Washington Capitals are in a tailspin, losers of seven of their last nine. This comes despite sterling numbers at five-on-five that suggest the team is quite good. This morning, I stared at my computer, looked over the available article ideas, and… [stares into the abyss] I’m calling an audible.
Before this season goes any further, I’d like to re-introduce Introduce yourselves, our annual post that allows us to get to know our commenters and you: us. Quoting Peter last year, “Our goal this season is to have some fun, insofar as the Caps allow us. And the us part is crucial, so let’s kick it off by saying hello to everyone.”
You don’t have to be this lengthy, but:
Hello, I’m Ian. I’m blogging live from mom’s basement. I have cats, but I won’t tell you how many because then you might judge me. My favorite, though, is Gigil, a grey Chartreux kitten we saved that was lost and starving outside our house (okay, I was lying about mom’s basement). She is by my side almost all hours, including right now.
📸: Ian Oland/RMNB
I live in Frederick. Before RMNB, I was in technology – I designed websites and did marketing. I was an art/design major in college and my brother, who I always looked up to, graduated from journalism school at Maryland. One of my greatest accomplishments was that I started on my high school basketball team, but I played the sport like I was a hockey player, so my dream ended there. Now I play ball hockey every week with my friends as an adult and it’s one of the biggest blessings of my life. (If you’re interested in joining my group in Maryland, reach out!)
I first became a fan of the Capitals in the early ’90s. My first game was at USAir Arena when Steve Konowalchuk scored a hat trick against the Rangers. Some of my favorite memories as a kid were at Piney Orchard when I met Olie Kolzig and Peter Bondra. In the stands, I remember watching Dale Hunter after practice one day, shaking a snack dispenser when he ordered something, and it got stuck. I have a son Ethan, who is my mirror image but much cooler than I ever was and much smarter than I was at his age.
Personally, I practice gratefulness, which means, at least for me, I am thankful for every moment I’m here, and I try to always look for the lessons in everything. I credit my mom for this. But ultimately what that means for you, is that I’m powerfully grateful for all of you and the chance to live out a dream.
Now you go. Tell us:
who you are,
where you’re at,
what you do,
what you’re into,
who your favorite Cap is, and
how you usually land here: like social media, bookmark, Google, or other
Be however pseudonymous or vague as you’re comfortable with. Share a pic if you’re comfortable with that.
Icebreaker challenge: What is your favorite recent streaming series? Mine is Netflix’s Death By Lightning, focused on former president James Garfield and the person who assassinated him.
Also, please say hello to all your fellow people from nearby or with similar interests.
Our general rule is that everyone is welcome, as long as you’re not making others feel unwelcome. Please beware of the comment moderation auto-filter, which is capricious and cruel and not our fault. If you see an unpleasant comment, hit the flag icon at top right of it and report it. Hit us up directly if you need anything – especially if you have a good story tip.
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