Where Exactly Did Tom And Anne Go?

Since hockey season is over (for Nashville) I am spending my summer doing various activities that happens to make the hot weather seem not so bad.  One of my favorite things to do is catch up with old friends, and I have been able to do quite a bit of that over the past few weeks.  I happen to have an old friend that writes short stories, and I have decided to do a review on one of his pieces.  I usually chat with him at least weekly, so he has been able to update me on his newest publications.


First, about the author.  Michael Reynolds writes in several genres, and I am currently reviewing a horror short story by the name of The Sweater.  I have always known Michael to have many talents.  Michael is incredibly musically inclined, has written excellent poetry, and even wrestled in high school.  Since I am familiar with previous publications, I would almost recommend this short before even reading it.  This, however, would do Michael a great disservice, so my review will be brutally honest.  I am going to avoid a summary, and will include my opinions on the piece.  As always, my opinions are what they are. 

I find favor in this publication because of its genre.  Horror stories have sparked my interest from childhood, and I fondly remember forcing myself to watch creepy movies back in the 80's.  The story has two main characters, Tom and Anne, who are a young, almost poor couple that seems to be happy to simply be alive and together.  They live their lives, work, play, and exist together.  To me, they seem to be the type that may not be able to make it on their own.  Together, they are much more than complete.  Through a series of simple everyday choices that you or I would make without a second thought, terror strikes, and a happy couple is no longer so giddy. 

What I enjoyed:
The structure of this short story is very interesting to me.  I really enjoyed how the supporting characters were introduced.  The flow seemed to be perfect when other people came into play.  Supporting roles slowly mesh into the back ground as if they were a slowly changing scene in a live production.  The attention is on Tom and Anne, and yet there is a presence that little by little forms another character.  I also found favor in a couple of little things in this story that don't stand out quite as much.  The length of this story is spot on.  More information would have only confused the reader in my opinion.  The amount of mystery in the story adds to the entertainment value.  While I always enjoy trying to figure out what is going on, in this case I also enjoyed being left with a few questions.  Being able to add to the story by using my own imagination ensures good entertainment for me.

What I would change:
Do understand that I am in no form claiming that I could have done a better job.  The author is a personal friend and while my comments are not meant to be offensive to him, I believe that he would in fact be offended if I only offered a half rate review.  With that said...

I have a slight issue with the first four paragraphs.  I do understand their purpose, as they are vital to the story and the characters.  The flow in the introduction seems to be interrupted...as if the engine needs to be choked.  A couple of sentences appear to be chopped, and it could just...be edited.  Notice that I said "slight issue".  In paragraph five, the story smooths out and floats right along to the end.

Would I recommend this short story?  Yes, I am recommending it, and I'll even clue you all in on where to pick up a copy.

The Sweater can be purchased from Amazon, and is in a Kindle only format.  For all of you iPhone users, the Kindle application is free and easy to find.  The cost to order the short is a mere $0.99, and can be charged through your existing Amazon account.  I am going to include the Amazon link, and also a link to the author's blog.  Happy reading!

http://www.amazon.com/The-Sweater-ebook/dp/B0053Y1T9O/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1
http://midreynolds.blogspot.com/

You can also follow Michael on twitter:   @m_d_reynolds

Predators Force Game 6, Anger Canucks' Mothers

Tim Wharnsby with CBC Sports is reporting that the Vancouver Canucks were hoping to stay in the city for Mother's Day.  That dream will not be realized as the Nashville Predators took game 5 just a few hours ago 4-3, and both teams will leave for Nashville on Sunday morning.  Is it possible to force a game 7?  Time will tell.

"Tonight, the parts of the Sedin twins were played by Ren and Stimpy."  While I wouldn't go that far, the twins have not been able to produce, and Pekka Rinne has been able to rob them both time and time again.  While checking several message boards, I have found that some Vancouver hopefuls are calling for the coaching staff to cut their ice time.  I've seen Nashville fans have similar reactions time and time again, and I do believe that the Vancouver staff will keep their money on the twins.  

On Roberto Luongo:  Luongo, Luongo, Luongo, you suck, it's all your fault.

Joel Ward scored two 3rd period goals in game 5 to keep the Predators alive.  While he did very well tonight, I can't help but look back to game 3, where Joel looked tired from the start.  Being consistent is key to stay alive.  For the long haul, I believe that Joel Ward is going to be a definite need in the Predators future.  He does have some issues to work out, but they are workable.  

This series, and this season, has been all about first times.  History is being made.  

Happy Mother's Day Everyone!  Well... not to everyone. 

What To Do With Dan? Predators Win 4-1

Tonight, the Nashville Predators took game one of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 4-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks.  The Predators seem to have gotten under the skin of the Ducks, and Mike Fisher scores twice as the most experienced Predator when it comes to the playoffs. 

When it comes to getting under the skin of an opponent, it shows in several ways.  Tonight in the third period, the Ducks found themselves in the penalty box over and over again.  Six different players were penalized eight times, for a total of 40 minutes.  The frustration level was very high, and I do believe that the Ducks were surprised that the execution level wasn't where they thought it was going to be. 

Tonight Mike Fisher scored Nashville's fourth goal at 00:56 of the third period, and Dan Ellis was promptly pulled from the Ducks' net.  He was replaced by Ray Emery, who played for the remainder of the game.  As a fan, having the goalie pulled gets under my skin more than anything.  Sometimes it sends the right message to the team, and a turning point is reached.  Other times, the end of an embarrassment is all the coach is looking for. 

I keep wondering who will start in net for the Anaheim Ducks on Friday.  Will Dan Ellis return?  Will Ray Emery get the nod?  Coach Randy Carlyle evaded giving an answer to that question in the post-game interviews, and leaves me wondering.  I've decided to research the issue, and make my own decision.  On Friday, we can see what actually matches up. 

Dan Ellis:
Dan was born in Canada on 06-19-1980, and played with the Nashville Predators through the 2009-2010 season.  Through a series of trades, he ended up with the Tampa Bay Lightning, and he played 31 games with them this season.  In February, he was traded to Anaheim.

2010-2011 Season
With Tampa:       31 Games, .889 SV%, 2.93 GAA
With Anaheim:   13 Games, .917 SV%, 2.39 GAA

Ray Emery:
Ray was born in Canada on 09-28-1982.  Ray has not had an easy career by any means.  In 2009, Ray found out that he suffered from avascular necrosis, which is the same disease that ended Bo Jackson's career.  In August of 2010, Ray once again began workouts, and signed with Anaheim on 02-07-2011 as an unrestricted free agent. 

2010-2011 Season
With Anaheim:   10 Games, .926 SV%, 2.28 GAA


Momentum is an odd thing with a professional sports team of any kind.  A change could mean total destruction, or could be their saving grace.  My pick will be Dan Ellis for Friday; recent experience may prove to be a difference maker.  I predict that the Ducks will work on their defensive strategy instead of make a change in net.   "Gotta stay with Dan - or it smells of desperation." -EJ Mackie

Live From Hartsfield-Jackson Predators Playoff Update

While Nashville will make the playoffs no matter what, Chicago and Detroit will determine our final position when they play today at 11:30AM.  Can anything bad happen?  Not really in my opinion.  I have talked to several people about who the preferred matchup would be, and I seem to get a different answer every time the question is asked. 

My best case scenario is this.  If Detroit beats Chicago today, Nashville will earn the #5 seed in the Western Conference.  This means that they will face off against Anaheim (#4) in the first round, with Anaheim of course having home ice advantage.  Nashville finished the regular season at 3-1-0 against Anaheim, with a +6 goal differential.  Interesting fact about Anaheim...they currently have three goalies on their roster.  Jonas Hiller has recently been activated from the injured reserve list.  They also have Dan Ellis, who played for Nashville last year and was traded in the off season, along with Ray Emery who is 3-2 in his last 5 games. 

In the first round, it is also possible that Nashville could face off against Detroit or San Jose, of course depending on the outcome of the Chicago/Detroit game today.  We shall find out in a few hours!  The Chicago vs Detroit game will be on NBC today if you happen to be interested. 

Predators Look Ahead To First Round

In tonight's game, the Nashville Predators fell to the St. Louis Blues 2-0 in the final game of the regular season in St Louis.  I, along with several hundred other Preds fans, made the trip to watch tonight's game.  Tonight's story does not start with the game, or begin with the morning skate.  It begins with my travels; today has been an amazing day and I wish to share it with you.

I enjoy airports, airplanes, and traveling in general, and several months ago I decided to fly to St Louis to watch this game.  Several people have asked me why.  My answer has always been that I enjoy flying, and didn't have to pay much for the plane ticket anyway.  It would have been cheaper to take the 303 bus or drive my car, but I made my decision and stuck with it.  This morning I got up, headed to the airport, and started through security.  It made me feel good when several TSA agents started asking me about the game.  I felt as if the day was going in a good direction.  I got through security, headed to my gate, and arrived at B5 in Nashville's airport to find a family playing a mix of gospel and bluegrass.  It wasn't too loud, was soothing, and very enjoyable.  I had an hour to wait on my flight, which can seem like an eternity while waiting in an airport.  Today I enjoyed waiting, and even wished that I had gotten there earlier.  The time drew near for the boarding process to begin.  I watched a plane pull up to the gate, and the ticket agents announced that my flight to Atlanta would be on time, which meant that I could make my connection without an issue.  While sitting in a seat facing the window, I saw a young woman with a small child in the corner of my eye, just to the right of me.  They were headed my way, and I moved my feet to let them by.  The woman had a camera, and was taking several pictures of her baby that appeared to be just over a year old.  In the little boy's hands was a sign that said "Welcome Home Daddy", and it was then that I realized that these fine people had no interest in going to Atlanta.  I then started paying very close attention to the activities at hand, and observed several people exiting the jet way, heading on to wherever they happened to be going.  The woman and the little boy stood at the entrance of the jet way with the sign proudly displayed.  I observed every man woman and child exit that jet way, excited to see what was going to happen.  I also noticed that the entire group of people who were waiting to board the plane also had their eyes glued to that little boy.  One by one they came out...but no daddy.  The woman looked into the jet way with disappointment in her eyes, and I truly believe that the entire crowd broke into a cold sweat.  I heard in the background, "oh no, he has missed his connection", and then immediately afterwards the woman with the little boy screamed with excitement as she finally saw her soldier.  He was indeed home.  The crowd erupted in applause...it was truly a sight.  I could have driven my car.  I could have taken the bus. 

I did in fact arrive in St Louis and watched Pekka Rinne make 23 saves.  I watched the Predators fall 2-0 to the Blues, and for tonight it just doesn't matter.  After losing tonight's game, Nashville will be unable to clinch home ice advantage, but I'm ok with that.  Nashville ends the regular season with 99 points. 

How many people do not have the opportunity to hold up that sign?  To my friends and family:  you are appreciated. 

March Is Upon Us

As most of you have noticed, I have taken a month long sabbatical.  My friend James asked yesterday if I was alive, and I assure you all that I am.  March is a very important month for me, and I would like to dive into the topic of Spring.  Predators talk?  They lost in Edmonton last night, but that is all I'm going to say about that.

I read about a large number of people who love Spring because it is a time of rejuvenation; flowers begin to grow, the trees start to turn green, animals are seen frolicking in the meadow, and I hear/see people write, blog, and broadcast how they love the reborn feeling that comes, beginning with the month of March.  I like to think of myself as a simple person, and I would like to share the reason why I love this time of year.

It gets warmer.  As in...it was cold outside, but now it's not.  

 While I recognize that I am sometimes a much more complicated person that I really care to admit, I constantly remind myself that happiness can be very easy.  The little things can make all the difference. 

Calgary Visits Nashville Tonight!

     Tonight, the Calgary Flames visit the Bridgestone Arena to take on the Nashville Predators for the third time this season; this will be the second time the teams meet in Nashville.  Just a short time ago, Calgary was sitting in the next to last place spot in the Western Conference.  Now they are in 12th place, and are only three points away from the final playoff spot.  For a week I have dreaded this game because the Flames simply refuse to give up.

     The last time the Predators beat the Flames at home was on January 15, 2008, and Nashville has yet to win a contest between the two so far this season.  Goaltender Pekka Rinne will be the savior for the Preds tonight, and his play this season has been a treat for the fans in Nashville to say the least.  Pekka received third star honors from the NHL for the month of January, and his eight wins ties him for the most of the month.  While I cover my eyes during the game, I know that Rinne will be ready.

     Marek Svatos and Francis Bouillon have both been placed on injured reserve for Nashville.  Matt Halischuk and Chris Mueller have both been recalled from Milwaukee as expected.  Both Halischuk and Mueller are having a great run with the Predators, and will be interesting to watch tonight. 

     For the Predators, another key player tonight will be Jerred Smithson while on the penalty kill.  He is very efficient on the face-off, and may be a momentum swinger tonight.  I strongly believe that Nashville needs to stay out of the box tonight, but with penalty killers like Smithson, Nick Spaling, and JP Dumont, the Preds should be just fine. 

     Tonight's game has a 7:00PM Central Time puck drop, and can be found on FS-TN.  "The stretch" is upon us, the All-Star Break is over, and as along as Nashville plays their game the Preds will add two points tonight.