Maps from Portland, Oregon (City Map and Powell's City of Books)

I thought these would be a good scan for today because it was a year ago that I was visiting Portland for the first time (you can see my Portland blogs from last year here, here, and here), and getting ready for the Bruins / Flyers 2^nd round match-up – thinking it will be a different result this year!

In this age where everything is digital, visiting Powell’s last year was a real treat. The building was as big as a city block, and had three floors of cheap used books for any genre you might be looking for – I’ve never seen so many screenplays. We didn’t have much time to spend in Powell’s, but I could have easily stayed there for hours.

It’s been 365 days since I’ve been in Portland, and I think I’m due for another visit. Hoping to get out to the west coast sometime soon…

My Birth Certificate

Well, I figured I would get this out of the way before anyone thought I was an IRA agent who was really born in Ireland or an Irish Canadian secretly plotting to become president of the United States then have Canada assume power over all US territories.

And, don’t you worry. I will publish all my report cards, my Boston College transcript, my Wheelock College transcript, and just about every record I have.

I think it’s very sad how no president (to my recollection) has had to do this. And even after Obama published his birth certificate, the questions continued. I understand the guy you voted for didn't win, but get over it.

As expected, The Daily Show did a masterful job covering all of the idiotic still-not-convinced “reporters” who were pointing out what they thought were mistakes in the certificate. And I won’t even go into the whole Donald Trump thing – he’s not worth my words.

Is anyone else publishing their birth certificate, or just me and the prez?

By the way, the first thing I did after I was born was pee on Dr. Kirkendall.

Worcester Magazine Best of Worcester Issue, Cover and Page 37 (4/28/11)

Wow. When I started my T-shirt Blog, I didn’t even know Worcester Magazine had a local blog category for their annual Best of Worcester issue. I just wanted to make it through the year wearing and writing about a different t-shirt each day, and somehow use the t-shirts to help Hope Lodge. In the middle of the summer when I counted and could see I was going to run out of shirts before December 31^st, family, friends, Facebook friends, and about 20 websites and local businesses donated t-shirts and helped me make it through the year.

In the beginning of this year, people from all over started making donations for the t-shirts to fund my Skating for Hope event, and before March was over I had raised enough money to rent a hockey rink for 24 hours.

As people were buying t-shirts, I heard about the Best of Worcester local blog category and asked people to vote for my t-shirt site. They did, and I won. I know it may be an overused word, but it really feels awesome.

I couldn’t have done any of this without everyone doing their part to help me. Thank you to my family and friends for always being there for me no matter what, to everyone who made Dave’s Daily T-shirts possible, and to everyone who voted for the blog in Worcester Mag’s Best of Worcester.

Oh yeah, GO BRUINS!

Bruins Tickets (Part II)

As the Bruins and Habs head into game 7 OT in the 2011 playoffs, I thought I’d recall some of my Bruins/Habs Playoff memories…

Lucky, I was too young to remember 1979. I did hear about it quite a bit from my parents, and I’m glad I didn’t watch it. As I became a Bruins fan in the early 80s, I got to expect to see the B’s lose to the Habs in the playoffs.

In 1987, my friend Adam’s Bar Mitvah happened on the same night as game 4 between the Bruins and Canadiens. The B’s were already down zero games to three, so a loss wasn’t that unexpected. My friend Billy used a pay phone to call his parents and see what happened in the game. Our expectations were correct, and Billy relayed the bad news. Something that happened that surprised me that night was my “7^th grade sweetheart” telling me she didn’t “like” me anymore. Not a good night for the Davester.

In 1988, my family took a vacation to Disney World. The park was amazing, and the trip had a few usual “McGrath Moments” involving puke, farts, and watching the B’s. For the first time in my life, I watched the Bruins beat the Canadiens. I remember Terry O’Reilly hugging all the players after they won. All 7 McGraths were excited, but my parents seemed to appreciate it a bit more than the 5 kids.

In 1989, the B’s lost to the Habs but I went to the first round game 7 against Buffalo with my Dad and it was awesome. Words don’t really do justice to being at a game 7 when your teams wins, but if you’ve been to one, you know.

In 1990, I went to Bruins/Habs game 2 with my Dad, a Bruins OT win. Even though I went to a game 7 the year before, this game was more exciting. To date (this is sad), it’s been what I think is the best Bruins playoff game I’ve ever attended.

In 1991, The B’s beat the Habs and made it to Conference Finals – I brought a walkman to my Jr. year prom for game 6 against the Penguins. The B’s lost the game, and the series (I’ll have to dig up the picture at some point).

In 1992, the Bruins swept the Habs as I began my battle with brain cancer. Without knowing it, the B’s helped me and my family keep a sense of normalcy as we rooted together for them and temporarily forgot about my life threatening disease.

In 1994, I was in the middle of a two-year struggle with drinking. Again, the B’s lifted my spirits by beating the Habs in 7 games (no doubt they would win game 7 at home) – I watched game while working at The Club snack bar on BC’s Upper Campus.

In 2002, the Bruins were the #1 seed but were first round casualties to the Hated Habs.

I went to games 1 and 5 of the B’s/Habs series in 2004, but the Bruins blew a 3 games to 1 lead and were shutout in game 7 in Boston.

In the early hours of April 19, 2008, I was having a major Crohn’s attack (puking without stopping, huge cramping) and had my father take me to the ER. After a lot of waiting, some IV fluids, and a CT Scan a doctor came to tell me what the situation was. He said there was a “backup” in my intestines most likely where my surgery had been (when I was 14), but wanted to do more tests and I he was definitely admitting me to the hospital. He went on to describe all the scenarios, one of which was the possibility of more surgery. When he asked me if I had any questions, there was only one thing on my mind… “Will I be able to watch the Bruins game tonight?”. He laughed, and told me he was pretty sure UMass had NESN. My older sister came to watch game 6 with me – a classic, close, intense B’s /Habs game that the Bruins pulled out. My sister also came for game 7, and even though the B’s lost, it meant a lot to me that I wasn’t watching alone.

Two years ago, I wasn’t surprised when the Bruins swept the Habs. I was convinced even before the season started that the B’s were going to be strong. They had an amazing season, swept the Habs, but lost in game 7 OT to Carolina. Ouch.

I just watched the Bruins beat the Canadiens in game 7 OT. It was the first time since 1994 (When I was working at BC) that the Bruins won a game 7. I was also working while this game was on. Tonight, at Hope Lodge, we had a group of Relay for Lifers from Hopkinton come and make us a spaghetti dinner. One of them was a high school senior (going to BC next year) told me he was very happy when he saw me wearing my B’s jersey, knowing it meant we would be watching the game during dinner. We had a great dinner with the group and the guests, and I’m sure the leftovers and desserts will not last long. I got to do that, then watch the B’s win. Pretty great night! Now, time to beat Philly, B’s!

Wall of Water Ticket (4/12/02)

I love watching playoff hockey. The intensity, the checking, the goals, the overtimes, and the passion all amaze me. But, I can play hockey pretty well. I know what it feels like to be skating and competing, even if it’s at a level way below the NHL.

Something I can’t do is act. I tried taking an intro class my senior year of college, and I didn’t do very well. Well, I was good at all the improv stuff. But when it came to memorizing, being in a scene, and becoming someone else, I struggled.

One of the reasons why I knew acting wasn’t one of my strengths was that I had been watching my younger sister Megan excel at it for years. Whether it was a comedy, musical, drama, or a take on Shakespeare that required Cliff’s Notes to understand, she always left me in awe of the way she could play the part.

Even though I don’t really remember what The Wall of Water was about (and the Amazon review doesn’t really help), I’m sure a quick summary by Meg would jog my memory (I think it was a comedy?). I believe this was also the last play I saw Meg perform at Stonehill, and it’s hard to believe that was 9 years ago.

Ah, I found this page on the Stonehill website and found some other plays I watched there (and I was right, Wall of Water is comedy!):

Spring 2002

Wall of Water by Sherry Kramer

This fast-paced farce is a jewel in the comic world. The classic humor on mistaken identity mixed with many new-aged twists leaves the audience wanting for more.

Wall of Water is not simply a bunch of funny one-liners and slapstick; it is an intractably woven tale that tackles subjects as serious as death and as important as scientific inquiry, and everything in between.

Wall of Water offers a delightful cast of characters, from the mentally unstable Wendy to the serious and studious Stuart who all take on the world in their own, unique way, on this one day out of their lives- the one day when everything goes wrong!

Fall 2001

Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury

Spring 2001

Ubu by Jeff Goode (I don’t remember this one, but I could have been at a BC Hockey Frozen Four Game)

Fall 2000

Wild Oats by John O'Keefe

Spring 2000

Gint by Romulus Linney

I’ll have to see if I come across any tickets from these other plays. Thanks for always putting on a great show, Meg!

In the meantime, GO B’S!!!!!

Mix Tape from Birthday Party in Waltham (3/31/00)

Well even though my birthday was last month, I came across this tape today so I thought I’d share. When I lived in Waltham we had parties, gatherings, and shin-digs, and mix tapes were the way we usually handled the music. I named this tape (one of the last ones I made before I got a CD burner for my computer) SDNY2K to mean “Sad Death Night 2000”. I wrote a poem around my birthday in 1993 called “Sad Death Night”, and it stuck as a theme for my birthdays for a while. Each song and artist has a link to check them out if you want to laugh at the songs I included or enjoy one you haven’t heard in a while. It still amazes me how far technology has come in just the last 11 years.

SIDE A SIDE B

Dammit – Blink 182 Summer of ’69 – Bryan Adams

Falls Apart – Sugar Ray Talk Dirty to Me – Poison

Barrel of a Gun – Guster Jessie’s Girl – Rick Springfield

Everlasting Gaze – Smashing Pumpkins Still Haven’t Found What I’m

Break Stuff – Limp Bizkit Looking For – U2

Sure Shot – Beastie Boys Remedy – Black Crowes

Come Original – 311 Black – Pearl Jam

Wonderwall – Oasis Basket Case – Green Day

Back to Good – Matchbox 20 I Alone – Live

Miserable – Lit Cumbersome – 7 Mary 3

What If? – Creed Slide – Goo Goo Dolls

1-2-8, Do Something Crazy – Tragic Comic – Extreme

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

Mini Farms Brick

When I saw they had taken the Mini Farms building to the ground, I knew I wanted a piece of it. Luckily, there was a whole dumpster full of former Minis bricks. This one is mine…

Sometimes to get a job, who you know can come in handy. When I was in high school, my older brother Jon had been working for a few years at Mini Farms, a privately owned convenience store in Westboro (think Clerks but in central Mass). Like I had been trying to do all my life, I wanted to follow in his footsteps and he got me in. I was originally going to start working at “Minis” over Christmas break of my freshman year, but instead I ended up starting my battle with Crohn’s Disease. I eventually started working at Mini Farms the summer after my freshman year in high school, and it definitely was an experience I’ve taken with me…

Responsibilities at Mini Farms included stocking the cooler with soda, beer, and other beverages, cleaning the aisles, pricing and stocking items on the shelves, sorting out the returned bottles and cans, and handling the deliveries. Things changed up a little bit on Sundays and you could find yourself putting newspapers together or getting doughnuts for the loyal customers (this was long before there were 5 (yes, FIVE) Dunkin’ Donuts in The ‘Boro).

It doesn’t sound like a very glamorous job, but it was a great one because of the people that I worked with. The boss was a really nice guy who joked around with us and let us listen to really loud music when we worked – he called it “Jungle Music”. My co-workers were family, high school friends, and the occasional forty-something who had issues well beyond the Mini Farms walls.

Here are some of my top “Minis Memories” in no particular order:

1. The day that the building next to us “caught” fire (rumor said it was an inside job). My boss came in and told me, “We have to leave, next door is on fire.” I laughed and didn’t believe him until I looked out the front door and could only see smoke. I ended up having breakfast, lunch, and dinner that day at McDonald’s, so I wasn’t complaining. We also had to clean up the basement that had been flooded from all the preventative firefighter’s water spray, and that wasn’t much fun.

2. The day I took an empty bottle of Mr. Clean, filled it with 10-K, and drank it in front of my cousin – her reaction was just what I had planned.

3. When I was waiting for a ride home dressed in ripped jeans and my leather jacket and this guy asked me if I was selling any “dope”. I went off on the guy about judging people based on what they were wearing, and I think he got my point.

4. The time I yelled at one of my co-workers for smoking cigarettes. I told him something like, “I’m not going to come visit you in the hospital when you get cancer!” Yeah, that worked out well…

5. The morning I got into a fight with a worker who was talking trash about me and writing things about me on the boxes of soda – I think I’ve done well to not to have violent reactions like this anymore. I won the fight, by the way.

6. One afternoon when I was blasting Extreme and wearing a Bruins shirt, a guy came in to grab a case of Budweiser. He looked at me and said, “Bud, the B’s, and Extreme…that’s all I need!”

7. Getting a ride home with a co-worker, and people started yelling at us. He had left his radio on the roof of his car.

8. The day we closed the store and played roller hockey on the roof (okay, that one’s from Clerks).

9. The time my boss handed me the five-page list from the Board of Health with all the things we had to fix to be in compliance.

10. Any day my boss would leave and tell me I was the one in charge…yikes.

Easter Card from Mom and Dad (2011)

My name is Dave and I was raised Catholic. I was an altar boy for 10 years, got confirmed, was a Eucharistic Minister, and even was a confirmation sponsor for two people. I went to CCD, Saint John’s, and Boston College.

It was at BC that I stopped going to Mass regularly. Even though the church was in the basement of my freshman year dorm, I only went there twice. Once was because my friend Patrick told me that the girl I was “ga ga” over always went, and the other was when I sponsored Patrick for his confirmation (yes, the fact that I was Patrick’s #1 choice for a sponsor tells you about the pool he had to choose from). I would reluctantly go to church when I was home on my college breaks, but rarely felt like I was taking anything away from going.

After college, I became one a “Two-Time-A-Year Catholic” – just Christmas and Easter. Occasionally, you’ll find me at Mass for a funeral, wedding, or first communion, so my total sometimes goes as high as 5 times a year. But, I’m not doing any of it for God or Jesus. I go for the people involved. Christmas and Easter are about family to me, so I have no problem going to Mass with them twice a year. And when someone I care about passes away, gets married, or is completing another sacrament, I’ll go there to support them.

I could write about the abuse cover-ups, women’s non-rights, and anti-gay practices of the Catholic Church, but I’m not a fan of organized religion in general. I think religion divides more than unites, and too many people miss the point of whatever holy book they read. Like I wrote for my Coexist T-shirt last year, just about every major religion contains some version of the Golden Rule (treat others as you would like to be treated). Forget about going to church, praying towards a certain direction at a certain time, following a certain diet, or believing that your faith is the “only way”. As long as you try to follow the Golden Rule, I don’t really care what religion (if any) you identify with, what house of worship you go to, or what book you think is the “holiest”.

I believe in God, but my God cares more about how people treat each other than what religion they are. My God doesn’t want people hating each other and fighting over their religious beliefs. My God blessed me with a loving family who doesn’t love me any less because I only go to Mass twice a year. Instead, they send me a funny card about it. Thanks for everything, Mom and Dad!

Medical Records: First Round of Chemotherapy Summary (4/21/92-4/24/92)

It was on Good Friday in 1992 that I found out my brain tumor was cancerous, so I thought this would be a good scan for today.

Little did I know when I went to the Bruins/Habs game on April 21, 1990 that exactly two years later I would be starting my first round of chemotherapy…

I got a chuckle after reading my “CHIEF COMPLAINT” was being there for chemotherapy. But, I’m pretty sure when I walked in, I said, “Hi, I’m here for my chemotherapy.” I hope I didn’t sound like I was complaining. And FYI, my younger brother has asthma, not my sister (in case you're keeping score at home).

I really wasn’t scared when I started getting treated with the VP-16, carboplatin, and bleomycin. I was glad the doctors knew what I had and was confident the chemo meds were going to work. (By the way, if you look at all three of the medicines I was treated with, you’ll notice that all of them are used to treat testicular cancer. That is because even though I had a brain tumor, it was the same kind of cells as testicular cancer. Proving, without a doubt, that I was a dickhead.)

I stayed in the hospital a few days for that first round of chemo, and it went pretty well. I didn’t feel sick until the last morning I was there, and had enough family, friends, and movies to make me feel as normal as possible. I also had something to look forward to the day I got out.

On April 24, 1992, Skid Row and Pantera had a show at the Worcester Auditorium. Before I was discharged, my oncologist asked me about the show because one of my meds had the possible side effect of hearing loss. She asked me if they were “loud bands” and I just laughed. She told me she didn’t think I should go to the concert, but I assured her I was going no matter what she said. She even suggested I wear ear plugs, and I laughed again. I “promised” her I would leave if my ears started hurting, and I was discharged.

As my mother and I left the hospital and started walking to the car, I felt like I needed to lie down. I fell onto a nearby bench while my mom went to get the car. I remember lying there and seeing all of these doctors and nurses about ten feet away from me all smoking cigarettes. I wanted to yell at them and tell them they looked like idiots. I puked instead, and my mom pulled up with the car. She was wondering why I was laughing, and I told her to look at my semi-digested Fruity Pebbles on the sidewalk. It wouldn’t be the last time I threw up that year.

Even with my sidewalk spewing, I made it home and got ready for the concert. I was pumped. Then when I got to the show, my sister gave me her back stage pass. I got to meet everyone in Skid Row! I was wearing my Motley Crue “Decade of Decadence” t-shirt and when I said hi to Sebastian Bach, he said, “Cool shirt, man!” I had just seen Pantera and Skid Row rock the place, met the band, and the lead singer told me my t-shirt was cool.

Not once did I think about having cancer or the fact that I had just finished my first round of treatment. Cancer made me feel physically really crappy many times. But, it never took away my ability to enjoy my family, friends, music, movies, and sports. Going to see Skid Row and meeting the band that night after my first round of chemo helped set the stage for how I dealt with my cancer. Like heavy metal often preaches about life, I said “F- You!” to my cancer and kept having fun (whenever I wasn’t throwing up, which, I think heavy metal bands do often as well!).

By the way, I just found out this guy has a bootleg of this show and trades for other bootlegs. Maybe he’ll burn me one without a trade.

More on cancer later…

UMass Outpatient Bracelet and Low Residue Diet List

Okay, I can’t write much tonight because the Bruins are about to come on…

I had a checkup with my Crohn’s Dr. today, and it went so-so. I told him about my most recent flare-ups, and he told me he was ordering a new CAT Scan to see how my intestines were looking. He also told me that I should go back on the “Low Res” diet that they put me on when I was hospitalized three years ago.

I honestly don’t understand the low residue diet when it comes to my Crohn’s. It supposed to help my flare-ups, but this list has a lot of things that make my Crohn’s bad. Out of everything I’ve ever put in my body, coffee by far made my stomach cramp the most. And soda (carbonated beverages) with sugar and caffeine is a close second to coffee. Also, the desserts and sweets list seems a bit too heavy on the “allowed” side. I know Crohn’s is different for everyone, and what upsets my insides might not upset someone else. I guess I should be glad with Easter coming up that jelly beans are okay.

Card from My 8th Grade Spanish Teacher (1992)

I’ve written many times about the power of positive thinking and how it helped me beat cancer. One of the biggest reasons I was able to do this was the way people rallied around me in support. Even though I hadn’t seen my 8^th grade Spanish teacher “C” in four years, he also reached out to me with these kind words. He also mentions the monks praying for me – I don’t know how many prayer lists I was on back then, but it was a lot and went beyond Massachusetts and the US. Whether you believe in God or not, I took all those prayers into positive thoughts and I know they helped me…

Spanish was one of my favorite classes in junior high, and “C” was a big reason for that. You could tell he was passionate about teaching the language, he made it fun, and he cared about the success of his students (even years after he had taught them).

I remember our weekly “Aquí” games in class. Aquí was Spanish Bingo – Señor C would draw an English word, and we would see if we had the Spanish equivalent on our cards. If you had a row, you yelled “Aquí”, and got a piece of candy. There were also quicker versions of Aquí like “Upper Left Corner”, where C would draw cards until someone had the same one in the upper left corner of their card. My friends and I quickly fixed the system and made sure the next time we played, just about everyone in class had the same upper left corner (you ever see 30 kids go up to a desk to get candy at the same time? We made it happen.).

In addition to many happy Aquí memories, I will never forget one day in C’s Spanish class. We were reading from the book, and the question we had to answer was “Qué es tu curso favorito?” (Or is it Cual?), which means “What is your favorite course?”. C told us a story about a former student who read it thinking it meant “What is your favorite curse?” The student read it and asked, “You want me to answer that?” C told him yes, not knowing that he was misinterpreting the word. “What DID HE SAY?”, we begged C to tell us. C just laughed, knowing he couldn’t swear in front of a bunch of 8^th graders. “Come on!”, we begged. He finally gave in and just said, “Well, it rhymed with duck!” It still makes me laugh. Thank you for being a great teacher C, and for this card. You were definitely an influence on how I approached teaching students as a special educator.

Card from Katie (2005)

There are a lot of Katies in my life, and a few I’m lucky to see regularly.

My cousin Katie has been there for as long as I can remember. She has supported me through the worst, and laughed with me along the way. You can read more about her from my t-shirt blog here.

In college, I got to know another Katie who was my girlfriend’s roommate. She was funny, great to hang out with, and her singing voice was so amazing she was part of the group The Bostonians.

I met another Katie years ago when she came knocking on my door with my new neighbor across the hall. It was more than just an introduction though – I was wanted for my assumed-male-hookup-our-technology skills. I hooked up the Nintendo, we played some video games, and we’ve been friends ever since.

One Katie I get to see every week is part of a volunteer group from Holy Cross that comes to Hope Lodge. We’ve had many laughs over the three years she’s been coming here (3 Stooges, Great game Dave, and the infamous “Dave’s Ass” Apples to Apples card to name a few), and it’s hard to believe she’s graduating soon. Katie also made the news!

I won’t say which Katie this card is from, but all the Katies I know are awesome and they have all made me smile, laugh, and hold onto happy memories. Thanks for being you, Katies!

Bruins/Canadiens Playoff Ticket (4/7/04)

This game is how I expected the Bruins to start their 2011 Stanley Cup Playoff run. The game recap shows all the reasons why they won the first game in 2004 and lost games 1 and 2 this year. The B’s had 2 power play goals (including the game’s first goal just 5 minutes in), and killed all 4 of Montreal’s power plays. They dominated the first period, out shooting the Habs 23-9.

The Bruins not only won games 1 and 2 in 2004, they split the games in Montreal and took a 3-1 series lead back to Boston. I also went to game 5, expecting to see my B’s take the series against the “Hated Habs”, but the Canadiens had different plans.

Montreal won games 5, 6, and in game 7, they shutout the Bruins in Boston.

My point is this: The Canadiens won that series in 2004 because they wanted it more. They were trailing 3 games to 1 with two more games to play in Boston, but they turned it around and won three games in a row.

I have seen the B’s win two playoff games in a row in Montreal twice (part of sweeps in 1992 and 2009). I also watched the Bruins win games 1 and 2 on the road in New Jersey in 1994, and then lose 4 straight.

Now, it’s the Bruins turn.

Score first, no huge turnovers, and good special teams. Go B’s.

Card from a Hope Lodge Guest (2007)

Loving your job > having a high paying job.

For more on this: Note from a Hope Lodge Guest (2007)

Bruins/Capitals Playoff Ticket (4/26/98)

April of 1998 was not the easiest month for me as a hockey fan. In the beginning of the month, I went (still don’t know where my ticket disappeared to) to the Frozen Four Championship game at the Fleet Center. BC was playing Michigan, and after Michigan forced OT with about 6 minutes left, they won in overtime. It was the most heartbreaking game I have ever attended and as I described for my BC Superfan T-shirt, my friends and I didn’t say anything or move from our seats until the building was empty and security told us we had to leave.

That story has a happy ending though, because three years later BC won their first of 3 championships (2001, 2008, 2010).

So, a few weeks after watching the Eagles fall short, I went to see the Bruins play the Capitals in game 3 of their first round playoff match-up. This game also went into overtime, and the B’s put the puck in the net. However, one of the Bruins players had his skate in the crease when the goal was scored, so it was disallowed (back then, it didn’t matter if you touched the goalie, a player couldn’t be in the crease before the puck – the NHL has since changed this rule). Not only did the goal not count, the Bruins got a penalty for goalie interference. I don’t remember if the game-winning goal was scored on that penalty or not, but the Bruins lost in OT and the winning goal was scored by former Bruin, Joe Juneau. I was not happy.

I would like to point out one more thing as I look at this game’s box score. Grant Ledyard, one of my dad’s least favorite players, played over half of the game and was a -2 (He was a -54 in his career). My friend Patrick and I often quote my dad whenever we question a coach’s decision about who to play: “Huh? What d’they got Ledgahd out theah foah?”

Looking for the Bruins to bounce back tonight, push around those little Habs, and take back control of this series…

Westboro House of Pizza Menu

If you’re ever in Westboro, you should check this place out. Easily it’s one of my favorite places to grab a bite to drink, and I usually do on Friday nights. I even had my awesome sister Carolyn put part of this menu on the cover to my first book of poetry, Poems from a Tragic Comic. Make sure when you go there, you tell the owners that you think Tim Thomas is the best goalie you’ve ever seen in a Bruins uniform. If they tell you that you’re wrong, remind them that he set an NHL season record for save percentage and is well on his way to another Vezina Trophy. Also, enjoy your yummy food!

Letter to the 2010-2011 Bruins (Bruins Game Program from 4/21/90)

Dear Bruins,

First of all, congrats on another great regular season. I’m really looking forward to watching you take Lord Stanley’s Cup back where it belongs. The Pats, Sox, and Celtics have had their turns. Now, it’s Black and Gold time. Although I know this feat is more up to you than how badly I want to see you win The Cup, I’m hoping these words will do their part to help you get there.

Even though it seems silly to compare winning the Stanley Cup to a couple of my favorite movies (Three Amigos and Star Wars), the message sent by them is one for everyone. Just like the saying “Everyone has their El Guapo” in Three Amigos, everyone has their Death Star. They both are that ultimate goal that seems impossible to overcome. But, you go after it anyway and you do whatever you can to get there. And in the end, you win.

It’s just as easy to say “Everyone has their Stanley Cup”. Like I explained in my Open Letter to Your Captain last year, one of my “Cups” was a diagnosis of a cancerous brain tumor when I was 18. The doctors told me I was going to need rounds of chemotherapy followed by radiation. I said, “Oh yeah?”, and finished treatment without needing radiation – my doctors had no explanation for this. Part of the reason was, as my mother would coach me through treatment, I took it “Like a Bruin”: I was tough, I tried not to complain, I kept having fun, and I played to win. I also believed in myself and had people who believed in and supported me.

Although I have only been lucky enough to meet a few of you a few times, I’m betting you’ve made it to the NHL because you believed in yourself. I’m betting most of you have parents who love you and supported you with everything you’ve done. And I believe you are playing the game because you love it and you want to go after your own Stanley Cup – which is the actual Stanley Cup (you really need to watch Three Amigos if you haven’t yet…trust me!).

Even though I will only enjoy NHL games from the stands, my chair, or playing the EA Sports video game, I can tell you that I think the strategies I used to beat cancer can easily be applied to winning The Stanley Cup. Battling cancer is not a time to fear, doubt, or blame. It’s a time to believe, celebrate every day, and be surrounded by people who can pick you up when you need it. Like I explained in that letter to Z, I used visualization when I was getting my chemotherapy treatments – I imagined my medicine traveling through my veins, up to my brain, and attacking my brain tumor. My images were vicious, and I knew the cancer didn’t have a chance. Even on my sickest days I told myself “If I feel this horrible, my cancer must be worse”. Getting cancer is time to take charge, and this is that time for all of you.

Every single Bruins fan believes in you. Believe in yourself, believe in each other, and show you want it more than anyone else. Visualize, and it will happen.

Now, go get it!

Dave McGrath

PS-The add for the Bruins Master Card in this Program is Priceless…

GO BRUINS!!!!

After watching tonight's game (4/21/11), I had to write about this program again. This game was the best playoff game I've ever attended. The B's trailed the Habs numerous times, and kept coming back to tie it up. With under two minutes to go in the 3rd period, Cam Neely tied it up with a power play goal. As OT started, my dad was complaining about Gary Galley being on the ice (not one of his favorite players, but I thought he was okay). Well, below is Cam's goal along with what "Ga-Ga" did in OT and it reminded me a lot of tonight's game - I love watching this with the French play-by-play...