The Tri-City Americans of the Western Hockey League are having Breast Cancer Awareness Night tonight when they play Everett. As part of the deal, the ice will be pink, as will the players’ skate laces and stick tape. (Other teams have done this type of thing in the past, including wearing pink jerseys.)

God I love hockey.

Our Winter Hawks, who have slipped to 4th place (out of five), play last-place Spokane tonight, and will try to break a six game losing streak.

The water damage is covered by our insurance. The adjuster just left.

Bad news: the plumbing work is not covered. And we have a $500 deductible.

Next step is getting a contractor out here to start digging and figure out how far they have to go. We’ve been hoping for a new shower, so this could be our chance. Ah, the joys of owning a 100 year old house (that a previous owner/do-it-yourselfer remodled).

So yesterday Wacky Mommy (my lovely wife) prompted me to “blog” on my old “blog”, WackyMonkey.org, which I did.

Then, she sends me email (by clicking on my “Comments welcome” link) and complains that she can’t directly comment on my blog.

So I think to myself, “hell, I set up a real blog for her, I can set one up for me, too.” So here ya go, honey, my real blog on which you are welcome to comment.

As are you, dear lurking reader. It’s wide open, no registration necessary. Drop me a line about what’s on your mind.

My mind is frequently pre-occupied with politics, economics and (yes) hockey. I also have a history in music, theatre and writing.

In case you don’t know me, I’m a socialist (in the European social-democrat mold). I’ve got a particular beef with libertarians. I played bass in a rock band as a young adult. I don’t like rock music anymore. I played some classical and latin gigs on clarinet and sax after that, but now I mostly just play hockey. I like hockey. If you want to understand my psyche from the first half of my life, watch “This is Spinal Tap.” If you want to understand my psyche as I enter the middle of life, watch “Slap Shot.” ‘Nuff said.

I don’t expect to be updating WackyMonkey.org much anymore, but I’ll leave it where it is. This blog will be more personal and local. I’ll do less regurgitating of national political news and let you find that stuff yourself (there are some good links under “Quick Hits” on the left-hand side of the page).

Okay, Wacky Mommy, comment away. Let’s see if I made any major blunders setting this pup up.

WackyMommy asks if I enjoy her blog (I do) and said she wished I had an online diary for her to read.

So here’s what’s on my mind today.

Dip-stick Geo. W. Bush. David Corn has a good dissection of the SOTU address.

Water. Water. Everywhere. In the back of the “swamp mobile” due to a leaky tailgate seal (this was our ’97 Saturn wagon we just ditched).

In the walls and across the subfloor under our shower, thanks to a faulty plumbing job by a previous owner of our home. Insurance adjuster comes out Friday to tell us whether we’re covered. Long story short: if it’s from “gradual seepage” we’re fucked. Gradual seepage is betrayed by wet rot.

Nothing like living in western Oregon during one of the wettest winters on record. Hey, wait! The sun’s shining out there. Oops, now it’s gone.

To keep my mind off of Bush and water, let’s talk hockey. The Portland Winter Hawks (our local franchise of the Tier I Major Junior Western Hockey League) lost all 6 games on their longest road trip of the year. They have slipped to third place in the U.S. division of the Western conference. Shit, that’s depressing, too.

On a bright note, we’ve got tickets for their return to home ice this Saturday.

I took a slap shot to the knee during a pick-up game today. That kind of hurts.

So there you go. My new blog theme: More Hockey – Less War. Take that ya evil capitalist pigs! La de da de da isn’t blogging lots of fun.