Time For An Update

Wow, I didn't realize it had been so long since my last update! Where has the time gone? Well, Friday was a really long day, we had to do two school assemblies in Wilmington, Delaware, and when I got back at 4, I was done for the day, but I had to stick around cause I had 4 tickets to the Phantoms (AHL) game that night. I was supposed to go with one of my friends, and Leslie from the Flyers Skate Girls was supposed to bring a friend, but she had to work that night, and she lives all the way up in Wilkes-Barre (2 hours north) so she wasn't gonna make it in time. Oh well, at least I had a seat for my coat. The game was a good one, it was 1-0 Chicago going into the 3rd, and they had a promo going in which everyone gets a free gallon of washer fluid from Advance Auto Parts if the Phantoms score a goal in the 3rd...sure enough they did, and I was actually happier about the gallon of fluid, cause I need some badly...gotta take as many freebies as possible, right? The best part of that? I have 3 tickets from the 3 that didn't get used...yep, I got 3 gallons of washer fluid! Woohoo! Anyways, the Phantoms lost in a shootout, it sucked their goalie got beat on the exact same deke 3 times!

Saturday was a really boring day, I did nothing but watch hockey and play PS2. Sunday I had to work for a few hours, we went to an inner-city YMCA to teach the fundamentals of hockey to a bunch of 6-9 year olds who don't get much access to hockey. It was fun, but when you geet a group of 50 kids in that age group, it can kind of make you go crazy.

Monday was a fun day, it was President's Day in the US, so the kids didn't have school. Anyways, the team was kicking off it's Jr Flyers Club to the public. The club had only been previously open to the kids of season ticket holders, and they'd get prizes and autographed stuff for being a member....well, for an extra cost anybody can sign up. So we had this big jamboree thing at the Flyers practice facility in Voorhees, NJ. It was my first time in Jersey, I felt so dirty after! Seriously, the first person I saw in New Jersey was your typical greaseball that is typically associated with Jersey....I wouldn't have been surprised if his name was Guido or Rico or something. The carnical was fun, we had to run the Flyers inflatable, which is this massive shootout game for the kids. We got free food after, and for me, that is always a bonus. Monday night we had an on ice clinic at this place called Rizzo Rink, and it's run by the typical South Philly Italians....they were really nice though, they had free pizza and hoagies and beer for us. It's so funny to hear them say "ey, how you doo'n..." with their south Philly accent. This rink was SOOOO ghetto though. I am totally serious when I say this, but the roof of the rink is I-95. You know your rink is a rat hole when it is located beneath a major freeway and all you hear on the rink is the sound of cars passing overhead. The people there are great though. The have a small workout facility there, and since I'm with the Flyers I get free access to it. This is the first chance to work out since I've been here, so now I can burn off all those cheese steaks that I've been eating.

Nothing much to report on Tuesday, just another day at the office. Today was interesting. Individual game tickets for the Phillies went on sale today, and since the Red Sox are here during my last weekend here, I HAD to get tickets. So, I decide to get to the stadium "early" By early I think 9 30 would give me enough time to get my ticket, then drive across the street to the arena to work. WELL! I waited in an hour outside, and it was cold, windy and drizzling a bit. I get my ticket, drive to work and as I'm getting to my office, I look at the ticket...they give me an effin YANKEES ticket! I HATE THE YANKEES! Can you believe that? I wait for an hour, and instead of getting my May 19th Red Sox ticket, they give me a June 19th Yankees ticket! What the crap is that? So I ran back to my car and drove over there, cut probably 300 people that were in line and went to the booth...well, they only had 3 sections available for the entire 3 game series with the Sox. Luckily i got my ticket and went back to work with no further problems. My boss let me go home early to watch that pathetic group of clowns that we call a national hockey team. Seriously, what the hell was Richards thinking when he passed that puck? Anyways, don't even get me started on this. I realize how long this was, it didn't seem like much went on this week, but...WOW! I'll update sooner next time. C ya!

This Week....

Well, with the Olympic break going on, there hasn't been too much to get excited about. I sat through an hour and a half long staff meeting on Monday. We were trying to figure out exactly how to promote the upcoming Flyers Carnival. It seems really interesting to find out exactly what details are needed to put something into production. I love the staff meetings though, I get to sit at the big table with all the big marketing execs. It really is kinda cool. Tuesday and Wednesday were fun because I got to take part in the other part of my internship: Ice Hockey Clinics. It was fun, I get to run through drills with the kids. I am quite good and can skate very well, so the kids think I'm a player on the Phantoms (AHL team) I have even signed autographs for kids after the practices! Yesterday's practice kinda sucked....we were playing on some ratty inner-city rink that featured many pot holes and ruts. Well, while skating hard and demonstrating a drill, my skate caught on a rut and I went flying, and landed right on my ass. I'm only wearing a track suit, so with no padding, it hurt quite a bit.....not to mention all the kids laughed at me =(. Today I was a bit sore when I got out of bed, it was a bit painful to walk, but I'll live through it. Wednesday was also cool cause I got to go into work later in the day. Why? My supervisor figured I'd want to watch Team Canada's game so he let me come in later. How nice is that??? Today was the intern orientation, which is kinda pointless since many of them have already been there for over a month now. We got free pizza, so I took advantage of that =D! Tomorrow will be a fun day...we have to run two school assemblies in Wilmington, Delaware, so I will be taking off around 10 tomorrow morning, then get back at about 4. I got 4 tickets to the Phantoms game tomorrow night, so I'll be haning out there with some coworkers there, then head out for some drinks after. Should be a fun night! I'll update on the weekend later!

I'm Starting To Like It Here

Well, even though my day was absurdly long yesterday, it probably was one of the best. It started out at 5 45 when I woke up and had to get ready for an 8am appearance at the arena. We had a school assembly to do, but when we got back, the Capitals were starting their morning skate. When we got out there, we were fortunate enough to see Alexander Ovechkin skating by himself before the practice started. We were all lucky to get pictures with him, although I didn't have anything for him to sign. For those that don't follow hockey, Alexander Ovechkin will be one of the greatest players ever. I'm talkin the next Gretzky or Lemieux.

After the photos we hung around for a bit and watched the practice from the first row right in the corner. We stopped paying attention for a brief moment, which is when some asshole player decided to rifle a slapshot at the glass right whre we were sitting. It was SOOO loud, scared the hell out of me. Looking at the puck mark, the puck definately would have nailed my coworker if there hadn't been any glass. After the practice we went to the lunch room to get the free game day meal, which was steaks, salad and green beans. The food is amazing. I started doing my actual work around 1 until 5, then we had to get stuff organized for the game. I was excited to know that we were able to use our free dinner coupons at the Cingular Pavillion inside the arena. The place is actually the world's largest arena bar. Nothing too exciting though, kinda small...surprising to know that it was the world's largest... I had the cheesesteak there, which I'd rate #3 out of the 4 that I've had. Once we got everything ready for the game, I went downstairs to our lounge and who was sitting in there? Erin from Season 3 of The Apprentice! I hung out in there with her and my supervisor. She seems really...I don't know...but looking at how she dressed and what the way she talks, you'd never guess that she's a lawyer. It was kinda funny, when I told her she was my pick to win that season, she must have thought I was hitting on her, cause she responded by saying "I'm 27 you know" I thought it was kinda funny.

The post-game celeration was amazing. It was the last home game before the Olympic break, so we all went and partied at the Cingular Pavillion where they had a Flyers tab running and we got free beer! How can you beat that? Getting the chance to party with your young, fun coworkers while enjoying free beer! After the band packed up, we took off for Chickie & Pete's, which I think definately lives up to its hype. The bar is amazing! There were more Flyers people there (not players) so we partied there until 2. My supervisor had 4 tickets to the Phantoms game for Sunday (Philly's minor league hockey team). He gave them to me, so I'm probably gonna go with some coworkers. I'm not doing anything today, after that long day yesterday, I think I'm gonna chill. Tomorrow is hockey night and Monday is back to work. Anyways, this is crazy long, so I'm gonna run. C ya!

Long Days

Well, the days here are getting longer and longer. The days rarely start out well partly because i spend a good 45 minutes in traffic on my way to work each morning, going through a ton of gas in the process. My days usually consist of office work, but when it's game day, it gets even longer. This afternoon I went to my first school assembly. Former Flyers player and current community relation ambassador Bob Kelly talks to the kids about teamwork and then they show the kids hockey equipment and what each piece is for. The assembly takes about an hour but we get there 45 mins. prior to set up. As the intern, I do all the grunt work, such as carrying in most of the equipment from the cars, setting up the DVD stuff....that part isn't necessarily "fun" but...meh. The other crappy part of the job is getting the activity books prepared for the assembly. Each kid gets a book filled with autographed cards, stickers, things like that. Well, at work guess who has to stand around and fill all 200+ books. Yep, it's me! (and the other intern). Today's game was actually really good. The Flyers beat the Islanders 5-2 and I got to make my on-ice debut! During the first intermission they had their sponsored Youth Hockey Shootout and I got to be a goal judge, so I got to skate around on the ice as soon as intermission started, and all the Flyers players were skating past me. I was cool! I love game days....not only do I get a free meal prior to the game, but we all get free lunches! We got served a full course of pasta, chicken and salad today. Unfortunately the rest of the week is gonna be ugly...tomorrow is another 10-3 30...which I hate cause I get stuck in I-95's rush hour, and it takes me close to an hour to get back. When you work long and hard days, the last thing you wanna do is sit in traffic for a long time. It's really awful. Friday will be worse....we have an assembly at 9 30, so we have to be at the arena at 8am, and there's a 7:00 game that night, so by the time it's over, it'll be after 10.....after the game though we're gonna go down to street to Chickie & Pete's...it's rated the best sports bar in America...or maybe just in Philly, I can't remember what they said. Either way, Friday is shaping up to be an 18 hour day.....NOT FUN! Anyways, before I go I thought it was kinda interesting that after Jeff Carter and Mike Richards went to the hospital to see the kids yesterday, they both scored tonight! Richards had 3 goals and Carter had 1. Anyways, I'm out!
-Trevor

What A Great Day!

Well, today has probably been the best day so far. It was a nice day and traffic wasn't bad at all on my way in. There was only 1 email that I had to respond to and I was able to get free food (again) for lunch! Today I had the best Philly cheese steak I've ever had (although they just call them "cheese steaks" here). The best part of all was when I got to go to Temple University Hospital and into the children's ward along with 4 people from the office and 3 players (Robert Esche, Mike Richards and Jeff Carter). This visit was a total surprise to the kids, and it was amazing to see their reactions and how excited they were when the players came in to see them. I kinda felt a bit sad seeing the kids there (we didn't see anyone with life threatening illnesses) but it was great for the kids, and they all got autographs and pictures with them. So it was a great day....probably the bst since I've been down here. Anyways, I'll update again later!
-Trevor

The Weekend....So Far

Well, living in Pennsylvania has some amazing advantages, which I found out on Friday. I was at the Willow Grove Mall, which is a kick-ass mall with three floors and all the popular stores. One great thing about shopping in PA is that there is NO TAX ON CLOTHES! Isn't that crazy? I left with only one thing because I can't be wasting my money and the temptation was too much. Apparently there is an even better mall in King of Prussia (yeah, that's the name of the town). From what I've heard, this is the third largest mall in America. As cool as the no tax on clothes/food in PA is, it's actually better to shop in Delaware (not too far from here) because in DE there is no tax on anything! Don't you feel ripped off by paying 15% all the time? So after my trip to the mall, I hung out at Greenberg's place for a bit and watched the Pistons-76ers game. I had no idea the Pistons were in town, I definately would have snuck into the game. (I've got an arena badge and a Flyers staff badge....I'm sure nobody would bother me if they saw the arena badge) Yesterday was game night and the Rangers were in town. The most entertainibg part of the night was seeibg the Chick-Fil-A mascots skating around during the first intermission. The mascots are these 7 or 8 foot tall cows with jerseys saying "Eat More Chicken" They were skating, pointing to the crowd and pointing to their jerseys. It was quite entertaining. The game was an OK one...the Flyers were winning 3-2, but the Rangers scored with less than a minute in the 3rd and then scored early in OT, so the game was quite disappointing for my coworkers (I'm not a Flyers fan, so I could care less) One cool thing for all of you that watch the Apprentice...Erin from Season 3 works for the Flyers on game days! I saw her yesterday but I didn't get the chance to meet her. She was my pick to win until she made a smart-ass comment in the board room and got fired. I'm gonna try to get her autograph. After the game, my supervisor took me, Katey (the other department intern) and a bunch of his friends to a pub crawl in a suburb....which was wayyyyyy the hell out there. Had to drive through these winding back roads at night with fog setting in...seemed like something from a horror movie. Actually, the first bar we went to was the General Lafayette Inn, which was a house built in the Revolutionary War days. This place is supposedly haunted. The cool thing about this bar is they make their own beer, so I got this beer called Germantown Blonde (yeah, I just liked the name). But there's this Raspberry Mead Ale that's been brewed in the area for hundreds of years...it's almost 10% so 2 pints will knock you on your ass. Funny thing about Americans....they seem to think Molson Canadian and Labatt Blue are the greatest beers ever made! We hit 4 more bars, the night was fun....didn't get home until well after 2 in the morning. So is anyone else going for the Seahawks tonight? I think it will be a great game regardless. Anywho, I'm gonna end this before I really start to ramble. I'll keep you all posted on anything interesting that goes on around here. C ya!
-Trevor

The First Day

Saturday started off a lot better than Friday. We didn't get lost on the way to Dr Greenberg's house. For those of you who don't know, a coworker at Shoppers knows this family here in Philly, and they offered to let me stay with them for when I first got into town. I got there at about 10 and chatted with my parents before I had to take off for the game. Since they have season tickets, they told me to take the subway to the game and they'd drive me home. The subway ride was entertaining....if you call a massive amount of freaky looking people and gangsters all getting on at the same time. I was freaked out...these three ghetto guys sat right across from me. I did my best not to make eye contact. I guess the subway I was on is the North-South route, and North Philly is NOT where you want to be. The good thing was all the hood rats seemed to get off at the city hall stop, so the rest of my ride was a bit more comfortable. Once I got to the arena I got my staff badge and received the best news of the day. Anytime I work a game I get free food from any concession stand plus a Pepsi (woohoo!) My job duties for game days are relatively simple. During the first intermission we have a program called Mites on ice, it's where kids about 8-9 play a scrimmage game on the ice (if you've gone to Wings or Spits games you've seen it) We meet the teams upstairs, bring them to the downstairs dressing rooms, then fill out the roster forms for the announcers. Once intermission rolls around, we lead them to the visitors bench and just wait for the period to end. I was like a foot away from the Tampa Bay players....the guys are absolutely HUGE! Anywho, I just stand on the bench while they play, then lead them back to the dressing room once they're done. During the second intermission, there is a youth hockey shootout, same deal as the Mites on ice. After that my day is done, and we get to watch the 3rd period ad overtime from anywhere we like. Too bad the Flyers got their asses kicked, the greenberg's decided to leave early, so I didn't see the rest of the game. That was about it for Saturday. More to come!

The Wacky Adventures of Getting To Philly

Ok, this is for everyone who wants to know what I'm up to in Philly. Yeah, most of you could really care less, but just for the sake of keeping in touch with all of you, check this out! Ok, so on Friday we left Windsor at around 6 30 and decided to take the Peace Bridge in Ft. Erie and cross into Buffalo. Everything was going smoothly until I ran into Customs and Immigration. Apparently, the "don't need a visa" advice I got at the Ambassador Bridge was incorrect. I did in fact need a J-1 Visa, and the papers provided them indicated that my job duties wouldn't let me enter as a B-1. After 45 minutes, getting fingerprinted and photographed, they sent me back into Canada to "restructure" my internship duties. We get to a Shoppers Drug mart to fax a copy of my papers to my supervisor....who was (sure enough) out of state that day. So I had to get these random employees to send me a new letter "changing" my duties to let me cross over again. The second time I got pulled in again, and after 30 mins they decided to let me go. I wasted about 3 hours of my day in and around that bridge plaza. Fun stuff! Because we're 3 hours behind schedule, we don't end up in Philly until 10ish....driving around on the unfamiliar interstates at 10 30 on a Friday night natually means one thing. We definately got lost. So we're driving around some questionable neighbourhoods in Philly, all the while I'm hoping we're not a victim of a drive by or car jacking at a red light. Anyways, my dad uses OnStar from his car to have them direct us to the nearest hotel. We got in just after 11. It really was a horrible day!