Fired Up!

The title should actually be, how do I get them fired up? Next Friday, the winless Holy Cross Lancers will take on the mighty Washington Township..........................................................................................to be honest with you, I don't know their nickname. But in any case, I need to rile the team up. We've been playing well the past few weeks, especially tonight when we had Shawnee up against the ropes until the end until the drew a 2-2 tie. But, alas, our winless ways this season went out the window.

Monday night we play Eastern. This is a game that, if we play the way we did tonight, we should come out with a win.

However, after indulging in a few adult beverages, I came upon an article I had not seen in 10 years. I want to incorporate this into a speech for Friday night's game without sounding egotistical. I always like to think that I put team first...then as in now...but I want the current team to get a drive out of it. I want to let them know how much the club means to me. How much this game means to me. But, without it all being about me. How do I do that?

The article is below. I would appreciate feedback.

http://www.sjsports.com/highschool/washingtontwp/1999-2000/holycross_washtwp_ihockey.html

Happy 28th Birthday!!!

I'm not going to try to catch you up since my last post...so here's where we go...

For my birthday I was looking to go to Jim's Steaks on South Street in Philly. From there we were going to go to Yards Brewing Company to do a brew tour...then head on over to the Philadelphia Brewing Company to do another brew tour. Honestly...it really wasn't anything special...but it was going to be something fun.

Well, Chris, Diana, and Laura got down around Midnight last night/this morning and long story short (too late) we were up until 4 AM playing Rockband. We (luckily) got to Jim's Steaks around 12 and were in pretty good shape. Matt & his two roommates met up and things were going well. The rain had nothing on us...or so we thought...

We followed the GPS from Jim's to Yard's and were following the route on Delaware Ave...up until the point where the police officer blocked the road. Eventually we tried to go around and ended up getting onto Columbus via Chestnut. After going through one giant puddle we thought we were in good and were basically home free. Little did we know...

After going through that puddle we came upon a 20 foot stretch of land. It looked good and the next puddle didn't seem that bad...so we pressed on. Of course, the next puddle was HUGE. We got to the middle when the water came above the hood of our car (I was in the passenger seat, Season was driving, Chris/Diana/Laura were in the back). At this point we came to the conclusion that we could not open the door. So I, Dukes of Hazzard style, climbed out the window..........into knee deep high water. There was a kid on the side of the road asking if we needed help, and I said no. Chris, making his way from the bitch seat in the back to the window in the front, helped me out and we got the car out of the flood.

At this point we are off to the side directly under the Ben Franklin Bridge. We are next to the Delaware River and it looks like it's about to overflow. I call AAA and we make our way to the Comfort Inn across the street.

Season & Diana, using their infinite wisdon, decide it's a good idea to go back to the car to get the GPS and whatever else. Of course, at that point, there's at least one cop car and a few tow trucks around. 2 ladies in distress = a lot of guys that want to help. Season ended up getting interviewed by NBC10 (in an interview that never showed on air!). Luckily they got our car somewhat running enough to get to a Dunkin Donuts parking lot more inland.

At that point Seas called her brother Shea's roommate for help. The tow truck came and towed the car away about five minutes before Tommy picked us up. Thankfully, we had a rental car waiting for us at Enterprise because of Laura. So Tommy drove us to the Philadelphia Airport and we had no idea where to go...so he dropped us off at Gate A. The five of us (Chris, Diana, Laura, Season, and I) were waiting in Terminal A for the Enterprise Shuttle. Of course, we had a grand total of a small plastic bag as our luggage while everybody else had 2 or 3 pieces luggage. We are the only ones to get on the shuttle.

The highlihgt of the Enterprise trip is this: "So what brings you to Philly?". I'm glad I didn't have to answer that.

After quite a long time we finally made our way home. From a problem that started around 12:45 and didn't end until after 5 I thought we did quite a fantastic job. Considering that nobody wanted to kill anybody else I cam proud of ourselves. If you add more time to it everybody had shots and got drunk tonight. It's 6:28 AM (it's also daylight savings time...so it's really 5:28) and I'm still in good shape.

In conclusion, while it's not the birthday I planned (and I thank Matt and the girls for comming out in Philly as well as Sadowski & Foerter for coming out tonight) it will definitely go down as a birthday I will remember. Honestly, who has to go out a car window Dukes of Hazzard style to rescue a car full of women? Then, of course, I have to be in drenched clothes for the next 5 hours. But what other choice did the Dutch Boys have? When good is in trouble The Dutch Boys are there!!!!!!!

Come On Down...

This past weekend there was the All Points West Festival that was held in Liberty State Park in North Jersey. Season went with some friends on Sunday since ("You know how I know your gay?) Coldplay and a bunch of other bands were playing. Her one friend, Brian Wolff, also happened to on Friday night. He posted a video of Vampire Weekend performing "Walcott" from that show.

Now I've heard this song before since it's on the IPod...but I've never really listened to the lyrics or anything like that. For example, I didn't realize it was about somebody getting out of Cape Cod and coming down to Jersey. So then I looked up the lyrics and was drawn to the following:

Walcott

All the way to

New Jersey

All the way to

The Garden State

Out of Cape Cod tonight

Walcott

Fuck the women

From Wellfleet

Fuck the bears out

In Provincetown

Out of Cape Cod Tonight

Why it made me think I really don't know. Now I just can't help but feel that I get a text every week or two from somebody up in New England telling me to make my way up. Trust me, I would love to get there more often. And, in fact, I do get up there several times a year. But the real question that this song brings up in me is "Why doesn't anybody come on down?" Season and I have a house that we've been living in since the beginning of the year and besides the locals nobody has come to see it.

Therefore, this is a challenge to anybody from far away lands. If you want to come down to Jersey and want to spend a night...a weekend...a month...whatever. Let me know! We have the Shore! We have Six Flags Great Adventure! We're 45 minutes from Philly and an hour and fifteen minutes from New York!

If the only excuse you can come up with is "it's too far" then shame on you. I make it a habit of getting up there two or three times a year...and that's been going on since I left so I guess we're starting on year seven now. In those seven years...how many times have you visited me?

Thank you...and good day...

A Horrible Realization

This past week I started the second session of the Summer Semester at Mercer County Community College. My math class started last Thursday and so far so good. Seems like stuff I should be able to handle and it's being taught by a 60+ year old female. So far it pretty much goes hand in hand with my prior education.

Today I started my Sociology class. The class itself seems fine. But, I noticed two things that really stood out to me...and where I am in my life. The first had to do with the professor. She was telling us about how she got her B.A. at UMass Amherst (or Lowell...or Boston...or one of those places), her Masters at Arizona, and she's currently going for her PhD at NYU. That's all fine and dandy...but from what I could tell she was probably in her early 30s.

Which leads me to my next point. It's a Sociology class...so the 40 of us, at one point, had to explain a little about who we are. Several explained that they were a month or so out of high school. And while I'm far from the oldest one in the class, with the professor only a few years older than me and most of my peers definitely younger than me...I can definitely feel my self worth going down. I'm not saying I should be going for my PhD or even my Masters...but I should definitely be more established than I am. Especially when surrounded by those barely 18.

It's moments like this that I reflect on all of the opportunities I have passed up. First of all was my education. If I kept my head above water I would have received a bachelor's degree five years ago. Not only that, but I also would have extended my goalie career by two years and would have hopefully led the team to at least one win over St. A's in that time.

Basically what it comes down to is this. I would never trade where I am in my personal life. I love Season. I love this house. I love my friends. I love my family. I love our pets. But educationally/professionally I've really screwed up in my life. Now's my time to rectify that.

And on that note, I would like to let everyone know that I got my grades back for the first session. I received at A in Public Speaking and a B+ in US History (Post Civil War - The Present). I will say this about US History........I had the highest grade on every quiz and exam up until the final exam. And prior to that final I was the only one with a B, so I would really hate to see how everyone else did.

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack...

Well well well...look who's back. I promise, I'm going to try to semi-regularly update this thing. So without further adieu, let's take a look back over the past few months to see what's new (and exciting?) in the life of one Mr. Brian Holland.

After a month of hassle, Season and I bought a house in Ewing, New Jersey!

Then a few months later I took a high stick to the face and chipped a tooth.

Luckily I got it fixed while I still had dental insurance...because Sallie Mae would move from Mt. Laurel, NJ to Delaware...and in the process I would get laid off. That would pretty much coincide with Season & I getting a puppy...who we named Pepper (it's a current picture, she's almost 6 months old).

Keeping tabs on her has been a full time job. Luckily now that I'm on Unemployment the State of New Jersey will pay for four classes per semester. So beginning in late May I've been back in school. Here are three video clips I used in my presentation on how to remove concussions from the NHL.

While working on another presentation I came outside to find the windshield on my passenger's side smashed thanks to a fallen limb.

And most recently Season and I celebrated two years of dating.

That's pretty much the jist of it. There have been other significant events in between (weddings, barbecues, the invention of Shotzee), but from here on out they'll (hopefully) be updated on here. Until next time...

Vintage Holland Strikes Again...

It's been a long time, my friends. No, not me posting in my blog (which, for the record, has been a long time as well)...but since the last time I donned the pads. That's right, ladies and gentlemen, Brian Holland got the gear out of the garage, got the inch of rust on his skate blades removed, and made a triumphant return in net.

As some of you may know, I coach the JV team for Holy Cross ice hockey. With exams going on this week we knew it was going to be a light turnout for practice*. Around 4 o'clock I received a phone call from the JV goalie stating that he wasn't making it to practice. Being that we only have 2 goalies in our organization we would have been left with a full ice practice and only one goalie. What was I to do?

As you've already read....you know what I did. I sucked it up by putting on the pads and I stunk it up on the ice. Alright, I didn't do THAT bad. Only one player had any type of success on me and he plays AAA hockey. But the one thing I did notice was how out of shape I'm in. My arms got heavy...my legs got tired...and my body was about 10 degrees warmer than usual. 8 years ago I would have been skating circles around these guys in my full goalie equipment and now I don't have the energy to get up after a save (of course, the rebound went into the corner).

The one thing I did have was fun...and at this point that's the name of the game. I was throwing out pokechecks just for the hell of it. Made a couple of two pad slides. And I would have even made Bernie Parent proud with a half assed skate save. Today I felt an itch to get back between the pipes...but for all I know it will be another year and a half before I put the mask on.


*We have one weekly practice ice slot per week that is shared between the JV and the Varsity.

Please let that be you...

Where to begin? I've been in this funk before. Where I'll write a bunch in the span of a couple weeks...then I'll go months without writing again. Kinda reminds me of this one friend I have. We'll hang out four or five times in a two week span...then won't see each other for six months. It's not that we live far apart or anything...but for whatever reason that's what ends up happening.

So what have I been doing that's kept me away from writing? I'm glad I asked. I'm not going to go list every little thing that I've done...but here's a brief recap on one of the events. If I get to it the next posting will deal with Tennessee.

The Rentals at the TLA. As most of you may be aware, Weezer has been my favorite band ever since the first time I heard the Blue Album. A close second (and maybe even tied for first) is The Rentals. This is a band that I had never heard of until my brother bought me their first cd titled "Return of The Rentals" for Christmas back in maybe '97. The frontman, Matt Sharp, was the original bassist for Weezer. What started out as a pet side project turned into his full time gig when the brief hiatus after Weezer's Pinkerton album turned into something longer.

So back to the show. Season and I got a hotel room in Philly and did a little pregaming there. Our friends, Justin & Katelyn, came by and they joined along on the fun. Then we went to the show. Goldenboy and somebody else opened the show, but I wasn't paying attention, I was there for one reason and one reason only. It was the kind of show where they could have went out there and laid a juicy turd...and I still would have loved it b/c it was them.

Eventually, they come on stage. It was general admission and we were in the middle of the stage...with only one person between us and the band. Xylophones, trombones, Moogs, violas, tambourines, and various other instruments would be played throughout the night. There was a moment where Matt Sharp was leaning down...had his hand on some kid's head in front of us...and singing softly in some girl's face.

I did what anybody would do in that situation...I took my hat off and put it on his head. Strangers around me were patting me on the back saying that that was the coolest thing they've ever seen (they live sheltered lives).

Mind you, this isn't just a regular hat. This was my Bud Light fedora. He played it off like it was part of the show. Adjusted it a few times...put it on the mic stand for a song...then, when saying goodbye...used it as he bowed. Then, when they came back out for the encore, the hat was missing! They sang a few more songs and called it a night. But not before saying that they were going to be my the merchandise stand to take pictures and say hello.

Justin & Katelyn left and naturally I got in line and waited. So there we were in line when Lauren Chipman (member of the band) came out from backstage. From across the way she saw me and yelled..."Oh, your hat!" and immediately went backstage. A minute or two she returns with the hat in her hand. We shoot the shit, get a picture, and all is well. We go on later to meet a couple other members of the band...then we get cheesesteaks...and call it a night. All in all...a very fun time.

If you would like to see all of my pictures from the show...simply click the following link.