Ah, the flowers, the clean air, the blue sky. Well, so much for that, I better get back to blogging. The return of Thin Air, short hits about the hockey world.

• Last weeks elimination game between the Rangers and the Sabres was the perfect game to play on NBC. With all the hoopla over the Rangers being in the playoffs, overshadowing that was the game itself, which had speed, flow, intensity, scoring and saving, and the score mattered right to the end. For me, it was a great showcase for the game, one that could create some buzz, if only there were some place to create buzz at.
• Every time I look at my Feedreader (which I am now doing with Google Reader), and I see Avalanche news, I keep hoping for the news of the Theodore buyout. No luck yet, but I have to believe it’s coming. Instead, I find out that Joe Sacco will be the head coach of the Avs new AHL affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters, and that Stan Kronenke, owner of the Avs, has bought a stake in the Arsenal football club. Yes, that Arsenal, over there.
• The USA is out of the World Championships, losing to Finland 5-4 in the (wait for it…) SHOOTOUT!!! That, of course, is the way international hockey goes, but, and I said this before, is it satisfying to anyone but the victor? In a sport where ice time is at a premium, I understand doing what you have to, such as curfew games and shootouts, to make the sport happen. But the shootout is so unsatisfying. (side note: How do the Europeans feel about it?)
• That said, it’s time I said this publicly, and let the chips fall where they may. I miss tie games. As fun as the shootout can be (so is the circus), I have become bored with the novelty. While playing for a tie sucked, I like this solution even less. The whole argument that no one leaves during the shootout is bogus as well. Of course they don’t leave, the game isn’t over. There is still one point to hand out. The fans didn’t create this, but they do have to live with it. Some like it, and that’s fine, but I don’t.
• The kids continue to be alright for the Avs, as Paul Stastny had a good performance (4 G, 4 A) at the World Championships, and the Avs signed Forward Codey Burki to a 3 year deal. Youth will prevail.

A few off topic items for you:

• Many of you know, I work as a stagehand, either on tour or here in Denver. This past week, we were very busy putting Wicked into the Buell Theater. Wicked is the story of the Wicked Witch of the West, and how she became so wicked. I have yet to see it, but I must say, the sets are amazing, the music (the snippets I listened to in rehearsal) is decent, and from what I have heard, the end of Act 1 is one of the best ever. Want something different while in Denver? Check this show out (until June 3rd)
• Westword is the local arts rag here in Denver (which is part of a larger arts rag network of papers). Yesterday, I read the review of 28 Weeks Later (which looks interesting, except for the horror and gore aspect. I have a weak stomach for such things), and this part caught my eye. I knew I had to share:

From the social breakdown of George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead (1968) to the undead blowback of Joe Dante’s Homecoming (2005), the standard zombie diet has consisted of two delicacies: human flesh — preferably brains and viscera — and subtext, traditionally seasoned with sociopolitical flavor. You are what you eat, and if you happen to eat people, there’s bound to be some anthropological gristle to chew.

Holy cow, who’da thunk?

More later.