Very few hockey bloggers make a living blogging. Not that many make any money at all doing it. For me, one of the benefits of that is I can take a few days off when I need to. When work gets in the way of hockey blogging, I don’t worry about it that much. I am a little read island doing my own thing, and money, like in the rest of life, just complicates matters. I can be funny one day, serious the next, and quiet later on.

Work is a significant factor in my ability to blog about hockey. Being a stagehand (working backstage in theater, opera, rock shows, and whatever comes along), I am usually working nights and weekends, exactly when hockey games are on. Being “in the entertainment industry” you have to entertain when people want to be entertained.

Work changed quite a bit in the last few days for me. Yesterday, I flew in to Appleton, WI, where I will be working for the next 5 weeks on a show in town. Aside from being very busy this week, the 4 after will be spent away from a VCR, Versus (unless I go to a bar), and hockey. Basically, I’m cut off a little. All of my hockey viewing for the next while will be the On The Fly: Final show, wither on Versus, or on my computer (thank goodness I have high speed internet in the room). I may not even be able to watch much of the Stanley Cup Finals. I wish I could tell you how hard that will be. At some point, I’m going to try.

After 5 to 6 weeks, I may be home in Denver, or I may be in St. Louis. I really don’t know right now. In the world of musical theater (can you believe I just said that?), 5 weeks can be a long time. I just got done working an opera that ran for 2 1/2 weeks, and only did 5 shows. That was the entire run. Madness, I tell you.

But I am not shutting down, not even close. There is a certain perspective that you get from being a fan in exile. When you have an NHL team in your backyard, and every game is broadcast, you forget how hard it is for other people what aren’t as lucky to be in your situation. Being stuck in a hotel room with 29 channels and none of them are hockey, you start to panic and feel the pains a little. Also, I brought a few jerseys with me, so expect some jersey posts. I have a pretty cool one to put up soon, something a little different. And there is public skating close by, including some pickup and local hockey. Maybe a few reports.

So, take a little pity on my small corner of the world. Check in often, look back in the JAHL archives, and enjoy. I haven’t gone away.

In the meanwhile, who’s got a DVD recorded I can bribe?