You all know how much I love Marc-Andre Fleury, right?

Even so, I'm aware of his... consistency issues. He's either brilliant or he sucks and not in the good way. (That I know of for sure, although I have my suspicions.)

He sucked at the beginning of last season and just when he started not sucking as loudly, he got hurt. Dany Sabourin decided someone had to suck in goal, so took on that role.

Ty Conklin to the rescue!!!!

Then Flower came back and maybe he was too busy sucking Max after all the injury/bonding time, but he didn't suck at hockey at all and Ty Conklin was a big part of that.

Best back up to the back up EVER!

Now he's gone. To the enemy, no less. I haven't forgotten that I had some love for the Red Wings once, but because of that, I'm even angrier at them for killing my Penguins. Now they've twisted the knife and rubbed salt into the wound.

Ryan Malone. The Penguin of my dreams. Literally. I don't know how many times I've been dreaming of odd things and Ryan Malone has turned up in the most ridiculous way to make sense of it all. Except for the time I had to bail him out for pot possession...

He's now a Tampa Bay Lightning player. What do you even call them? He used to be a Penguin, now he's what? A Lightning? Pffft. Total loss of coolness. I just hope he lives up to his last season. The guy has balls and I will miss them.

Georges Laraque is probably a goner, too. I'll miss his personality more than his skill, but still...

The jury's still out on many more. I'll either squee or mourn for them as the news breaks.

Here's hoping Ray Shero can make the right decisions. I'll forgive him for breaking my heart only if the Pens go one better next season.

Yes, I've been absent for an age. I've been busy fighting suckiness and working and skating and following Penguins. There's not much time left in a day after all that stuff.
( So. Penguins. With pictures. )

A fear thing I pinched from heartofdavid

If you get more than 30 I strongly recommend some counseling!
If you get more than 20 you’re paranoid.
If you get 10-20 then you are normal.
If you get 10 or less you’re fearless (but odd)

I Fear…( This stuff )
A grand total of 7. I'm apparently fearless, which is so very wrong, since I'm crippled by a couple of those.

Something that doesn't scare me, but makes me feel quite disappointed in myself is that I have a very real urge to buy a Nickelback CD. I mocked Nickelback mercilessly a while back. I have issues with any band that releases singles where the lyrics are interchangeable. You should not be able to sing one while the other is playing and have it fit perfectly.

And yet? Chad Kroeger's voice is doing things to me that is usually reserved for Mounties, French Canadian Goalies In Penguins Jerseys and Nick Rhodes. I'm ashamed, but I don't want to stop.

( Speaking of Penguins. )

It's 2am and I've just finished deciding what to wear to the Perth Cup tomorrow. I had been too busy drinking mojitos at my Grandmother's house with my my Mum, Aunty and The Frog, among others.

So, here I am to say Happy New Year to everyone. I wish I had something really clever to add, but I don't. Just, I hope 2008 is better than 2007 for you all.

Especially heartofdavid, because apart from all her wonderful advice and the deliciously slashy images she feeds me, I collected my mail today. There were Penguins! 12 of them and one of them was Marc-Andre Fleury!!!! And Mark Recchi (who will always be a Penguin in my heart, even if he's now wearing a Thrashers jersey) and...and...a hockey book (with more Flower) and incredible chocolate. Best. Present. Ever. Hands down.

Seriously, you are one of the world's most amazing people, Naked Squirrel. If everyone had a friend like you, the world would be a much better place.

ETA: The Frog, in her infinite wisdom, outed me as a fanfic writer to my Mum. Then, when Mum asked me about it, made it much worse by giggling and blushing and apologising in such a manner that Mum figured out the smut factor on her own. Go Frog!

Mum's reaction? "I don't care what you write, as long as you're writing. You shouldn't waste a talent like that."

She obviously hasn't been reading my fics. But then, she is my mother, so she's biased.

Here is a hockey fic that I wrote for a challenge ages ago and haven't had time to post here.

Title: A Head Start.
Pairing: Crosby/Fleury
Rating: Hard R… not as smutty as I hoped.
Word Count: 809
Disclaimers: This is fiction. It’s not even real in my brain, so don’t believe a word of it.
Author Notes: Thanks to captainlogic for overcoming her prejudice against Penguins long enough to beta for me.
( Right here. )

In case those of you who are into hockey didn't know, the Winter Classic is coming. Now I may have been a little optimistic, but I thought I'd get it here. I thought it was enough of a big deal, but apparently not.

I'm also still months away from getting broadband, so I can't watch online and I really, really want to see this game. Even though Flower won't be playing.

So, I'm hoping that if I beg and offer to pay and write fic and do anything and everything, that someone might be kind enough to tape it to dvd and sell a copy to me? I'm not kidding about the anything. I'm a complete hussy for Penguins.

I'l write Pens fic, dS fic, Duran fic, hell, I'll even have a crack at any other kind of fic you might want.

Do I sound desperate? Because I am. :)