[Some Malkin] To Hold You Over ...

Do any of you remember me?

Yes, I am still around, but I just haven't had the motivation (if you can believe that) to work much on the blogs even though there has been TONS of hottie news to report!!

Every weekend, it's the same thing ... on Friday I think of how much I'm going to get done on the blogs and then Sunday evening rolls around and I'm like, "ugh - where did that time go?" And posts get pushed until the "end" [of the weekend] so, by that time, it's a last-minute thing and I get overwhelmed.  It becomes somewhat of a struggle more than it's been an enjoyment (which is typically what writing on these blogs is for me!).  When things start getting more like "work" rather than FUN, I tend to avoid them (and find other things to distract me - perfect definition of P-R-O-C-R-A-S-T-I-N-A-T-O-R -- that's ME!)!! ; P

ALSO -- I think a part of it has to do with this recent Jagr fiasco (it was more than my poor little hockey heart could take!).  I didn't mention it much here ... I did somewhat on my other blog (READ MORE HERE), but that took a HUGE chunk of the "hockey enthusiasm" out of me and I think I was (still am, a little) in a type of "hockey depression" (even moreso than I usually am during the off-season which, I'm sure, most of you can understand!)!! 

I believe I've mentioned here more than once that Jaromir Jagr was my VERY FIRST HOCKEY BOYFRIEND and was one of the reasons I started watching / enjoying the sport in the first place (read the story of how I become a hockey fan HERE).  When the Penguins finally traded him back in 2001, it was a great disappointment for me and I had went into a little bit of a depression at that time as well (even stopped watching hockey altogether for a time - but as a REAL FAN, I couldn't stay away forever and returned when the Penguins "hit the lottery" and picked up someone by the name of Sidney Crosby - and, as all of you are well-aware -- I've been transfixed ever since!), so to go through all the HOOPLA with Jagr this last time - on an even greater scale this time around - was a really big blow to me as a fan ... this was the final straw for me with Jagr [especially his signing with Philly], but I think I can safely say that I'm starting to come around again and feel like "myself" again ... ready to take on the hockey [hottie] world once again ... I'M SO OVER IT (December 29th - Pittsburgh VS Philly ... HERE I COME!)!!

This is actually how big of a HOCKEY FAN I am ... some of that stuff affected me so intensely that all the enjoyment I get out of watching, reading, listening to, talking / blogging about hockey was just squashed and I literally haven't had any desire to have anything to do with it for awhile (THUS no posts since then).  I think I'm on the upswing for right now, but I'm not promising anything because I also feel badly when I don't come through for you with my promises ... I want to enjoy this again and I want this to be for FUN and not become work like it has been for me, soooo ...

I actually came on here to post something to "hold you guys over," but once I started this I ended up writing a pretty therapeutic post (and ended up explaining myself in the process!) ... things DO happen for a reason and I'm hoping all of you understand (perhaps can even relate a little!)!

ONE MORE THING before I move on to the real reason I began this post ... THANKS TO ALL OF YOU for sticking through this with me yet again!!  I appreciate your loyalty more than you will ever know especially since these hiatuses can be frequent at times!!  Blogging is enjoyable, but I consider it such a BONUS / BENEFIT to have great readers, followers, friends because of it!!  THANKS, also, for those of you who continued to email me and post things on my Facebook wall ... for those of you who haven't received an answer, please continue to be patient as I will get back to you (it's always a goal of mine to get back to as many of you as I can!)!!

OK ... now I'll move on to the real business at hand (it can serve as a little gift of appreciation to all of you, as well, if you haven't already seen it!)!!

For the past few days, the Penguins webpage has been posting "From Russia with Love."  Penguins strength and conditioning coach, Mike Kadar, has travelled to Russia so that he's able to help Malkin start training.

Below are links to all of the pages on the Penguins webpage that have videos and pictures of the training ... and what can I say ... I LOVE Malkin (he's so fun and seems like he'd be great to hang around ... my type of person ... LOVES to have fun and joke!)!!  And with this heat ... what a great time to see him enjoying the swimming pool - NICE!!  So ENJOY, ladies (and, as always, feel free to leave comments - they're always welcomed and appreciated!)!!  Just a small "warning" ... this will DEFINITELY make you miss hockey more than you already do (and anxious to see Malkin, Crosby, and the rest of the boys back in action on the ice!)!!!

From Russia With Love: Part 3

From Russia With Love: Part 2

From Russia With Love: Part 1

Page of Training Photos