If I May...

I'm taking a brief moment out of Caps-talk for a little personal message to someone very special...

Today is my dad's birthday. Aside from being a great father and a wonderful human being, he is the main reason for this insanity you see before you - so it seems fitting to use a tiny corner of this space in tribute to him.

As many of you know, my father has been a Caps fan since day one. He has followed this team through ups and downs, through 8-win seasons and Stanley Cup Finals, through draft picks and signings and excitement and jubiliation and heartache. A love like that doesn't come easily but it also doesn't fade...once it's in your blood it's there for good, longing to be shared.

And so my dad passed this hockey fandom down to me, teaching me about the game and the team. He patiently explained what icing and offside meant, taught me the history of the Caps, exposed me to greats like Bobby Orr and Ken Dryden from the perspective of someone who saw them play. He put up with my strange love of Sylvain Cote and my brief foray into Leafs fandom. He stays silent about my fascination with the Habs. Somewhat. Kind of...

...not really. But the mocking and teasing is all done with love, I'm sure.

I am in every way my father's daughter. He instilled in me his love of reading and writing, his musical tastes and an appreciation of the genius of Mel Brooks. He gave me at least a fraction of his intelligence (I hope). He gave me his eyes and his nose and his strange sense of humor. And he gave me his love of hockey, for which I am eternally grateful.

So happy birthday, Dad - thanks for being the best teacher a girl could ask for.