In Which Peter Bondra Made Fun of Me

During tonight's Caps game, as always, I went to the tweetup during first intermission to say hello to all the Caps tweeters.

But there was a... "special guest" today. As I was talking to some people, I looked over quickly and Peter Bondra was standing there about 10 feet away from me. Of course I did a double take. And then got extremely distracted in all my conversations. So I started to explain to people I was talking to why I was all distracted, vaguely pointing over in Bondra's direction.

And then, Bondra noticed that I recognized him. And was pointing at him. As he was talking to someone, he started laughing and pointing to me, much as I was pointing to him. But in an odd way I felt completely honored that he was making fun of me. He noticed that I knew who he was and responded to it.

Definitely an interesting first interaction with Bonzai.

A Sad Time for NHL Fans

It's never easy when tragedy strikes in the NHL family. On Saturday, news broke that the 14-year-old daughter of Ottawa Senators assistant coach Luke Richardson committed suicide. This is a terrible tragedy and my heart goes out to the Richardson family.

Suicide prevention is a cause that hits home to me. I have several friends who have had issues with self-harm, and some have attempted suicide. One high school classmate succeeded on December 26, 2003. I myself have struggled with depression, and now hold a degree in psychology due to my interest in mental health.

The Richardson family has asked for donations to be made to the youth program of the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health. I'd also like to ask people to donate to the Hopeline (Kristin Brooks Hope Center). If anyone feels like they need someone to talk to, they can call 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433) to speak to someone 24 hours a day. The Hopeline is a great cause with phenomenal people. After I donated in honor of my high school classmate, I got a personalized thank you card from the founder, Reese Butler, asking if I wanted to notify her family of my donation. They do wonderful work.

Thanks for reading.