My Belated Favorite Things Of 2022, Hockey And Otherwise

Am I a tastemaker? Probably not. But, hey, on my birthday I want to give thanks

1. So, I turned 29 today and it’s time for some real reflection on my favorite things in life, before I hit the big 3-Oh next year. This includes hockey, and some other stuff.

OK, I really turned 58 today. But you’re only as old as you feel, right? OK then, it’s good to be 116 and still be with you. My list:

• I’m really grateful to so many of you who keep reading my scribblings, first off. Professionally, I have to start with that. Without you, I have nothing. Well, not nothing, but you know what I mean.

• It’s been a brutal last 10 days or so for me. I am no longer with a site I built up from nothing. But the more I keep doing this here, but more I think: that was what was best for you, Dater.

• I usually am not a “things happen for a reason” kind of guy. Because, my longtime response has been, and sorry if this gets too serious: why do innocent kids die of starvation or other awful reasons? What’s the “things happen for a reason” explanation for that?

• Yeah, that was probably too deep. But that’s how my mind works.

• I’ve been on more of a spiritual quest lately, even before my recent upheaval. I could use a good men’s group to join in the area. Nothing too heavy on religion. Just guys sharing life experiences and talking about stuff. Any suggestions? I’m serious here. I know MY life experiences could help other guys. But I don’t know where to go.

• I am grateful to have Altitude TV back in my life, so I can, you know, watch Avalanche games on TV that I’m not actually at in person. I do it on Fubo, and this was my review of Altitude the other day.

• I’m grateful to have my family and real-life friends. I’m also thankful to have many virtual friends, who I’ve yet to meet, at least many of you, but who have helped me a lot with encouraging words. There are too many to thank by name without risk of leaving many out and ticking them off. But I want to thank some readers, such as Ted Grycel. He’s a pastor from New Mexico who wants to start a hockey school, of sorts, for disadvantaged kids there, and I want to be a part of it. More on that later.

• Thank you to the Avalanche. This team has given me so much, in my adult working life. It hasn’t always been peaches and cream with them, but I will always remain grateful to the team for what they’ve given me.

• I’m starting to get a little too sentimental here. More practical things that are on my favorites list these days:

• I’m a huge “Brady Bunch” nerd fan. I once called into a live radio show on KOA when I first moved to Denver in 1991 and got through to ask a question to none other than Greg Brady (Barry Williams), live on the air, on the Rick Barber Show. That show helped get me through my many insomniac, night-owl nights when I first moved here. Barry was plugging his “Growing Up Brady: I Was a Teenage Greg” book. I called in and asked Barry what his favorite all-time episode was, and he said it was the amusement park episode from Cincinnati. I consider Maureen McCormick (Marsha Brady) responding to a tweet of mine once as one of my most accomplished moments in life.

• Anyway, I love listening to the “Real Brady Bros” podcast, where Barry and Christopher Knight (Peter Brady) rehash old episodes in kind of a “Siskel and Ebert” manner. I love it.

• Like so many latchkey, poor kids from the early 1970s, “The Brady Bunch” was the portal through which I lived a life of vicariousness.

• I discovered the band Snarky Puppy in greater depth this year, and I just can’t give a bigger endorsement than this, to perhaps a good slice of my reading demographic: They’re like Steely Dan meets Miles Davis. You’ll love this band. Maybe.

• As someone who have traveled so extensively: Make sure you always sign up for EVERY frequent flier/hotel/rental car club. Use Priceline for rental car deals. Also use it for hotel deals. Don’t waste your time on other sites.

• Use Google Flights to book most of your airline travel. You’ll get the best deals at that moment, among every airline.

• If you missed out on the all-you-can-fly $599 deal with Frontier late last year, I’m sorry. The program starts in May. I will be able to fly anywhere on Frontier’s domestic and international menu, for $599, for 12 months. I paid my fee already, so no matter what the current price at the time, I get on if there’s just one seat available, at my prepaid price. Frontier has really upped their game in the last couple of years. So, it’s a pleasurable experience to be with them again.

• Well, not totally pleasurable. The leg room isn’t great, and the tray tables have about the size and width of a pack of chewing gum.

• And I mean this too: If any of you wants to email me about insider travel club codes, how to save real money on hotels and flights and cars, just email me: adater@comcast.net. I have some codes that will save you lots of money.

• When I was a kid, I spent many hours reading Time Magazine in the basement of my grandmother’s house. I still think Time is a great magazine, even if it’s been pared down a lot. It’s still a good read, and the prices are cheap these days. This is not a paid ad for them. Just what I’m used to and still enjoy.

• I love listening to old-time radio, so I would absolutely recommend listening to the old CBS Radio Mystery Theater shows fully available here.

• I love the RTD light rail in Denver. I can get to downtown Denver for $3 from Thornton, and back. That saves on parking and gas (even though I have an electric car now). Sometimes, you just want to sit and read while others do the driving.

• I really, really like the food at Las Delicias, up where I live near Thornton. The more nothern you travel in the Denver area, the better the authentic Mexican food.

• I love Kiss. This is my all-time favorite song of theirs: