"A Drinking Team with a Hockey Problem"      Visit the Beak Web Page:  http://www.lopatka.net

Downers Grove, IL 11/25/04

Attendance 21  Report by Beak

We had the smallest turn out in Duffer history, when only 21 duffers showed up for the 8:30 Holiday skate.  I can not remember having less than 3 full lines for our Thanksgiving skate.  Beak got a great set up from his son Dan, he bounced a shot off of the far post and it went in to the net.  Tweedy picked a Tommy Z clearing pass out of the air and fed it to his Dad.  That was the Meaningful game winner.  Hitman added an insurance goal late in the second period to give the Brain and the Whites a 2-0 meaningful win.  Eddie was spectacular on the ice for the Reds, but that performance was dwarfed by the  bratwurst that he cooked up after the game!  Thanks Eddie! 

for putting together a wonderful organization that has survived the test of time.  An organization that has given great pleasure to my family and me for over 30 years!
I give Thanks to all of the Duffer wives, like my wonderful Carole, who love there stress free Friday nights, where they have the freedom to meet with friends or stay at home and watch HGTV and the Home Shopping Network.
I give Thanks to guys that joined in on the fun like Klinger, who is always ready to help out when you need a chipper, a summer job or a job for your kid.  Hacksaw has always ready to lend a helping hand, share a laugh and help me with early computer questions (Remember DOS?).  I give Thanks for Brinks and his family, not only because he brings us beer every week, but for all of  the great times we have had thanks to his children.  Salt Lake City Olympics*, San Jose, Green Bay and Peoria all made possible by Donny, Cammi and Tony.  *I give Thanks to Hitman for twisting my arm and driving me to the 2002 Winter Olympics.
I give Thanks for having a chance to share some time with Wheezer and his offspring, Mini Wheezer, who are always ready to go anywhere any time there is a Duffer road trip.  When I start to put together a road trip to Hayward or Peoria, everyone likes to ask, "Who is going?"  Wheezer and Mini Wheezer were the first to sign up and show up.  I give Thanks for friends like Formica who really knows how lucky the members of Duffer Family are, he will fly in from Seattle and meet us anytime we have something planned. 
I give Thanks to the Nailer, he barely knew me and he showed up with Beer nuts to help my son roof his garage.  These are people that are hard to find outside of the hockey world.  Beer nuts lugged 80 pound shingle packs up the ladder without a complaint!  Really!
I give Thanks to Art, Peoria Duffer in Chief, for rounding up the Peoria Duffers to give us 3 full lines, so that we could skate for 2 and a half hours!  I give Thanks to Rivermen Coach, Jason Christie for giving us free tickets and free ice time every time we go down there, then he thanks us!
I give Thanks to the Anvil who keeps us laughing and full of gas on Thanksgiving.  I give Thanks for Harvey who shows us all that there is life after Medicare.  I give Thanks to the King for turning the team over to Rich Storm, who has proven to be a very qualified leader, that has kept the Duffers going with out a hitch.  I give Thanks and sympathy to all of the unfortunate Duffers, who couldn't make it to Peoria, for putting laughter into our lives!  I will mercifully put and end to this marathon thank fest without starting to thank all of those unlucky great guys that missed a fun filled trip.  I'll just say thanks for everyone that made me laugh in the last 34 years.  (You know who you are.)
To find out what happened on Thanksgiving, check out the pictorial below. 

Peoria, IL 11/26/04
Attendance 27  Report by Beak

When I came home from Peoria, after 24 hours of non stop fun with old friends, young friends and new friends, I realized how lucky I am to be playing hockey with great guys every week! I would like to take some space to give thanks to the  people and things that I have been blessed with, because of my involvement with hockey.  As you probably know I have been needing a total hip replacement, but I have put it off for several years, because I don't want to give up hockey. 
I give thanks to Stump for leading the way last Thanksgiving, when he had his hip replaced and returned to party with us a week later and he then started skating in Denver.  He is an inspiration to all and thanks to him, we never have a game without a goalie.  I give Thanks that I was fortunate enough to find an orthopedic surgeon who loves hockey and injected my hip socket with a lubricant that gave me the ability to skate like a 55 year old.  That is not saying much if I was 30 or 40 years old, but for a 64 plus guy it was great. This week end, I found that when you get older, you start to give thanks for things that used to irritate you.  I came home from Peoria with a broken stick blade and a bruise on my forearm, where the glove meets the elbow pad.  That would have irritated me 10 years ago, but it felt so good to have someone feel that they needed to put a stick on me to foil a scoring attempt.  (I really don't know how I got that bruise, but I'm going with that story.) I quit carrying a spare stick years ago, because I haven't broken one in 5 years.  (I only wear them out after a 1000 miles or so) I felt like a real hockey player when Luke, the Rivermen assistant coach, gave me a $50.00 stick blade.  This one should last 10,000 miles, since my last one cost 5 bucks. I give Thanks!  Thanks for all of the NYPDs for adding vitality to our Duffer family.
When I think of all of the great people that I have met through hockey, starting way back with Kenny Wharram and his son who were responsible for me getting my kids started in the game.  Then the early Duffers that molded the organization together.  I give Thanks to the King, Wally, Frank and Slime Dog