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Happy Birthday Anvil

Eddie turned 61 on January 25, 2016

Want one? Call Beak now.

Busy Weekend in Detroit

We now have 3 full lines and 2 goalies.  I have 41 tickets to the Redwing/Boston game. Klinger had to drop out, so I have room for the Anvil to join us.   Bus leaves Yorktown on Saturday February 13 at 9:00 and returns Tuesday afternoon/evening February 16.

Duffer News

Hat for Hammer as Anvil Shines!

Romeoville, IL January 22, 2015  Attendance: 22

Drinking Problem in the Junior Locker room improved!

(They didn't come begging for beer after the game.  Doc and Terry were our MVPs)
The Game:

The final score was Reds 8, Whites 1, but it could have easily been 9-8 or 8-7.
The Anvil made many great saves and gave very few rebounds. Most memorable saves were the tip in stop on Cupcake and  the rebound stop with his paddle on Doc then he made another paddle stop on "I don't know" just before Monet Mike cleared it out of the zone.

Red Goals: Steve the Hammer 3, (Assists to Monet Mike Jeff & BTW) TO

Frank and Harvey with Ania, our favorite Polish Princess.

had 2 slimy goals from impossible angles where nobody shoots from except him.  He tried to get a hat trick by poking and slashing Barron who had the puck covered.  Mini Wheezer, Beak (Assist to Jeff) and grandson Monet Mike had one goal each.  Tommy Z had the loan White goal. He fired a blistering wrist shot through a screen that went into the top shelf where your mother never dusts.  In an interview after the game, The Anvil said, "I'd like to take credit for the win but in Tweedy's words its all about the defense. Monet Mike, Speed Racer Jeff, T&A and Bill BTW helped us get a total team victory!"


Detroit Report

Thanks to everyone for paying early.  The check is in the mail to the Bus company.  41 tickets to the Redwing/Boston game for February 14 arrived Saturday.  Klinger had to drop out, so I have one extra for the Anvil who should display his skills in the Joe Louis Arena.  I will be ordering tee shirts and sweat shirts with Monet Mike's great art work.  All members of Team Detroit will get a Tee shirt free of charge.  If you want extras, Tee Shirts, they cost $15 and Sweat Shirts are $25

Detroit Itinerary

Saturday February 13: We leave Yorktown Shopping center at 9:00  Donny's USA U-17 Team plays Russia at 7:00ET
Sunday February 14: 10:30 Morning Duffer Game in the USA rink.  3:00 Redwings play Bruins
Monday February 15: 11:00 AM, Duffer Game in the Joe Louis Arena,  USA U-17 Team plays USHL at 7:00ET

Tuesday February 16:  9:00 Leave for home after our free Breakfast at the Lavonia Marriott. 

Perfect Attendance: Beak and Fruitcake.

The Anvil. Number 1 Star of the Game.

Duffer Lunch was fun. Harvey and Joe gave me money.

Ania brought me food and beers and took Selfies.
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6 years ago, Boris had so much fun in Nashville.

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Boris has never been able to go on another Duffer Trip.
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Stump gave up Trips after Nashville too. (50 is not old!)

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Lou would not miss a Duffer Trip.
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Notice my hand is faster than Harvey's

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Frank has been asking for pictures of the Lady in Pink
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Several guys slept through the first period.

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Horns and cheers did not disturb them.
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Thor woke up in time to see the cheerleaders.

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It's midnight, let's go eat.
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Fat Terry and Mini Wheezer, Is that an Oxymoron?

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Our beautiful team photographer between 2 Rags.

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(Stump was late for the team picture because he was helping a guest goalie get dressed, so I photoshoped his head into this picture) Helping a old goalie get dressed may have scarred Stump for life.  He never went on another Duffer Road trip.  Only 12 of the guys pictured above will be going to Detroit next month. 

 

 

 

 

 

Six Years ago we went to Nashville

Memorable Nashville Moments 

Please send me your printable memorable Nashville moments and I'll post them here. g.lopatka@comcast.net

Beak's Nashville Trip Memories.

Rotating 3 wingers with Mini Wheezer and John Ragland was a pleasure, because we never took longer than a 2 minute shift.  One time, I started a shift with Harvey on the other wing, I went off and was replaced by Mini Wheezer, he skated for a few minutes, then Rags#2 replaced him for a shift.  When he came off, I went on and Harvey was still out there, as V-Man and Rags were patiently waiting for a shift.  That ain't right, that ain't the Duffer Way!

After 4 days of laughing and partying with the Duffers, I checked my blood pressure on Monday morning, it was 123/68! No pills, just beer and great food at the Cleavage Restaurant.

In my 70 years, I never received a birthday present that was smuggled through customs, Thanks Darrin! DSCN0178.jpg (1100887 bytes)

It was great to see some of the rookies make their first road trip.  V-Man told me he never laughed so much or so hard in his life.  He really enjoyed this Hooters Calendar that I picked up.

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I remember the pool game where Klinger shot the 9 ball instead of the cue ball. I could understand how that could happen, because it is a light color, but when he hit the 8 ball with his freshly chalked cue stick, I lost it.  He was later accused of cheating by Bill BTW when he missed the 8 ball with the cue ball.  We ran up a $60 pool table rental bill.  ($12 per hour)

I had 4 beers dropped in my lap at that bar.  I was cool, the waitress was cute. 

Beak.

Many thanks for the pictures Beak.  Sounds like everyone had a great time.  Look forward to hearing all of the stories and going on the next trip. Take care,
 
Perry
 

Hi Beak,

I was hoping to send a quick note of thanks for the upcoming newsletter. If you have room in the news letter between your goals, could you put a word in for my thanks to the group. Being only my second Duffer trip, I’d have to rate it the best ever. That being said, I’d really like to give a big thanks for each of the guys who were on the trip. Each one went out of their way in making the trip memorable. Some of the shenanigans will make me laugh for a very long time.

 I hope to see the group in the near future. It was a blast in the truest of Duffer ways.

Warm Regards,

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I laughed so hard when Grandpa Ken got a call from his mommy on the bus after game 2.  She balled him out for being mean to his little brother.  Dan must have called their Mom and complained that Ken was ruining his weekend buy scoring all of those goals.  See the story below.

Brinks

My memorable game moment came when I had a 3 way wreck with The King and Mini Wheezer in game 2.  It took us a while to get up and gather our sticks, but then we discovered nobody had the right stick, so it took a while for us to sort out what went where.  

Thor  

Click here to read the Tim Smith memory that He sent in after our Toronto trip in 2006 .

Graffiti Masterpiece from Hayward. 
      “This gum tastes like rubber!”

 

Dr. Andrew Weil has a book, 8 weeks to Optimum Health. In his book, he outlines a program that will help you achieve optimum health. Here is his program.
Take a break from watching the news. TV news is a depressant. No Duffer has ever watched the news on a road trip.
Get away from depressing people, try to spend time with people that make you laugh. Where else can you go to church and see a guy come out with toilet paper flowing out of his butt? (That happened on our bus trip to Hayward when we picked up Papa Joe, Brinks and Muzzy from Sunday Mass. The small town people were amazed to see a huge luxury coach outside of their church. )
Go to a Hot Tub and sweat. We spent many hours in the Hot Tubs in Hayward, Detroit, Columbus and Green Bay.
Go for a 25 minute walk That downhill walk was only 15 minutes to the Riverfront Brewery in Peoria, but it took 30 minutes to get back up the hill.
Exercise sensibly then take in plenty of fluids. We played two fast paced hockey games and took in plenty of fluids.
Have some garlic and olive oil. If you ever went to a team dinner, you know that theThe King's choice of restaurant will give you plenty of garlic and olive oil.

My blood pressure was down 40 points on Monday morning.
We should be able to write off road trips as a health expense.
 

Keep those stories and pictures rolling in. 

Want more Road Trip pictures?

Scowl down:

Detroit 2015 Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

Ann Arbor 2014 Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

Columbus 2012 Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

Pittsburgh 2011 Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

 Nashville 2010 Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

  Arizona 2008 Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

Toronto 2006 Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6

Worchster 2005 Cancelled

Denver 2004 Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7

Las Vegas 2003 Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

 

Go to the Last Duffer News

Go to Duffer History   Duffer Nicknames

Wags Hockey

  Alphabetical Nicknames

Classic Duffer News

Go to Lake Placid News for some laughs.

http://www.lopatka.net/1982-Lake%20Placid/index.html

1996 March Hayward Trip  We saw Comet Hyakutake

December 6, 1996  Duffer news #85

December 15, 1996  Duffer news #86

December 20, 1996  Duffer news #87

Go to 10/25/96

Go to 9/6/96

January 12, 1996  Duffer news #50

 

Go to 2012 The Last MLF Game

Go to 2011 MLF Game

(Anvil's Daughter won it!)

Go to 2010 The First MLF Game

Visit The Rampage Women's Hockey Team web site at: http://www.rampagehockey.org/index.cfm

They Have 2 WODs and  on their team. Their DOD moved to Canada for Graduate School.

WOD=Wife Of a Duffer, DOD = Daughter of a Duffer

Links to Duffer Hockey Newsletters

2008-2010 Stats page

Tweedy's Wags Game

Links to 2016

Links to 2015

Links to 2014

Links to 2013

Links to 2012

Links to 2011

Links to 2010

Links to 2009

Links to 2008

Links to 2007

Links to 2006

Links to 2005

Links to 2004

Links to 2003

Links to 2002

Links to 2001

Links to 2000

Links to 1999

Links to 1994

Bar-toons

Peoria History

Nashville Game 2

Bill Gaston interview

Michelle Spillman hits and fields

      

To E-mail the Duffer News Web master, just click here! g.lopatka@comcast.net

You can e-mail History updates to Beak. 

Duffer Nicknames

Duffer road trips

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Opened Monday May 11, 2015

 
Plainfield's newest tattoo and piercing studio with over 20 years experience! We are located in the Lincoln Plaza in the same strip next door to the comics.
 

16030 S. Lincoln Highway Unit 106 (Lincoln Plaza/same strip as comics)

Plainfield, Illinois
(779) 234-6420
http://www.boundlesstatto

Mike won 11 awards for his artistic creations at the Tattoo convention in Champaign.

mikeylotattoos@att.net

(Above) Mike's work of art on Joe Mazzarella III's leg.

(Above) Mike's work of art on Joe Mazzarella III's ribs.

Ann Arbor Music DVDs are ready to ship.  $10 includes shipping and handling. you can also get classic copies of:

 

You may find the following links useful:

Ben Oskroba's First professional goal for the Peoria Rivermen

Drago's Hockey Lessons

Here is a video, thanks to Perry and Paula on How to be a Hockey Player 

 

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Michelle Spillman

Michelle Spillman 10-31-10

Michelle hits a 2 run home run for Romeoville High School in a 3-0 victory against Joliet Catholic Academy.

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JC-Homerun.MOV

Michelle Spillman hit a 2 run Home run to beat Joliet Catholic on April 18, 2012. ... greg Lopatka ... Michelle Spillman and Romeoville High School. ...

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Highland Park-Homerun.MOV

Michelle Spillman hit her 4th homerun on April 21, 2012 to beat Hershey High. ... greg Lopatka ... Michelle Spillman "outdoor sports" ...

 

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Michelle3Base hit.MOV

Michelle hit a triple to help beat Highland Park High 8-5 on 4/21/2012.

 

Patrick Kane Stickhandling:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REAqCB9vfbU

Brandon Bollig Stickhandling:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3B8v_ZHA10