Going from triple digits to overnight lows in the 50s in the blink of an eye … hope you were ready for winter.
After our very lengthy summer, we seem to have skipped fall altogether. And the winds that arrived on Friday were enough to change my usual parking spot at work, opting to park as far away from the big tree as I could. Didn’t want to take any chances of a branch or two breaking off in the wind and coming down on the car roof.
It is, however, fall – at least according to the calendar – and as the pro football season continues, the NBA starts up, baseball winds down with the World Series, hockey is also underway.
This year, we will be going to a number of San Jose Sharks games; the trip actually seems to be getting a little shorter, now that it is so familiar.
Growing up in snowy upstate New York, I often played pond hockey with friends and when I went to college, I followed a local team in Utica. Then I was able to get New York Rangers hockey on cable TV (yes, cable, does that even exist anymore?!) and became a devoted fan.
Of course, moving 3000 miles away made it a bit difficult to keep that allegiance, as I had to find a team close by to root for.
Hence, my fondness for the San Jose Sharks. I have followed them now for about 30 years, amazingly, and we are still waiting for our first Stanley Cup. Came close in 2016 but not close enough.
We enjoyed a family trip (my niece Kristel is more of a fanatic than me!) to attend the Draft Party this past summer at SAP Center and my daughter Ally and Kristel also went to the Meet the Sharks night just before the season started. It was on a Tuesday, which meant with deadlines for both our Oakdale and Riverbank papers that day, I couldn’t get away. My daughter was kind enough to FaceTime me so I could say hello to a couple of my favorite players.
On Opening Day, my daughter, granddaughter Lorelei and I got to San Jose early – Kristel got there later – so we could enjoy the Street Rally and the Teal Carpet celebration, where the players arrive and walk in, signing autographs, shaking hands or doing first bumps, and taking photos with the fans. We had a prime front row spot, right across from the DJ and the hosts for the event, and Lorelei spent much of the time on my daughter’s shoulders, thoroughly enjoying all the activity swirling around her. Lorelei will be three in January and has always loved going to the games. The first time we went, we weren’t quite sure what to expect but there was no fussing; just her paying attention to what was happening on the ice. She even likes to start the “Let’s go, Sharks” chant if it gets too quiet where we’re sitting.
We went to Opening Day last year but missed the player arrivals; this year, we made sure to be a part of the festivities from start to finish. Certainly, I’m biased but my granddaughter is pretty cute and, decked out in her Sharks gear smiling from ear to ear, she managed to get quite a few photos taken of her by the Sharks media team, along with some video. The three of us showed up (briefly, but we were there) in the post the Sharks had on social media for the Opening Day festivities and we also made it on the Jumbotron during the warm-ups before the actual game.
The Sharks have had a few down seasons in a row … it has been a while since we were in the playoffs. But sharing a love of the game and the team with my daughter, granddaughter and niece; that’s a definite win in my book.
Marg Jackson is editor of The Oakdale Leader, The Escalon Times and The Riverbank News. She may be reached at mjackson@oakdaleleader.com or by calling 209-847-3021.
