The Stars have begun their 2006 quest for the Stanley Cup. Unfortunately, they got off to a lackluster start Saturday night in Game 1 against Colorado, but I’m hoping it was a very loud wake-up call for them. Game 2 is tonight, and Mom and I plan to be there. The Stanley Cup is the most interesting trophy in professional sports. The same Cup has been passed from team to team for over 100 years. The players for each winning team have their names engraved on it, and each player gets to spend one day with it during the summer. Tradition dictates that no hockey player can touch the Cup unless he has won it, although non-players can when it’s on display. No one, player or not, can hoist the Cup overhead unless he has won it. Two full-time guards escort the Cup as it spends time with winning players during the summer and on publicity tours during the season. To read more about this spectacular trophy, visit the Stanley Cup page on NHL.com.

In school news, I finished my airline ops and mgmt course, number 10 of 13. I’m scheduled to start class #12, International Mgmt and Aviation Policy, on May 7.