Boy what a difference a vacation makes!
After bypassing any real time off last summer to save to use this summer, I can say without a doubt we needed a break and going to Europe and experiencing Germany again was absolutely fantastic! Having studied there in 2010, just months before I’d meet my new wife Rachel at the University of Cincinnati, I had an idea where to go, what to do and how to get there. While a bit nervous at first as I forgot a lot of German etiquette, language and customs after spending so long away, I found that it was a lot like broadcasting. You start with some rust and you eventually pick back up right where you left off.
We had an awesome time, both at our wedding and on our honeymoon. We wore traditional Bavarian clothing (I wore lederhosen and Rachel wore a dirndl) for our wedding, had it at one of our favorite Oktoberfest locations in Cincinnati and had our favorite German band play our wedding! The day after we took off for Munich where we would stay until August 5 when we made our way to Montana for another wedding.
So it was pretty busy!
Rather than write about some of the cool things we did, why don’t I just show you a gallery full of some pictures below with brief descriptions so you can check it our for yourself!
What I learned from the entire experience. We were really happy with the way our wedding went however I never got to eat my own wedding food, we barely had any of our cream puff, and we didn’t get to spend nearly enough time with everyone who came to properly thank them and learn about what is new in their lives. That was the absolute hardest part, so for all you planning weddings, just try your best to talk to everyone but know that if you have a medium to big sized wedding, you just may not get to it.
I also learned that having a smartphone in Germany is awesome. I had a flip phone that was passed through groups of UC students who went to Munich in 2010 but this time I used my iPhone and I’ll tell you what. We brought Rachel’s nice camera and didn’t use it once. We took photos with our phones the entire time and it was great. Plus we got to use Google Maps when we needed it, research places to eat or visit and for my wife’s sake (absolutely not mine…I do not play), Pokemon Go…
Yes…that’s my wife! 🙂
However we are glad to be back here in Stockton, refreshed, recharged and ready to go for the upcoming season!
Not an awful lot going on here, or in Calgary, in terms of hockey stuff. You’ll see more things happen as soon as both Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan resign with the Flames as only then will you probably see contracts for Tyler Wotherspoon and Freddie Hamilton.
The schedule is also going to be coming but it’s still off on the horizon. Remember due to the Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Rampage, we must wait for the NBA schedule to come out. We’ll have our schedule 7-14 days after the NBA releases theirs. Last year it came out on August 27 so keep that in the back of your mind.
Penticton will occur again in mid September and flowing right into training camp, so hockey’s not too far off right now.
Stay patient hockey fans!!
I’m closing out all of my blog posts with a jersey or logo in the sports world. I love sports jerseys (I collect them) and I love logos and what goes into making a brand.
I didn’t make it very far when it came to looking into logos today. I clicked over to Sportslogos.net and I always cruise to the new to the site logos. I bypassed the new Winter Classic logo to find this beut from the Western Hockey League back in the day.
It’s funny because not only do I find this logo cool, interesting, and something I had actually never seen before, but when it comes to the whole argument over the Washington NFL team’s nickname paying homage to Native American culture, doesn’t this do the same without the ability to alienate or offend some of your fans?
I love the look of the logo and the fact that as soon as I saw this logo I immediately thought that this made the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL look so much better than it already does because it now makes more sense as to why the T-Birds use a totem bird in their logo.
I did quickly research this club who played from 1958-1975 in the Pacific Coast Hockey League, Western Hockey League and the Central Hockey League and one interesting fact is they are one of few teams to play the Soviet Red Army team, a team they played twice. They lost the first game but took the second.
Super pass in my book on this one. If Seattle ever gets an NHL club, I’d certainly think this could end up being a really cool idea to bring this team and logo back with a bit of modernization.
If you’re an avid reader, you know I hate wordmarks but I can’t help but love their wordmark. All lowercase and the “t’s” in Totems is spectacular. This logo was well before it’s time in my opinion. A+++
Brandon Kisker is the Heat’s Director of Broadcast & Media Relations and will be entering his fourth season as a broadcaster in Stockton and second for the Heat. He yells a lot when excited, but that yelling is genuine, and typically fist pumps when goals are scored or big saves are made. He thinks Rick Jenerette is really top shelf…..and that is where mama hides the cookies. Back in the States last Friday from a long trip in Germany, he’s still adjusting to the time change. He also needs to do laundry…bad. He has not seen Suicide Squad yet but knows that Heath Ledger will always be his Joker. Follow him on Twitter @kiskerbc or email him at bkisker@stocktonheat.com with comments or questions and pictures from your summer trip!
