about two and a half months ago, i started a puppy class that ran six weeks. the trainer i work with gave me the head's up that the world's cutest english black lab would be making an appearance.

she was right. this puppy was literally the cutest lab pup i've ever seen im my life (and i've met plenty of lab puppies). her name was mowgli (after the jungle book) and her whole little body was round. you could've made a whole other puppy with her extra skin, and she lobbed herself around class as fast as she could (which isnt very fast at all - that's the problem with being english).

she came to class with mom mostly, but once or twice dad came along too. both really sweet, and really gorgeous. the dad had a lilty voice and for a second i was sure he was irish, until i realized he was canadian (really sing-songy, like BC accents). i took a second look at him and thought, "huh. that guy looks like a hockey player. and his girlfriend looks like a model. i wonder which is which?" and then i went back to teaching puppies how to sit and down and come and rollover. 

mowgli did really well in the class, and she had a ton of fans by the time it was over. (you can't not love a english lab. it's impossible. they're like the lab puppies stuffed with marshmellows.) mom couldn't make it to graduation, so dad came instead. he sweated bullets just about the whole time and kept watching the door for mom to show up and save him. he had to call mowgli from across the room as one of his challenges and they aced it, along with the rest of the activities. mom showed, everyone graduated, end of story.

then comes wednesday night. ken and i are on the sofa watching the 6th game of the stanley cup finals - just about to go into overtime. i turn to ken and i said, 'you know, i'm pretty sure i had a hockey player in one of my classes. he looked just like a hockey player and he had a bc accent and everything… but he came to class just two months ago, which is during hockey season, and he had really nice teeth… so i don't know. i should've asked him.' ken kind of shrugged, because he thinks most of what i say belongs in left field.

and then the blackhawks won the stanley cup. and the third or fourth guy they talked to was missing half his teeth, because he'd gotten them knocked out. and he starts talking… and at first he sounds irish, but then i figure out he's canadian (because he's got that sing-songy BC accent)... and then i LOSE MY SHIT.

that guy was mowgli's dad. and a genuinely cool guy. and by most everyone's estimation, he's about to be voted the best defensive player in hockey. and is spent at least two hours with him. and KNEW that he was a hockey player, because of my spidey senses.

anyway, anyone remotely interested can figure out exactly which player i'm talking about, but i hate the thought of someone doing a websearch and coming up with this thread, so i'll just leave it at that.

pretty cool. chicago wins the stanley cup two months after i met the best d-player in the league… without knowing it. :)

too funny Mox…  that's a story you will be telling your grandkids one day!! lol