Getting back to normal and doing the things that you enjoy

I am still bitter and angry at the bombing and destruction in my city.

Like many New Yorkers, I'm tough and can roll with the punches, so to speak.

While I agree with President Bush telling us to try to "get back to normal," I was as happy as a kid in a candy factory to hear First Lady Laura Bush say that we should "go back to doing the things that we love and enjoy."

With that philosophy in mind, on Friday, September 21, after work, I did two things that I love a lot -- travelling and going to a hockey or baseball game.

I took the Greyhound bus from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to see "Frozen Fury Five" at the MGM Grand Arena on September 22. On that day, the Los Angeles Kings were playing the San Jose Sharks. (In case you're wondering, it's called Frozen Fury Five because for the past five years the Kings have played exhibition hockey here.)

The American flag was displayed everywhere in the building. The start of the game began with a moment of silence for the victims, two of which were Garnet "Ace" Bailey and Mark Bavis, two scouts for the Kings who were on the American Airlines flight from Boston.

This year, the Kings will wear a patch on their uniforms that will read Ace and Mark.

As for the game itself, the Kings, with Felix "the Cat" Potvin in net, came back to defeat their division rivals, 4-3 after San Jose had taken a 2-0 lead.

President and Mrs. Bush would have been very proud of these Americans sitting in the arena that night, wearing the purple and silver for the Kings and the teal and gray for the San Jose Sharks. They were doing what hockey fans love to do -- cheer, hurl insults at the referees, the opposing players, and yeah, at each other.

In other words, we were getting back to normal and enjoying the things we love to do.