And so it goes...

For those of you who haven't heard already, I've officially tendered my resignation with the Washington Capitals after spending just over eight years with the organization. I'll be moving on to become a Systems Administrator under contract to AT&T Government Solutions.

I'd like to thank everyone from Washington Sports & Entertainment, DC Arena Limited Partnership & MCI Center, and especially the Capitals for the amazing opportunities I've been afforded during my varied employment. Some of you have since moved on to bigger & better things, and now it's my turn to leave the nest.

Professionally, I'd like to point out: John Nash and Tara Greco for granting the internship with the Bullets that got me in the door... to Susan O'Malley for giving me a job, even after bearing witness to some embarrassing intern/mascot antics (some people will do ANYTHING to get a job)... to Gordon Armstrong and Ed Thompson for teaching me just about everything I know about computers & networks... to Ann Nicolaides for allowing me to be on her payroll long enough to find out that while I'm not cut out for Marketing, I can still contribute... to George Parr and Michelle Trostle for bringing me back on board to the Capitals Organization after the sale...

It's been an amazing time... my first full year was the first season the Bullets had been to the playoffs in longer than anyone had cared to remember. We got swept by the Bulls, but the energy was intense. Year two was marked by the Caps first-ever trip to the Stanley Cup finals. The NBA Draft, the NBA All-Star game, several NCAA tournaments... Almost too much fun. It doesn't seem like as much of a job when you're surrounded by that kind of excitement and the people who go along with it.

Thanks to my family and friends for putting up with my schedule... more times than I care to count, I'd have to return home early from Thanksgiving Dinner for a game, or work New Year's Eve and/or New Year's Day, but the time has come to move on. I remember thinking as a kid, "...What's it like to have to work on Christmas day?" when we'd watch the Lakers & Celtics play after opening gifts all morning. Who knew that I'd become that guy?

And so, by the end of the month, I will no longer be an employee of professional sports. For the first time in my career, I will have something that vaguely resembles a 40-hour work week...

now that's odd.