Site and Collection Update for January 30th/31st, 2007

Ladies and gentlemen...boys and girls of all ages...yesterday/today is quite the milestone for my collection. After seeing it at the 2003 Caniac Carnival (while waiting in line for an autograph from you-know-who ;) ) and then seeking it for a little over three years, I am finally in possession of...

A 2000-01 CAROLINA HURRICANES SEASON TICKET HOLDERS PARTY SOUVENIR LITHOGRAPH!!!

No, it's not the limited edition that is autographed by the artist, but who cares. The "regular version" of this sucker was hard to find...which is really not too surprising, considering that it is the absolute first in the series of lithographs the Carolina Hurricanes have given to their season ticket holders for each season, at least up through last season. Unfortunately, unless there's news about season ticket holders getting their 2006-07 lithos via the USPS or UPS or Fed-Ex, the "tradition" looks to quite possibly end with the 2005-06 season, the last featured player being Eric Staal.

Within three-four hours of getting the litho, I had it framed and hung in my bedroom/office area. It is truly a thing of beauty...the picture of it that was on the Canes' official website...




...did/does not do it justice. Pictures of the litho have to be seen to be believed.

Those pictures will come sometime before the end of this upcoming weekend. If there is anything I'm going to try my darndest to be better about, it will be having more pictures of my collection on my site.

A November 1986 issue of the Hockey Digest with an article about Francis and his maturing as a player and captain with the Hartford Whalers also arrived today. That made for a read that was far more amusing than the former Whale's performance against the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight.

Thank goodness AND KAS91269 @ the Score Boards Canes Message Board for the litho...I honestly cannot thank KAS enough for his wonderful help in my finally obtaining what I can very safely call the crown jewel of my Ron Francis collection thus far. :D

Current Music: "New York State of Mind" by Billy Joel