Today I almost died in a way that would have been kind of an okay way to go.

I needed to finish up some Christmas shopping, and it just so happens that there’s a mall conveniently located on my Metro route home that doubles as the practice site for the Washington Capitals.

After picking up my last item, and stopping in the team store, I settled into the bleachers to watch practice:

I hung out for a little bit as they ran through a few sets of drills.  But then I felt the urge to get a little closer to the action, so I walked down to a spot behind the nearest goal:

From here I had a much better view of the guys and got a greater appreciation for their skating.  I also got to hear just how LOUD the pucks can be when they slam off the glass three inches away from your face.  As they transitioned between two drills, Alex Ovechkin took a sharp-angle shot from the left of the net that skipped off the crossbar and up out of the rink.

The puck flew all the way to the wall behind the bleachers and slammed off one of the “Kettler” signs.

Where did it come down?  How about the exact spot where I had been sitting five minutes earlier.

It wasn’t in the vicinity, the general zip code or kinda near where I was.  That puck would have hit me in the back of the head (or the nose if I had turned around).  Since I got my hair cut yesterday, it’s doubtful I had enough protection left to shield my skull.

Bullet, or should I say puck, dodged.