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Sunday, October 10, 2010

Since August

"I'd never given much thought to how I would die, but dying in the place of someone I love seems like a good way to go."

I'd never given much thought to how I would address my blog readers, had I taken an unannounced month-and-a-half hiatus and made many of them growl at me, but catching them off guard with an inane and irrelevant quote from Twilight seems like a good way to start.

What? I don't know. That made even less sense in print than it did in my head. I think what I'm trying to say is HELLO, GUYS. I AM SORRY. I AM VERY, VERY SORRY. School has been giving me a constant and painful noogie since the beginning of the quarter, and on most weekdays, I've found myself weighing the pros and cons of showering, breathing, sleeping and eating, because my massive stack of homework has allowed for me to choose only two of the above. Still, I feel guilty. I should have blogged smellily, breathlessly, on narcotics, and whilst wearing a feedbag*. I am a blogging failure, and I deserve whatever the modern middle-class American equivalent to being stoned in the streets.** But can we just put that all in the past for now? So much has happened since August and I sort of want to bounce up and down and tell you things without feeling like you're glaring at me. Okay? Okay.

Since August, I:

--Moved back into college, where I now live with one of my best friends, Heather, in a little white room with sloping ceilings and a colorful world map above my bed, so I can lean back and fantasize about moving to a magical land without homework.

--Skirted any existential crisis I'd anticipated would accompany my turning twenty. It turns out that twenty feels a lot like nineteen, except slamming doors becomes less acceptable and people expect you to phase out of wearing tight t-shirts with words written across the boobs. Luckily, these two particular traits of teenagedom were never my favorites to begin with, so I haven't missed them yet. What I will miss, though, is this. Entering a new decade of life means starring as Liesl von Trapp is but a distant dream.***

--Had a birthday party that ended in DESTRUCTION. We went to Chipotle, had a cake with contraband candles (they're not allowed in the dorms, because a tiny wax stick can wreak havoc on cinderblock and brick) and the whole shebang, before we were ordered to file into the first floor hallway because of a tornado warning. It was surprisingly fun, though. Just like John Green's character in Let It Snow, I've always loved the inconvenience of bad weather.

--Started taking some new classes that, for the most part, anger me SO MUCH THAT I'M SLIPPING INTO CAPS LOCK. I don't feel like getting into it tonight, since my hatred for my current course load makes my blood course loads of jagged spikes throughout my body and OH MY GOODNESS IT IS HORRIBLE. But that is a story for another day.

--Have picked up running even more seriously, and am now putting in about five miles a day. I like to think that stress is converting itself into energy and giving me superhuman strength.

--Got my first speeding ticket! I was on my way back to school tonight, not exhibiting any unusually erratic behind-the-wheel behavior as far as I know, but I was admittedly going faster than the speed limit. The whole event was pretty anticlimactic. The police officer was friendly to me, I didn't cry, I didn't slam into the highway shoulder rail when I got back on the road, and he didn't search the car or find any of the illegal drugs I didn't have. It still doesn't make for a very exciting story, but I did find out that every other member of my family has been pulled over in the exact same town. I've never really considered us to be a wild gang of daredevils, but hey, each day brings new discoveries.

--Have been to an eye doctor (they're fine), a dentist (them too), and a regular doctor (ten fingers, ten toes), all of whom ruled out several common causes for headaches, but could offer no explanation for the ones that have been attacking me daily. I went home this weekend to fill out a giant stack of paperwork, and have to drive back this coming Friday to see a migraine specialist. At this point, I'm pretty much used to walking around with what feels like a stack of bricks on my neck, but would really like to eliminate the charming side-effect that is my need for extra sleep. Because, as I previously mentioned, I don't have time for extra sleep, and I reckon it's probably dangerous to try eating at the same time.

--Made a particularly whiny list of white girl problems in my first post-hiatus blog entry. Sorry. WHY DO YOU GUYS LIKE ME?! Wait. Counterproductive. Double sorry.

And that's the basic outline, I think. If I happen to awaken suddenly, realizing that I forgot to tell you about something majorly fascinating and pertinent to your wellbeing as a person I probably have never met... I'll be sure to tell you in the next year or two, whenever I remember I have a blog. Haha. You guys are one amazingly loyal group of people, and I can't express how grateful I am that you continue to forgive me for getting too caught up in my own personal drama to, um, record my own personal drama for the internet. I hope you all have a lovely day, and remember how much I appreciate you, even when I blatantly ignore you for months at a time. :-p

Chipotle burritos this year: 28
Subscribers: 35,635
Nail color: Finger Paints, "Art You Kidding Me?"

*Actually...
**Being denied access to cable television? Only being allowed to purchase tall Starbucks beverages? Having to wear previously-owned clothing?!
***That Rolf totally botched some of the lyrics. Put a hat on me and I'd out-prance him. Nazi. (Not the actor. I mean. Sorry, dude.)

80 comments:

Melody said...

I have to do it.
FIRST.

Zoe K~! said...

Hayley, NFTBA. <33333

SECOND

Lauren Sauer said...

HAYLEY! Welcome back to the blogosphere, kid ;)

Suburban Sweetheart said...

Please tell me you were pulled over at the scenic overpass in Marietta, where I received my first ticket on the way home from finals before winter break. I showed less pose than you; I bawled.

P.S.: I really love that "noogie" links to a Wikipedia entry, particularly one titled "List of school pranks."

Nicole said...

Yay!! Welcome back!
DFTBA

hpnerdtastic said...

Yay, you posted a blog! Sorry, that is the witty comment I just thought of. Here is a smiley face to end the comment: :D

Jordiekins said...

It's really great to have you back, Hayley.

Unfortunately, I have a paper to right for my class in 12 hours, so I won't be able to properly respond to your blog.

My apologies,
Jordan

Margaret said...

I promised you on the chat earlier today... I will try to do your homework for you. Even if I'm only in eighth grade and weren't in your religion class the other day... but hey? Details are details!

Sammie said...

Hey Hayley!

Just wanted to say that you shouldn't feel guilty at all!! :) You don't owe us anything, but in saying that, I have been checking your blog everyday, so I'm pumped you wrote!
Hope school calms down for you a bit!
<3 Sammie

anna said...

Oh golly gee you're back! What a pleasant surprise.

Nice to see your face [in written form] back on the Hayleylujah Chorus.

Kristen said...

Nice to hear from you again!

Hoping the migraine specialist can finally figure out what is going on so you can start to feel better. Maybe if you didn't feel like your head was stuck in a vise than maybe your course load wouldn't be so bad. Okay, that's a lie, but maybe it will make it so your head is *less* likely to explode. Yep, positive thinking right there.

Have a great week : )

SingMeSweet said...

Welcome back Hayley, you have been missed! :)

Anonymous said...

Im gonna go out on a limb here and say you are deficient in a mineral or nutrient. You should have a full blood test and see if you are low on any key substances. Good luck.

Eddy said...

Once you get a medical reason for the headaches, you can blame your speeding ticket on it and fight the ticket in court. That should be good for a good video! Hope you're feeling better soon. (I still hope you were doing 70 in a 30)

Christina said...

Yay!! So glad you blogged on my birthday.

Sarah said...

WELCOME BACK, HAYLEY! Boy, have I missed reading your blog! Sorry about your crappy schedule and annoying headaches, but I'm glad you're alive and writing blogs again. :)

to_thine_own_self said...

You're back! Awesomeness.
Now I can go to bed...it's like I subconsciously knew I should stay up because something awesome was going to happen. And I refreshed your page and hereee it is. Woot.
Anyway, I'm glad life seems to be going well for you...except for the headaches. I wish they were gone =[

Anonymous said...

words cannot explain how happy i am<33 :]

Kelly said...

Hayley! Yay! Yay! (I'm so eloquent.)

It's great to hear from you again. And don't apologize or feel guilty. You don't owe us anything. School take up a lot of time (I can sympathize)and we're all grateful for whatever amount of time you have to spare.

I hope that the specialist is finally able to give you some kind of cure for your headaches. That must really stink to have to walk around with a stack of bricks on your neck. If I could take half of your bricks, I would.

Try not to get too stressed out about school. I bet if you make time for a little extra sleep, it might take down your stress levels a bit. For me, the difference of 45 minutes of sleep can totally change my day.

We're all still here, keeping a good thought for you.

-Kelly

Niki. said...

Welcome back! <3.

Anonymous said...

Hayley...I do not care how many meaningless white girl problems you write about. As long as you write like you do, I WILL ALWAYS LOVE THIS BLOG :) And everyone else probably will, too. WELCOME BACK!!! /dies of excitement

Carine said...

My mother got headaches every day too but she went to a doctor and it turns out that one of her vertebrae was slightly displaced, causing her these headaches. i don't know, maybe you should go check your vertebrae :p

Anonymous said...

Welcome back, Hayley. <3

Scumbag Sam said...

thankyou for blogging - your life makes an interesting read. I think its because its so normal and relatable.

I hope your headaches get better - nothing worse than a pounding pain in your head/eye/neck! :(

Anonymous said...

yay, you're back! :) i didn't want you to do a vloglovers and disappear. happy blogging x

Luna said...

I am SO incredibly happy you posted again! It made my day- week, even.
<3

Chelsea said...

I send you massive amounts of love and awesome <333

MISTY HECKMAN! said...

This was actually my first time reading your blog, and I loved it!

I love your videos, so I wouldn't expect anyting less from your blog!

DFTBA! :)

Kylie said...

HOORAYYY!
I've missed reading your blog :)
On another note, I saw The Situation in Hamden last night, and he was awesome!

Jen said...

Hayley's back! Hayley's back! *stands on top of tallest building in town* HAYLEY'S BACK!

I hope you can find out what is causing your headaches. And that your workload will be lighter next sememster.

Unknown said...

Like sunshine on a rainy day =D

Unknown said...

hayley.
:] :] :] :] :] :] :] :] :] :] :]

oh, and i feel you about having a horrible course load.
the only reason why i'm on here now is because my chem lecture is quite boring today. xD

Hannah said...

There you are Hayley! :-) I'm glad you're back.

Ida Ruda said...

Hayley G is back yo!

Rosanna said...

I really hope you get those headaches sorted! I used to get bad ones and the docter just pumped me full of pills. Luckily they disappeared on their own :) nice to hear from you xx

Ms Rodgers said...

Lovely to see you Hayley! Weirdly (and maybe a little creepily) I totally had a dream about you last night that we met. Rhett and Link were also there. It was very odd. You did however give me a hug! Yay!

haha I feel like such an idiot. Good luck with College. Can say that I don't miss being there at all! Which means I am surprised in myself for thinking about doing my Doctorate... eek! xx

Unknown said...

Yay!

allyson said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Cece said...

You forgot to mention hanging out with a super awesome blog reader at a house show for The Situation and becoming beeeest friends.

Great to see a new post, Hayley :)

toastburntbread said...

imagine my suprise! i was casually logging into blogger to write a quick blurb about how i always feel the most attractive when the world would probably find me my least (pajamas, unwashed hair, glasses etc), when my dashboard has a NEW post from Hayleyghoover!

your blogs make me so happy! I giggled with glee when reading this one.

i think i mixed up a lot of social networking terms that aren't assoicated to blogging, like, blurbs and posts, but i really don't know the specific type of vocabulary lined with blogs.

also, my mother could not understand why i protested to getting kicked off the computer when apparently all i was doing was watching a Sound of Music youtube clip.

Kara said...

You have no idea how much grumbling I have been doing over the past month(s) every time I've stopped by your blog just to be affronted by your glaring non-presence. Appalling. BUT I'm glad you're back, so I will spare you any more Kreacher grumpiness. :)

"...since my hatred for my current course load makes my blood course loads..." Psht. You and your WORDZ.

Have you considered iron deficiency for the migraines? Because I get migraines (and am also vegetarian), I've been meaning to get my blood tested for quite a while to see if I'm anemic. Perhaps this is your issue?

Also, five miles is a lot. Like, you could blog during that time. In fact, I think you should start running with a laptop or cellphone and write all your blog posts En Route. We would excuse any spelling mistakes and just sit back IN AWE of those multi-tasking abilities (also to run 5 miles at all seems rather impressive).

Um, so, can you tell I've missed you? <3

madhu said...

I srsly thought you were dead.
NO JOKE.
Because in your last few entries all you talked about was your unexplainable and excruciatingly painful headaches....what was i to think?

then you made a 5AG video and i realized "oh, she's not dead, she just hates her blog followers now. i see how it is....well I think i'll just find another blog...maybe KRISTINA HORNER'S!! HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT, HAYLEYGHOOVER?!"

but then i calmed down and watched your video. i was happy.

Anonymous said...

I've been reading a few of your posts and your writing reminds me of a Jessica Darling Novel. Like the style is very similar, I don't mean to offend you, i've really liked the series!

Hailey Dixon said...

I hope your migraines subside! I feel so bad they've been plaguing you for so long.
That comment makes me feel very smart. ^

StephTheBookworm said...

Sorry about your headaches. I've been seeing a neurologist for migraines. She's been able to help and my migraines have decreased a bit. Anyways, I know how you feel. They're just about the worst thing in the world. Just know, there is hope! Good luck!

Foxy Roxy said...

Welcome back my favorite blogger of all time...*ahem* don't let Kristina read that ;)

I hope your migraines go away soon. That scares me because two close people to me started out with migraines and had some really really bad disease. So I'm healthily (is that a word?) worried for you, but I'm sure it's nothing.

Unknown said...

Yay! A Hayley blog. :] Hopefully you can get your headache problem solved soon. I applaud you for your amazingly long runs! Wish I could get myself to do that; I need it.
DFTBA! :D

Dani said...

You should BEDA. Blog Every Day Always! Always happy to see a post from you. :)

Tass said...

So glad you're back!
It's like seeing an old friend, except creepier...

Pip said...

Always good to have a Hayley G. Hoover blog update. Welcome Back (although I don't know if I'm still allowed to welcome people back to blogging since I've all but abandoned the blogospher...oops)!

As for the migraines, I feel your pain (literally). I've been getting occular migraines recently, which make my vision go all blurry. As you can imagine they are just SUCH A TREAT. I don't really have any magical cures but if you hear of any please share!

P.S. Are you planning on participating in NaNoWriMo this year? I just realized it's October (seriously, today was the first day I noticed on the calendar), which means November will of course be here before we know it.

Anonymous said...

Just came across your blog today as a friend had posted a link to one of your older blogs on gay rights and I then found myself soon after reading an essay on Harry Potter and I must say I love your blog! You make everything seem so entertaining, even speeding tickets, haha.

But to get to the point of this comment: I have headaches frequently as well, probably not EVERY day, but every other day, which I think is more than enough, however I've had a doctor tell me that it may be "hunger headaches." You might just need to grab a snack and you'll be feeling better within ten minutes or so, or perhaps it's a bit more complicated.

I recently had a blood test done testing for liver problems because my mom freaked out when she realized that the bottom of my feet and the palms of my hands were yellow (due to "too much" beta carotene apparently) and one side-effect for liver problems can be frequent headaches. Just letting you know, there is nothing wrong with making sure you're okay, and besides the blood tests are free.

Hope you have a wonderful day! And hopefully I will figure out how to subscribe to this blog... I don't have an account or anything so I'm a tad bit confused.. haha.

Aly said...

Welcome back! Thank you for distracting me from my own terrible homework problems xD No, but seriously it is so awesome to read your blog again!! :D

Snottlebie said...

HAYLEY'S BACK! WHOOOO!

Hi.

karen said...

Yaaay Haley came back! I know everyone jumps to throw in their own cures and antidotes about illness when its mentioned but i've commented before bout how I was always gettin headaches due to tension knots in my neck and since you said you feel like you've bricks around yours i think you should get a massage, not expensive ones i had to get accupunture to ease mine before massages even helped but it definitely helped. Make time for yourself hayley eating and sleeping are more important than school work or you wont hav energy do the work properly

Anonymous said...

Just sharing my own experience for a second... I used to have horrible headaches every day, until I was diagnosed with Bipolar II disorder (like a less severe version of what the average American understands to be bipolar). My dad and uncle, who also have the condition, also had the headache problem. Now that we're all on mood stabilizers, we're all headache free! I say this not to diagnose you or anything, but I think chronic headaches often come from various chemical imbalances in the brain, so it's something to think about.

Spygel said...

Hi Hayley! I thought I'd come out of lurking to suggest seeing a chiropractor for your headaches. I see one regularly for back problems, and visits always alleviate any headaches that have sprung up. Good luck :)

celia said...

Thanks for an update. I was a bit worried about your headache. Lately I'm having the same dilemma of either eating or sleeping, but I discovered that only sleeping one night and only eating another one works out pretty well for me.

celia said...

Another thing- are you sure you don't use any cosmetics with nitroglycerin? They can cause migraine.

celia said...

AND... I'm so glad you're back, you can't imagine :)

Terry said...

Hi Hayley! I was so happy when I saw that you wrote a blog post! But I totally understand that you can't always find the time to blog. :)
I really hope that you figure out how to stop those headaches. They must be such a pain!
Take care and DFTBA! :D

seurat2 said...

Glare.

Ok, welcome back, no more glaring. Hope things continue to go (mostly) well for you and you sort out the headaches.

Catherine said...

I yelled at you tonight for not blogging and you kindly pointed out that I had missed this. I am sorry. Also, meeting you tonight in Pittsburgh was definitely the highlight of the evening. I was going to tell you how I always comment and how you follow me on Twitter so you would have maybe semi-know me, but I didn't. Glad you came to the show tonight.

P.S. You said you'd be blogging again when you got back home. I'm holding you to that Ms. Hoover.

Ravenclaw2313 said...

I will happily read pages and pages of white girl problems if it means your blogging again. I was so excited to see that you posted that perhaps I should considering counciling. Don't leave us again! It gets so long in cyberspace when there's nothing to comment on. We miss you.

Sorry about the course load and the headaches. I understand debating between showering, eating, sleeping, and getting homework done. I had bad migraines about once a month for awhile. I cut caffeine from my diet and it helped. Not sure it will work for you but thought I'd suggest it. Hope you figure something out cause migraines suck.

zaphiie said...

HAYLEY! Welcome back!
You know, I checked your blog every day of my spring break (Australian seasons), hoping there would be a post, and then resigned myself to study for impending exams.

This blog was posted about two hours after I exited fun internet stuff and started schoolwork. >.< Not cool! :D

And pssh... why would anyone not like you? You should probably know I'm uber-jealous of Lauren for getting to chat to you on Mike's phone...

Ukulelly said...

Hayley, welcome back! Your blogs always brighten up my day; you're a truly fantastic writer. Are you going to attempt NaNoWriMo again this year? If I can do it and win whilst simultaneously writing a 10,000 word dissertation, stage managing a pantomime, managing a band and doing a case study, then you can definitely do it. Admittedly I passed on sleep and a social life that month but it was worth it :)


Glad to hear things are good with you!

Alex Dahlberry said...

Hmph. *glares intensely at Hayley* TOOK YOU AWHILE, GIRL.

Nahh, I forgive. Not really though.
Haha. No, but I understand. I've been dying to blog/update my youtube but homework is SO LIFE-CONSUMING.

That whitegrlproblem twitter account is, basically, my life.

Happy birthday, again. :)
And I really hope you find something to help your headaches!

I'm happy you wrote this blog. It's so because (other people and) I bullied you into it on the 3RA livestream the other day. It was all me. *swipes shoulders*

:P

Rawr <3
-Alex

Johnny Rollerfeet said...

I made fun of my wife and called her a hippie when she went to an acupuncturist for her migraines, but when I had back pain problems and she made me go see her guy...well, it made a world of difference for me. As a devoted Christian American, I still believe in the superiority of Western medicine but Asian medicine does have more adherents, after all.

(Is it necessary to note the sarcasm moments in that last sentence? ...nah.)

Anonymous said...

Hi wonderful people of the world.
I know this seems kind of like spam, but please don't think of it that way.
I know you may not know this person but it would be awesome if you would please vote for him to win the best job ever! He really deserves it and it would be a really good show.

http://www.paradisehunter.com/vote/Alex-Lop..htmlPer

Unknown said...

What's that I hear?... Could it be the Hayleylujah Chorus playing?... You're the reason I decided to start blogging & I've missed your hilarity in my life. I'm sorry your course load is so terrible and your headaches haven't subsided. I feel your pain about the homework thing... we should just run away to Narnia & forget that our colleges exist.
I'm so glad you're back!

Newt said...

HAYLEY! YOU'RE BACK!
This calls for a: ZOMG!!!111!!!ONE!!1
I noticed you had a new post, clicking the page, and realized I was starving. I returned with a bowl of cookies and chocolate and said, This feels right."
Welcome back. :D

Anonymous said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGTm4u1UWvg check it out.

Craig said...

Glad to see a new entry here! Your blog entries help stave off some of the boredom inherent in an overseas deployment. Best of luck at school, and here's hoping your migraines improve!

Iz said...

Glad to see you back, Hayley! I don't comment much but I read religiously.

I have a question! Will you be participating in NANOWRIMO this year, again? :)

EJ said...

Hey Hayley, I'm new to your blog (this is the first post I've read but I really enjoyed it) and I wanted to suggest something to you. I had a friend in High School who used to get headaches every day too. She missed a ton of school because of it. No doctors could figure it out. But then she went to a "Naturopath", which is this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naturopathy
(it's a real doctor, I promise)
and they figured out that she's allergic to a bunch of foods that she'd been eating, and that was what caused the headaches. So she stopped eating Gluten and other stuff, and the headaches went away. I've seen a Naturopath (though for different reasons), and they're awesome, they helped me when no other Doctors had been able to. Just thought maybe it'd be something to look into. Hope you figure things out soon!
: )
(feel free to message me if you want any more info)

Alice said...

welcome back! I've missed you!
(she says to a girl she has never met)

Jen said...

I have a quick, unrelevant question.

In your high school newpaper, what did you write about?

My school just started a newpaper and we have yet to add anything with an opinion. I remember you mentioning articles about motivational posters and bad relationships, but wonderedif you had a specific area or just wrote about all sorts of things.

Diana said...

Welcome back!

Katey said...

I know this is insanely late, but I have a world map above my bed as well. People always give me shit for it, which I typically ignore without comment. It does make me feel better to share that in common with you though, because you are wonderful. (:

Anonymous said...

Omg I remember the tornado, I was eating at Shively with my friend Eddie and everyone was acting normal until we got to Tiffin and were we couldnt go upstairs/

ceshi said...

NHL Trades 2013: The Biggest Dealers of the Season | Bleacher Report
At 3 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, Apr
New England Patriots jerseys. 3, the NHL trade deadline will be upon us. At that time, the rosters will all but locked as we hit the final stretch toward the 2013 NHL playoffs.The question is, who have been the biggest dealers of the season thus far?We've seen blockbuster trades that have sent mainstays to new homes. We've also seen quiet deals that have significantly improved rosters, whether by way of the addition of youth or All-Star players.Regardless of how it went down, numerous teams made the most of their opportunities to execute trades.Anaheim DucksKelvin Kuo-USA TODAY SportsKey Acquisitions: David Steckel, C; Kyle Wilson, C; Harry Zolnierczyk, LWKey Losses: Ryan Lasch, RW; Kevin Marshall, D; Dan Sexton, RWThe Anaheim Ducks haven't put together the star-studded trade season that others on this list have achieved. With that being said, the Ducks have pulled off three separate trades thus far.They've landed David Steckel, Kyle Wilson and Harry Zolnierczyk
Dallas Cowboys jerseys.Steckel, although inconsistent in terms of production, has been reunited with former coach Bruce Boudreau. The two were together with the Washington Capitals from 2005 to 2011.Steckel, a center, should provide valuable depth.Wilson briefly played for Boudreau. He too will provide depth, thus joining Steckel and Zolnierczyk as bottom-line depth.Zolnierczyk, an enforcer, could play a role in similar situations.Calgary FlamesRich Lam/Getty ImagesKey Acquisitions:2013 First-Round Draft Choice (x2)Key Losses:Jay Bouwmeester, D; Jarome Iginla, RWThe Calgary Flames have been one of the most active teams in the league when it comes to the NHL trade deadline. They've dealt two All-Stars, including the face of the franchise.In return, they've landed two first-round draft choices.On Mar. 28, the Flames traded franchise player Jarome Iginla to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for prospects Kenneth Agostino, Ben Hanowski and a first-round draft pick (viaNHL.com). This comes after Iginla spent more than 15 years with the Flames.Iginla had previouslyvetoed a tradeto the Boston Bruins.On Apr. 1, the Flames traded All-Star defenseman Jay Bouwmeester to the St
Green Bay Packers jerseys. Louis Blues (via Yahoo! Sports). In return, they landed Mark Cundari, Reto Berra and a first-round draft choice.An active trade season, to say the very least NFL shirts.Pittsburgh PenguinsJustin K. Aller/Getty ImagesKey Acquisitions: Jarome Iginla, RW; Brenden Morrow, LW; Douglas Murray, DKey Losses: Joseph Morrow, DThe Pittsburgh Penguins are an elite team that is fronted by NHL points leader Sidney Crosby. The Penguins also have top 10 goal scorers Chris Kunitz, James Neal and Pascal Dupuis.They became significantly stronger with three huge trades.As previously alluded to, the Penguins acquired right wing Jarome Iginla. Iginla, a six-time All-Star, has 525 career goals and 570 assists.He's also a two-time Olympic gold medalist, playing alongside Crosby in 2010, and owns 161 power-play goals and 210 power-play assists.Pittsburgh also acquired left wing Brenden Morrow
Baltimore Ravens jerseys. Morrow, 34, has accumulated 243 career goals and 285 assists.That includes 79 power-play goals and 64 power-play assists. Morrow won a 2010 Olympic gold medal with Crosby and Iginla.Furthermore, the Penguins landed defenseman Douglas Murray, thus rounding out a major crop of impact trades.