Well, shit...

I had another first, last night- my first game ending injury.  I pulled a groin... or worse.  Whatever it is, it happened in the 2nd period.  It was sore from last week- something happened at the end of the game, but it didn't really bug me.  I pulled it again about half way through the period, but it was a few shifts before I came out of the game.  It was tender, and I wasn't skating all that well, but it was manageable, until I spun around to catch a play.  That's when it really started to hurt.  I tested it during a time out and the interval, but it wasn't going to work.  I sat out for the rest of the game.  It really sucks to sit at the end of the bench just watching the game.

The game was pretty damn good though.  We played Realty Source, and won 5-2, after a pretty crap start.  We didn't have the lines straight before the game and there was a little confusion.  This happens occasionally, but it was made worse by one of our players.  There are loads of 'hockey stereotypes'  including The dangler, the goon, the chirper, the sniper, the over enthusiastic guy, etc...  We have a guy I call Mr Hockey.  He's an older guy and he's a decent enough player- not the best, not the worst. He only plays with us a few times a season, though.  He also thinks he know more about hockey than anyone.  He sort of freaked out about the lines and was yelling at everyone.  Once things were settled, he was yelling at everyone about what they should be doing, and telling everyone they were making mistakes.  At one point, we got a too many men on the ice penalty.  I was on the right wing after Dwight.  He came off the ice and I went on, which happened right before the penalty.  When we got called, there was some confusion as to who the extra man was.  I volunteered to go to the box, since I'd never been in there.  The other Paul told me he was the 6th man on the ice- he jumped out right after I did, also for Dwight- so he went to the box.  Mr. Hockey immediately took me to task, telling me I had to pay attention and blaming me for the penalty.  I yelled back- saying I'd gone on for my man... I think I also told him to shut up.  I'm a new player,  not a great player, and I believe in earning your place on the bench.  I don't often speak up, and I knew the confusion was really annoying people, but I don't feel bad at all.

There was some hilarity as well.  Big Bear seems to find anyone off the street to run the score board and clock.  Last night, Flink took one of those penalties that wasn't a penalty,  and decided to argue it... with vigor.  The refs were going to throw him out, but cooler heads prevailed and he ended up with a double minor.  The kid running the board couldn't figure out how to do 4 minutes of penalty time, so the Realty Source goalie- who runs a board at another rink, climbed into the official's box and set the time.  He barely got in.  

A night of firsts.

I was planning on going for beers afterwards with the Mikes, but the captain of the Free Birds came into our dressing room and told us they only had 7 guys on the bench, so they, Paul and Tony suited up again to play for them.  I was double bummed- no beers and I would have loved to play as well.  

Colors

I'm official-

 

I'm still wearing the blue Maple Leafs socks though.  

It was the worst of times... then it got a little better.

I'm not really feeling all that great since Flour's death and I was reluctant to play in last nights game.  I did go though, hoping it would make me feel better.  And it did.

We played Here For Beer for the first time, and we got beat 2-6.  They had two incredible players who scored all their goals.  They also had a great goalie.  They had a lot of beginners too.  We were able to keep pressure on them really well, we just couldn't score.  They scored on breakaways from their best players.  We also spent a considerable time in the box.  We had 7 penalties to their 1, and like before, it was a matching penalties that kept it 5 on 5.   The refs were so gleeful on sending us to the box, we got sent off for a couple of their penalties too.  Don't even get me started about the guy running the clock.  Cripes.

I played a pretty good game though.  I was always in the action, made some pretty good passes, played a good defensive game, and didn't bauble and give away the puck.  And I got my first goal in a game!  And it was a great goal, if I say so myself.  It was our second goal and was late in the third.  the whole play was a beaut.  Tony brought the puck into the offensive zone and went to the left corner.  I was playing Left Wing so when he went to the corner, I went to the front of the net.   I'm not 100% sure if the Here For Beer's best player (we'll call him #6) got the puck or Tony passed right, but Mike F was able to take #6 off the puck and out of the play.  He then sent an incredible and hard pass right to my tape.  I was to the right of the goalie, and all I had to do was lift the puck a little and it went right over his glove.  It was one of the biggest celebration we've had since I started playing.  I even got a cheer from the opposing bench- Ty is playing for Here For Beer.  After the game I went to the Tavern for a couple with Tony, the Mikes and a few Here For Beer players.

Playing and going out after helped sooth some of the pain.

Goodbye to the greatest cat ever.

In Feb 2001, I found myself living alone in a crappy studio apartment. It was a low point in my life and I was incredibly depressed. My friend Patti insisted that no house was a home unless two beings were breathing the air, so she dragged me to a pet store. A cat had been unceremoniously dumped there with a litter of kittens. She also fostered an abandoned kitten at the store. Patti said all the kittens were adopted, including two she was taking, but no one had any interest in the mother. I went reluctantly, because I wasn’t a ‘cat person’. I met the mother cat, a small grey cat with bright green eyes and a ringed tail. 

 Her name was Flour, and I decided as soon as I saw her that I’d take her home.
On Sunday afternoon I had to say good bye to Flour. She seemed to make a bit of an improvement from the last update, but on Sunday morning, we found her under a chair, listless and unwilling to move. When we got back from the errands we had to run, she was on her side and had begun to have labored breathing. We knew she didn’t have long, so we took her outside, in the incredible sunshine we got. We laid next her and pet, cuddled and scratched her belly, until she finally died. 

Flour was the greatest cat who ever lived, and there will never be such a sweet feline ever. I’ll miss her insistence on laying on my chest, her purring so loud you can’t hear the television, and her insistent meows for food. She saved me in the worst time and was there for the best. She was my best friend for 14 years, and my constant companion. I loved her so much, and will miss her terribly and for a long time.

Start with a bang!

It was pretty awesome to be back on the ice with these guys.  And what a start!  I missed the first game of the season, because I was at the Avalanche game (AVs 3- Pit 1) but the boys beat Realty Source 4-1 to begin the Spring 15 season.  

We played one of the new D4 teams- Free Birds.  I think they were an old team that got put together with free agents and new players for the season.  There were a few new faces, including a guy named Andrew, who I think is playing his first season… I’m no longer the rookie!  I played left wing on a line with the other Paul and Tony, who I played with at the Puck Dynasty practice.  Justin and Ryan showed up for the game, and it looks like they may be playing a few games in the future, which is cool.

The game started with two quick goals from the Free Birds, and it seemed like it was going to be like last season.  Then things turned around really quick.  The Free Birds have two or three really good players, and a bunch of new players.  We had it tied up by the end of the first period, and it was all Icemen after that.  We were really playing well, making great passes and rushing up the ice with great speed.  After letting in two early goals, Tyler wasn’t all that busy in net, but stopped a few breakaways.  The Free Bird goal tender was really good too, or the score would have been higher.  The only two penalties were Free Bird tripping calls, and we scored on one of them- when I was out on the power play.  In the end I think I was a +2 for the night.  I also had a fun tough couple of shift in front of the Free Bird net.  A little pushing and shoving never hurt anyone… 

The final score was 8-2.  I think a couple of the better Free Birds were getting frustrated with their new players, and there were a few faceoffs where we had to wait for them to get a full unit on the ice.   All I can say is I hope their rookies get the great experience I got.

And if the win wasn’t enough- I got a crested Icemen sweater with my ‘forever’ number- 83!  I’ll get some photos of it after it’s been washed. 

I met one of the coolest famous people ever, and someone I've been a fan of for ages!

Most of you who know me, know how big a fan of DEVO I am. They've been one of my favorite bands for as long as I can remember- trading back and forth for the top slot with Big Country. I've also collected quite a lot of DEVO stuff and have a decent little 'shrine' going. I've seen them a few times, but unlike Big Country, never got a chance to meet them. Alisha got tickets to the opening of a show Mark Mothersbaugh is curating at the Clyfford Still Museum. He selected four Still pieces and wrote accompanying music for them. Mark Mothersbaugh also did a Q&A at the Denver Art Museum following the opening. It's a great show- you should see it. You should also see Myopia at the MCA- but you all know that. We weren't sure if he was going to be available at all, or doing any signing, but I brought a 45 along in case. After a drink and some food, we went to the exhibit, and not only was he available, he was just sitting in the gallery talking to everyone! It took me quite a while to get the courage to go up to him... it was Alisha who finally did, and he is awesome! He was talking to a few people about art and music and Clyfford Still, and the fact he'd just broken a shoelace. We were the last group he spoke to, before he did his Q&A, so he thanked us for coming, shook our hands and told us to get the hell out of there. We sat for the Q&A, when to my right, there he was again. He wasn't sure what to do before he was brought on, so he kneeled down a couple rows up from us. And of course we offered the open seat next to us. The Q&A was great, and he's hilarious and charming. Alisha said she like DEVO even more now. After it was over we hung around outside for a bit, and then went back into the theater. He was down by the stage, signing things and chatting to people. We headed straight down. After waiting a bit, I asked him to sign my 45. It's the first single that Stiff records put out- with the Mark Mothersbaugh designed three fold cover. He talked about it in his talk, and said they self pressed 1000, before they were done by Stiff. He thought it was an original, because the colors were the same. Then the craziness started. Alisha mentioned our collection, and Mark reached into his pocket and said I should add the broken shoelace to it! (Yeah- it's a little strange, and he could have been taking the piss, but he is a huge fan of the Dadaists, and he was carrying it around all night) I thanked him profusely and then asked for a photo of him giving it to me. He did me one better- he said we should put it in our mouths, ala Lady and the Tramp. INSANE! It was by far one of the coolest things ever! And I have photographic proof!

Here we go!

We got news about the next season, and it would have made for an interesting one.  Two of the teams we played against last season- Low Down Dirty Shame (who won the championship) and She Hit Me First- were promoted to D3.  That left just us and Realty Source in D4.  We heard that the arena was having trouble finding teams and we had a choice- take the season off, or move up to D3.  The overwhelming opinion of everyone was that we wanted to play, regardless of how bad we get beaten.  We heard today, though, that the rink got a couple of new D4 teams and were back on!

They also changed our schedule a bit, and our games are going to be a bit earlier, which rules!  I’ll be missing the first game of the season though, since we have Avalanche tickets.    

Game on!