As if gaming and kung fu weren’t enough (let’s not even enter my wife and daughter into the equation… these are hobbies), now I greatly desire to learn to play hockey. Yes, real hockey, on ice, with pucks and commensurate increase in dental problems.
I may have mentioned that Cat signed me up for Hurricanes U where ordinary dolts like me get to go out on the hallowed ice at the RBC Center to learn the basics of hockey. That first one was this past Monday. Coach McCarthy of the ‘Canes organization helped about 40 of us skate, pass, and shoot like… well, precisely what we are. And we ran the gamut: from whippersnappers who evidently merely wanted to be on RBC ice and skated circles around the other 95% of the struggling population, to some seriously elderly individuals who, with great enthusiasm, skated across the ice clinging desperately to anything nearby. I was about midway between those extremes. Having been on ice a total (now) of three times in my life, I did okay with skating. Surprisingly (and irritatingly to Cat, who as a Canadian was required to learn how to skate before she was given solid foods) I can skate decently forwards and backwards. In fact, I relied on my patented “transition to backwards skating to stop” technique for most of the evening since I hadn’t quite mastered the forward hockey stop with any proficiency. I’m a natural defenseman! Skate backwards? Check! Moderately bulky? Check! Little to no fear of getting/receiving body checks? Check! Surly, monosyllabic speech? Check! Sign me up.
I was pleasantly surprised that I could actually pass the damned puck. I didn’t give myself too much credit carrying a stick the first time, but I was able to dribble the puck relatively well and passed with pretty snazzy accuracy if I say so myself. My passing partner and I eschewed the recommended “10 feet apart and right next to the boards” for a bit more challenging complete cross-ice passing joy. And I could do it! Damn near tape to tape, with a couple of reaches when I got a little excited. Receiving passes was a bit worse… I snagged about 50% of them, but others snuck under the blade or bounced off at odd angles. Shooting was about the same. I finally got a decent-powered wrister going after Coach McCarthy skated over to give me some more tips about body weight shifting and blade placement. Couldn’t get loft for love nor money, but speed I had. Unfortunately I got too fancy on my one “penalty shot” against the “goalie” as I tried to deke and go backhand, puck ineffectually sliding wide left. Gah.
Definitely fun. And unfortunately I could see myself getting better at it. And that just makes me want to get better at it. And that means time and money. Save me.
8 Responses to “Great, I needed another hobby”
Yeah, hockey is a great sport! I played very little of it as a kid and never picked up even watching on the tv until about 10 yrs ago. Good Luck to ya and I still envy you going out there with the pros.
I had to chase the comment link all over the main page just now. Maybe it’s my machine. /me shrugs
Eh? Whassat mean? The comment link was hopping around? Speak Engrish, boy!
Oh, that. Yeah, I have some special PHP code in there, looking for your IP address. It does that at random times, just for you
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It might have be IE or I don’t know what but when my cursor would hi-lite the comment like all the text would change size and my cursor would then be on the permalink link. and then when I would unhi-lite(is that a word?)it the text would change back and I would get to do it all over again. It seems to be working today though. No. I wasn’t drinking. =P
I’m sure I’m supposed to say that everything’s fine and he’s doing good and all that (it’s assumed that people don’t want to hear your troubles), but this is my blog and you asked
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Not great. He’s still in the hospital in Columbus. He got an infection and had a total of 13 surgeries to try to battle the infection. It has left him weak and very depressed. This week they have him back in the rehab ward and his asshat surgeon makes the declaration that they’ll be sending him home early next week. Note: home, not a rehab facility in Pensacola, but to the house. This is a person who can’t get up without assistance from orderlies, who until this week couldn’t get up period and whose caretaker would then be my mother, a 70-year-old woman trying to lift a 250 pound 69-year-old, practically disabled man. A person who has zero appetite and cries, who expresses the wish that he had simply died in the accident since it would have been easier on everyone that way. That was a rough day for them, but luckily their doctor (read: not the surgeon) came in the next day and called bullshit on it and who is arranging some additional help for my dad, like a possible psychologist.
They were talking about him going back to Pensacola sometime in a couple of weeks once he starts eating a bit better, and the doctor says he will most certainly be going into a rehab facility to start with. This is good, since he will be in a wheelchair for a few months, to a walker, to a cane and then walking with a permanent limp.
Thanks for asking… it’s been a rough few months for them.
peh! fffffffffffft!
I keep forgetting to ask, how’s your dad?
I’m sorry to hear that his recovery has not been stellar. As one who’s parents are both disabled I sympathize with you and your family. Know that my thoughts are still with you. God bless.