I’m bubbling in my skin, jumpy with excitement and anticipation at what I’m doing this coming Tuesday morning.
For the first time in ages – 32 years actually – I’m going to play hockey! On ice! With a real puck, helmet and even a stick! Yaaaahooo! I’ve been looking around for a chance to play hockey for ages.
Hanging out on the same forum where I stumbled upon a chance to play fake American pizza baker, I found a query about where to play ice hockey in Hamburg. A couple of messages and phone calls later, I’m set up to go Tuesday morning at 8.
Good thing I’ve learned to skate since the last time.
Back then, a friend coaxed me into joining him at a weekly game.
“C’mon man,” he said. “You can ski like a pro, and anyone who can ski like you do can skate.”
So we jumped into a van to a rink 50km away, where I borrowed skates, pads, helmet and stick, skated onto the ice, and within five seconds slammed flat on the ice.
I got up, tried to balance – blood splotching the ice – flopped onto the boards, and struggled to the bench.
A guy looked over at me and says: Hey buddy, yer nose is bleed’n’ sump’n’ broodle.
Turns out I actually broke it, but didn’t realise it until eight years later at a routine medical exam.
The banner photograph shows the town of Britannia Beach, BC, Canada, where I grew up. It's home. But I don't live there anymore.
How delightfully Canadian of you! Post pics, we gotta see what you look like in the gear and such!
Sounds like fun–I hope you get lots of photographs.
You’ll be helmeted, and beskated. But will you be pucked?
I may be a puckhead, but not pucked in the head!
As for photos, would love to, but the camera is going to have to stay in the bag for the first time I meet these guys and until I decide whether to make it a regular thing. For now, it’s try it out and see. If I can make it fit into my work schedule, I’ll pick up some gear and go twice, maybe even three times a week.
“bleed’n’ sump’n’ broodle”
never heard that expression before…..
It’s genuine Canajun.
Canajun ~ too funny.
Here in south Texas, we only hear about hockey when a really big fight breaks out. Are you going to have to fight?
Old joke: I was sitting ringside at the boxing match when suddenly a hockey game broke out.
If it gets that bad, I’ll hit the showers, not my opponent.
Have fun and don’t break anything!