Crease Monkey

So I got back on the ice yesterday. Note to self. Don't quit caffeine cold-turkey. I'm already a little tired, and cranky. I really wanted to see how I would do after getting my metaphorical "bell rung" last week.

I felt sluggish. I could focus and all. I just didn't feel right. Still it was so good to be in the crease. Away from the distractions of life. Which crept in now and again. But I had this hour. My hour. To just watch the puck like a cat chasing a laser pointer.

Playing goalie is rush. Its a blast. Their is so much chaos that you almost can't replay anything in your head until later.

Shoot-out: We were tied at the end of the game, so we had to go to a shoot-out. I hate shoot outs. Not for the pressure, so much as the lack of preparation. I have virtually no training, so when the other team lines up three of their best guys to come in one-on-one with me, I know they have training. I imagine the opponents arousal and confusion in facing me. I give up so many holes, that I probably appear to them as a large piece of Swiss cheese. I like to think I close the holes quick, but again, I am so unorthodoxed it probably creates confusion. I remember last night thinking how alone I felt at the shoot-out. But then looking out into the empty bleachers. I was alone. Definitely not a sport of notoriety.

So my adventure into hockey continues... 1 year 2 months and counting.