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Hockey Monkey has the M8 for $200 and M7 for $140 today. Time to stock up. http://www.hockeymonkey.com/black-friday-sale-july-skates-sr.html

I'm so close I can feel it... Hoping to try skating next weekend. Just a public skate, since I'm still not allowed to play hockey because of the blood thinners no matter how good my ankle feels. But just a couple laps would make me SO happy right about now. Also I got a message from Passau saying my new pads should be on their way late this week or early next week. Woooo!!!

Tournament news - it appears they've decided to go with a 5 team format, meaning there is a goalie space for me. Hooray. Again: it is appears this way from the missives sent out to everyone from the tournament organizer. The downside is that they were unable to form enough teams separate competitive and recreational divisions, meaning that it's five teams of mixed players. The guys that play for Boston I know are very good (*cough*sandbaggers*cough*) as are the Albany and Toronto players (at least, last time I played them, but that was a while ago). So that could mean goalies getting shelled and less-skilled players being miserable and possible jerks wanting to shorten the bench on them, or it could mean a friendly mix and - er - goalies still getting shelled. The Russian Embassy returns tomorrow.

I totally understand. It's hard not to feel like every goal is a personal insult. I think there's a difference, too, between "intense" and "tearing your teammates a new one every time they make a mistake". It's okay (and varying degrees of good) to be intense, it's not so much good to be the village lunatic. I am sure the puck sliding by while trying to take on a tangled mess of fallen player felt like the dumbest goal ever (well, maybe the dumbest goal that game), because let's face it, it is a pretty ludicrous situation and feels embarrassing. You seem to be doing alright, and it does sound like the skaters are happy to have you and not just as a warm body between the pipes either. :)

Thanks Badger & Bunny, it is something I need to remember. I take my role in net a little too seriously sometimes. I've done everything I can to avoid being "that guy who's too intense in a recreational league", but I will always take goals against personally. I have never blamed anyone else for a goal against, even if I'm completely let down by my d. I started hockey late in life (as did most others on this thread), and I know I won't have a long career here, nor will I ever be close to the show, but I'm doing everything I can to get as far as I can in the short time I have - luckily for me, the community is small enough that I've been able to advance as far as I have. I feel grateful that when I fill in for other teams, the players are happy to see that it's me in net for them, and I want it to stay that way :)