bunnyman666

@badger_14 I would bet if I turned every pick up into the Shit Show Cup with a cup that could be won, there would be people getting SUPER competitive. Ugh. Now, onto what we've been waiting for, the Tuesday Drop In Report: Since several area rinks are having camps, several drop in groups have converged on another somewhat out of the way rink. Let me start by saying the facilities are WEIRD. The toilets are only accessable through the lobby/game room. So if you have to take a leak mid-way through getting dressed (as I do, because I super-hydrate before), you have to exit the dressing room, go around the rink, go through the lobby/game room area, then go to the loo. Also, you end up in full view of everybody when going to the shower facilities. Ugh. I knew the other goalie, as I used to play against him. He had a shit game today. His defense was only interested in skating the puck. Meanwhile, I was blessed with a GREAT defense today. I was only left hung out to dry a few times. I had a twenty minute shut out. First goal against was when I was trying to freeze the puck against the outside of the goal. The kid going after it smacked my stick from behind and the puck went in. Several goals against were from weird deflections (defenseman's shin guard, etc.). One popped over my stick. In the end, one guy I regularly play with told me that he noticed improvement from me. There was a bit of chippiness- one guy in a visor got rubbed in the nose with a high stick and made a thing of it. Half-shields are bad in rec hockey, and that was yet another example of why. Didn't fight the Vaughn skates today. Overdrive blades helped IMMENSELY. Stay tuned for Thursday's report.

I have no delusions of grandeur. I don't get being uber competitive after there is no freakin' chance of being a pro. Nobody is going to be homeless if they don't perform. Nobody is going to be forced to move to some unknown city that is hundreds of miles from an airport if they lose. I just don't get it. Maybe it's 'cos I am totally done being competitive, having tried to break into one professional league or another from the ages of 17-34 (hockey was early; cycling, duathlon was later) is where my lack of competitive nature comes from. When I came to the grim realisation that my talent ATM was overdrawn, I just wanted to have fun. It was a great relief to know that a bad performance wasn't costing me anything other than a bit of pride. I don't miss hearing "through the grapevine" that my sponsors were getting impatient with my lack of top placings, even though I was being a good ambassador for the brand, for example. Don't get me wrong- I don't like to suck, but I don't get upset when I do. If that means pickup and no men's league for me, then so be it. In the end, a win or loss means NOTHING if you're not a pro.

From what I surmise, you would be a good teammate no matter your skill.

@badger_14 You are being very generous in this situation. I would be not nearly as nice, especially with tosser boy's past history. ugh.

Ugh. Hate asshat goalies.

Drop-in Report: Ugh. New skates. Blades don't reach the ice in butterfly. Had to toe pick across the crease. Sucked like a Dyson. Ugh. Did stop the former Junior A player, but he hadn't been on the ice since last year.

This bloke lost his spot on a junior team because he is a douche bag. Wearing a half-visor causes trouble, and he is the object lesson as to why.

Crazy Bloody Drop-In Report: Twerp fest, Chip fest. Ugh. Decent skate until someone in a half visor got high-sticked and it drew blood. Ugh. Fighting. Ugh. Positive notes: ten minute shut out. Let in the fewest of all three goalies. Posts rang a LOT. Puck luck in spades.

LOL Yes, I have had to threaten to skate out of the net if I got three shots at a time or shooting at my head or crotch. I have skated out of the crease after stern warnings, and some have had the nerve to have their parents yell at the rink staff, who simply reply with "what did the demonic lagomorph goalie say about not waiting your turn, shooting at his head or his crotch?" Some people are ignorant of the fact that most, if not nearly ALL of our protection is on the front of us, optimised for PUCKS, not bodies. We are woefully unprotected if someone runs us into the goal. My favourite is when a commentator will say "the most padded player on the ice", when it is clear that we may be padded, but can't move all that well in comparison to a player. What it comes down to is sheer ignorance. Thankfully, none of the shots whilst turned have hit my back.

@badger_14 Warm up? Ha!!!! They usually just start winding up, then skate super-slow penalty shots!!!! One guy will occasionally warm me up properly with glove, blocker, then each pad and even the body. But a proper warm up rarely happens in these parts. I hate when they shoot when my back is turned. I have often wanted to jumpout to do my Hextall impersonation, but I just keep my cool.

Yes. Get yourself better, okay? :)

Listen to your uncle bunnydevildude and get some rest, then.

Ding! Ding! Ding!!! Thank you!!!! Unless I am bound by USA Hockey rules, I will NEVER use a retail masque, and would even go so far to try and mock up the stickers if I HAD to use one of those masques that pass that test.

I am also on the "it doesn't have to cost $500" wagon, as well. But I also feel that helmets are better than masques. Yes, you have the jiggle factor IF you don't fit it properly. Yes, you don't have some lower jaw protection. But I have taken HARD shots to the noggin, and none made me feel sick and not much ear ringing, either. I admit there is some space between my head and my helmet with foam. i have been run twice and having the extra security of a solid shell has been worth it for me. I digress, it could just be that Shawn Shroeder designs a superior helmet. He takes everything into account, and he KNOWS composite material; there are a few bad designs out there. @badger_14 You probably DID have a flukey accident. I seriously hope you are okay.

I always tend to make cage saves, LOL. I have had a few pucks bounce off of the top of my helmet, which is always weird. It is embarassing when the puck bounces off of my helmet and in behind me. At least pucks shot straight onto the stick aren't going in any more. I do hope that you rest. It sounds like you need it.

Monday Drop-In Report: The stupid tossers didn't bother to announce that Stick and Puck was CANCELLED!!!! Drove 40 minutes to find that out. Grrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!

Yeah, that's the positive part.

Sorry to read that. Maybe the knee will be right as rain in that short amount of time.

Well, they (and the players) all went bye bye, as evidenced in the... SUNDAY STICK AND PUCK REPORT: Nobody was there. I had the ice to myself. I worked on drops, slides, recoveries, two pad stacks, positioning, gathering pucks into my glove, T-pushes, C-cuts, and clearing the puck. Ugh.

Saturday Stick and Puck Report- Five f***ing goalies showed up!!!! Fack me!!!!! But it didn't turn out that bad; in fact- it was okay. We had enough show up for a four on four half ice scrimmage. We each played five minutes each with what ended up as a 15 minute break. I would sit for ten minutes, then warm back up with slides and recoveries for five minutes. I shut out the first five minutes. I let in one goal on a rebound I gave up in my second five minutes. I then went to the other half of the ice and let a few try break aways on me. After two days of lacklustre sessions, this wasn't terrible. In all, I didn't even let in too many. Note that I didn't use the word "ugh" once in this report. ?

Shoulda Worn the "Kaholik" Sweater (subtitle- Thursday and Friday Drop-In Report): Thursday was good turnout, but three goalies. Three is NOT a magic number, unlike the ABC Schoolhouse Rocks number says. Someone is always coming in cold, not being able to get into a rhythm. I got hit on my mastoid bone from a clearing pass as I was relieving the goalie. Yes, it hurt, but it would have hurt much more if the puck would have hit a masque back plate. I think I will stay with my SK2000 clone, thank you very much. I let in some really stupid goals. I made a couple of good saves, but bungled a LOT. Of course the only defense I got was from this tree top bender-pylon who saw fit to stand DIRECTLY in my line of sight so I saw ZERO shots. Ugh. I wore the Kaholik sweater, btw. Today (Friday) was another Klustertruck- three goalies AGAIN!!!! None of the other goalies bothered to talk to me on how we were switching it up. One was trying to get more time than the others of us. I have to say I would rather it be FOUR goalies than three. Ugh. This was at normally my FAVOURITE skate, but there were a LOT of noobies (as the youngin's are out of school now, ugh) and the scrimmage became a chip fest. The noobies shot head-high shots. It got silly physical. My play was meh. I felt like a heel shoving this 5'2" girl out of my crease, but she was in my grille!!! I had to do a fair bit of shoving to get these people out of the blue paint. Ugh. I took a shot DIRECTLY in the dangler, which only made noise (wearing an Itech N9 made of composite by Kustom Composites). I wore my Hasek sweater, which the only thing Hasek-like I did was be a bit unconventional; the athletic movements were not present. Should've worn the Kaholik sweater... Ugh.

Sorry to hear that. Maybe a break would do you good. Hope things steady for you.

Thanks for the advice. It is advice that needs re-iterating for any of us trying to shed a few pounds. I have done this before, as after I quit hockey and was married very young, we could only afford crap food and I ballooned to 15 stone in a year's time. I was 9 stone. Okay- 215# from 127-ish. It took me two years of diet and exercise to get back down, then I became a competitive cyclist and duathlete. I learnt after a few fails in diet that it is a marathon, not a race as far as weight loss goes. I also now have to learn that I can't creep back into bad eating habits and recover like I used to, as I am pretty ancient. This is as close as I have ever been to being as heavy as I was in my late teens/early twenties. We're also trying smoothies and stuff because of my wife's ongoing medical problems. We have come to the conclusion that food you eat has a direct correlation to health, and some deficiencies can be relieved by food rather than supplements. She definitely has been making a slow, steady turn, as she FINALLY(!) quit smoking.I definitely know about the cheat days, as if you deprive yourself for too long, you end up with a cheat YEAR!!!! I will try the Herbalife shakes. Thanks for the suggestion.

There was not a Friday drop-in (as I had other pressing matters), nor was there a Monday drop-in (needed to make money whilst possible). But I have decided to work on my temple. Right now, my body is more like a house trailer. So I am trying something new. With my wife's ongoing medical problems, it was about time we try something new. I gained about forty unanswered pounds because of my foot problems, and it just isn't coming off like it used to. I have surmised that my goaltending would improve IMMENSELY if I were a little less fluffy. So, we're trying smoothies. I spend a crap load of money on fruit and veg on Sunday. So far, not having that starving feeling like I used to about fifteen minutes after eating fruit or veg, mainly because of adding yoghurt or protein powder to the mix. Trying to get more stuff into my smoothies. If anyone has suggested mixes, please give them.

Crumbs! Keep your pecker up and have a speedy recovery.