badger_14

For some reason I seem to play really well when I'm not feeling well. Yesterday the asthma was giving me such trouble that I considered leaving the game early, and in general I have to be pried off the ice with a crowbar. I haven't gone to any of the goalie clinics that are held after my Saturday pickup, because I haven't been well enough to manage both game and clinic. It's getting me down. But I played pretty tenaciously, bouncing from post to post, scrambling for the puck, stopping breakaways. Good times. Maybe after I see my doctor and update my medication, I'll be even better... (ha, ha). On the other hand, my teammate's son thought it was hilarious that I was "stopping everything and saying absolutely nothing" while the other goalie was "not making saves and shouting at everybody".

Not messing around. (uh, who wants a biohazard sticker?)

Thanks! My Saturday teammates are the bee's knees. They tolerate my slow, uneven development as a goalie, they play defence, they don't steal my water... they take pretty decent photos for using a 15 year old low-end digital camera... Good deal, beedee! I've never played a game with a score attached, but I know I have never had a shutout. Congrats!

Unfortunately, during my recent trip to the urgent care (woo, lung infection) they only had biohazard bags and not stickers. Darn.

So sorry for your loss. :(

Playing hockey this morning was an excessively poor choice that I am currently paying dearly for (still sick), but my teammates took some more photos of me.

Next time I'm (working) at the hospital I'll see about getting some biohazard stickers from a sympathetic nurse.

The worst/best part is that I was skating with a bunch of EMTs/Paramedics last night, people you'd think would know better than to drink from random containers of liquid.

Who the hell drinks the goalie's water? Don't do that. Definitely don't ask if you can and then drink it without waiting for a response. Numbskull(s) drank all my water while I was busy stopping pucks and sweating my face off. Joke's on them, though, I have a bad cold/fever. Enjoy your new virus friend!

Tenth time's the charm. Good luck.

Sometimes I question the sanity of going anyway, but I've been trying to stay active as much as reasonable through this bad stretch. Gotta keep the diaphragm and those nice intercostal muscles strong if I'm going to cough my face off, right? Being sick with asthma is so much worse for kids. My sympathies. Usually I only need the inhaler for hockey (cold air + active), or running a lot/sprinting.

Bad asthma has been cramping my style for a month or so. I ran out of my inhaler last week, and because my health plan hasn't kicked in yet, had to go to the urgent care to see a doctor for a new prescription, and then pay $72 out of pocket for said inhaler. 3x a day, plus a steroid inhaler (from a prior illness), plus claritin just in case, and I'm still sludging around and coughing/wheezing all the time. (I still end up fortifying myself and going to hockey, because I need to clear my head and talk to people who aren't nurses, patients, or small children.)

Teammate took some pics of me today, at least until teammate 2 whined that his picture-taking was preventing him from scoring. Unfortunately most of them came out blurry, but there's one. (actually, the play is at the other end of the rink, and I'm just getting up after being pelted.)

Teammate took a few pictures of me at the skate this morning, until Teammate 2 complained that the camera work was interfering with his scoring. (not true: that was me interfering.) Unfortunately I am faster than I thought, because all but one is blurry and/or I am hidden behind someone else. (unfortunately? fortunately?) I had a fantastic glove save on Teammate 2 that produced a fine string of expletives. Teammate said he'll take some more tomorrow. I have to readjust the camera to "simplified for physics professor" mode. The action has moved to the other end of the rink - I am in the process of standing.

I had a great game on Saturday. Felt like nothing could get by me. Teammates liked my new jersey. Hardly noticed that two hours went by. (okay, by the last 10 minutes I was noticing). You would think that, with all that, I could actually manage to overcome my basic terror of asking for things and have my teammates take some pictures of me in net. Maybe even video. I even remembered to bring my camera. But did I ask? No, of course not. Maybe next time. :facepalm:

MassHealth: Renew on time to avoid a gap in coverage! Me: *renews well within the deadline* MassHealth: Okay, you've got your MassHealth, now enroll in a plan! Me: *enrolls* MassHealth: Oh hey so, your plan doesn't go into effect until October 1st, enjoy a month-long gap in all but the most essential coverage.

Went to a local stick practice today and found some kids (okay, fine, 16 - 19 year olds, judging by their team gear and banter) who need to learn some manners when it comes to having an actual goalie. Like, I am not sure why you guys think that three people shooting on me at once is a good idea, or why you feel it necessary to shoot on me when I am turned to clear pucks out of the net (I have a bruise just below my armpit for that, thanks), and honestly I could've rolled with the clappers from the hash-marks if it hadn't been for the first two on top of that. Things got better when they organized themselves into a 4 on 4 scrimmage, as opposed to three pairs all doing their own one-on-ones. Ah well at least I got to skate.

Naturally, the week I get my shiny new jersey (which does not smell like it needs an exorcism, unlike the other two, no matter how many times I wash them) is the week when a) I hurt my hamstring at work and b) everyone is away for the holiday weekend, meaning none of the usual hockey. The picture in no way does it justice. The colors are rich and vibrant (it's sublimated), not much give in the fabric but it fits perfectly over my pads. I had requested a goalie cut, and I think they goofed on that (or my arms are stumpy?), but the sleeves still aren't as long as my other jerseys so I'm okay with that. Hoping to glean some old-fashioned goalie mojo (logo osmosis).

New jersey arrived in the mail today! Hoping to channel some sliver of good goalie mojo.

Found out that this rotten bully of a teacher that I had in 5th grade was fired this year. Finally. (no, this isn't just petty, he was actually very not a good guy, and I am glad he will not be teaching anymore.)

You got this. It'll pay off in the end. Sometimes it's good to take a day off, then start your mind fresh on the review.

Mostly going around, dancing, dangling, deking, being a clever little #%^!!$(*. Mostly it was the same two guys. I think they'd just get in real close, trick me, and then try some other move, and I just wasn't fast enough to go for it. Getting beaten on periodic breakaways is moderately acceptable (i.e. part of the game) but after a dozen or so you want to either lie in the crease like a speedbump, or full-on bodycheck the approaching annoyance shooter. Poke-checking was actually successful once or twice, as they did seem to keep the puck on their stick a long time.

After a dozen or so breakaways (stopping perhaps two of them) I had tried multiple tactics, mostly on the edge of or out of the crease. Occasional poke checking. I'm not dumb enough to stand there like a rock, no. But short of pulling a Hasek speed bump I had tried most reasonable things. They're just faster. I'm not. I'm trying, but after three breakaways from the same guy in less than two minutes I get slightly frustrated.

Despair. I feel like I played terribly, no matter what the pickup folks tell me. Breakaways all over the place. Three in a row from one guy. How can I possibly not stop breakaways? I am looking right at the shooter. No other distractions. Why can't I stop him?

I'm not a firefighter - I work for a private ambulance company. The company does have people, but I actually have a therapist of my own anyway, and I do feel better much better today after hashing it out with him. I know I did the best CPR I could (the medics, my FTO and the ER staff all told me this). Mainly, it's just a new situation that I have no frame of reference for, and I'm trying to take stock of it so I have a context next time I work a code. I am eager to work again (Tuesday), not worried about that.