badger_14

I've seen players here wear a similar set-up ... usually older guys. I think some brand did make player face cages in a cat-eye style at one point? Jofa? Cooper? Someone here who is more knowledgeable will, I am sure, step up.

Sorry to hear. I hope things start looking up for you soon, man.

My mother finally got a surgery date (ovarian cancer, tumor needs to be evicted). Worried, of course, but glad her doctors think she's healthy enough to give it a shot.

Apologies - I didn't mean to come off as abrupt. I really am impressed with people who can run/jog and for whom this is a useful form of exercise. I wish that I could. :) Good luck and patience.

Nah, man, I salute you for even going near a treadmill. Those things are tools of the devil. I feel your pain though. (Some people are not cut out for jogging. If I'm going to do one joint-ruining activity per week it's going to be hockey. Swimming has helped my endurance a lot.)

EBondo, sorry for your loss. He looks like a sweet cat. It's awful when it's time for them to go.

I bet shipping from Mass. is just about the cost of gas driving across MT to one of those other goalies to buy his old gear! (or try it on)

I'm beginning to think we should re-name this the Goalie Enablers thread... MT, you'd appreciate the craigslist selection down here ... seems like all the absurdly tall people are getting rid of their pads. 35 + 1", 36", 37"...

Thanks. I can't imagine how her mom & dad are feeling. (well, I can, sadly, but still). She was such a lovely dog.

If you get a chance, you should at least try it once or twice. It really does offer a great change of perspective. I think it helps with playing out, too, seeing the strategy from the other side. (and, of course, you gain a whole lot more sympathy for goalies).

Don't you love being able to wear intermediate or junior size equipment? Surprising how much that lops off the end price... Good luck with your skates, Optimus. :)

My job for the past three years has been walking a dog for a local family. Maya was a senior dog when I met her, and the past few weeks she's gotten sick and just ... went downhill. I said goodbye to her today. I'm so grateful I got the chance to hug her again and say, like I did every time I walked her, "Ok, Maya, be a good girl. I love you." But man, stuff like this is never easy.

Heh, yeah, I think about all I've got going for me right now is "get between ball and net". I think I'm getting better though. I can track the ball pretty well and anticipate the players' actions. I was nervous about dropping, for a while, but I've mostly learned hey, I'm wearing big squishy things on my legs, I'll be fine. As it happens, the pads I'm using (other than the blocker) are all ice pads. The C/A is a bit worn and probably won't do much against pucks at this point, but I have an idea of what might fit and what to look for. And the player I'm borrowing them from isn't actually a goalie, so I could probably acquire the pads from him permanently for a nominal sum. I just keep telling myself Badger, no, you don't have a car, taking skater equipment on the T is one thing, taking goalie equipment is liable to make half the greater Boston region hate you.

Oddly I seem to have the opposite problem, I keep trying to throw my body, blocker and/or stick in front of everything that comes at me, and keep forgetting about my glove. It got a bit better last week when I finally got a glove that fit. I definitely need to stop trying to catch and block at the same time, though. I think, anyway. (I just started playing street goal a few weeks ago, borrowing most of the pads, and I am dutifully attempting to resist the pull of playing on ice.)

It's been over four years since I was able to ride the bus (and walk more than a 1/2 mile or so) without some kind of anti-anxiety med, and yet that is exactly what I did today (20 minutes on the bus and 2 miles of walking, roundtrip to my dogwalking job). This has been a really, really good spring.

My apologies, I misread what you wrote. You said that you scrimmage at open ice/stick & puck, right? Would she come and watch a scrimmage session? Getting her to talk to a coach from whatever team or program you want to skate in could help, too. I know I've had a number of chats with new-to-hockey parents who are nervous about safety.

Would your mom be willing to watch you play in a pick-up game for a bit? She might see it's not so bad, that way, if her primary concern is your safety.

The best thing about the kids' games on Sunday was watching two of the stronger skaters on one team deliberately and carefully setting up their less-experienced teammate for (several) goals. The kids are alright.

My buddy sprained his knee/ankle a few weeks ago and since he can't skate/drive, and I can't drive/don't own a car, neither of us is playing, and he's going stir crazy. I at least have the option of (for the late game) taking the train and walking, and a taxi home from the train station, but don't really feel like paying almost $30 to play a game I already paid for in the first place. Cruddy situation for all concerned.

I would feel better about the whole thing if he was just a helicopter parent, and not 'parent who repeatedly violated the rink rules, and proceeded to have an epic tantrum, swearing at coaches and frightening other kids'. : / But I will settle for 'kid gets to play like the kid he is'.

Belligerent parent has been banned from the rinks for the rest of the season. So one less thing to worry about, I guess? While it does feels like a less than satisfactory outcome, his kid still gets to play, and I'm happy about that. :)

My trip out to see my brother & SIL and adorable awesome nephews in Oregon has been rescheduled for mid-March! So excited. No, as long as the weather cooperates on both ends of the country...

I know, it stinks, but number one, I'd really like to see where it goes, and number two, I hope it ends well. (I see it looks like it will. Hooray.)

I probably shouldn't crack wise about that being a sh*tty situation. In seriousness that sucks, I hope it's best-case scenario and reasonably fixable.

I know, I am someone's dogsitter/walker. Like I said: my parents haven't found anyone they'd trust with him. I don't ordinarily mind it (hey, I get the house to myself for a week), and as long as we can find another cheap flight, I'll go later in the spring. There are a variety of reasons why leaving the dog to someone else's care is not practical, feasible, or wise, and I'll leave it at that.