Back on the Ice

If you can believe this, we have been hitting the ice, and it sure feels good. The summer ice is back, and there was some question as to whether they would even have it, but here it is. They had open stick so I packed up the kids and we went over. N usually likes to do the open sticks in lieu of doing summer hockey camps, and that’s fine with us (saves us loads of money), but A tends not to be so enthused. She’d rather do other things, like stay home and chat with her friends, but I insisted that she come with us. She decided it wouldn’t be the end of the world, but figured she’d try to see if her buddies might join her, but she contacted them too late and couldn’t reach them.

As luck would have it, however, the reason they didn’t answer their phones was because they were all at the ice rink. A was thrilled, so everyone was happy. I think a large part of hockey for A is the social aspect, and who can blame her? She’s at that age. With A all set up with her friends, N and I could focus on hockey, and his friends were there in full force, as well. In fact, you could say that it was a bit over-crowded, since the big kids were on the other end, we only had half the ice to work with, but we made due. When you have ice in July, you can’t complain.

We had a great time, and it felt good to skate again, besides the fact that it was nice and cool inside. After the open stick, my team from last year had a game, and they kept asking me if I could play, not because I can contribute in any meaningful way, but because they were short on bodies. Sometimes you just need someone to stand in the way. I felt bad, and they even said that they were all paid up and I could skate for free. The reality is, it’s not about the money (maybe a little), but more about time. I had the kids with me, and to play hockey means a few hours where I’m not taking care of the yard, the house, or the family. There’s also the issue of making falafels now and then.

Even though games only last an hour, the reality is, it’s a big chunk of time out of the evening, and I’ve just got too much going on. Plus, I’m still trying to jumpstart my glorious freelance writing career.

Oh well, at least there’s winter to look forward to. Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to ABBAS KHORSHIDI for the pic.