Lost (and found) Red Jacket

Chalk it up to being too busy or just plain scatter-brained, but I left my red jacket up in Montpelier two weeks ago. We had a doubleheader with N’s team, and I left it in the locker room of the second game. This is not the first time this has happened, though I either realize my mistake before leaving, or it’s during practice and close to home. The reason this happens is because I change coats before a game and then change back when I leave the arena.

Life would be simpler if I just wore my coaches jacket in and out, but it’s not that warm, and I feel a little pretentious walking around in a coat that announces to everyone that I’m a coach. I get a sense some guys wear their coaches jackets like badges of honor, but I’m an anomaly in that sense.

Either way, the other parents in the locker rooms usually pick up anything left behind, but not this time. I sent out a mass email asking if anyone had picked it up, and heard several responses from people who saw the coat but were told it was there when we arrived, so they left it. Bummer.

Anyway, since the arena is over an hour away, I wasn’t sure what to do. Was it worth driving up there to get it? I use that coat a lot, and am somewhat attached to it, but replacing it would probably not be that hard. I see coats like it all the time at the Listen Center, it’s pretty generic.

Well, as luck would have it, the next weekend, we had a game in Northfield, which is about 15-20 mins south of Montpelier. I called the rink and the manager said he had it and would leave it hanging in the office. I then had to come up with a plan, and this is how it went: N had a game on Sunday in Northfield, and A had a game in Hanover. A&N also had games on Saturday, and A had a big girl’s bash all day with her team, followed by a sleepover that night at NP’s. I arranged for N to spend the night at CG’s house, whereby he would go with GG to the game in Northfield. I would drive up solo to Montpelier, get my coat, then head down to Northfield to game, work the bench, then take N down to Hanover for A’s game.

I figured I’d get to A’s game late and couldn’t work the bench, but I arrived with 5 mins to spare, so I coached. For the record, they were both good games, with wins for A&N’s teams. I got my coat, the kids had fun, and all is well. Don’t you love when that happens?

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Gene McDaniel for the pic.

Weekend Planning

Once again, please pardon my absence.

We have a busy weekend planned, but what else is new? Although, this weekend we do have a lot going on, and we could have had more, but in my old age, I’ve found that my idea of a good evening is kicking back at home with a movie and a bag of pistachios. You can’t beat it.

We didn’t have homeschool hockey this week, so that opened things up a bit. The kids went to story hour, which they haven’t been to in months and it was nice to see our old friends, who were all surprised to see us because they never see us. There was a Dartmouth Men’s Hockey game but we opted out because it meant a late night and we had the kid’s hockey games to attend.

Now A also had a sleepover birthday to attend, which N wasn’t invited to because they’re at that age where they want to do girl things that don’t include boys. I completely understand, but I still feel bad for N, who kind of gets left out. He just doesn’t have the social calendar that his sister has. Now this is where things get sort of interesting.

On Saturday the kids had a game against each other, and then the girls were spending the day together and then going to the high school hockey game that night. At the game, I was going to pick up A and take her over to the sleepover party. Meanwhile, N went home with his buddy, CG, with whom he was having a sleepover. The reason this worked out was because they had a game the next morning in Northfield (about an hour north) and N was hitching a ride with them. I was going to meet them up there but beforehand had to drive to Montpelier (about 20 mins from Northfield) to retrieve my jacket, which I had foolishly left at the ice rink last weekend. Talk about stupid. On a bright note, when I called the arena, the rink manager said he had it and would leave it in the office for me. Good vibes on that one.

Anyway, the weekend took a bit of juggling, and it’s not even over. I’m going to one game, then I have to transport us to the other game later in the day, and then it’s finally over. Then again, it’s never really over, is it?

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Tomie Kourai Aminoacido for the pic.

Please Excuse Me...

Sorry about my absence, trying to get it together on this end. I’ve been writing more on the money end and making some progress, but it’s still slow going when you have to stop to make breakfast, lunch, and a casserole for dinner. Nonetheless, progress is being made.

We’ve been busy on the hockey front, even though the season is winding down, if you can believe it. I can’t. We are probably over 2/3 done, and this next month will get a little crazy.

We actually got some skiing done, and our timing was good because the snow was decent and the next two days it rained incessantly, which is a complete bummer. Oh well, that’s life in New England.

All in all, not much to complain about but I’m sure I’ll find a way. Until then, thanks for reading.

Arena Party

The day before we embarked on our big Canadian adventure there was a big soiree at the arena marking the 10^th anniversary. They were offering free food and skating (say no more!), so naturally we were going to check it out. Plus, now that we’re hockey obsessed, it’s not often that we skate just for the fun of it. The kids enjoy it mainly when other kids are around and they can get crazy and show off, and even I get weary of just going in circles. I need to be more Zen about it, don’t I?

The party was on a Friday night, so getting people to come was going to be a bit of a challenge. They advertised it and I sent out some messages, and in the end, the crowd was pretty good. We saw lots of people we knew, and there was a huge contingent of hockey players, many of whom are in the teenage boy/girl range, so there was a surplus of energy trying to impress each other out there.

A and N got to hang with their hockey buddies and skate their hearts out, and R and I got to get free pizza and do some leisurely skating, which is not something we do very often. It was fun, and they had some cake and a good time was had by all. Best of all, I didn’t have to cook supper. Say no more.

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Choo Yut Shing for the pic.

Getting it Done

I really wavered on this one, but in the end, I buckled down and just did it. Like everything in life, I sure am glad I did, because it’s better to get it done rather than ruminate and torture yourself over something. I should know, I spent my whole life doing it (or rather, not doing it).

We took a big trip last week up to Quebec, and we drove the blue Fit. It was due for an oil change and there were three options. I could change the oil beforehand, but this meant dealing with it. I could change the oil afterward, which meant putting it off and dealing with it later (my favorite option), or I could have waited until we returned and taken it to our mechanic, which is the easiest but most expensive option.

We left for Canada on a Sunday, and on Thu the weather was cold and there was snow all over, but it was at least sunny. I figured it was now or never, and changing oil isn’t that hard and takes about 40 minutes. It’s just hard to motivate, especially when the ground is covered in snow.

I had the oil and the filter, and changing it myself saves me about $30, which when you’re broke is a fortune. Plus, the manufacturer recommends changing the oil every 7000 miles, and I tend to do it every 3500. I’m just hung up on the 3000 mile thing that we all grew up with.

Now I’d been told by the Amazing PR Man that you don’t want to change your oil right before a big trip because if something goes wrong, it’s tough when you’re far from home. I figured if I changed it on Thu, I had all day Friday and Saturday to make sure things were okay. We headed up to Canada on Sunday.

So I went for it. I warmed up the car, jacked it up, drained the old and added the new, and changed the filter. As much as it’s a pain, I find it satisfying doing it myself. It makes me feel like a real man... in training. Plus our trip went fine with no problems, and since we’ve been back, it’s been either snowing, dangerously frigid, or raining, which makes changing the oil a challenge.

As usual, I sure am glad I just did it and got it done. Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Susanne Manley for the pic.

Cruising Into 2014, part 1

Happy new year to everyone. We had a nice one, and for the first time as a family we partied it up. I used to go to parties all the time on New Year’s Eve, 99% of which were a disappointment. I’m just not that into parties, and the ones I have enjoyed were ones I hosted, though it was usually not my idea. Otherwise, I’m all for a quiet night at home.

Since we haven’t done much traveling, R wanted to have a few days off, and it worked out beautifully having a hockey game in Burlington. We spent the night prior to the game in Burlington, then after the game drove over the border and into Quebec. It was a bit of a trek, and since we got a late start, we were driving in the dark, which made conditions less than optimal. In fact, they were downright daunting, with gale force winds, poor visibility, and slick and icy roads. The locals up in Canada seemed unfazed by the conditions and drove amazingly fast, so much so that a few of them ended up on the side of the road.

I was glad to arrive at our hotel, and that night we ventured out into the old section, where we were going to spend New Year’s Eve. The hotel itself was actually really nice for a Holiday Inn (Express, no less). Now I’m biased in favor of the Euro experience, but I do think when you get out of the U.S., the low budget motels/hotels still have a little more style and panache than what you get here. One of the most obvious is the breakfast, one of my favorite aspects of staying in a hotel, and that alone can make or break an experience for me. The Holiday Inn in Quebec had a simple breakfast, but it was nicer than what you usually get, with more choices and less of the pre-fab, synthetic stuff. I could be deluding myself, it’s been known to happen, but I liked it better.

After breakfast, with the sun shining and balmy weather hovering around 5 degrees, we decided to explore. The first thing I noticed about Quebec is that it’s a really cool town, so very Euro, and they speak French. There is a strong nationalist spirit in this part of Canada, and you can feel it. I think most of them can speak English but they won’t go out of their way to accomodate you. Don’t get me wrong, they were very friendly, and we had no problems, but for the most part, they size you up and realize you’re not from around there.

The first day after our arrival, the storm seemed to have passed and it was sunny and beautiful. In fact, you wouldn’t have even had a sense of how cold it was outside, but you became painfully aware of that fact the minute you walked outside. It’s really the wind that kills you. We were, however, pretty well prepared for the cold, which meant snow pants, snow boots, and many layers. I have to say, we did okay, but even when you’re bundled up, standing around in -10 wind chill will get to anyone. I couldn’t believe some of the stylish people walking around in form fitting pants and nice shoes. Being fashionable sure comes at a price.

We checked out the local ice rink and we were tempted to go for a skate. We’d even brought hockey sticks if the occasion allowed for it, but this never came to pass. We did do a fair amount of skating, however, but later in our trip. We headed back over to the old section because that seemed to be where everything was happening.

There is a big park near the old section that was really nice, I think it’s called the “something” of Abraham. I can’t recall, but it was huge, and they had these amazing groomed XC-ski trails and a beautiful skating loop. The park is just outside the walls of the city, and we had a lot of fun. The kids just got a huge kick out of playing in the snow, and there was plenty of that. Some of the snow drifts were over 10 feet high, I kid you not.

After some fun in the snow, we looked for some food and piled back into our car and searched for our next hotel, the Saint Pierre, which is right on the edge of the old town. It’s a beautiful hotel, again so very Euro and stylish, but most importantly, they had a wonderful breakfast that came with the room. Say no more.

More on our trip later. Until then, thanks for reading, and thanks to Sofica for the pic.

Injury Report

As if I needed something else to whine about, I have to go and injure my finger. Not just any injury, mind you, but a deep infection, I learned. It even has a name, paronychia. I’d never heard of it before, but I’m too familiar with injuring my fingers. In the winter time, and having worked in the lab, I’m all too familiar with dry cracked skin, especially on the tips of my fingers. JR can relate to my pain and suffering, we’re fellow cooks/dishwashers. Now most guys don’t make a big deal about a little cut or hang-nail, but the ones I get are amazing painful.

I try to avoid it by using lotion or Vaseline, or even Chapstick on the skin, but no matter how diligent you are, dry skin catches up to you. I’ve found what aggravates the situation is coaching youth hockey and having to tie the kids’ skates, which are wet, moldy and disgusting. In fact, I’m convinced that’s where I got this infection. Since I’m familiar with these cuts happening, I didn’t think much of it at first, I just applied the grease and waited for it to abate, but abate it did not. In fact, it really started to hurt. Not just some small stinging sensation, but at some point it really started to throb, so much so that it profoundly affected my quality of life. I couldn’t sleep, it hurt so bad.

A hematoma also formed, which made me think perhaps I’d injured it through trauma, but for the life of me, I couldn’t recall hitting it on anything. These sort of things happen all the time in hockey, but again, I couldn’t remember, even in light of the fact that I’m getting old and my brain is falling apart. The problem with this sort of injury is that it affects a part of your body that is used constantly, and usually without much thought. Normally when you open a door or pick something up, you lead with your fingers, and when they make contact, your hand goes into action. This becomes complicated when your finger is killing you, because even the slightest contact hurts like crazy. I know, I’m being a big baby, but you should be used to that by now.

At some point the bruise started to spread, and the pain wasn’t going away. R and the kids were fed up with my whining, so I went to see the doctor, who told me I had an infection and prescribed antibiotics. Same old song and dance. I didn’t want to take antibiotics, but I also wanted to preserve my finger, which I’ve grown quite fond of. I figured I’d wait a day and see what happened, but the pain was intolerable, so I went on them. I also tried to relieve some of the pressure (my finger was like a sausage) by lancing the tip with a needle, which was brutal. I failed because the pressure was deeper than I was man enough to bury the needle.

Within a day or so, my finger actually did start to drain. It was completely disgusting and the kids were totally grossed out, but it sure did feel better. My finger is ugly, no doubt, but I can move it, and best of all, there’s no pain, sort of. It still hurts on contact, but nothing like before.

Was it the antibiotics, or just the natural course of healing? Hard to say, but I guess I’m glad it’s over, because pain is not a fun thing, even if it’s something as little as a finger. Hopefully my Mentor isn’t judging me too harshly.

Happy new year and thanks for reading, and thanks to Vicious Bits for the pic.