My undergraduate thesis is due in two days.
I played hockey growing up. In the small city I’m from hockey is huge. One block west of my childhood home exists two outdoor rinks. One and a half blocks to the east are another two rinks. In Thunder Bay, outdoor (and indoor) hockey rinks are everywhere, and they are always in use. Before coming to London and exploring a few other cities a little, it was my misconception that this was the norm for Canada. At the NHL level Thunder Bay is probably over represented. Currently, Steve Rucchin, Anaheim’s captain is probably the most recognizable player. There are quite a few other less renown players too.
With the exception of one year, I didn’t play at the elite level, I played tier-two. Still, I was pretty good. I was one of only a handful of kids who attended hockey camp during the summers and as a result I probably developed more skill. I was always one of the best skaters on my team. I enjoyed playing the most during my first few years as a center, lots of fun and freedom. It got less fun when a coach converted me into a defenseman. Defenseman rarely score. Playing defense slowly and surely soured my love for league play. I didn’t complain much though. My reward was three consecutive “Most Sportsman Like Player” awards. At the NHL level that trophy is named the Lady Bing. You can’t really brag about perennially winning the Lady Bing.
I was undersized. (My dad was a short kid who grew a huge amount during late high school to a respectable 5’11. I followed a similar pattern, only making it to 5’10 though. I blame it on my horrible high school eating patterns.) Anyway, small is not good for defensemen. Height isn’t critical in hockey like in basketball but it helps with leverage. The few times I attempted to stand someone up at the blue line, I would usually just get run over.
In grade eight my defense partner was a huge overdeveloped gorilla man-child. A huge kid. He must have been close to six feet and 250 pounds. A total monster. He was slow as molasses too, the worst skater in existence. I remember how hilarious it was when he moved to hit someone, his target would cower in fear as this giant mass of humanity approached, but he took so long to actually get there and had so little momentum the hit was always so weak and pathetic. The coach’s logic of pairing me with him was that I could skate and would be able to get back quickly to cover for his fat lumbering ass. His not so secret weapon was an absolutely booming shot. So whenever I took a point shot (admittedly not my strong point) everyone would get pissed and chastise me because they wanted the monster taking all the shots. That was it, I wasn’t having fun any more. I quit in grade nine.
So I didn’t play for a year. I still played outdoor pickup games for fun though. In grade eleven I was somehow coerced into becoming an organizer for unofficial, unauthorized games. I would collect ten to fifteen dollars from 10 to 20 kids and then would rent ice for an hour at one of the city arenas. Any profit was gladly given to me for this task and dealing with the rink rats. Those informal high school games were a lot of fun. I haven’t played at all since coming to university, just a few sporadic recreational skates. Maybe if I find myself in a somewhat stable position this fall, I’ll look into finding a beer league to join. And I’m not playing defense.
The Ancient Undergrad 
i didn’t know undergrads had to turn in theses??
i haven’t ice skated in ages! the bf is still incredulous to the fact that there’s a physical activity that i can do that he can’t.
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i love hockey. i am a mild-mannered, peace-loving kinda gal, but take me to a hockey game and i cheer any slam into the glass that comes along. i mean, come on! people hit each other with large sticks! you gotta love it. you should definately take that up again. the girls will come running. (the cool ones anyways. the ones that drink beer and laugh too loud, and have dorky websites talking about indie rock and stuff like that).yeah i didn’t get the movie reference (i can’t believe those words just came out of my mouth!). i cant say i’m a huge superman fan. sure, in a fight superman would beat up batman. but batman is still better. in my opinion. which is correct.
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Gotta WUV Hockey!! Yes, I think one of my fave hockey player of all time would have to be Ty Domi. Oh, this instigator practically has no more teeth left but yet he manages to play well. Hmm.
I love all sports, well actually scratch that.. I hate Golf & Tennis. Sorry but don’t understand their scoring system and their techniques. But give me Hockey, Football, Basketball & Baseball.. I promise I will scream like I was at a bar watching the sports. Oh baby… especially when Pittsburgh Steelers are on… I WUV, WUV Football. Oh YES I DO!!! (Next year.. the Steelers are going to kill the Pats!!!!)
Great topic.. love talking sports with ya and your fellow readers!!!
(Btw,
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Gotta WUV Hockey!! Yes, I think one of my fave hockey player of all time would have to be Ty Domi. Oh, this instigator practically has no more teeth left but yet he manages to play well. Hmm.
I love all sports, well actually scratch that.. I hate Golf & Tennis. Sorry but don’t understand their scoring system and their techniques. But give me Hockey, Football, Basketball & Baseball.. I promise I will scream like I was at a bar watching the sports. Oh baby… especially when Pittsburgh Steelers are on… I WUV, WUV Football. Oh YES I DO!!! (Next year.. the Steelers are going to kill the Pats!!!!)
Great topic.. love talking sports with ya and your fellow readers!!!
(Btw, I
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Grrr.. sorry about the double posting.
Btw, I couldn’t bare to watch your esthecian waxing that dude’s thingamajings.
once again, I apologize for the double posts
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Congratulations on winning the “Lady Bing” aware three years running. There surely must be few who can boast of such a thing.
Isn’t it lovely to remember all the fun, pleasurable, innocent things we used to do as children, for which we now have no time? Kids play hard, live hard, sleep hard. We drag through our days in a mixture of caffeine-induced euphoric frenzy, and utter depressed exhaustion. We live to make good grades so we can graduate so we can.. fulfill our life’s goals? find a purpose in life? Or just get a good job which we hate and make lots of lovely money so we can marry good spouses and support them and buy SUVS and have 2.3 kids and a dog and then pay for the kids’ tuition so they can grow up and get good jobs and pay for our nursing home and before we know it we’re dead, and we spent 76 years doing nothing that mattered?
I hope you get your thesis done on time, and that you are proud of it. But even more, I hope you play hockey.
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I may not be able to stand on skates well, but I still could beat you at Sega hockey!!!I was always sour as a child because girls weren’t ‘allowed’ to play hockey. Meaning, my parents really wanted me to be a girly-girl but I liked hockey! I’d play street hockey with the boys, but that was the extent of my playing. Roenick was once my fav and then Sundin. Now I live in a place where it’s all basketball and NASCAR. *BARF!*RYC: Your theory intrigues me. Why do you believe that JKR doesn’t write her books? 115 days until the new book!
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I love hockey. The only sport I will pay for tickets to go and watch live. I’m from Denver (stuck in Chicago at the moment, unfortunately) and my dad used to take me to Avs games. Canada owns the US when it comes to hockey, of course. I can’t even ice skate–I hang onto the edges of the rink for dear life, with my kness bending and ankles smarting with pain, then attempt to get out in the ring to unsteadily go about a yard and then fall on my ass. I still try it once every few years anyway.
So, are you going to use your powers for good, or for awesome? I say get out here and join that league if you at all can. You won’t regret it.
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what’s that movie where the cement roller keeps coming, and the guy keeps shouting, “noooooooo”, but ti’s really very far away. oh, wait, that’s Austin Powers. That’s what this reminded me of.
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woah 2 days.. how come your writing entries…
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You’re listening to Mike and the Mechanics??? Is all you need REALLY a Miracle??? …oh wait you listed that as your track. I’m not being impressive by remembering the name of their one hit. Or did they have that one other about the lead singer missing his dad? Can’t remember. Ditto on you friend the chicken leg’s “whoah two days.” I’m in the same boat…deadlines looming and blogging anyway…this stupid Xanga is officially addictive. Like the hockey story. When you’re done with your thesis, tell us what it was on!
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Oops, I meant to say that I liked the hockey story…not that the hockey story was addictive.
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lol yeah i thouroughly enjoyed watching that guy wax some other guys balls. that was really funny and looked extremely painful. having no balls, i wouldn’t know, but i can imagine. seems like a nice guy though. the waxer i mean.
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Good post But stop writing here… you have two days!!!
Looking forward to hearing out it all works out. It always does.
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i’m not much of a sports afficionado, but i enjoyed reading your autobiographical hockey-history. your geographical background differs so greatly from mine (in the southeastern u.s) that it was almost like reading the ethnography of some exotic culture.
i’m glad you can appreciate that zwan album too. i’ve listened to it countless times. i think it’s one of the best albums to come out in the past 5 yrs. it does suck that they abandoned ship not long after that album’s release. sad but true, is the fact that i had a free ticket to see them early may 2003. they were playing the music midtown fest, here in atlanta, which always lands at precisely the same time i’m struggling through finals. i really wanted to go (gomez was opening for them), it would’ve been awesome but i forfeited the show b/c i needed to study. i consoled myself by saying “they’ll be around again, i’ll catch them then.” we both know that didn’t work out as expected.
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Good Friday and the I’m the only one in the computer lab. Everythings on campus is closed all week end. I just had the most disgusting vending machine breakfast ever. $3.50 for a huge cookie with a whopping 550 calories, augmented with a giant Coffee Crisp. Even the grad club isn’t open. I feel sick with chocolate and preservatives. Maybe I’ll get some eggs for tomorrow morning later. And a haircut at the Gentlemens Barber. The ladies do a good job there. Dance techno and an obscenely sized coffee is making me feel better. I played Ms. Pacman all fucking day yesterday. I already wrote a post about it that i’m unleashing at midnight. haha.It’s most fortuitous that hockey was cancelled this year. It isn’t coincidence that the NHL playoffs are in April and my final exam marks are traditionally bad.In high school, as a part time job I refereed too. Hmm, I should put that on my resume.I feel like an ass for making fun of that Green Beret song.
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