Not To Be Trusted With Knives

Day 4 – Everything Is Opposite #lg4cf

August 29, 2011 by Beth

It seems like everything here in LG4CF Land is the opposite of how things operate in the usual world.

• Usually when one is planning out their meals, they want things that are lower in Calories, low in simple sugars and low in salt. But here, I’m trying desperately to find foods with lots of Calories, plenty of sugar and let’s not forget to have extra salt!
• I have no appetite. Despite the insane number of Calories that I’m burning by playing 8 or 12 hours of hockey per day, I really haven’t wanted to eat. I know I *have* to eat, so I’m forcing myself to, but I’m having to force myself to ((And it’s not because the food isn’t good. It’s great!)) – that never happens in the real world.
• We cheer when one of our own teammates ices the puck… because it means less skating – as no one chases the puck – except the poor refs who have to go and fetch it!
• A three-on-nothing turns into an icing instead of a scoring chance because the players don’t want to skate that far.
• Teammates will tell each other: “Don’t back check. Just float up around the blue line – that’s totally fine.”
• No one is complaining that they aren’t getting enough ice time!
• I’m ashamed to admit it, because it would totally screw my teammates over and I don’t truly want it to happen, but at points yesterday I was wishing that I’d fall and break a wrist or take a slapshot off the skate and break my foot ((I know it would be insane because the pain would be worse than what I’m feeling now and it would last way longer than the rest of this 10-day long game, but your mind plays funny tricks on you when you are sleep-deprived and in pain)).
• I chatted with an opposing player at the face off about staging a fight to get a 10-minute major penalty so we could each get a rest… and we were only half kidding!
• I’m wishing that my vacation was over already ((Since I’m taking vacation time to do this. I love my job and all, but I’ve never wished for vacation to be over before!))!
• Cameras are everywhere, yet I have no make-up on and my hair is a disaster. And I don’t care in the least.

Also of note: after my 8 am to noon session, I went to see a physiotherapist, as the physiotherapy office here at Burnaby 8 Rinks is donating their services to the players. I told Darren, the awesome physiotherapist, that my lower back has been excruciating. He said, “Did you do anything to it?” and I was like, “Um, I’ve been playing hockey for three days.” Anyway, he stretched out some stuff and electrofied some stuff and then taped up my back like this:

And then I went to see Derek the amazing massage therapist, who stretched out more stuff. And now my back is making me want to cry less than it was. So I call that progress!

In other news, I am playing this game with the most amazing women in the whole world. On our morning session today, one of the women on my team gave up all of her breaks over the 4 hours ((Except for one, ‘cuz she was very hungry and needed to eat something)) to another women who was hurting pretty badly. It’s not that this player who gave up her breaks wasn’t hurting too, she just knew that our teammate was hurting a lot and felt she was able to stay on the ice to help our teammate out. That’s the kind of amazing people I’m playing with.

Also, this sign, written by a child with Cystic Fibrosis, is up behind the bench. It’s making all the players cry!

If that doesn’t get you to donate, I don’t know what will!

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