Quick hits: Two doses of hockey

My awe at just how amazing hockey has been for me never ceases. Let me just say that the Wild organization has the two best "primary" beat writers in either league in Mike Russo and Andrew Ferraro.

You won't meet two guys who are more in tune with their team, have better relationships throughout the leagues, and are extremely generous with their time and passion for the game with fans and peers and really pretty much anyone who asks.

And to get to learn from them and watch them work is really something I never anticipated, but the advice and support have been phenomenal and unexpected, and therefore, that much more appreciated.

Got to finally meet Russo tonight, which was awesome. He was there with a large contingent of Wild folks, including Wild GM Chuck Fletcher (who always is younger-looking than I expect). Used to be, when Risebrough was in town, the boys would just crater and not just lose, but lose in the most miserable fashion.

But not tonight. So as much as I'd like to thump every last one of those guys between the eyes for not giving Brusty a chance, it's nice that either they didn't assert the same voodoo as the old regime did when they were in town... or maybe Abbotsford is really just that bad. (Actually, I think Abby really is that bad.)

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Anyway, I had to bail early to get to Sugar Land for drop-in. It was a fun night and there were more good players than usual, so I got lit up like a christmas tree. But I love that kind of challenge and I made some killer stops. My defense was amazing at times and more of a solution than the problem at times, but then, so was I, so I guess that's just how it goes. :)

Definitely one of those, "FUCK I LOVE BEING A GOALIE!" nights.

I was not hydrated enough though, so I got fuzzy headed later in the game. Literally, an opponent was 6 feet away from the side of my net and I went, "Oh! The puck's here!" Shit, girl. Wake up!

Snikpip came out to get a little hockey fix and took a good bit of video of me, which I'm terrified and excited to watch. He showed me a little bit of it, a no-goal that everyone thought went in. Suckahs!

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Okay, I get to hit the road at 5:30 to drive to Austin for work. It's a 2-day-long brainstorming session. Gonna bail early on Wednesday so I can get back for the Aeros game Wednesday night. Best make good time as there are eleventybajillion scouts in Texas right now and they have no problem just taking your seat and apologizing "sweetheart" later.

Though the one next to me (very close because we were crammed in like sardines) tonight says, "No snuggling!" and I said, "Awwww, come on! You're no fun!" :) Scouts are a funny lot. I'd love to just hang out with one for a while and understand how they work. I take furtive glances at their notes but none of makes sense to me, which makes me all the more curious.

Time to throw the laundry in the dryer and sleep. Not only did the hockey gods bless me with a fun game tonight, they made my Funyuns extra Funyuny. I think that means they love me. But then I think about how I've got a really sore oblique muscle, and a huge lump of a bruise on my inner thigh, and a crampy calf and I realize... maybe they're just helping me limp along. :) That's okay too. I'll take help where I can get it.

I love this song. Feeling far away from loved ones lately. Mr. C, my best friends, my parents. Feels like a good one.