After the game last night I wasn't late in getting to bed but unfortunately still managed to awaken a couple hours before dawn. Resigned to the fact that this would necessitate a mid morning nap so I'd have the promised energy to go ice skating with B, and that therefore I wouldn't be able to get a mid morning inline puck'n'skate session in, I instead watch a recording of the second NHL game of the current Western Conference Final series and then had my nap.
Waking up again late in the morning, it wasn't long and B and I had had some watermelon (wonder sports food) and were down at the Ice Arena. First thing on the agenda was to get a lace tightening tool for him so he can be responsible for putting on his own skates nice and tight (it's tough enough on forty plus year old fingers, let alone for those under ten (just)). And then, out on the ice for an hour and a half of moderately crowded public skating time.
As seems to be the pattern these days, I didn't really try to push any particular agenda too hard, tending just to enjoy watching other skaters, cruising to the music, and continually doing simple and single 'moves' as I just took my time. As the ice began to empty over the last half hour I picked up the pace for a few laps, and became more flamboyant in the techniques which had gained most of my attention earlier. Namely, 'grapevining' backwards/forwards (which is, the way I do it, good practice drill for undercutting outside edges), backwards to forwards transitions, combined with a preceding forwards to backwards on the same foot along the boards on later runs, and the previously mentioned combination of inside edge C cuts and outside undercut, crossed over from standing or pivoting start, forwards and backwards. Seem to be on top of them all (famous last words).
We left as the Old Timers were turning up for their games later that afternoon/evening.
Quick trip home and a bit of 'down time' while we heated up some food and got some energy back into ourselves, before a trip to the North East suburbs to check out some protective gear which B's Uncle Shaun had spotted being advertised for sale second hand on the web the night before. He'd emailed for pictures, had forwarded them to my missus who had then emailed the lady. Eventually I had given her a ring to organise an inspection of the gear and had sadly had to disappoint her that both the guy she'd mailed pictures to and the lady she'd emailed had both been connected to my call (ie not as much interest as she'd thought). Lol.
Anyway, cutting a long story short, we rocked up bang on 5 pm and were testing the fitting on quite a few items of equipment on B in the dusk. Turned out that would be able to get practically everything he'll need except for hockey pants and socks (Vince's son is apparently a bit taller in the legs than B). I made an offer, and then this guy invited me to make an offer for the whole collection. Which I did. And that was the final agreed price. After a down payment, to collect later in the week, we departed for the lengthy trip home discussing the ins and outs of off-ice practice and the value of inline for stick'n'puck'thinking training, the theoretical milestones that would be needed for an Adelaide boy to play NHL (I thought, club-state-national-scholarship-tryout if you're good enough would be the route) and so on and so forth.
I think what we ended up purchasing were two caged helmets (both Itec, white and yellow), throat guard (Bauer), three sets of shoulder pads (CCM and two Bauer), elbow pads (Bauer), two sets of gloves (Itech), hockey pants (CCM), shin pads (Itech), hockey shorts (like boxershorts with a protector in them), three sets of green and gold hockey socks, a black practice sweater and a Bauer kit bag complete with shoulder strap. Some of it is hardly used, all has been well looked after $350. Seemed fair all round.
After finally dropping B off home and then heading home myself, I could only think that I had been a very useful engine and it had been a very busy day.
All good.
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