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Survived

I survived my doozy of a Monday. It took forever to end as falling asleep was damn near impossible. In fact, I didn’t fall asleep until well after midnight. The good news is that once I finally fell asleep, I slept really well. In fact, I even got up in time for work today. What a feat! Actually, I got up early enough to go grab my own coffee before starting my work day.

Monday may have been an absolute drag, but the weekend was pretty fantastic. Friday night we ordered Sushi Yama for Goalielocks last dinner before heading back to school. As always, it was amazing. We really enjoy their crispy rice appetizer. The rice is so good and the tuna it’s topped with is delish. Naturally, the boys also enjoyed their usual helping of fried rice and chicken katsu. We ended out night by watching Messi and InterMiami.

Naturally, Goalielocks was packing most of Friday night and Saturday before leaving Saturday afternoon. Of course, he left the loft looking like a bomb of water bottles and text books had gone off, so that was nice. Hubby ended up cleaning up his mess Sunday while the Mayor and I ran errands. After Goalielocks left, we headed to our friends for a hockey family BBQ. It was hot as hell, but thankfully they had a gorgeous pool with some nice shade.

The BBQ was a last hurrah for our boys before they all head their separate ways for hockey. The Mayor is moving to Ft Myers to play junior. His Goalie is staying local, but also making the leap of juniors. R is heading north to Canada for a hockey academy. While B is heading to New Hampshire for some AAA U16 action. It’s crazy to see their youth hockey careers coming to an end. The Mayor was a mite for what at least a decade and now he’s playing juniors. It’s all just a bit overwhelming.

Sunday the Mayor and I went suit shopping. The Eels where suits to and from their games, so he needed to pick up some more dress clothes. Jos A. Bank had an amazing sale going, so I got him two new suits for $300. Prior to suit shopping, we also ventured into WalMart, while I charged the rental. I enjoyed driving the Polestar in Boston once it was reconfigured, so I wanted to see how the Hubby liked it. This time Hertz included a guide outlining the difference in using an EV versus traditional car, which makes renting an EV much less of a pain.

What brings you peace?

My dogs bring me peace. There’s something so innocent and pure in the way our dogs love us and our families. Their loving kindness brings me peace even during life’s toughest hours. Working out is an activity that brings me peace. It’s also acrucial part to staying both physically and mentally healthy.

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Back Home

We made it back home from Boston last night. Fortunately, the trip was completely uneventful and smooth sailing. The extent of our travel troubles was me missing my turn at the rental return center and the Mayor’s meltdown over food in the Sky Club. In his opinion, the food there sucks. In fact, it didn’t but he was happy to eat his Sbarro. Meanwhile, I enjoyed the locally curated food including one last bowl of clam chowder and a cannoli.

I ordered pizza on the way home as there was no way my ass was cooking dinner last night. It would have been nice to have a home-cooked meal after eating out the last five days, but whatever. Nonetheless, I was happy to be home and reunited with the puppies. Unfortunately, my sweet Athena is not looking too good. I keep hoping against hope that she’ll miraculously recover. I really can’t imagine our house without her.

The change in climate from Boston to South Florida was brutal. Our weather throughout the trip was quite comfortable. There was one evening of storms, but those hit after we had made it back to the hotel for the night. In contrast, South Florida continues to be unseasonably hot and humid. I noticed when we got home that our house was pretty hot. Apparently, the AC was not working so well. I’m not sure when it stopped working, but nobody seemed to notice until I said something. Fortunately, the hubby was able to get it working, so we could sleep comfortably.

It’s good to be home, but the trip to Boston was great. I’d be happy to never have to drive in that city again, but I did enjoy exploring it on foot. It was a great trip to connect with the Mayor’s new team and to connect with my dear friend Jenny. I can’t believe that we ended up in the same city on the same weekend. It was such a blessing to be able to see her for dinner. Now that we’re back home, it’s back to reality which includes work and eating healthy again. The splurge on tasty food in Boston was fun, but I’m ready to get back on the wagon.

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Ready to Go

We’re packed up and ready to go. This morning the Mayor went out and picked up Athena’s favorite donuts from Publix, so she’ll have plenty to munch on while we’ll we’re gone. I’m hopeful our flight will be on time today and Sunday. The airports in the northeast have been an absolute disaster this summer. We get in pretty late, which is an absolute bummer since he plays tomorrow morning at 7:00 am. Tomorrow morning is going to be an early start.

While in Boston, I’ll try to post as often as I can. Hopefully, the weather will hold out, so we can go whale watching. I saw a whale when I was in Puerto Vallarta, but it was from a great distance. I would love to see one up close. Albeit, not too close. I’m looking forward to taking time to explore the city with my Mayor. Additionally, it will just be nice to hang out with him since he’s moving out next month. Needless to say, I’m excited to see how he does at the next level of hockey. We’re ready to go, so stay tuned.

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Superstitious

Yesterday’s prompt asked if I’m superstitious, but I didn’t notice the prompt until after I had already finished my blog about our torturous allergy season here. The answer is that I am absolutely superstitious. It comes along with the hockey mom and hockey culture. Show me a hockey mom that’s not superstitious and I’ll show you snow in Miami (real meteorological snow, not the stuff referenced in Miami Vice.)

Are you superstitious?

So let me recount some of the superstitious ridiculousness that comes with being a hockey mom and/or player

  • Thou shall not utter the word shutout until the final buzzer has sounded. If you utter it before, it will be your fault when the goalie gives up a goal. This is one of the cardinal rules of being a goalie parent.
  • I wore this jacket and they won; ergo, I must wear this jacket to all future games, so the trend can continue. God forbid we wear another jacket and they lose, oh the regret that would spark.
  • Pregame rituals: for me, it was always grabbing a coffee before game time. Each player and parent has their own pregame routine.
  • Always tell my player or goalie good luck and have fun before they hit the ice
  • The goalie hits the goalposts in a certain order before every face-off.
  • The playoff beard. No shaving for the guys until they’ve won or been knocked out of the playoffs
  • Favorite shirt or piece of equipment. This item will be repaired until it can’t be repaired anymore because the player has to wear it.
  • Not washing equipment during the season. This one is a killer. You’d only have to walk near my garage during the season to know why.
  • The taping of the stick. Every player has a ritual for when and how they tape their stick before a game.
  • Pregame meal or drink (i.e Celsius.). We’ve definitely hit some gas stations before games to make sure they had their Celsius in hand.

What are some of your superstitions? Hockey folks, did I miss any?


Today’s accountability tracker:

  • Workout: 45-minute spin class, plus 15-minute cooldown courtesy of Apple Fitness+
  • Book: I finished Marcel Proust’s Finding Lost Time last time. Five years and seven volumes later, I’ve completed his masterpiece. Tonight I’m starting Mary Queen of Scots and the Murder of Lord Darnley by Alison Weir.
  • Word of the day is chiton. A chiton is a mollusk often found in tide pools.
  • Blog: done
  • Today’s song is Outta Our Heads by Dropkick Murphy’s
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Player of the Game

The Mayor was the Florida Panther’s player of the game last night. The Florida Panthers Scholastic Hockey League (FPHSL) chose him for the honor last weekend. They provided a number of questions for him to answer for the feature. His first answer to why you love hockey was “hookers and blow,” but obviously that response didn’t make the Final Cut. (In case you’re curious, there’s actually a book on Amazon called Hookers and Blow Save Christmas.)

We’re quite proud of our player of the game. Meanwhile, he was a bit embarrassed and asked me not to post the picture on Instagram. To everyone that texted, messaged, or hit me up on social media last night, thank you. I loved hearing from so many people that have been on this hockey journey with us. You guys have made our hockey experience incredible. At any rate, it was a nice way to cap off hockey season. Although it did keep me up way past my bedtime.

Prior to the Panthers game, I was calling all my previous PurpleStride team captains that haven’t registered. It was all part of our national registration day. Fortunately, it was a success. Our efforts yesterday have paid dividends and will continue to do so as the week progresses. Honestly, we have the best working group ever. I love being a part of our PanCan affiliate. We have the best volunteer group in the world. If you or your teen is looking for service hours in the South Florida area, please let me know.

Today’s accountability tracker:

  • Workout: 45-minute spin class, plus 15-minute cooldown courtesy of Apple Fitness
  • Book: Book: Marcel Proust’s  Finding Lost Time. 
  • Blog: done
  • Word of the day: exoskeleton. As in I heard the spider’s exoskeleton crunch as I stepped on it.
  • Today’s song is Sweetness by Jimmy Eat World
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All-Star Game

Last night was the Mayor’s All-Star game for high school hockey. The teams were divided by north and south. Unfortunately, for the Mayor and the north team, the south side was victorious. Nevertheless, it was a fun evening of hockey. He got to play again with some previous teammates and some other friends, which made it great.

Photos courtesy of Elizabeth, Sara and Erica

As for us parents, we enjoyed the all-star game from the comfort of the bar. Well, everyone less my hubby. He was asked to coach the game, so he was on the bench with the Mayor and the north team. The all-star is one of those games where the coaches just roll the lines, or at least they should, and manage the bench. Really, I think they were there to look pretty and prevent mayhem from breaking out. I’m sure the hubby wouldn’t have minded being disqualified from coaching, so he could watch the game from the bar with the rest of us.

Some action from high school courtesy of Pam!

The hardest part of the All-Star game was the incredibly late evening. We didn’t make it home til well after 10:30 pm. Consequently, I didn’t make it to bed until after 11:00 pm, which is significantly after my school night bedtime. Nonetheless, I still managed to read a good 10-15 pages of Proust. It’s not an easy read when your awake, so it was definitely a challenge to read while sleepy last night. Also, I turn into a bugbear if I don’t get adequate sleep.

Today’s accountability tracker:

  • Workout: 45-minute spin class, plus 15-minute cooldown courtesy of Apple Fitness
  • Book: Book: Marcel Proust’s  Finding Lost Time. 
  • Blog: done
  • Today’s song is All Star by Smash Mouth

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First Weekend Off

It was our first weekend off since hockey ended. I thought my liver would recover nicely now that hockey season was over. As it happens, this proved to be an entirely false hypothesis. It all started Saturday afternoon in our driveway with the neighbors. The boys were watching glue dry (literally) and the wives joined them to enjoy some drinks. Before you knew it, we ended up heading to a restaurant with the guys in hard hats and high-visibility vests.

Sunday we headed to brunch with my friend Scott. He and I worked together at Progressive many moons ago. In fact, he first met me when I was pregnant with Zachary. We met at JB’s on the beach in Deerfield Beach. It’s an awesome place, but the whole rigmarole of traffic was too much. Deerfield Beach is one of those places you need to get to extremely early if you don’t like traffic. Nevertheless, the view, the food, and the company made suffering through traffic worth it. Our first weekend off of hockey was a smashing good time.

I crashed, however, as soon as we got home thanks to the mimosas. Fortunately, I woke up in time to see Kaprizov score a hat-trick and steal the game from Columbus. The kid is incredible. Speaking of hockey, we didn’t fully take the weekend off from hockey. The Mayor started lessons with Coach Joni early Saturday morning. Joni is an incredible skating coach, so I’m excited to see the process the Mayor makes under his tutelage. They’ll be working together weekly. Tonight the Mayor will play in the high school All-Star game, which should be fun.

Today’s accountability tracker:

  • Workout: 45-minute spin class, plus 15-minute cooldown courtesy of Apple Fitness
  • Book: Book: Marcel Proust’s  Finding Lost Time. 
  • Blog: done
  • Today’s song is Radiate by Jack Johnson
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Winter Weather

As winter weather bears down on most of the country and our family, our climate continues to be beautiful. The skies are blue and the temperature isn’t ridiculous, nor is the humidity out of hand. It’s the kind of winter day that one moves to Florida to enjoy. The Hubby and Mayor met Grandpa Steve and Grandma Linda at Benny’s on the Beach, while I, unfortunately, had to work. The view from Benny’s is gorgeous. The view from my desk, however, is not so much.

As a kid, when a winter storm was approaching, I would eagerly watch the closings across the bottom of the television screen. Inevitably, I was almost always disappointed to find our school was not on the list. With the exception of the Halloween Blizzard and an exceptionally cold day, that led the governor to close all schools in the state, our school was always open. Honestly, it was the worst. To know all our cousins that attended neighboring districts were home enjoying the day off while we languished at school.

Now, of course. post-pandemic snow days or hurricane days look a lot different. Some schools opt to keep the school in session virtually, while others shut down completely. I like to think the schools that go virtual instead of closing like medieval torturers. Virtual school during the pandemic was complicated and an epic failure, so no need to continue that trend. A few more years and it won’t matter as I’ll no longer have a horse in that race.

Apparently, the dogs felt terrible that we were missing out on the epic winter storm because we woke up to a literal shit storm of epic proportions. It must have been something in the water that caused all three pups to lose control of their bowels and bladders last night. Needless to say, it was not a pretty sight. I helped clean up as much as I could before work and after my lab appointment. Despite my best efforts, there was still a lot of cleaning up for my hubby to do.

We had Grandpa Steve and Grandma Linda over for appetizers and drinks last night. It was great to spend time with them both before they headed back north. I wish I could have gone to brunch with them today too. I already missed a day this week, so there was no way I could get the time off. I’m glad they’ve been able to enjoy some of our beautiful winter weather. Oh, I almost forgot, I hurt my shoulder reading last night. I don’t know how I did it, but I did. Isn’t aging fun?

Today’s accountability tracker:

  • Workout: 45-minute spin class, plus 15-minute cooldown courtesy of Apple Fitness
  • Book: Book: Marcel Proust’s  Finding Lost Time. 
  • Blog: done
  • Word of the day: Lasciviousness. It’s a pretty fitting word for the day on which Harvey Weinstein is sentenced for his sexual misdeeds.
  • Today’s song Drinkin’ Problem by Midland

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Closed a Chapter

Yesterday we closed a chapter that has been a predominant part of our lives for over the last decade. I couldn’t bring myself to write about it yesterday because I really wasn’t ready to acknowledge that it was over. To be honest, I was a bit spellbound at that moment. Alas, here I am realizing that we have closed the youth hockey chapter of our lives. At least for now. I hope someday in the distant future I’m a hockey grandma.

The youth hockey chapter of our lives has been rich and rewarding. It has cost a fortune. I’ve definitely been a benefactor to several rinks, but it’s paid dividends in experiences and relationships that are invaluable. Peewee Quebec was hands down one of the coolest trips I’ve ever been on or will ever go on. Moreover, I’ve enjoyed watching my boys and their teammates develop and blossom on the ice. The energy, effort, and time they’ve put into their craft are incredible.

While we closed a chapter this weekend, a new chapter has already begun. Next week the Mayor will play in the high school all-star game. Additionally, there’s a spring high school league, but I have no clue when that starts. In April, he’ll be heading to St. Louis for a showcase. Saturday morning he’s going to start skating with our friend Joni, who is a phenomenal skating coach. He’ll also continue working with Coach David and Wolfpack Fitness. They’ll make sure he’s ready for the next level.

As with all of life’s transitions, I’m sure it will take some adjusting. I’m not sure the hubby and I will know what to do with ourselves on the weekends anymore. If you walk into Skatezone and hear angry German music, you’ll know I got lost and am again deejaying a hockey game. The Hubby might make the switch from hockey coach to team zebra. Stay tuned for that transition. To all the wonderful folks who have made our youth hockey experience wonderful, we love you and are grateful to have you in our lives.

Today’s accountability tracker:

  • Workout: 45-minute spin class, plus 15-minute cooldown courtesy of Apple Fitness
  • Book: Book: Marcel Proust’s Finding Lost Time.
  • Blog: done
  • Today’s song: Country Roads by John Denver
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At a Loss

I’m at a loss for words as I process the loss of one of our former hockey moms Kristine. Her son played rec with both Goalielocks and the Mayor. After rec league, my hubby coached her son and the Mayor with the Davis brothers on the Blackhawks travel mites team. Her son played hockey, so inevitably we haven’t seen or talked to them often. Even so, she and I had kept in touch through Facebook.

I guess a loss like this has the tendency to put everything else in perspective. The Mayor’s team has struggled this tournament and this season. It’s easy to get hung up with the pain of a losing season. Yet, in the macro picture of life, the losses aren’t going to be important. Hopefully, the players will take the lessons of resiliency and perseverance with them into their adult lives. Not to mention the great relationships they’ve built over the years.

The Mayor’s last game will be tomorrow. I’m trying to figure out how I can be there for this significant moment in his hockey career. To be honest, I’m not sure I’m ready to close the book on youth hockey. It’s been the dominating theme of the last decade of our lives. Where does one go from here? Are there places that exist outside the rink? These are important questions I don’t have the answer to yet. Part of me hopes, he decides to play U18 a year before going to Juniors. While U18 is technically not youth hockey anymore, it’s still minor hockey.

Each day 17 people die waiting for an organ on the transplant list. To learn more about organ donation, please visit the American Transplant Foundation.

Today’s accountability tracker:

  • Workout: 45-minute spin class, plus 15-minute cool down courtesy of Apple Fitness
  • Book: Book: Marcel Proust’s Finding Lost Time. I had to visit a forum to remind myself of all the main characters as it’s been a while since I’ve read Proust.
  • Blog: done
  • Today’s song: Stop and Stare by One Republic