a truck drove up with two nets, a pile of sticks and various other equipment stuffed in its cab... we all shuffled around for sticks and began stretching on either red or white jerseys -- in true hockey form, they smelled like utter shit... then, game on...
i was timid at first and modest of any possible ability i could contain in my girlie stature... but as time went on, i brought it on... friendly body checks and smack talk became the name of my game, as i ran from offense to defense... laughs were a common refrain and my heart would beat a little faster each time i heard someone say my name -- "great pass, tara"... the more we got into it, the more we peeled off the layers in the welcomed winter sun and encouraged our athletic abilities for a few hours... it was the sporting event for media kids...
when play had expired, we naturally retired to a local pub for some brews and laughs... as soon as we sat down, a pitcher of dark ale, light ale and water made their way to the middle of the table... the beer kept flowing and the conversation took turns from borat, to prime ministers, to literature, to art and each other's reasons for relocating to whitehorse to become a trusty media kid...
finally, as the crowd was beginning to flood out for the comforts of their respective homes, i was awarded "the boo boo #2"... not sure exactly what the name is all about, but it's basically a trophy given out after each saturday game to the person who gave the best play all around... i'd be lying if i didn't admit i probably had the newbie vote behind me, but nonetheless, after a day of feeling out of place, i sure felt like i was a part of something...
