Sumo Hockey

Buck, Jason, and I went to the Thrashers/Maple Leafs game last night. We had gotten something to eat and drink and were just standing around in the hallway outside the portals. A woman from the Thrashers came up to us and asked if we want to play sumo hockey. So we said sure.

We had to meet her 5 minutes into the first period and they took us into the underbelly of the arena. Jason backed out so we had to recruit a random stranger to be our third. Right outside the players locker room there was a room set up with all the sumo suits. After signing a waiver, we were brought into the room and got suited up for our big game. I was asked which color we wanted to be and I picked blue since the Thrashers marketing push is about Blueland. So I thought maybe we would have the crowd behind us.


The suits were on the floor and we had to crawl into them from a push up type position. Once our helmets were strapped on we were ready to play.

As the first period ended. I shuffled my way out onto the PHILLIPS ARENA ICE to entertain the masses between periods. We played against another set of 3 guys for 4 minutes and it was a great time.

I actually scored 2 goals. The game ended up in a tie. You couldn't see your feet so if the puck was down there you had no idea where it actually was. I didn't fall down but I tried to push the other team over with no luck. If someone falls down it takes two people to pick you back up and gives the other team an advantage.

At the end we shuffled our way back off the ice and back into the dressing room. We got out of our suits and we were exhausted. I was psyched to be out on the ice during an actual NHL game. Very cool stuff and it was a lot of fun.

Yellow Dust Everywhere

This week has officially been the worst week this year for pollen. Every car you see is covered with this thick layer of yellow dust. It gets on everything from cars, to patio furniture, to children's play sets. Basically anything that isn't in constant motion outside is covered in it. It is so nasty. The trees seem to be the main culprits here. Pollen counts are considered high when they go over 100, last night on the local news Georgia came in at a pollen count of 5,200.

Cars everywhere need a good washing and allergy sufferers everywhere wish winter had lasted a little while longer.

Road Trip Rehearsal

This is how much of a loser I actually am. On Sunday I had a packing rehearsal for our big road trip this weekend. We are driving up to New York with a stop to visit Mather in Virginia on the way.

This is the first trip we are taking since we got the Grand Cherokee. So I wasn't sure exactly how much is gonna fit in it. Not only are we taking a weeks worth of stuff for 3 people but we are also taking up a package for Buck.

So Buck came over with his box and I brought out empty suitcases and a few of the things we are taking to see how it all fits. After sizing everything up, we should be all good to go.

The other thing I had to "rehearse" was how to hook up our portable DVD player to the back of the front seat. This working properly is gonna be a huge factor to a successful trip. We need to make sure that Shannon will be entertained for most of the 15 hours up to New York.

I have a case for the DVD player that doubles as a seat back kind of thing but I've never hooked it up before. So after about a half an hour of tightening and loosening straps I finally got the case where I want it.

So when I go to pack the car on Friday I'm expecting a nice, quick, stress free experience. The layout for the luggage is all set and all I have to do is re-attach the DVD player case and we are ready to hit the road.

Walking The Dog

Shannon thinks she is much older than she actually is. This ranges from sitting at the computer and at the kitchen table in a regular chair to helping out with the laundry. Each day she seems to do something else that reflects her maturing.

Every night the family will go for a walk around the neighborhood. I'm the one that usually is in charge of walking the dog. A few days ago while we were walking, Shannon took the leash out of my hand and would hand it over to Erin. Every time I took it back, Shannon would hand it back over again.

The other day I started walking Daisy and sure enough Shannon took the leash away from me. Instead of giving it to Erin she kept it for herself and proceeded to walk Daisy around the block herself.

She did a great job holding the leash but failed to grasp the concept that if Daisy starts moving she has to move as well. At one point Daisy started going and Shannon stood still and Daisy pulled her over. She scrapped up her finger on the sidewalk, but was ok otherwise.

Back To Work

Went back to work on Monday for the first time since the operation. I didn't have any problems doing my job at all. Since I use the right side of my body a lot I thought that I might be a little more uncomfortable.

I get to work this week and next and then I'm on vacation for a week.

Everything seems to be healing fine. I'm in week 3 since the operation. Everything I've read says it takes 4 weeks to fully heal. So hopefully I'll be completely comfortable before our big 15 hour car ride next weekend.

Random Shannon Picture

Van Halen: What A Disappointment

Last night Van Halen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. What could have been a really cool moment seeing the band together onstage, turned out to be a huge let down.

The only members of the band to show up at the ceremony were Michael Anthony and Sammy Hagar. No Eddie, no Alex, no Roth. According to Eddie Trunk's website Eddie is currently in rehab to "work on himself." Apparently Eddie is a raging alcoholic and was in no shape for a tour at this time. So not only was the hall of fame ceremony a let down but it looks like the tour could be in jeopardy as well.

Velvet Revolver inducted the band and they played Ain't Talkin Bout Love and some kind of random version of Round and Round. It was interesting to hear Slash do Eddie's licks, even though he destroyed the opening to Ain't Talkin Bout Love.

Michael Anthony and Sammy then came out and with Paul Shaffer and the CBS Orchestra (the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame house band) and did Why Can't This Be Love. It sounded ok. Nothing exciting there. Sammy's voice sounded like crap. Yet another let down.

So what could have been a really cool night for Van Halen fans and what could have really put some juice into a huge summer tour turned out to be nothing but a huge disappointment.

Doctor Visit

I went to the doctor today for my follow up.

She said that the wound is healing nicely and that I should be feeling back to normal by the end of the week. Since I'm not walking very well and still a little sore she recommended that I take it easy this week. So no work for me.

I think I overextended on a reach earlier in the day cause I was much more sore than I had been in a few days. So much so that I decided to take 2 painkillers. I think 1 would have probably done the job cause my head is swimming and as I type this my fingers feel like they are 10 pounds each. Should make watching 24 really interesting tonight.

The most pain I've felt through this whole process is when I sneeze. It is horrible. The pain radiates throughout the whole area of my wound. Any time I feel a sneeze coming on I do whatever I can force it back.

My movie of the day was Raising Arizona. I hadn't seen it in a while and watching it today. I can't believe I don't own it. It is probably my favorite Coen Brothers movie. Everything about it is great right down to the excellent soundtrack with the banjo and yodeling. The chase scene as it goes from the street, through houses and supermarkets, with everything from the police to a pack of dogs chasing HI is the best part of the movie.

The Weekend In Recovery

I've been more mobile this weekend. Actually spent most of it out of bed and on the couch. I've been off the painkillers for a few days now. The area around the scar feels more tight than painful. I think it will probably feel like this for the rest of the month.

The family went out to Copelands dinner. I was a little uncomfortable but I ate without getting too much on my shirt. I got to drive. I was a little tentative to press down too hard on the pedals.

We watched The Depatred finally. I thought the movie was ok. I wasn't wowed like I had been with say Goodfellas.

Sunday I made it outside for an extended period of time. The weather great, temps in the high 60s. So I got to blow some bubbles for Shannon and watch her chase a ball around. We also went for a short walk around the block with Daisy.

I still can't stand up perfectly straight but I'm getting there. Going to the doctor on Monday for my follow up so we will see how that goes.

Getting Better

I spend most of the past two days in bed. Yesterday I was having some major league indigestion. It was so bad I was having trouble breathing when I talked. It felt like all this pressure over my heart. It seemed like all this gas was building up inside me when I was laying down. When I stood up I'd let out this big burp and there would be some relief. Erin gave me a Pepcid and some Tums. I woke up this morning and everything seems to be fine now.

Starting to get really bored staying the room. It is really hard to get comfortable for sleeping. I usually like to sleep in the fetal position and roll around a lot. Pretty much all I can do right now is lay on my back and angle myself. I can get on my side at times but I feel pressure by my wound when I do.

For some reason Shannon felt that 1am was a good time to be up this morning. So she kept Erin and I awake for about an hour as we could hear her on the audio monitor.

I broke into my New York Rangers 1994 Stanley Cup DVD box set. I'm up to game 3 of the Conference Finals against the Devils. The series is tied up 1 to 1 at this point.

Youngblood was awesome as expected. I didn't realize that the bully guy in Footloose is in it as well. He plays Rob Lowe's brother. An added bonus.

Saw the remade version of Poseidon on HBO. It was crap.

Borat

Borat was a good idea for entertainment but a bad idea for pain management. It hurt every time I laughed. I was almost trying not to laugh at funny moments to save a little pain.

Got to watch Full Metal Jacket yesterday as well. First time I think I've watched the whole thing through. I've always heard the famous sound bites from the movie but never knew what scenes they were from. Thanks to HBO for the random play.

Highlight of my day so far was sleeping on my left side for a few hours. I've been having to sleep on my back and I kept waking up at night. I rolled over on my side and found a comfortable spot to lay on and actually fell asleep for a little while.

Buck is coming over today to hang. Erin is back to work. He is bringing Youngblood over to watch. Quite possibly the greatest 80's hockey movie of all time. With cast like Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze, and Keanu Reeves that goes without saying.

Still Sore

Still feeling really sore on my right side. The pain meds don't seem to do much. Eases the soreness a little, but not a great deal. Today was the first day where I started to feel light headed from them. So maybe they are kicking in a little more. I woke up last night to pins and needles in my fingers on both of my hands. Not sure if it was because of the way I was sleeping or if the meds are interacting with an antibiotic I'm taking for my back.

My father and step mother went back home yesterday and Erin stayed home from work to help me out today. So far she made breakfast for me and we watch Little Miss Sunshine. I'd seen it before but she hadn't. She thought it was cute. I'm still happy that Alan Arkin got the Oscar. He was my favorite character in the movie.

As a get well present she bought me Borat so maybe we'll watch that tonight. Another movie that I've seen but she hasn't. We also just got The Departed so we'll have to watch one of em.

I got to take a shower last night which was awesome. I was feeling really greasy.

I'm on my own on Thursday so it should be interesting. I can get around for the most part it is just a slow process at the moment.

Operation Wrap Up

Surgery went well. Erin was told by my doctor that the tear was a little bigger than they had expected so more of it had to be repaired.

I was at the hospital at 7am and didn't go in for surgery till about 9:45am. I was wheeled into a freezing operating room and then helped onto the operating table. Someone came in and asked to see my hand for a second and next thing I knew I was waking up in recovery.

Recovery lasted about an hour and I was back in the car on my way home.

Last night went fairly well. No pain or anything just moving around slow. Got to watch the Rangers beat the Islanders in a shootout. Big win for the Rangers as they fight for a playoff spot. Also got to watch 24.

Woke up this morning at 5am in a good amount of pain. So I had to take a few pain killers so I could get back to sleep. I have to take 1 to 2 pain killers every 4 hours. I'm actually more sore today than I was yesterday. The soreness is on my entire right side rahter than just in the area of the stitches. I got stitches on the inside and they used some kind of bond to paste my skin together on the outside.

I was bored so I made my first attempt down the stairs. It was a slow go but I made it. I'm sitting in a chair right now to type this. I am a little uncomfortable.