Posted 6:08 PM by Blah blah

Roller Hockey

Six weeks ago, I couldn't even brake. Now, my rollerblading has improved enough that we starting playing hockey yesterday! We practiced manuvering the puck down the rink smoothly, pivoting around it at the ends, passing to another guy, and shooting for the goal.

Saw my first testosterone-laden roller hockey game tonight, at Rollin' Ice. Patrick, my blading teacher, invited me to watch his "gray team" play a "yellow team." Four players plus a goalie play on each side at any time. (If a team fouls, the referee makes them play with only three players for a while.) Play is blindingly fast, aggressive, and dramatic. Guys, usually tall, sprint at full speed on wheels down a white tile-covered rink. They joust with their sticks for the slippery puck. *BOOM BOOM* go the clear plastic walls as the pair slam into them again and again. Players do quick fakes, bouncing the puck off of their skates to distract their opponents' eyes. They rocket towards the edge of the rink with an opponent hot on their tail, then flip direction and chop the puck back. They dribble their pucks like we toss salad.

The Official USA Hockey InLine Playing Rules.

Each half of the San Jose game was 22 minutes. Only 22 you ask? Five minutes of play seems like a hour, based on the amount of *BOOM*s, clashes, reversals, HURRAHs, and goals. The game is so exhausting that players stay on the rink for periods of up to two minutes before rotating out. I didn't see any deliberate violence. Just once during the game, guys from the next rink started a short fight, which I missed.

The game starts badly for Patrick's side. He is #10 and plays defense at first. During the first 10 minutes, the yellow team already whops in three to four goals by the valiant goalie. I talk to this 40-50-ish guy next to me, also watching. His intense son, #88 on the yellow team, is their lead scorer, socking in three goals.

"How did your son get started? He watched you play?" I say.

"Actually, I got hooked by watching HIM play," says the dad. "I was taking him to league practices five years ago, when out walks this fat, balding, sweating guy. I thought, if HE can play, then dammit I can too! Now I LOVE it." Father and son play and love both ice and roller hockey. Says you can use a lot of the same tricks from ice hockey in roller hockey. With your sharp blades, doing a slashing stop is easier with ice hockey.

"Your son is fantastic!" I say.

"He just needs to watch his temper. He has an anger management problem. I try to make sure he makes it through a game without a fight."

Just when I start to feel sorry for the gray team, they score. Exhausted teammates raise their sticks with a whoop and rub the scorer on the head with their fat gloves. But most of the action in the first half happens on the gray team's side of the rink. The yellow team passes more smoothly, and I see at least 10-20 battles around the gray team's poor goalie. Several times they attack him from maybe three meters away, shooting right at his groin. He makes several brave saves. Then BUZZ goes the clock. First half score: 4-3, yellow team leads.

After a two minute intermission, they switch sides and start again. Patrick plays more offense this time. And his team scores! He ends up battling #88 several times, trying every trick in the book to trap the puck. His teammates fail to receive his passes effectively, missing his lead several times. Now the action balances more to the yellow team's half of the rink. I am pumped, standing up the whole game. I rush from one end to the other, my face glued to the plastic. The gray team has a shorter Asian guy, a very aggressive forward. Once, he ducks around several yellow players with no help from his teammates, charging the goal. When they whack the puck back, he rushes and steals it. BUZZ! Game is over, won by the yellow team, 8-6. The gray team put up a valiant fight, but the yellow team passed and worked together better.

Hockey is faster than soccer, with more drama, and a feast for your eyes. I think I'm getting hooked!
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Yesterday I produced and directed my last two episodes of our political TV talk show. The first show was about domestic violence. We talked about a nonprofit organization here called WATCH, which helps battered women and provides temporary housing (Homesafe) for them. My friend M volunteers for them and she introduced me to Homesafe last year. I took the 10 hours of training and volunteered for some time as well, taking care of and tutoring kids whose moms were going to counseling. Kids are fun, but these kids may have been emotionally or physically abused and required extra care. Anyway, when thinking of whom to bring on our next show, I decided to give them some publicity, since I really support what they do.

For the 2nd show, we had guests from Health Care for All-Californians, a political group that is fighting to get single payer health insurance passed in the state legislature. The bill is sponsored by state Senator Sheila Kuehl and is called Senate Bill 921, the Health Care for All Californians Act.

I've been producing this show for over a year and a half I think. The staff of the TV station were really cool, offering to help me with any questions I may have about TV production in the future.
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From Ida:

"One of Aesop's fables tells the decidedly kinky tale of the North Wind and the Sun, who were arguing over which was more powerful. To end the debate, they decided to see who could strip the wayfaring man walking below them of his clothes the fastest. The North Wind blew with all its might, but the man just pulled his jacket tighter. Then the sun shone its genial rays warmly on the man and he ended up getting butt naked and hopping in a nearby stream to cool off.

The moral of the story? Be the sun."
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Coming up: The 8 Essential Traits of Couples Who Thrive, by Susan Page. Raymond turns Oprah again.