Practice...we talkin' bout practice

For those that didn't get that joke... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUYjD7A75HQ&feature=related

My company is moving to Mid Town this weekend so our office was closed Thursday and Friday. Woo hoo, that's right 2 free days off. Serge has been begging me for like 7 years to let him teach me to ice skate. Against my better judgement I finally agreed. I figured it was perfect as I knew the Thrashers were practicing Friday. The rink wouldn't be as crowded. Sounded like a win-win.

Ugh. It was awful. I went on the ice twice. The first time I made it about a car length from the door and fell. Hurt my left ass cheek. I CRAWLED on my hands and knees off of the ice because I was too scared to stand up. Then Serge showed off for a while skating around. Some lady asked me if this was my first time. Gee, how'd you figure that out? I said yes and then the bitch says "haha, you didn't get very far." I would have punched her but she was holding a baby.

So I go to try it again. I get a little farther this time and some kid slams into Serge and he goes down and so do I. I CRAWLED off the ice for the final time. FAIL!

I really want to learn to skate, next time I'm going back with more padding.

So after my disastrous first attempt at skating, it was time for Thrashers practice.

Nothing like crappy practice pictures. I really hate taking pictures there. Bad lighting, bad glass, yuck.

There were a lot of Thrashers not at practice: Lehtonen, Kovalchuk, Kozlov, Peverly, Reasoner, Exelby, Hainsey, Little...all not there. Practice was still a ton of fun though. They were all goofing and having fun. They did some cool drills and played a game at the end.

Coach Anderson seemed to be in fine spirits. He skated a lot and did the drills, too. He whiffed on a few shots and the team was giving him hell. Once he actually yelled "FUCK."

On to some craptastic pics

Our ice chihuahua, Toby Enstrom. He seems to think he is the size of Valabik

Moose was the only Thrashers goalie there, so he was on the end near the entrance for a change. Yep Moose, it went in.

Bobo

What a lucky shot for me! Look at Moose's cage. Yep, that's a puck. Thank God for masks!

It wasn't all fun and games though, Weeks was drilling them hard. Once he got mad and yelled at them "PAY ATTENTION!"

Weeks demonstrating the drill.

Moose cleaning the crease.

Hmmmm. Dilemma...Do you let the coach score on ya?

Weeks and Moose chilling.

Weeks: I heard your girl was learning to skate this morning

Moose: Yep

Weeks: I heard she didn't do very well

Moose: You have to start somewhere. She's from Alabama, they don't skate there.

Weeks: I heard she had had to crawl off the ice.

Moose: Ah shit

Welcome to every one's favorite game, Goal or Roll! I'm not 100% sure how this was played but it involved some form of if the skaters don't score enough, they have to roll on the ice and if Moose doesn't make so many saves, he has to roll. Good times!

The guys getting ready for Goal or Roll

Moose waiting for shots

Skaters lose, take a roll. Notice Moose over there using his stick to "help" Bogosian roll.

Round 2

Moose wins again! Roll boys.

Round 3

Oh the Moose loses. Roll Moose, roll!

That's about what I looked like when I crawled off the ice. Moose makes it look good.

Most of the guys were leaving the ice and Havelid brought his two sons out. One was a skater, presumably a baby Dman, and a goalie. The little goalie was soooo stinking cute. I usually don't take pictures of the guys' kids, it seems weird. Since you couldn't see his little face for the mask, I figured it was okay.

He's sooo teeny. Look how big the net looks around him.

Let Uncle Moosie show you how.

More instruction.

After practice, there was a lot of horse play. Several guys (Oystrick, Bobo and Bogo if I remember correctly) were triple teaming Slater like a bunch of school yard bullies. They almost got his jersey completely off.

Slater chasing Bobo

What would you do with him if you caught him?

Then some of the guys played a very serious game of putting the puck into the bucket.

Oysters was really good at it.

Colin Stuart coming off the ice. I like him and haven't been able to get many pics of him.




Bobo coming off the ice. I turned the flash on and it makes for a better pic, but the flash reflects on their jersey and it looks like they are in the movie "Tron."

Thrashers practice and even busting my ass on the ice is better than a day at work!