A Ball and a Puck

Saturday was the big game against the Chicago Dragons. I was pretty excited about the whole thing as this was my first game as a Minotaur, even though I wasn't scheduled to play. I arranged a ride at Thursday's practice, so come Saturday, a teammate and two others piled into my car and headed down bright and early.

The trip was bereft of traffic and full of today's top hits. I really didn't mind the music as mostly we were talking over it anyway. My teammate asked me if I had a boyfriend, so I had to out myself as straight again. After two seconds of long silence, he asked if I had a girlfriend. Sadly, I said, no. The directions were spot on and we made it from doorstep to the pitch in under two and half hours with one stop.

The first thing we noticed was that gay rugby was happening in a park surrounded by a community of what seemed to be orthodox jews. Maybe they weren't orthodox, but it seemed to be an odd juxtaposition. The main game soon went underway and the team slowly filled in to the sidelines. I hadn't planned to play, but I kind of wanted to. Problem was I hadn't signed up the USA Ruby yet, but in today's wired world, that wasn't a problem. The problem was that neither a blackberry nor an iphone could display the webiste. A patient teammate and I tried a Starbucks, but it was part of a grocery store and had no Wi-Fi. So we did the 2003 thing and called my roommate on my cell phone and he signed me up. After the payment of dues and a signing of the waiver, I was officially part of the Madison Minotaurs.

We started warming up, and all was well between the stretching, the tackling drills, and the passing. The problem crept up when we sprinted and I realized that my groin muscle was not going to let me play. I was quite pissed, because I've been nursing the damn thing for a two weeks. (Note to self: yoga on Tuesday.) Instead of being the waterboy, our captain nominated me to be a line judge, or whatever you call it, to mark when the ball goes out of bounds. That turned out to be great as I ran up and down the sidelines the whole game and was able to see it all up close.

The game was meant to be more of a learning one for both the Minotaurs and the newer guys on the Dragons. After an equal start, one on our team took the ball and ran it down to the goal, dodging about five players. He scored the first try in the team's history. The rest of the half went great as our scrum pushed the other's around and we almost scored again except half time hit. The second half didn't go as well as the Dragons switched out almost their whole team while we had limited substitutions. Given that we were playing fresh players, we played them hard, but lost in the end. I am amazed at how much the team has improved between when I first saw them three weeks ago and Saturday. The guys on the field played one hell of a game.

The third half was held at Big Chicks on the north side of Chicago. The bar was absolutely packed with three rugby teams, including all million of the Chicago Dragons. The beer was free, actually already paid for, so it flowed freely. I fucked up at one of the songs. Apparently Jesus can play rugby with VD. Like the one who fucked up before me, I had to drink beer out of a rugger's shoe, which wasn't half bad. Beer is beer, after all.

Anyway, maybe I'll write more.

Democracy

The popular definition of democracy is where people vote for their leaders, but it is much more than that. It is getting involved in your own fate. Case in point.

Enough!

Enough of the discouragement already! I'm playing rugby and when I get my ass kicked with my knee the size of a melon and I'm crying on my sofa whacked out on oxycotin while watching Fight Club for the eightieth time, you can have your satisfaction by saying "HAHAHAHAHAHAA!!!! I TOLD YOU SO!!!!"

Geesh, some friends.

More Punishment

Yesterday, I went to see my first ever rugby game. Sure, I went to the rugby parties in college, but I never managed to drag my ass to one of the games. Since a friend of mine was playing and they were getting initiated into the international league by playing the game, I wanted to see it.

It was a perfect day to watch a match as there was a slight breeze and the temperature was just right. When the match started, I learned that a lot of people around me were watching their first match, too. So began a collective decyphering of the rules.

"Ok, how many points for a touchdown?"
"I think they're called tries."
"Um, six, I think, but I'm not certain."
"Ok, why did play stop?"
"This is confusing."
"Hey, can I borrow your rule book?"

So the guy sitting next to me read the rules and we figured out just what was going on. By the way, it's five points for a try.

Unfortunately, the other team has been together for four years and kind of had the whole thing down. The Madison Minotuars had been together only since March and are still adding players. They did get blanked, but were definitely improving as the match went on. By the second half, their scrum looked better than the other team's. In the end, it was a lot to nothing, but everyone seemed happy, but tired.

The best part of the day was the third half full of bear and pizza. It was hosted in the basement of Glass Nickel Pizza and was quite a riot. The songs they sang were worth the price of admission alone. While I was pouring myself a beer, a golf ball dropped into my glass. Immediately, the guys around me started yelling "Drink, Motherfucker, Drink!" Uh, ok. I To my detriment, that was the last of the beer (for the moment anyway) and my glass now empty.

A few minutes later, I had another full glass and was talking to a couple of guys and some guy dropped that damned golf ball in my beer. Aaaahhhhhh! After that beer was gone, I was sure to take the ball this time. That's when I noticed that most people had a hand over their glasses. Live and learn. My friend pointed out a guy who was not protecting his beer and I sneaked over and dropped it in. Ah, that felt good.

After a few beers, I was talking to my friend. He had bugged me about joining the team, but with my knee and back, I was hesitant. But after watching the match and joining the party, I kind of changed my mind. I asked him more about it and he said it really pushes you. You have to be aggressive and focused, two things that I'm not that great at. It'll be good to work on that.

So, now I'm joining another gay league. A guy on the Minneapolis team said that he had played on straight teams, but they gay team was just that much better to play with. If yesterday is any indication, he's right. And not to do it alone, I'm dragging my roommate with me. The worst that can happen is that my body won't handle it.

But I won't let that happen.

The Last Few Days

I'm starting to get used to coffee, so bear with me.*

I skipped work last Friday and headed up to Nort'field to catch Shari's play. My drive was a simple one. I particularly enjoyed the XM religious station that aired some pastor speaking of the dangers of the new age (read buddhist) movement. Most of Friday was spent mellowing out at Shari and Michael's. I caught her play that night and am continually surprise what community theater can pull off. It was part of the life of Antigone
where she gets sent to her death. I really enjoyed it and even was able to warm up with the cast. Goofy stuff.

Saturday was just as mellow as we had breakfast at the house and hung out downtown. Michael, Sophie and I were at the fountain when it started raining, so we took cover in Blue Monday's. Shari caught up with us and we went to a knick knack kind of store so Shari could get cast gifts. After that, we went to Tiny's which was at one time the place you went to check out porno mags in the back by the pool tables. Sadly, there were no more pool tables, but there was good root beer and hot dogs.

I caught the play the next night as the storm threatened. It managed to miss the play, but we were stuck in the basement of the Arts Guild Theater while the tornado sirens blared. After those died down, we went to the house of one of the cast members. I really enjoyed all of their company. It was a wide range of ages from 14 up to the late 40's or 50's.

The next day, we caught breakfast was the Tavern, where I tried my first bit of coffee. It sucked. Well, it didn't suck, but I didn't like it. I still down. Just like beer, I'll force myself.

I helped take down the set the next day and, being me, ripped up my toenail on part of the set. I left from there and got caught in traffic near Wisconsin Dells, hell that it is.

All and all, it was a good weekend. I enjoy getting away to Northfield.




* I need caffeine in the morning, but need something healthier than Coca Cola. Now I get even more caffeine!

Filling Time

I've been working on ways to fill my time. The old crap that I used to do has gotten kind of boring. Computers, games, television and the like just are not that interesting. I picked up a kayak, but you can fill Thursday night from 8 to 10 with that. So I kind of need a new hobby.

Funny thing is that rethinking all this stuff has kind of changed the way I look at the world. I've dumped some hang ups. I even went to part of my high school reunion and, surprise, the people that I went to school are simply living their lives. Nobody seemed stuck in high school. Kind of made me realize that the world turns, even if I'm obsessing about some trivial computer program.

So if anyone has any ideas, I welcome them. Not some much larger things, I have that figured out, but how to spend an hour or two. I read, but that's hardly enough.

Back To School

So last night's dream had me back at Macalester. Not back in 1992, but back now for another degree. I guess I won the lottery and was paying for Shari, Michael, Amanda, and I to go back. Problem was we had to crash in one big room with people sharing beds. The beds were all packed together. I thought that for the next year, we should get our own place. Shari said we should get 1759 Saint Clair back, but I was unsure.

Anyway, that's that one.