i had big plans for a photographic ending to 2015 and my 365 photo-a-day project, but alas life got in the way. i suppose it’s appropriate that i find myself ending both in a hockey arena watching odin run hockey drills 🙂
after practice, we’ll end 2015 the same as 2014, going to bed early to get up at 5:45am for early morning new year’s day hockey tournament. stay safe, ya’ll. see you on the flipside.
or at least, one hopes, incrementally better. looks like odin’s team mates have all progressed with their skating skills, but even more so than in previous years i think their success in the upcoming season will depend on their ability to play as a team.
odin’s waaaaaaay off in the background in the green jersey.
after a brief reprieve from traveling 35 miles 3 times a week for hockey, we’re back to traveling 35 miles once a week through august to watch odin run drills in at the green island ice arena in la crosse ( he’s in the red socks on the right ).
he loves it so we love it 🙂
the vending machines are filled with hockey tape and laces.
i couldn’t not do it.
if you’ve ever been in a hockey arena, you’ve probably encountered the “chuck a puck” fundraiser which is a type of 50-50 lottery. you buy pucks to throw on the ice in-between periods. the closest puck to center ice wins 50% of the take and the hockey association takes the remaining 50%. i usually never participate, as i find we donate enough money to the association via concession stand sales and i tend to avoid gambling when i have a very low chance of winning as there is usually a puck chucking savant in the crowd who has chucked way more pucks than i have and stands a much better chance of winning.
i was amused to see at a tournament in west salem, wisconsin that the association had introduced a bit of randomness into the lottery by handing out rubber duckies. i thought it was a brilliant way of “evening the odds” – who could possibly predict and account for the “funny bounce” the duck would inevitably take?
turns out, one guy won two of the four “chuck a duck” lotteries ( and a separate conventional ticket raffle )!
someone smarter than i can calculate the odds on that.
