I Go Everywhere!

So as some of you know when I am not sitting at radio station I am very active in minor, senior, and junior hockey. I travel a lot of places around southern Saskatchewan just to ref or lines a hockey game. I do games in Assiniboia, Weyburn, Radville, Lampman, Oxbow, Midale, Redvers, and many other places. Some people think I am crazy for giving up my evenings and weekends for hockey. Others think I am doing a great thing for the community because of the lack of officials.

When I travel to all of these places I get to chance meet some really interesting people. Some have stories that are so far fetches you just laugh. Some stories are sad but most are fun and intriguing. Along with new people I always get the chance to hang out with many familiar faces. Some people I have known since I was 4 years old and lived next door to. Others I have met in the past 4 years. The best part of doing games on the road with these guys are the road trips. Nothing beats a bunch of guys in the vehicle who have a lot in common and come from all walks of life and have many different careers outside hockey.

Like I said before many people think I'm crazy for doing it. Some people have even been mad at more for not being able to socialize with them because I ref so much. I do miss hanging out with the friends and family in hockey season. I don't pick hockey over friends because I don't want to be with them. I pick hockey for many reasons. I enjoy going out and skating. Feeling the cold wind on my face is amazing. Sure I get frozen pucks shot at me, yelled at by coaches, players and fans, but I enjoy the 2 hours I'm there. I call it my exercise. Also the money helps ha ha. No I don't ref for the money. But I also wouldn't ref if there wasn't any money.

So to all my family and friends who have been or are upset with me because of hockey I am sorry. Being on the ice is what I love. I love it as much as hanging out with friends. But hockey is only a major part of my life for a few months out of the year. You will all be a part of my life 12 months out of the year.

I also had this discussion with a few of my at the time girlfriends (ex's). They say I never spend time with them or I take hockey over them. I will say the same thing now as I said then. If you can handle me in the winter you can handle me in the summer. If you are unable to deal with my life in the winter then it just won't work out.

For all of those wondering how much hockey I do it's a lot. I get 2 nights off a week while I ref at least 3 games a weekend. On my time off I do enjoy to be lazy and sit on my couch and veg. It's hard to do that when you get home from work at 5, leave the house at 6 and don't get home until midnight some nights.

This post was a little more personal! But a really close friend of mine told me I should make it about something I am passionate about. So I will try that for a while.