A Trainer's Life

Saturday, September 26, 2009.

5:30a - Alarm goes off. Get up in fog. Shower, dress, scramble to get things together.

5:55a - Consider digging out pair of sweat pants for bus ride home. Look at clock, decide not to.

6:07a - Leave house.

6:14a - Stop at DD for breakfast and coffee.

6:43a - Arrive at school, grumble about crappy hockey tournament people being everywhere.

7:03a - Climb onto underclass bus.

7:15a - Wonder why coaches aren't on bus yet, when we are supposed to be leaving now.

7:25a - Leave school, without one player. He was the reason for the hold up.

7:27a - Pull out MP3 player.

7:37a - Throw MP3 player back into bag in disgust. Make mental note to start saving for a new one.

7:38a - Begin knitting on Baktus.

8:35a - Measure Baktus to see if I can start decreasing. Stare in disbelief that it's still measuring 23 in.

9:15a - Measure Baktus again. Still in disbelief that it is STILL measuring 23 in. Grumble about knitting black holes.

9:25a - Begin decreasing, regardless of length.

9:30a - Tape one ankle. Only taping to be done on underclass bus.

9:40a - Stop at rest stop for "lunch". Refuse to eat nasty slimy turkey sandwich, settle for muffin instead.

10:08a - Re-board bus, this time upperclass bus.

10:10a - Begin taping.

10:55a - Finish taping last ankle. Attempt to stretch out cramped back unsuccessfully.

11:17a - Arrive at destination. Very scared at closeness of several cars and trees to bus during turns.

11:24a - Bang head on truck cover while attempting to recover kit and table and crutches. Ow.

11:30a - Pick up Baktus again, while waiting for game time to be closer to do more taping.

12:20p- Finish last of taping. Begin to move stuff to sideline.

1:03p - Set myself up on sideline for warmups. Put on jacket as rain begins to fall.

1:20 - Walk back to locker room, commiserate that I didn't grab sweat pants, as front of khakis are soaked.

1:30p - Kickoff. Rain continues.

2:34p - Half time. Score 26 -0. Not good. Rain continues, bit harder now.

2:50p - Head back to field. Pray we don't get lightning delay.

3:55p - Game over. 40-6. Painful.

4:05p- Finally manage to get into locker room, after being locked out. Gag at mugginess of air.

4:32p - Stand at back of locker room facing wall waiting for whining to begin.

4:33p - Whining commences.

4:45p - Last ice bag made. Eat nasty stale pizza. Climb onto bus.

4:50p - Start knitting again, bus leaves.

4:55p - Fight with MP3 player to drown out sound of athletes.

5:50p- Struggle to keep eyes from closing while knitting, put Baktus aside and attempt to nap.

6:50p - Curse self for napping on uncomfortable bus, as yelling teenagers get louder and neck gets more sore.

6:57p - Threaten to murder athlete sitting directly behind me if he doesn't shut it. Laughter ensues.

7:14p - Pull into school.

7:16p - Open training room.

7:21p - Tire of waiting for stuff to be unloaded, annoyed by teenagers unwilling to just listen already!

7:37p - Get into car. Finally.

8:12p - Arrive home. Just in time for Notre Dame game.

8:15p - Change into sweat pants.

8:25p - Make some tea.

8:35p - Settle in with Baktus and ND game and kitty on lap.

I stopped looking at the clock after that point. Notre Dame won some time later. Baktus finished sometime after that, maybe midnight-ish. Very long day