Monday, June 14, 2010
What's that feeling when you're proud, happy, depressed, and anxious?
Just now I was watching the band's annual yearbook DVD that captured the whole marching band season. So what? Well, just watching it makes me realize how much my time in the Lake Braddock band program really has meant to me. I mean, it just seems like yesterday that I was going out for my first day of band camp, scared out of my mind for it all. Now that I'm a senior, I really feel nostalgia for all of the good times at games, camp, the various bus rides, the trips, you name it. We grew up in those four years, and that was an amazing thing; I truly got to see how far I've come as a person. Just seeing your underclassmen friends grow up, too, before your very eyes, that was one of the most rewarding experiences I've had, and knowing that I've made a difference in their lives, now that is special. I'm gonna miss you guys, but god bless you all for the amazing four years spent with you, and here's to the future!
NO MORE AP STAT!!!
Today was my "final" for AP Stat, and we did nothing. This is significant because I DON'T HAVE TO GO TO AP STAT ANYMORE, I'M DONE WITH THAT CLASS FOR FOREVER!!! I feel...liberated...like I'm free...and my soul...it isn't crushed anymore. I-I-I'm happy. The class of doom...it's over. I'm...free!
(Yes, you might have been able to figure out that I'm SUPER happy to not have to go to AP Stat anymore)
(Yes, you might have been able to figure out that I'm SUPER happy to not have to go to AP Stat anymore)
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Game Two
Heading into game two of the series, Aaron knew that he'd be facing a barrage of shots once again. He knew that he was lucky to have gotten a shutout, as there were several frantic moments in front of him where he was sure that the puck would have gone past him; though he knew that as a goalie, luck was your biggest friend, and he should be very thankful for that. The better question was, would luck stay with him for game two?
Right away, Aaron was tested. Each shot he faced was from different angles and different skaters-they never stopped testing him. Finally, they cracked him. One of his defencemen was caught pinching too far up, which resulted in a two on one situtation. While the other defenceman tried to slide in front of the pass, it was to no avail and the opposing forward rifled the shot over Aaron's glove for a goal. He was disappointed, but he quietly turned around, pulled up his mask, and took a sip of water from his water bottle; from experience, he'd learned to not let a goal get to his head, much less a hard play to stop.
Fortunately for him, his teammates were doing their part in the other end of the rink. Eventually they scored the equalizer, and Aaron breathed a sigh of relief in his mask.
As the time ticked down, the score remained tied and Aaron was making save after save. When the buzzer sounded, it was time to go into overtime, where there was no limit on how long it'd take for a winner, and it was open for somebody to be a hero. Who wanted it more?
As sweat poured down his face, Aaron was ready for it. Overtime was his favorite part of being a goalie, as you were the person who had the fate of your team in your hands. The first shot he faced, though, gave him a little alarm, as it would have went in had it not have gone wide; in his head, he was thinking "oh shit, that was too close". Later on though, he would have another test, one that would be potentially decisive. Somehow, there was a 3 on 2 barreling down on him. He faced another odd man situation, and he was feeling it. One of the forwards skated towards him to try and get a screen, while the other two were setting up. His defencemen were covering the two skaters, when all of a sudden, the forward with the puck let a shot go. Aaron put himself in position, when the puck hit the stick of the forward standing in front of him. Time seemed to slow down to a crawl as the puck flew through the air. "Oh god, where's the puck. Where is it?" he was thinking. The crowd became deathly quiet as they awaited the results of the shot.
"And the puck.....IS SAVED BY CARTHAGE!!! OH WHAT A GLOVE SAVE BY THE GOALIE, AARON CARTHAGE! HOW DID HE SEE THAT?!?!"
Through the mask, Aaron smiled.
About two minutes later, his teammate, one the leading playoff scorers, scooped up a loose puck, dangled two defenders, to get a breakaway on the other goalie. Like Aaron, the goalie had been having a monster game. However, the similarities of making the saves ended when his teammate shot the puck five hole to end the game. Two-nothing in the series, two more games to go.
Right away, Aaron was tested. Each shot he faced was from different angles and different skaters-they never stopped testing him. Finally, they cracked him. One of his defencemen was caught pinching too far up, which resulted in a two on one situtation. While the other defenceman tried to slide in front of the pass, it was to no avail and the opposing forward rifled the shot over Aaron's glove for a goal. He was disappointed, but he quietly turned around, pulled up his mask, and took a sip of water from his water bottle; from experience, he'd learned to not let a goal get to his head, much less a hard play to stop.
Fortunately for him, his teammates were doing their part in the other end of the rink. Eventually they scored the equalizer, and Aaron breathed a sigh of relief in his mask.
As the time ticked down, the score remained tied and Aaron was making save after save. When the buzzer sounded, it was time to go into overtime, where there was no limit on how long it'd take for a winner, and it was open for somebody to be a hero. Who wanted it more?
As sweat poured down his face, Aaron was ready for it. Overtime was his favorite part of being a goalie, as you were the person who had the fate of your team in your hands. The first shot he faced, though, gave him a little alarm, as it would have went in had it not have gone wide; in his head, he was thinking "oh shit, that was too close". Later on though, he would have another test, one that would be potentially decisive. Somehow, there was a 3 on 2 barreling down on him. He faced another odd man situation, and he was feeling it. One of the forwards skated towards him to try and get a screen, while the other two were setting up. His defencemen were covering the two skaters, when all of a sudden, the forward with the puck let a shot go. Aaron put himself in position, when the puck hit the stick of the forward standing in front of him. Time seemed to slow down to a crawl as the puck flew through the air. "Oh god, where's the puck. Where is it?" he was thinking. The crowd became deathly quiet as they awaited the results of the shot.
"And the puck.....IS SAVED BY CARTHAGE!!! OH WHAT A GLOVE SAVE BY THE GOALIE, AARON CARTHAGE! HOW DID HE SEE THAT?!?!"
Through the mask, Aaron smiled.
About two minutes later, his teammate, one the leading playoff scorers, scooped up a loose puck, dangled two defenders, to get a breakaway on the other goalie. Like Aaron, the goalie had been having a monster game. However, the similarities of making the saves ended when his teammate shot the puck five hole to end the game. Two-nothing in the series, two more games to go.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Introduction for story I'm working on
His Bauer pads were marked up, with all the shots that he'd faced throughout the course of the season. Many a shooters were frustrated with those indentations in his pads, while others got to avoid seeing that, as they got to see the puck hitting the back of the twine. Those black stains on his pads were a badge of honor to Aaron, and he took pride in his dirty looking pads; rightfully so, as he was the best goalie in the league in terms of goals allowed and save percentage, due to his cat-like reflexes and his lightning quick glove hand, though that statistic would be tested tonight.
From the very onset of the game, Aaron knew that the opposing shooters would be coming with a vengeance, and that he'd be facing a cascade of shots. With each save, with each cry from the announcer screaming, "save by Carthage!", his confidence grew. He got to a rhythm, he was in the zone; each shot that was thrown to him, he made the save look effortless. The crowd was into it too, as they went nuts with each and every save of his-ditto for his teammates, and they fed on that energy. Finally, his teammates opened the scoring twelve minutes into the second period; Aaron did a little fist pump when he saw the red light go on in the other zone.
Despite facing 47 shots at the end of the game, Aaron had made 47 saves, none better than his glove save on one opposing forward, which prompted one announcer to proclaim, "that's just highway robbery right there!" For the three star selections, Aaron was selected as the first star, to thunderous applause from the home crowd. Game one was over and his team up one-nothing in the series. Hopefully, he thought, his masterful performance would continue to what he hoped would be three more games only.
From the very onset of the game, Aaron knew that the opposing shooters would be coming with a vengeance, and that he'd be facing a cascade of shots. With each save, with each cry from the announcer screaming, "save by Carthage!", his confidence grew. He got to a rhythm, he was in the zone; each shot that was thrown to him, he made the save look effortless. The crowd was into it too, as they went nuts with each and every save of his-ditto for his teammates, and they fed on that energy. Finally, his teammates opened the scoring twelve minutes into the second period; Aaron did a little fist pump when he saw the red light go on in the other zone.
Despite facing 47 shots at the end of the game, Aaron had made 47 saves, none better than his glove save on one opposing forward, which prompted one announcer to proclaim, "that's just highway robbery right there!" For the three star selections, Aaron was selected as the first star, to thunderous applause from the home crowd. Game one was over and his team up one-nothing in the series. Hopefully, he thought, his masterful performance would continue to what he hoped would be three more games only.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Teaser for something I may want to write about
Aaron was fidgeting in the net, which was normal for him; after all, he was the goalie. Though really, when you're the starting goalie in a big game like this, you tend to fidget. Throughout warmups and at the start of the national anthem, he was quietly meditating to calm his nerves. The biggest game of his career was ahead of him, and he wasn't about to lose it due to faulty nerves.
Fighting the butterflies in his stomach, he made save after save in warmups; the nerves hadn't yet gone away, but he was feeling better. When the time was up to start the game, Aaron retreated into the haven of his net, pulled the mask with the dragons painted on it, over his playoff beard. He muttered "game time baby, time to be the difference maker", steeling himself for the barrage of rubber he was about to face.
BEEEP! The buzzer sounded. Who wanted to win more, and who would step up? Aaron's team wasn't the best in the league, but they had fought and scrapped to get to this point, the championship game, and Aaron had contributed to that run, going 8-2 in his last two series. However, all that was thrown out the window for this final round of the playoffs; in the championships, nothing from the past mattered unless you won it all at the end of the day.
Fighting the butterflies in his stomach, he made save after save in warmups; the nerves hadn't yet gone away, but he was feeling better. When the time was up to start the game, Aaron retreated into the haven of his net, pulled the mask with the dragons painted on it, over his playoff beard. He muttered "game time baby, time to be the difference maker", steeling himself for the barrage of rubber he was about to face.
BEEEP! The buzzer sounded. Who wanted to win more, and who would step up? Aaron's team wasn't the best in the league, but they had fought and scrapped to get to this point, the championship game, and Aaron had contributed to that run, going 8-2 in his last two series. However, all that was thrown out the window for this final round of the playoffs; in the championships, nothing from the past mattered unless you won it all at the end of the day.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Yearbook
Today I got my (senior) yearbook. No biggie, right? Well, just flipping through it makes me realize how much memories I've made in high school, and especially more so of how much I'm gonna miss it and all my underclassmen friends. It just makes you think, seeing what other people have done and are doing, as you have to wonder, "What if I did something different in my life? Where would I be at this point in life if I just traded one thing for another?" I guess I may be haunted at all the potential that I might have had at various points in my life. Well you know what, all that conjecture is nice, but I would not trade who I am at this point in my life; life is too short to wonder who you might have been and where you might have gone. Besides, I'm content with who I am.
Getting back on track, it really has seemed like time has gone by. I mean, it only seems like yesterday how I was nervous to start high school, and now I'm so close to graduating. Last year, I recall seeing the seniors graduating and thinking "it's my turn to do that in a year", and now that's coming; it's scary to think about. Also, I remember the seniors from spring hockey and them taking their last shifts, and just wondering about the emotions running through their heads, knowing that potentially it was their last ever shift in hockey. And in two more games, that's going to be happening to me; yikes! You don't really think about those things when you don't appreciate the magnitude about them, and now, I really do think about it.
Talking about the yearbook, it reminded me about all the memories I've made and shared during the last four years of high school. I would just like to thank everybody who's been a part of that. Without all of you guys, I don't know how high school would have turned out, and I really truly want to thank all of you. To all of my underclassmen friends, I'm really gonna miss you. I don't know how much I'll be able to talk to you guys and spend time with you all, but I'd like to give a hearty thanks to all who may be concerned, for helping make my four amazing years in high school amazing! I'm gonna miss you guys like crazy. Thanks all, and I just want to say you're amazing people and I love you guys.
Getting back on track, it really has seemed like time has gone by. I mean, it only seems like yesterday how I was nervous to start high school, and now I'm so close to graduating. Last year, I recall seeing the seniors graduating and thinking "it's my turn to do that in a year", and now that's coming; it's scary to think about. Also, I remember the seniors from spring hockey and them taking their last shifts, and just wondering about the emotions running through their heads, knowing that potentially it was their last ever shift in hockey. And in two more games, that's going to be happening to me; yikes! You don't really think about those things when you don't appreciate the magnitude about them, and now, I really do think about it.
Talking about the yearbook, it reminded me about all the memories I've made and shared during the last four years of high school. I would just like to thank everybody who's been a part of that. Without all of you guys, I don't know how high school would have turned out, and I really truly want to thank all of you. To all of my underclassmen friends, I'm really gonna miss you. I don't know how much I'll be able to talk to you guys and spend time with you all, but I'd like to give a hearty thanks to all who may be concerned, for helping make my four amazing years in high school amazing! I'm gonna miss you guys like crazy. Thanks all, and I just want to say you're amazing people and I love you guys.
Friday, June 4, 2010
149!
Today in AP Stat I was testing my knowledge on how many countries I know, and it turned out that I knew 144, out of the 195 total countries in the world, give or take at least 5 countries that I should have gotten (darn it!). But just now, I retook it and I know 149! I'm a bit bummed that I couldn't quit remember 5 or 6 countries. Oh well, now to go back and practice for it (wow that's nerdy, isn't it?).
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