Today’s post is a monthly writing challenge. If you’re new here, this is how it works: participating bloggers picked 4 – 6 words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once. All of the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That’s the challenge, here’s a fun twist; no one who’s participating knows who got their words and in what direction the recipient will take them. Until now.
At
the end of this post you’ll find links to the other blogs featuring
this challenge. Check them all out, see what words they got and how they
used them.
I'm using: overtime ~ interference ~ audience ~ water bottle ~ challenge ~ unsportsmanlikeThey were submitted by Tamara of Part-time Working Hockey Mom.
It's funny how sometimes the prompts sent in seem random, and other times they are a clear reflection of the person who chose them. Sarah often amuses me with the words she submits, they're a clear view of either what she's doing at that moment, or how she's feeling.
Today I'm looking in the mirror and seeing Tamara. As both a hockey mom and a hockey fan, there's no question what was on her mind when she chose these words.
Although they perfectly lend themselves to a hockey post, and although I'm a hockey fan (OK, not hockey in general, but the Boston Bruins in particular), I set out to write about something else, for a few reasons. First, it would be more of a challenge. Second, hockey reminds me of my brother Peter, who loved to play, and just thinking about the fact that he's been gone for 31 years, is a jolt to my system.
Anyway, I failed.
Hockey is stuck in my head, so I'll tell you a story about a hockey game I attended not long after moving to the Midwest, and why I'm afraid to go to another.
First, let me explain that I'm sports starved here. I'm 1500 miles away from my home teams, but more than that, there are no professional sports teams here at all. None. Everyone goes crazy over college sports here, but it's just not the same as the pros, so I never go to a game. Once a year or so my boys (Hubs included) may go to a game, but I stay home, watch the Red Sox (thanks to an early and unusual Mother's Day present), and play in the kitchen.
Scampi Rice
But years ago, a neighbor had season tickets to all of the local university's hockey games. And one night in particular, she gifted those tickets to Hubs and I. The local team was playing my alma mater, UMass. I was pretty excited (I said I was sports starved, right?).
Hubs and I found our seats in the audience, and settled in with our snacks and water bottles. OK, maybe not water, but . . . whatever. Just when we got comfortable, it came to our attention, loudly and clearly, that we were in the domain of cheerleader Suzy.
Just before the game started, she gave everyone in our section our mandate, exactly what her expectations of us entailed. We received instructions on when to jump up, when to scream, what to yell, how to jeer the opposing team, you get the picture.
Screw that. I'm a Umie!
And I didn't come to a hockey game to be choreographed.
So . . .
The game started and I didn't do the hokey pokey and turn myself around as instructed whenever the home team got the puck. To add to my transgressions, I actually cheered when UMass scored a goal.
That did not go over well with Cheerleader Suzy. Not one little bit. This was not going to happen, not in her section, not on her watch. In fact, I was getting the evil eye from not only her, but many of my section-mates. Very unsportsmanlike. Which I could live with, it was hockey after all, and hockey can get rowdy. Contentious even. But where's a ref when you need one? This is blatant interference (with my enjoyment), someone needs to put Suzy in the penalty box. Or maybe put me there, it might be safer. Because things weren't looking so good for me, and ultimately I did want to . . . you know . . . leave with all the teeth I came in with.
Towards the end, when it was clear that there would be no overtime, I started to plan my exit strategy. I'm 5 feet tall and Hubs is 6'2", so he was charged with creating an invisibility shield (aka running interference). If I could sneak out behind him, I just might avoid an expensive visit to the dentist.
And my future strategy? Well, to never come back. Unless I was put in charge of the section's wardrobe. There'd be a helmet and padding for me. And a mouth guard for Suzy.
Here are links to all the other Use Your Words posts:
Scampi Rice
Ingredients:
4 TBSP butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/3 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup white wine
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tsp dried parsley
1 2/3 cup instant rice
1 tsp lemon juice
Directions:
*In a medium sized pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add the garlic, cook and stir for about 3 minutes.
*In a medium sized pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add the garlic, cook and stir for about 3 minutes.
*Add the chicken broth, white wine, salt, pepper, and parsley. Bring to a boil.
*Stir in the rice, cover, and remove from the heat. After 10 minutes, remove the cover, drizzle with the lemon juice, and stir.
