just another day at the office

Since today is a game day, I thought I'd dedicate my post to sharing what life is like on a typical "home-game day" for us.   A lot of hockey players are very superstitious on game days.  Luckily, this does not include J.   He doesn't need to have "x" glasses of water or walk out the door at EXACTLY 9:03.  He may have a few little quirks that he does each game day while he's at the rink, but he keeps those to himself.  I've never really asked him about it, because, quite frankly, I think the whole superstitions and thinking that doing one tiny thing differently will create a whole different outcome in the game is pretty bizaare. 

 Our game day routine not a whole lot different from any other day.  J wakes up around 8:30, and heads to the rink right around 9 for their pregame skate at 10:30.  After they skate, they eat a pre-game meal prepared for them at the rink.  While J is at the arena, I usually go to the gym, go for a run, clean, or any combination of these.  I am taking full advantage of being able to sleep in every day- I usually wake up right around 9 (for the first month I was here, I was sleeping in until 10:30! for those of you who know me, I am usually an early riser, between 7-8.  I blame it on adjusting to the time change ;))  I figure I might as well take advantage of this time to sleep in now, since surely it will not last forever. 

So, by the time I am done with my morning routine, J is just getting home from skate/meal.  We usually take some down time on the couch to see what's on TV (yes, we do get English shows!) or pop in a DVD, usually a movie or "Two and a Half Men" which has become one of our favorites.  After a little while, J usually heads into the bedroom to take a nap around 1-1:30, usually with Maddie (our maltipoo) at his heels.  While he is napping, I catch up on e-mails, facebook, TV, and today: write this post.  I also use this as my time to shower and get myself ready for the day (yes, I realize it's afternoon already, and with the sun setting around 3:30 here now, sometimes I'm not "ready for the day" until the sun is gone!)  J usually wakes up from his nap around 3-3:30 and most days goes right to make a peanut butter sandwich.  He is off for the rink around 3:45-4, while I finish getting ready and having my mid-afternoon lunch. 

Some game days I have one or a few of the other girlfriend's from the team over for a glass of wine and to socialize before we head to the game, since our place is kind of "along the way" to the arena for some of them, and then we can go to the game together.  We are off to the game around 5:30 or 6, in plenty of time for the start of the game at 6:30. 

Once the game is over, the girls and I head downstairs where they have a wives room for the player's wives/girlfriends/children to wait.  Nothing fancy-schmancy, but it's a nice room with chairs, couches, bathroom, a tv, and some soda/chips or popcorn for us to snack on while we wait for the guys. Some nights there are only a few of us in there, and other nights it is packed with everyones wives/children, girlfriends, parents, grandparents.  It can get pretty rowdy :).  I don't think many of the teams in their league have wives rooms, so I'm very thankful that we are one of the lucky ones!  I don't know what I'd do without a chair to sit on while I wait for J (who some of you know, can be pretty pokey sometimes!)  It's also a nice time to be able to socialize with the other families and make plans for future nights/events, etc.  All of the other wives/girlfriends are Finnish except for one, but they are all so kind to speak English most of the time while the two of us are around.  It can be very frustrating having NO CLUE what is being said around you!  They've all been so great in helping us adjust to the language and culture.  The snacks in the room are a huge hit with me also, since we don't eat dinner until after the game, and I'm usually pretty hungry by then! 

Once J is ready to leave, we either head home to make some dinner, or some nights we go out to eat with some of the other players and wives/girlfriends.  Since J is pretty wound up after playing a game, we sometimes pop in a movie or he turns a hockey game on TV or something.  After that, it's time for bed.  Just another day at the office for J and his #1 fan ;)!

Time to go - "nap time" is over!