I know it seems weird that I don't know the final score but no one really cares who was actually there. Took me a week or so to stop caring, but then it really didn't matter, a big step for me. This attitude was best reflected when the final final buzzer went. It felt like we had won a championship, but not just the white team, all of us. There were no camera shots of the red team with their heads between their hands trying to hide the tears, nope, just a big mosh pit of red and white swarming the red goalie with hugs all around and tears of joy and exhaustion from both teams. Myself included.
To back it up a bit my last shift was a fun one, a good group of girls and a red goalie out to have some fun. I practiced my spin-a-rama move a good dozen times, including on a penalty shot (totally set up by the red team) till I finally scored on it! That rounded out a tipped in out of the air goal and a wrap around. Never did get that top shelf shot down:) After the shift about 10 of us went upstairs and drank a couple of beers, ate (of course) and generally just hung out like normal people. Then just to give a little energy to the 12-4 am shift we ran into the rink and mooned them. Twice.
7am came all too soon but we just had to push through until 930 when the benches started to fill up. At that point someone must have hit the 'TURBO' switch cause the game picked up and was the fastest it had been in probably about 9 days. Was great to be able to play with some people that I hadn't crossed paths with over the 10 days and to see some energy and smiles on faces on the bench. For once there was someone to fist pump with when you got to the bench;) When the record was met at 10 am we were all pretty stoked but knew the end wasn't here yet so left a little in the tank.
We had a red carpet ceremony at 10 where I was chosen to do the ceremonial puck drop for the white team with Eva Markvoorts Dad dropping the puck. Eva passed away last March and was the spokesperson for the event, as well as having done much to raise awareness about CF and organ donation through the documentary 65redroses. So fanfare over we got back to business and had another 65 minutes of hockey to play - not a coincidence the 65 minutes.
When that final final buzzer went though it was amazing, the crowd was so loud, the DJ was playing something good I'm sure (but I couldn't hear it) and we tossed our equipment away, people threw 65 red roses onto the ice and we skated in a circle as one big team. And of course the media circus was present to capture it all. Afterwards we hit the showers and drank the champagne donated to us and waiting in the locker rooms! The party while short was a great ending to the morning.
The afternoon however was where things went downhill.
I came out from the party just before 1 pm to see that the RV I had been staying in, with all of my stuff in it, was gone and there was no sign of my stuff. Any of it. After sounding the alarms, and about 30 minutes passing most of it was located in another girls RV (much to her surprise). All except my car and house keys that is. Ya, so here I was toasted, ready for bed, wanting to go home and no way to get there or get in it if I got there. My spare keys were out of town until 830 pm that night! So I ended up hanging around helping to clean up until about 5 pm, going to Chelsea's place with half my stuff, sleeping till 830 there, getting my keys then moving half my stuff over to my place before crashing. Had to pick my car up after work the next day, go pick up the other half of my stuff another player had kindly taken to her place and then haul it all up to my place. Which is where it still sits because last night I fell asleep at 6 pm, about 15 minutes after I got home.
Finally after my 12 hour sleep last night, skipping dinner, do I feel like the fog has lifted from my brain. The back pain, shoulder pain and associated swelling of joints will pass in time too.
So all in all a good experience. Getting even more positive as time passes and my brain function returns;) We won't know for months if the record is official, but I don't think anyone really cares. We raised over $140,000, I raised over $3500. We made it to the front page of the Vancouver Sun, the Metro and the Courier and brought CF to the forefront of the ordinary reader's mind if even only for a day. And that was always the number one goal for everyone involved, red or white.
I'll top this up with some photos and videos when I get home;)
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