Hockey Night in Afghanistan
When we were making plans for the Christmas season, I had to make a hard decision. Staff party, or accept an invitation to attend an AHL hockey game from the comfort of box seating. It didn't take too long. The invitation, to watch the game and see how the other half lives, won.
What made it even easier is that the hosts were people with whom we'd enjoyed a long-term friendship. Our kids are similar in age, and we share other bits of history with them. It had been a long time since we had socialized. [Don't worry, we didn't forget how.]
The game started at seven, but the invitation said to arrive at 5:30. Dress was casual, which was nice, because it was a Friday night, and usually I'm in my jammies by 5:30 on Fridays. [Don't worry, I didn't wear jammies.]
We were treated to nachos and ribs and drinks and lots of junk food. So far, so good. We met the other game-goers and got acquainted with them. Every fifteen minutes or so, one of the staff came by to see if everything was all right, and did we need anything else. I could get used to this kind of treatment. Mostly, we didn't need anything else. But sometimes we tried it out just for fun. Coffee? Tea? Sure, no problem. Extra desserts? On their way.
The pre-game music was astoundingly loud. We figured it was to get the players pumped up. It certainly raised our blood flow and made us guess what the others in the room were actually talking about. Once the game started, the music gave way to the cheers of the fans, and the action on the ice.
Most of the other people in the room sat on the comfy seats close to the rink. The hostess and I were seated at the bar-height table. We simultaneously watched the action, and chatted. When our team scored, we were alerted by the cheering and the blast of the horn, so we took time out to add our voices to the cheers. Then we went back to multi-tasking and chatted some more. It was great.
The game was a close one. It went into overtime [giving us more time to visit] , and then shoot outs. Our team won. YAY!
At the end of the evening, we said our goodbyes and promised each other that we would see each other soon. Which we did. An evening of fun, food, fellowship, and icy entertainment - a great way to start the Christmas season.
What made it even easier is that the hosts were people with whom we'd enjoyed a long-term friendship. Our kids are similar in age, and we share other bits of history with them. It had been a long time since we had socialized. [Don't worry, we didn't forget how.]
The game started at seven, but the invitation said to arrive at 5:30. Dress was casual, which was nice, because it was a Friday night, and usually I'm in my jammies by 5:30 on Fridays. [Don't worry, I didn't wear jammies.]
The pre-game music was astoundingly loud. We figured it was to get the players pumped up. It certainly raised our blood flow and made us guess what the others in the room were actually talking about. Once the game started, the music gave way to the cheers of the fans, and the action on the ice.
Most of the other people in the room sat on the comfy seats close to the rink. The hostess and I were seated at the bar-height table. We simultaneously watched the action, and chatted. When our team scored, we were alerted by the cheering and the blast of the horn, so we took time out to add our voices to the cheers. Then we went back to multi-tasking and chatted some more. It was great.
The game was a close one. It went into overtime [giving us more time to visit] , and then shoot outs. Our team won. YAY!
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