T-shirts have been made, so it's official:
 |
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Highland Games Team Name
After some discussion, we came up with a team name for the Highland Games coming up this Saturday. And no, the first two words are not euphemisms for...whatever. Get your mind out of the gutter. :) And the third word? Read and Learn.
Magic in the Air
Cheesy title, I know, I know. But it's the only way I can describe what has been going on lately.
Let me start with our last Thursday night game on 11/17, my regular night of curling. We were playing a tough opponent. A very good Skip (who also is the coach of the Juniors teams that play out of Rochester), and 3 other decent players. They were also coming into the game with us undefeated. So, I wasn't sure what to expect out of the game. But I left the house and headed over to the club with a positive attitude, and just wanted to have as much fun as possible. But then, something interesting happened on the way to the club...its SNOWED. And I mean real first of the season snow. And to make it ever better, it was Lake Effect snow. The best kind, if you ask me. Now, one thing to know about me is, I LOOOOVE snow. And especially the first snowfalls. So, I was super excited and giddy and silly in the car on the way to the club. And I thought to myself, that it was a good sign for the evening. Well, we all played real well, and we made them absolutely have to make the big shots. So - we won. Not only did we win, we shut them out. We won 12-0. The points went 2 in the 1st end with the hammer, then 3 in the 2nd (W/O hammer), 1 in the 3rd (W/O hammer), 2 in the 4th (W/O hammer), 1 in the 5th (W/O hammer), and 3 in the 6th (W/O hammer). Wow, was all I could say all night. To beat one of the better Skips in our club, and to shut him out, is pretty cool.
Also that night, I witnessed an 8-ender. Yes, you read that right. We all gathered around the glass and watched the end unfold and it was pretty exciting. The Skip that got it is the man that does the ice at our club, so does that mean he has a little bit of an advantage?? hehe. Funny thing is, before that end, they were behind by quite a few points. 5 or 6 I think. So putting up the 8 was really the only option they had if they wanted a chance at winning the game! They held their little bit of a lead and went on to win.
Then, two days later, we faced the fine folks from the Niagara Falls curling club. We had a promising mix of players, but since we have never beat NF in the history of the friendly between our two clubs, you never know. I played very well. I had some sweet guards, and my weight was pretty good. There were some wacky spots in the ice, which would make some stones go hay wire, but all in all it was some real good curling. I won both of my games...and as club we did really well. We won, 121-104. Very Nice. It was nice to send the canucks home with the ugly goose trophy. It felt good to have contributed to the win. I was told that my team and I needed to win our 2nd game in order for the club to win. I'm just glad that wasn't figured out and expressed to us BEFORE we went on the ice. Having that in the back of my head would have drove me a little crazy.
Lastly, I'm happy to report that I am temporarily curling on Tuesday nights now. A team was looking for a female lead to be a perma-sub for the rest of the draw. I like Tuesdays, there is a fun mix of teams. I'm sad to say I can't do Tuesdays after Jan 23rd, since I have a class then. So, for now I'll just soak up as much Tuesdays as possible.
Let me start with our last Thursday night game on 11/17, my regular night of curling. We were playing a tough opponent. A very good Skip (who also is the coach of the Juniors teams that play out of Rochester), and 3 other decent players. They were also coming into the game with us undefeated. So, I wasn't sure what to expect out of the game. But I left the house and headed over to the club with a positive attitude, and just wanted to have as much fun as possible. But then, something interesting happened on the way to the club...its SNOWED. And I mean real first of the season snow. And to make it ever better, it was Lake Effect snow. The best kind, if you ask me. Now, one thing to know about me is, I LOOOOVE snow. And especially the first snowfalls. So, I was super excited and giddy and silly in the car on the way to the club. And I thought to myself, that it was a good sign for the evening. Well, we all played real well, and we made them absolutely have to make the big shots. So - we won. Not only did we win, we shut them out. We won 12-0. The points went 2 in the 1st end with the hammer, then 3 in the 2nd (W/O hammer), 1 in the 3rd (W/O hammer), 2 in the 4th (W/O hammer), 1 in the 5th (W/O hammer), and 3 in the 6th (W/O hammer). Wow, was all I could say all night. To beat one of the better Skips in our club, and to shut him out, is pretty cool.
Also that night, I witnessed an 8-ender. Yes, you read that right. We all gathered around the glass and watched the end unfold and it was pretty exciting. The Skip that got it is the man that does the ice at our club, so does that mean he has a little bit of an advantage?? hehe. Funny thing is, before that end, they were behind by quite a few points. 5 or 6 I think. So putting up the 8 was really the only option they had if they wanted a chance at winning the game! They held their little bit of a lead and went on to win.
Then, two days later, we faced the fine folks from the Niagara Falls curling club. We had a promising mix of players, but since we have never beat NF in the history of the friendly between our two clubs, you never know. I played very well. I had some sweet guards, and my weight was pretty good. There were some wacky spots in the ice, which would make some stones go hay wire, but all in all it was some real good curling. I won both of my games...and as club we did really well. We won, 121-104. Very Nice. It was nice to send the canucks home with the ugly goose trophy. It felt good to have contributed to the win. I was told that my team and I needed to win our 2nd game in order for the club to win. I'm just glad that wasn't figured out and expressed to us BEFORE we went on the ice. Having that in the back of my head would have drove me a little crazy.
Lastly, I'm happy to report that I am temporarily curling on Tuesday nights now. A team was looking for a female lead to be a perma-sub for the rest of the draw. I like Tuesdays, there is a fun mix of teams. I'm sad to say I can't do Tuesdays after Jan 23rd, since I have a class then. So, for now I'll just soak up as much Tuesdays as possible.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
International Competition!
The Niagara Falls Friendly is this weekend at the club here in Rochester. This will be my first international competition of the year. hehe. Friendly competition though.
Every year our club and the Niagara Falls club play a friendly match and alternate between the clubs. Last year was my first time ever playing in Canada, and it is where I recorded my first win ever. I'll always be a little sentimental about curling in Niagara Falls. As a club though, we got our asses handed to us by the Canucks. And so we came back home with the ugly trophy. Hopefully it goes better for us this year on our home turf. If not, then at least we are now serving Strongbow Hard Cider at the club. Yum.
Every year our club and the Niagara Falls club play a friendly match and alternate between the clubs. Last year was my first time ever playing in Canada, and it is where I recorded my first win ever. I'll always be a little sentimental about curling in Niagara Falls. As a club though, we got our asses handed to us by the Canucks. And so we came back home with the ugly trophy. Hopefully it goes better for us this year on our home turf. If not, then at least we are now serving Strongbow Hard Cider at the club. Yum.
 |
| Interesting fact: According to the U.S.G.S. (United States Geological Survey) of Niagara Falls, it appears that almost 1/3 of the Canadian Falls lies within US Territory. |
Friday, November 4, 2011
Thursday Night Roller Coaster
Last nights match was wild. With a whole lot of factors leading to it, we lost. But it was still a fun game. It was fun because it was challenging. I had an awesome first end, personally, but after that I was just all over the place. C-O-N-S-I-S-T-E-N-C-Y is something I lack, clearly. We all struggled last night, and we all are in various stages of some nasty cold or Flu that has been going around. But even if I was 100% healthy, I still struggle to be consistent. I can't do two things at once when I deliver; I can't maintain proper weight AND line together. And it's extremely frustrating. What do I need to do? Go down to the club early on a Saturday morning and do drills that only focus on one thing first, and get good at that one thing?? Then move on to the next type of drill?? I'm leaning towards that, especially doing line drills. Nothing frustrates more than when I'm too narrow. Too often my narrow rocks will curl into a dumb spot and just make a mess and clog things up. They then become useless rocks. It's almost better if I didn't throw them at all!
Like I said, last night was still fun to play. I got a hell of a workout (SWEEEEP HAAAARD was all I seemed to hear from my skip), and because we all struggled a bit; the challenges made things interesting. We weren't totally out of it, until the last two ends. And at one point we even had a good start on a 8-ender. But we foolishly talked about it, and sure enough the next rock didn't even make it into the house. First Rule of the 8-ender: Never talk about the 8-ender!
The Thursday night team intends to play in the Highland Games at our club in December; my only hope for that day is that we all healthy. Playing sick is rough. If we are all healthy, it should be a good day. If you want to curl in Rochester, form a team and come on out. We'd love to meet you; Slàinte.
Like I said, last night was still fun to play. I got a hell of a workout (SWEEEEP HAAAARD was all I seemed to hear from my skip), and because we all struggled a bit; the challenges made things interesting. We weren't totally out of it, until the last two ends. And at one point we even had a good start on a 8-ender. But we foolishly talked about it, and sure enough the next rock didn't even make it into the house. First Rule of the 8-ender: Never talk about the 8-ender!
The Thursday night team intends to play in the Highland Games at our club in December; my only hope for that day is that we all healthy. Playing sick is rough. If we are all healthy, it should be a good day. If you want to curl in Rochester, form a team and come on out. We'd love to meet you; Slàinte.Monday, October 17, 2011
Son of a Biscuit!
So...Thursday night curling started LAST Thursday, and I spent the last few days feeling sorry for myself and licking my wounds. It didn't go very well for us. We lost 6-3. As my husband put it shortly afterwards, we did play scrappy for the few points we got. But really we didn't capitalize on some good opportunities or on their mistakes. I didn't post anything before the game because I was a little nervous and I didn't want to get myself worked up. I didn't expect us to roll over them, but I also wasn't expecting it to be so rough either. Maybe I should have posted something beforehand, to get whatever I was carrying with me out of my system. The Husband and my Skip said I played all right - but I don't think so. I could have been better. People are quick to chalk it up to summer rust, but I don't know. The others teams Skip played pretty well. He had some wicked curl and seemed to have consistent weight. Where was his rust?
So, this was a first for me. First time back after a long break. I just need to learn from it and move on, right? We'll see. As you can probably tell, I don't handle losing very well. I'm starting to figure out why I tended to shy away from serious competition when I was growing up. What are some of the cliches about learning more from a loss than from a win?
So, this was a first for me. First time back after a long break. I just need to learn from it and move on, right? We'll see. As you can probably tell, I don't handle losing very well. I'm starting to figure out why I tended to shy away from serious competition when I was growing up. What are some of the cliches about learning more from a loss than from a win?
I do know that I need to just relax and have more fun. This week we are playing a team of pretty new players. They were on the sheet next to us last Thursday, and it appeared like they were having a blast. So maybe this Thursday will be a good time. I just have to let it all go and try and have fun. And not use so many swear words directed at myself - hence the title of this post. I'm trying it out for a while. It's fun to say, actually.
 |
| Yum. |
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Shaking off the summer rust
So, last night a few of us got out on the new ice. For me, this is the first time this season. I'll get the bad news out of the way first: I hogged my very first stone!
In my defense, it was some VERY frosty/wonky/sticky ice. The last few days here in Rochester have been very warm, with high humidity. And it really shows on the ice. Our club put ice down a little early for the Senior Games this weekend. Unfortunately now we are experiencing a little bit of an Indian summer.
Also, the ice was running extremely straight. I found myself begging out loud for even a little curl. But according to Team Canada (Alberta) who were practicing for the Senior Games on sheet D, 'green ice' (new, fresh ice) will typically run pretty straight. Sure enough, as the night went on, more and more of our stones were finally picking up a tiny bit of curl.
After we threw a few practice rocks, we split into two teams (3 on 3) and had a little bit of game. It was a lot of fun, and it was exciting to see everyone play so well for early season. I had a few killer shots. Some very nice weight. I was fairly good about staying on line. And I managed to pull a few good hits out of the bag as well. I was just trying to be conscious of all my movements. Sometimes though, a little TOO conscious. I noticed on some of the screwier shots of mine, I was thinking too much. I was actually talking to myself, running through all the pointers I've picked up. I think then I was distracting myself! When delivering, there needs to be a break in everything: Talk yourself through it, talk yourself out of your bad habits, get lined up, THEN shut up/shut your mind up, and then just do it. Ah well, just one more thing to work on.
Also what I need to work on: The toe shift!! I was doing it again last night. I would line myself up in the hack, get ready, and then at the last second my hack toe would click over to a 45 degree angle! Totally an involuntary move. I would catch it out of the corner of my eye, and sometimes when it was quiet on the ice I would actually hear it happen. Then I would have to make an effort to click it back and hold it straight. I hate this. I hate that I don't know why I'm doing it. I hate it when I don't catch it, and then leave the hack a little off line. Hopefully I can work this bad habit out of me! We'll see.
The Senior Games this weekend are going to postpone anymore practice time we can get, but my Thursday night skip is trying to get us all out there as much as possible before the season starts. He is trying to line up a practice game for his Wednesday night men's team (the Husband is on that team) for next week, so I'll probably head over then and knock around on the next sheet.
Feel free to leave a comment and let me know how your transition from Summer to Curling is going. I'm curious to hear how people get into the right mindset. Good Curling! (It's fun to say that again.)
In my defense, it was some VERY frosty/wonky/sticky ice. The last few days here in Rochester have been very warm, with high humidity. And it really shows on the ice. Our club put ice down a little early for the Senior Games this weekend. Unfortunately now we are experiencing a little bit of an Indian summer.
Also, the ice was running extremely straight. I found myself begging out loud for even a little curl. But according to Team Canada (Alberta) who were practicing for the Senior Games on sheet D, 'green ice' (new, fresh ice) will typically run pretty straight. Sure enough, as the night went on, more and more of our stones were finally picking up a tiny bit of curl.
After we threw a few practice rocks, we split into two teams (3 on 3) and had a little bit of game. It was a lot of fun, and it was exciting to see everyone play so well for early season. I had a few killer shots. Some very nice weight. I was fairly good about staying on line. And I managed to pull a few good hits out of the bag as well. I was just trying to be conscious of all my movements. Sometimes though, a little TOO conscious. I noticed on some of the screwier shots of mine, I was thinking too much. I was actually talking to myself, running through all the pointers I've picked up. I think then I was distracting myself! When delivering, there needs to be a break in everything: Talk yourself through it, talk yourself out of your bad habits, get lined up, THEN shut up/shut your mind up, and then just do it. Ah well, just one more thing to work on.
Also what I need to work on: The toe shift!! I was doing it again last night. I would line myself up in the hack, get ready, and then at the last second my hack toe would click over to a 45 degree angle! Totally an involuntary move. I would catch it out of the corner of my eye, and sometimes when it was quiet on the ice I would actually hear it happen. Then I would have to make an effort to click it back and hold it straight. I hate this. I hate that I don't know why I'm doing it. I hate it when I don't catch it, and then leave the hack a little off line. Hopefully I can work this bad habit out of me! We'll see.
The Senior Games this weekend are going to postpone anymore practice time we can get, but my Thursday night skip is trying to get us all out there as much as possible before the season starts. He is trying to line up a practice game for his Wednesday night men's team (the Husband is on that team) for next week, so I'll probably head over then and knock around on the next sheet.
Feel free to leave a comment and let me know how your transition from Summer to Curling is going. I'm curious to hear how people get into the right mindset. Good Curling! (It's fun to say that again.)
Sunday, September 18, 2011
We have houses!
It's getting closer...can you feel it???
A bunch of us met at the club last Thursday night and painted the ice. The houses are Purple and Green. Yes, you read that right. And yes, it's a little odd when you first look at it. Purple and Green are in our club logo, and it grows on you after a while. The green is a very pretty, true, Kelly green. And the purple goes well with it.
This was my first time painting ice, and it was fun. 3 out of 4 of our Thursday team painted together, so it was a little team building exercise. Gotta work together and stay within the lines!
There is chatter amongst my teammates to get together soon and have some practice time. I'll let you know how that goes. It seems like everyday I'm mentally going over all the tips I received at camp. I can't wait to practice them some more.
A bunch of us met at the club last Thursday night and painted the ice. The houses are Purple and Green. Yes, you read that right. And yes, it's a little odd when you first look at it. Purple and Green are in our club logo, and it grows on you after a while. The green is a very pretty, true, Kelly green. And the purple goes well with it.
 |
| An homage to our club logo? or the Joker?? |
 |
| Our team did the green in these houses. |
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Greetings From Oakville, Ontario
 |
| My husband is ready to get started! |
I think my Thursday night Skip will be happy to hear that I found good HIT weight. And I mean, real hit weight. If I practice and work hard, I can really make it consistently good. This is HUGE for me!! I honestly didn't think I had any good hits in me.
I'm also excited to report that I found a slight toe shift of my hack foot when I'm about to take off from the hack. Not exactly sure why I do this, but I just made a mental note to control that foot better. As the day went on, I got better and better at that. My whole delivery got a bit of an over haul. I'm VERY pleased with the changes. I feel like I can find my center of balance better. I can find more power when I need it (HUGE!!) I can find my line faster. I could go on and on and on about this...
 |
| Communicate, Communicate, Communicate! |
 |
| Learning about angles from Paul Balabuck |
Overall, I am totally blown away by the whole weekend. The Husband and I learned a lot. Some of what we learned can be applied to our personal curling abilities, and some can be applied to our team. Obviously, I want to get better at curling. I want to improve every year. But higher up on my wish list is that our Thursday night team be the best it can be.
I know you probably have heard this before, but Canadians are awesome! They are some of the nicest, most genuine people you will ever meet. The people at Hot Shots are truly passionate about the sport of curling. They have such enthusiasm for the future of the sport and want to share that enthusiasm with as many people as they can.
To wrap it up - I am dying to get this season started!! I am looking forward to using what I learned at camp, but first and foremost I want to play and have fun.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
To blog or not to blog...
Ack, It's summer - It's hot out. And to be honest with you, I haven't really thought about curling since last April.
The husband likes to point out every week how close we are to curling camp in Oakville, Ontario. 6 weeks, 5 more weeks, 4 more weeks, etc. Camp starts August 26th and runs through August 28th.
Since I haven't really thought about curling, I'm not in any mind set yet for camp. One thing I have vaguely wondered about is: How bad will that first release out of the hack be?? Is it like riding a bike, as they say? Will it come back to me quickly? Or will I be splayed out on the ice, flopping around like a seal.
The header of this blog currently calls me a "first year curler." When camp commences I will no longer be a first year curler. But I still will experience a lot of "Firsts." Such as, first time back after summer break. Sooooo, it should be interesting on the 26th. I'll make sure the husband takes some pictures.
I hope you are enjoying the rest of your summer. I'll post again, maybe, as we get closer to camp.
The husband likes to point out every week how close we are to curling camp in Oakville, Ontario. 6 weeks, 5 more weeks, 4 more weeks, etc. Camp starts August 26th and runs through August 28th.
 |
| Where's my stabilizer? |
Since I haven't really thought about curling, I'm not in any mind set yet for camp. One thing I have vaguely wondered about is: How bad will that first release out of the hack be?? Is it like riding a bike, as they say? Will it come back to me quickly? Or will I be splayed out on the ice, flopping around like a seal.
The header of this blog currently calls me a "first year curler." When camp commences I will no longer be a first year curler. But I still will experience a lot of "Firsts." Such as, first time back after summer break. Sooooo, it should be interesting on the 26th. I'll make sure the husband takes some pictures.
I hope you are enjoying the rest of your summer. I'll post again, maybe, as we get closer to camp.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Arena Curling
First, let me apologize for not posting in a while. It's the off-season!! So posting may be pretty infrequent. In August it will probably pick up again, since the season will be starting for the husband and I with a trip to Curling Camp in Canada. (More on that later in the summer.)
This post is about Arena Curling. The husband got a letter in the mail from the Evergreen Curling Club in Portland, Oregon. They are soliciting donations for their new curling club, so they can curl on dedicated curling ice. Right now, and for the past 9 years, they curl on Arena Ice. For those of you that have not seen this before, clubs can rent ice time at a local hockey arena and curl on the hockey ice. As you can imagine, this comes with a whole host of problems. Evergreens letter highlights some of these problems: rental rates are expensive and the scheduling is controlled by the arena, the ice is consistently poor quality, there is nowhere for people to meet before or after a game and socialize together, a ton of work has to go into setting everything up before a night of curling can even happen, plus many more issues.
Evergreens letter mentions that they have decided to lease empty warehouse space and convert it to a curling club. They note that this is really the cheapest option, and through various fundraising options they hope to raise $300,000. If you want that warm and fuzzy feeling, send a donation! I'm sure they would really appreciate it.
Receiving their letter in the mail made me think how lucky and fortunate we are in Rochester to have dedicated curling ice. I remember how excited the husband and I were when we started curling, and I remember how awesome we thought it was that we could curl almost any night of the week. If we had to curl on Arena ice - would we have that same level of excitement? It's hard to say. Would I have stuck it out and worked through some of my bad habits if I could only curl once a week and on wonky ice?? It would have been pretty hard to do it.
So far, curling has become a big part of our lives. And it is taking us to places we have never been before. Along the way, we have met some REALLY great people. I always like to attribute this to our home ice and the opportunities it has given us to further our game.
This post is about Arena Curling. The husband got a letter in the mail from the Evergreen Curling Club in Portland, Oregon. They are soliciting donations for their new curling club, so they can curl on dedicated curling ice. Right now, and for the past 9 years, they curl on Arena Ice. For those of you that have not seen this before, clubs can rent ice time at a local hockey arena and curl on the hockey ice. As you can imagine, this comes with a whole host of problems. Evergreens letter highlights some of these problems: rental rates are expensive and the scheduling is controlled by the arena, the ice is consistently poor quality, there is nowhere for people to meet before or after a game and socialize together, a ton of work has to go into setting everything up before a night of curling can even happen, plus many more issues.
Evergreens letter mentions that they have decided to lease empty warehouse space and convert it to a curling club. They note that this is really the cheapest option, and through various fundraising options they hope to raise $300,000. If you want that warm and fuzzy feeling, send a donation! I'm sure they would really appreciate it.
Receiving their letter in the mail made me think how lucky and fortunate we are in Rochester to have dedicated curling ice. I remember how excited the husband and I were when we started curling, and I remember how awesome we thought it was that we could curl almost any night of the week. If we had to curl on Arena ice - would we have that same level of excitement? It's hard to say. Would I have stuck it out and worked through some of my bad habits if I could only curl once a week and on wonky ice?? It would have been pretty hard to do it.
So far, curling has become a big part of our lives. And it is taking us to places we have never been before. Along the way, we have met some REALLY great people. I always like to attribute this to our home ice and the opportunities it has given us to further our game.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
I'm proud to call him my Skip.
This is Chris Benway, my Skip for Thursday nights. We almost went undefeated during the last draw. If only he pulled this out during that last game...if only! haha.
This was recorded during the Last Chance last weekend.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Last Chance Curling and Craziness 4/16/2011
Saturday was the Last Chance to Curl. It's really just a big party before and after they shut down the compressor for the summer. We had some crazy rules curling (All 16 rocks in the house, Red in left side only, Touch center line only, Delivering two rocks,etc.) then we toast the compressor. After the compressor is off, the fun begins - with skating and sliding on anything you can get your hands on. Here are a few pics.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Pittsburgh Rocks!!
Pictures courtesy of John Zavinski from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
My favorite pic of me. Go Steelers.
John I. and I digging in. Nice form.
Nick W. and I sweeping Johns rock.
Pittsburgh Curling Club
PS: RIB pics coming soon!
Hurry, Hurry, Hurry!!
Pittsburgh Curling Club
PS: RIB pics coming soon!
Monday, April 11, 2011
Rochester International Bonspiel
The RIB was tons of fun! We went 2-2 overall, and ended up competing in the C divison final game. We lost that, and as C runners up, we were given 50th Anniversary RCC pins. The final game was a tough one to swallow, since we were dominating early. We just couldn't hold onto the lead. The game against Machold on Saturday was rough, as you can see, but that one was against people WAY better than us and with more experience. Their skip is a National Play-Downs player!
Sunday morning was a bright spot, since we beat the Raven team. Their skip is a very skilled player and the rest of the team was playing very well too. But we all dug deep to play real well to make up for being so far behind after the first 3 ends. I really enjoyed this game. And playing against the members of the Raven team was nice, they are real good guys.
So, aside from some fun nights of curling coming up this week (the club shuts down for the summer this coming weekend), the husband and I are done with being 'First Year Curlers'. Kind of weird...The husband said that the RIB felt kind of like a graduation ceremony. He's not that far off. The organizer of the event made note of recognizing that we are all pretty inexperienced and still played some good games, and we got a round of applause for that. That was nice. Except like my husband said, we can't use 'First Year' as an excuse anymore!
This is how we did:
*Disclaimer: The husband made this graphic late on Sunday night, and we both were very sore and tired, and our memorys were shot - so the ends might be a little off. But we are 99% sure it's mostly correct!! The final scores are right at least.
At some point this week I will post pictures from the RIB.
Sunday morning was a bright spot, since we beat the Raven team. Their skip is a very skilled player and the rest of the team was playing very well too. But we all dug deep to play real well to make up for being so far behind after the first 3 ends. I really enjoyed this game. And playing against the members of the Raven team was nice, they are real good guys.
So, aside from some fun nights of curling coming up this week (the club shuts down for the summer this coming weekend), the husband and I are done with being 'First Year Curlers'. Kind of weird...The husband said that the RIB felt kind of like a graduation ceremony. He's not that far off. The organizer of the event made note of recognizing that we are all pretty inexperienced and still played some good games, and we got a round of applause for that. That was nice. Except like my husband said, we can't use 'First Year' as an excuse anymore!
This is how we did:
*Disclaimer: The husband made this graphic late on Sunday night, and we both were very sore and tired, and our memorys were shot - so the ends might be a little off. But we are 99% sure it's mostly correct!! The final scores are right at least.
At some point this week I will post pictures from the RIB.
Friday, April 8, 2011
We lost last night. 6-1 for the draw. Came in 2nd place overall. Ugh.
And I completely and totally suck.
I have 24 hours to wallow, and I'm going to take full advantage of that.
Then I just gotta somehow shake it off - tomorrow we start the Rochester International Bonspiel.
Good news is that the club has both the Whipped Cream AND Cotton Candy flavored vodka.
I have 24 hours to wallow, and I'm going to take full advantage of that.
Then I just gotta somehow shake it off - tomorrow we start the Rochester International Bonspiel.
Good news is that the club has both the Whipped Cream AND Cotton Candy flavored vodka.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
One more to go...
So, tomorrow night is our last game of the Thursday night draw. We are currently 6-0, and have most likely secured a glass (the top two teams get a glass for winning the draw.) But honestly I would much rather brag about being undefeated in the draw, than brag about a glass. Going 7-0 wasn't really anything I considered until we had our 5th win, so to be this close to it is a little nerve racking. Though, also a little fun!
Our Skip sent one of his pre-game strategy emails to all of us and in it he said "Keep it simple and play an open game. Do whatever we need to do to keep it a nice open clean game. Get out your hitting shoes." I like his perspective. If we dig deep and play well, that puts a lot of pressure on the other team to match that. I've always liked games like that in the past. You can even feel when the atmosphere on the rink changes, and you realize you have the other guys a little shook up.
So, no getting lazy tomorrow night. Head up. Steady breaths. Keep thinking. Play hard and we should be all right...
Our Skip sent one of his pre-game strategy emails to all of us and in it he said "Keep it simple and play an open game. Do whatever we need to do to keep it a nice open clean game. Get out your hitting shoes." I like his perspective. If we dig deep and play well, that puts a lot of pressure on the other team to match that. I've always liked games like that in the past. You can even feel when the atmosphere on the rink changes, and you realize you have the other guys a little shook up.
So, no getting lazy tomorrow night. Head up. Steady breaths. Keep thinking. Play hard and we should be all right...
Monday, April 4, 2011
Pittsburgh Friendly
The Yinzers came to town on Saturday! And the husband and I had a blast. Rochester won, and we sent the Rooster back to the 'Burgh. One tidbit of cool information that we heard was that the Pittsburgh club is taking our clubs on compressor and condenser after everything shuts down in a few weeks. Our club is installing a new one this summer.Pittsburgh is working on building their own club (they play on arena ice at Robert Morris University now.) I can't want 'til they get up and running. Going to Pittsburgh for curling sounds awesome!! They have some really great people, and I can't wait for the next friendly.
 |
| Me channeling Jerome Bettis to move that stone. |
 |
| The husband delivering. |
Thursdays are getting sweeter
My Thursday night team won again, 10-3 in 6 ends. We started out a little shaky. We were down 2 after the 1st end. But! We managed to pull our heads out of our asses after that. We even had one 3 point end, and a 4 point end as well. I did OK. I was a little off the broom on some of my shots. But according to the overall numbers, I did all right. I think my Skip is too generous when he scores some of my shots! haha.
As you can see, I fell out of the 70s. I think I'm getting lazy with my shot set up again. I need to force myself to mentally prepare it in my head beforehand. We are now 6-0 for this draw, and this week is the last game. I can't get lazy now. Time to do some research again, and get my head in the right place.
| 3/10/2011 | 3/17/2011 | 3/24/2011 | 3/31/2011 | |
| Lead(Me) | 50.00% | 79.70% | 70.00% | 64.60% |
| 2nd | 31.20% | 56.20% | 47.50% | 37.50% |
| Vice | 66.70% | 62.50% | 67.50% | 60.40% |
| Skip | 75.00% | 76.60% | 75.00% | 72.90% |
As you can see, I fell out of the 70s. I think I'm getting lazy with my shot set up again. I need to force myself to mentally prepare it in my head beforehand. We are now 6-0 for this draw, and this week is the last game. I can't get lazy now. Time to do some research again, and get my head in the right place.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Ladies Night
I got a win with the team I subbed on last night. It was fun, and I really appreciate playing with and against people I hardly see. Playing with women only is different from anything else I've played. I played decent. My guard weight was okay and I had 2 really good draws when for an end our Skip had to step out to take an important phone call and I got to throw three rocks. I was feeling pretty comfortable with my draw weight. I even managed a takeout or two. I also was a sweeping machine! I wore myself and my broom out. haha. I'm on the sub list for the next two weeks, and I hope to play again. Next week they are doing a potluck afterwards, so that should be fun. :)
My regular Monday night team got a win without me. I'm happy they won. The team they played against was a good team. And my skip had some really good shots in the clutch again. I like playing with her, and she really helps the team stay in it.
And it turns out we won the Monday night draw!! We beat the next team overall by 2 points. So, now Monday nights are over. Whew. Now we just have to focus on the next couple of Thursdays to keep the win streak going. It's not going to be easy, but I'm excited about the challenge.
By the way, theres still room in the Rochester International Bonspiel on April 9th & 10th. Make a team, and sign up!!
My regular Monday night team got a win without me. I'm happy they won. The team they played against was a good team. And my skip had some really good shots in the clutch again. I like playing with her, and she really helps the team stay in it.
And it turns out we won the Monday night draw!! We beat the next team overall by 2 points. So, now Monday nights are over. Whew. Now we just have to focus on the next couple of Thursdays to keep the win streak going. It's not going to be easy, but I'm excited about the challenge.
By the way, theres still room in the Rochester International Bonspiel on April 9th & 10th. Make a team, and sign up!!
Monday, March 28, 2011
All American Event
Tonight, I am changing things up a bit. Instead of playing in my regular Monday night league, I am subbing for someone in the Ladies All American Event at the club. Each year the US Women’s Curling Association offers event winner pins to each club hosting an internal women’s bonspiel. It consists of at least three games and must be played separately from the regular league play. All players enter individually as lead, second, vice or skip. The teams are then randomly picked so that every team is evenly matched. It will be held this year on the following Monday’s at 6pm. March 28th, April 4th and April 11th.
(If my Monday night drawmaster is reading this - fear not, Bob has a sub for our team tonight.)
This will be my first time playing in a ladies only event, and I just wanted to try something different. I think my Monday night team can survive without me. hehe. Now, I know in reality I *could* have played in both games tonight, but...haha. I'm not that interested in winning a pin, I just wanted to try something different, and play with and against women I don't regularly see. It should be fun.
(If my Monday night drawmaster is reading this - fear not, Bob has a sub for our team tonight.)
This will be my first time playing in a ladies only event, and I just wanted to try something different. I think my Monday night team can survive without me. hehe. Now, I know in reality I *could* have played in both games tonight, but...haha. I'm not that interested in winning a pin, I just wanted to try something different, and play with and against women I don't regularly see. It should be fun.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Thursdays are nice on the ice
My Thursday night team is awesome. We won last Thursday, 10-2 in 5 ends. Sweet. Our first end, we scored 5!! Kind of fun. haha. Aside from some of our shots taking CRAZY hard turns on the ice, it was a good game. Once again, our skip kept track of our shots:
If I continue to stay in the 70s or a little higher, I'll be happy. I'm feeling more comfortable with adjusting my delivery to accommodate the different weights I need. This is something I've been trying to improve ever since our Toronto team got together. It's tough to be consistent right now, but I hope to be much better at it next year. I like my Thursday night team, each time we play together I learn a little more from my teammates, which helps me a lot. The four of us signed up for the RIB together, so I'm really looking forward to that bonspiel.
Next weekend the Yinzers come to town for the Pittsburgh friendly. The husband and I signed up, and we both are looking forward to it. Judging by this pic they put on their website, they seem excited too:
If anyone from the 'Burgh is reading this, bring up some Primanti Bros sandwiches! Oh, and some of those angry face brownies from Kings, and the black and gold smiley face cookies from Eat & Park. haha, you can tell the husband and I enjoy our trips to Pittsburgh.
3/10/2011 | 3/17/2011 | 3/24/2011 | |
Lead(Me) | 50.00% | 79.70% | 70.00% |
2nd | 31.20% | 56.20% | 47.50% |
Vice | 66.70% | 62.50% | 67.50% |
Skip | 75.00% | 76.60% | 75.00% |
If I continue to stay in the 70s or a little higher, I'll be happy. I'm feeling more comfortable with adjusting my delivery to accommodate the different weights I need. This is something I've been trying to improve ever since our Toronto team got together. It's tough to be consistent right now, but I hope to be much better at it next year. I like my Thursday night team, each time we play together I learn a little more from my teammates, which helps me a lot. The four of us signed up for the RIB together, so I'm really looking forward to that bonspiel.
Next weekend the Yinzers come to town for the Pittsburgh friendly. The husband and I signed up, and we both are looking forward to it. Judging by this pic they put on their website, they seem excited too:
If anyone from the 'Burgh is reading this, bring up some Primanti Bros sandwiches! Oh, and some of those angry face brownies from Kings, and the black and gold smiley face cookies from Eat & Park. haha, you can tell the husband and I enjoy our trips to Pittsburgh.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Ugh
Don't really have much to say. Last night was Monday night open league with the Toronto team. We lost, 5-3 in 8 ends. Everyone pretty much sucked in one way or another. Since the husband and I were coming off the long weekend in Toronto, and spent a lot of time over-indulging in food and drink, it was rough. And at some point, I just stopped caring. I know that sounds bad, but I was totally beat from the weekend. If we go again next year, we'll have to do something different.
How I feel this morning -->
Sunday, March 20, 2011
East York Spring Thaw Bonspiel
A heavy guard with the 7 rock accidentally promoted Tim Fitzpatrick's squad into a tie game, necessitating a Last Shot Draw to determine the winner. Team captain Lauren Bond stepped into the hack needing only to touch the 8 foot for the win. Not only did she come through, but her draw touched the large button, propelling Team Bond to their second straight victory and a 2-1 record on the day.It was quite a day of curling at the old East York Sports Centre. 24 teams from clubs such as Leaside, Dixie, Oshawa, Royals, and of course East York battled it out in an incredibly friendly event. Our day began and ended on the Bloor-Danforth subway line, over 12 hours apart, broom bags in hand. Here are some of the notables and highlights from a long day of curling, eating, and making new Canadian friends.
Our good fortune began at the Woodbine Subway/Bus terminal where we were immediately on a northbound 91 bus after ascending from the depths. A short walk down Cosburn Avenue past charming bungalows (that run for $300K and up!) and the ballfields of Stan Wadlow Park was the final leg of a journey that started at the corner of Mt. Hope and Elmwood Avenues a day earlier.The interior of the municipally owned club was quite the place. Angled glass looks out over six sheets of curling paradise as an all-wood cathedral ceiling looms over the proceedings. The lounge is quite inviting, featuring bar and kitchen areas at opposite sides of the room, a fireplace above which hangs a 52" flatscreen, and a piano for the musically inclined. The basement of the split level mid-60's edifice houses additional lounges and locker rooms (with lockers the shape of Idaho such that one can store brooms) as well as the ice shed entry.
Our early afternoon showdown pitted us against Elana Sone's East York rink. The sequence of shots largely eludes me in this battle until we fast-forward to the 6th end. Tasked with defending a 5-3 lead in the final end without the last rock, we annihilated the house from start to finish. Tia did a tremendous job of setting a table that saw rocks four abreast at top four foot depth at one point. After a 7 rock takeout, the math was in our favor, and victory was assured.
The high drama at the end of Game 3 was made possible by a stunning chain of events. Salty snacks, booze, and fatigue conspired to send Team Bond sleepwalking into their final matchup with Fitzpatrick's legion. Before we knew it, we had surrendered a steal of five. A double takeout and stay for one in the 2nd seemed like little consolation as it ensured a 6-1 deficit after three ends. A clutch draw into the eight-foot without backing for three in the fourth made it a contest, and the ability to get up a pair of guards forced the opposition into a pair of mistakes, setting the stage for a very sloppy final end and the pressure-packed finale.
In all, we had a tremendous time and a very unique experience in this installment of our seemingly bi-annual Toronto mini-vacations. Bela Szabo, event coordinator, did an excellent job ensuring that the event ran smoothly. We are likely to go back to East York every year and hopefully we can persuade some other Rochester teams to make the trip.
Two out of three ain't bad
So Team Bond from Rochester played well at the East York Curling Club Spring Thaw bonspiel. We started off a little shaky, but were able to regroup and win 2 games!!
But since I am too sore, tired, and a little hungover right now, I have asked the husband to step in and be a guest blogger tonight.
I will say this though, the people from East York Curling are awesome. And really genuinely nice. We had a ton of fun, and met some really great people. They really know how to throw a party here, and I'm looking forward to next years Spring Thaw!!
Take it away, Bob. :)
Friday, March 18, 2011
Time to shut down and pack for Toronto
We board the train this afternoon for the True North. We have internet access at the hotel, so I'll be able to post about our time at the East York Curling Club. Should be a fun weekend!!!
Another good win for my Thursday night team last night!
We won 9-5 in 8 ends. The funny thing is we all rushed to get the 8th end in, and we ended up blanking the 8th!!! Oh well. It was a really good game. When we had the hammer we scored a 3 point end, and a 4 point end. And we were able to steal 1 point twice in ends we did not have the hammer. As a team, we all did really well:
As you can see, I dramatically improved!! 80% is VERY good for me. I was feeling really comfortable with all my shots.There were only a couple that I flubbed a bit. And I'm happy to report that I found my guard weight again. I'm just hoping I can hold onto that muscle memory from now on. My skip reports that my in-turn and my out-turn accuracy was about the same this week. I'm not really sure what I was doing any different in respect to that, but I'll take it!! There was also some real good sweeping last night, on everyones part. I like sweeping-dominant games, makes me feel like I got a good workout in. haha.
3/10/2011 | 3/17/2011 | |
Lead(Me) | 50.0% | 79.7% |
2nd | 31.2% | 56.2% |
Vice | 66.7% | 62.5% |
Skip | 75.0% | 76.6% |
As you can see, I dramatically improved!! 80% is VERY good for me. I was feeling really comfortable with all my shots.There were only a couple that I flubbed a bit. And I'm happy to report that I found my guard weight again. I'm just hoping I can hold onto that muscle memory from now on. My skip reports that my in-turn and my out-turn accuracy was about the same this week. I'm not really sure what I was doing any different in respect to that, but I'll take it!! There was also some real good sweeping last night, on everyones part. I like sweeping-dominant games, makes me feel like I got a good workout in. haha.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
New T-shirt Design
Thanks to some free online clipart and MSPaint, I made the following design for t-shirts. I had one made for me and the husband.
Yet another weird Monday
We won last night, 6-3 in 8 ends. But again, it was a little weird. Our Toronto travel team was a man down and playing with only three people is a little disorienting. I was really hoping we would have one last good game all together before this weekend. But you gotta be flexible, right? So we shuffled things around, and the person who usually threw 2nd was now our skip. He was excited to do it. But it took a little while to get used to his strategy. Dude LOVES throwing takeouts. It felt like that was all we were throwing. And since I'm not that comfortable with takeouts, I mostly sucked. The takeout strategy ended up working I guess, since we won. But like I said, it was all a little disorienting.
I noticed I wasn't really that tired or sweaty since you don't really sweep that hard with takeouts, you mostly are just trying to keep up and stay ahead of the rock. And even though I was the only sweeper for 40 rocks, I wasn't tired at all. Weird.
The thing I hate about these weird games, is that it screws with my head. I'm not that experienced yet to be good with flexibility. I haven't played that long to feel comfortable in ANY situtation. Ah well, gotta shake it off. What's done is done. I'm looking forward to Thursday where we'll have four playing, and it will feel more like a traditional game. I need that before we leave for Toronto.
I noticed I wasn't really that tired or sweaty since you don't really sweep that hard with takeouts, you mostly are just trying to keep up and stay ahead of the rock. And even though I was the only sweeper for 40 rocks, I wasn't tired at all. Weird.
The thing I hate about these weird games, is that it screws with my head. I'm not that experienced yet to be good with flexibility. I haven't played that long to feel comfortable in ANY situtation. Ah well, gotta shake it off. What's done is done. I'm looking forward to Thursday where we'll have four playing, and it will feel more like a traditional game. I need that before we leave for Toronto.
Monday, March 14, 2011
The Utica Friendly was fun
My team won our first game, lost our second one. Not bad, for me. My very first rock was a seriously sick draw around their and our guards. (I threw 2nd.) The whole first game I was doing really well. I had a couple of good takeouts as well. Our vice played extremely well. The two of us created some good points for our team. And since our skip struggled to manage his weight (the ice was running real fast again), the vice and I really helped our team. I even managed to execute a good takeout while almost completely wiping out on my delivery (after I let go of the rock, I did eventually wipe out). I got some applause from people in the warm room for that. The second game, we were all a little off. This time the ice was VERY slow. Our skip improved a bit more, but me and the vice struggled. We only lost by one point, but we failed to capitalize on getting ahead by 2 or 3 points in 2 different ends, and settled for one point in those ends instead.
As a club, we got slaughtered. I believe my teams win was one of only 2 or 3 wins the RCC had. It was fun curling, though. And the people from Utica seemed to really enjoy themselves. The food was really good too, haha. Overall it was worth it. And I look forward to curling in Utica next year.
Up next is the Spring Thaw bonspiel in Toronto this weekend. I'm actually starting to get a little nervous!! I know I'm going to be restless on the train ride up this Friday. Overall though, I'm excited.
As a club, we got slaughtered. I believe my teams win was one of only 2 or 3 wins the RCC had. It was fun curling, though. And the people from Utica seemed to really enjoy themselves. The food was really good too, haha. Overall it was worth it. And I look forward to curling in Utica next year.
Up next is the Spring Thaw bonspiel in Toronto this weekend. I'm actually starting to get a little nervous!! I know I'm going to be restless on the train ride up this Friday. Overall though, I'm excited.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Utica Friendly
Almost forgot to mention: At the club tomorrow the husband and I are participating in a friendly with the Utica Curling Club. Should be fun. Supposedly they are taking a bus out here, and the indication is that they get their drink on pretty early. hehe. I just hope they don't come bearing gifts of that piss water Saranac Brewing puts out.
I grew up in central New York, about 45 min. from Utica. So, tomorrow I will refrain from dropping any of the old Utica jokes I always heard growing up. :)
I grew up in central New York, about 45 min. from Utica. So, tomorrow I will refrain from dropping any of the old Utica jokes I always heard growing up. :)
Thursdays are pretty cool...when you are undefeated! #%&$!!
So, last night was one hell of a win. Pretty wild. We won 10-2 in 6 ends. We stole every end, except one.
To start, we stole 4 points in the 1st end!! When you jump ahead that early, you kind of get a mental breather. And then when people like ME start going off the rails again, you don't worry so much. Yeah, I struggled a bit again last night. My guards weren't too bad, when I had the right weight. Some of them should have been a little deeper, but at least they stayed in play. After the 1st end, the ice got REALLY fast. And all of the sudden I'm throwing airport weight (for those of you that don't know, our club is down the road from the ROC airport and one end of the club faces the airport.) Me! throwing airport weight. WTF. Then I get rattled, and I start making adjustments. And either the adjustments don't work, or they make things worse. ugh. I just need to get out of my own way when I play.
Fortunately, our Vice* and Skip were really on their game. The two of them came through with some killer shots and putting pressure on the other team to be spot on with their hard shots. Our Vice and Skip kept us afloat in some sticky situations.
Our skip kept track of our shot percentage again:
The numbers don't lie, the Vice* and Skip totally carried the rest of the team!! I know my numbers would be a bit better if I could have just figured out the ice a little sooner. As you can see, our 2nd struggled as well. I wonder if the weight and timing of some of my crappier shots were messing with his head a little.
Our Skip commented on my out-turns vs. my in-turns. Again, this week I had quite a discrepancy between the two. He said my out-turns were pretty good. With my in-turns I tend to push right down the center line (!). After my first shot of one of the later ends, I think I became a little aware of this. I cannot tell you at all WHY I do it, but I am sort of aware of it. Maybe I need to be a little more consistent with my set up, and making sure I have my shoulders and upper body nice and square with the broom. And I have to stop looking down at the rock, damn it! haha. Bad habits are hard to break.
*Full disclosure: Our Vice is my husband, so I might be a little biased. ;)
To start, we stole 4 points in the 1st end!! When you jump ahead that early, you kind of get a mental breather. And then when people like ME start going off the rails again, you don't worry so much. Yeah, I struggled a bit again last night. My guards weren't too bad, when I had the right weight. Some of them should have been a little deeper, but at least they stayed in play. After the 1st end, the ice got REALLY fast. And all of the sudden I'm throwing airport weight (for those of you that don't know, our club is down the road from the ROC airport and one end of the club faces the airport.) Me! throwing airport weight. WTF. Then I get rattled, and I start making adjustments. And either the adjustments don't work, or they make things worse. ugh. I just need to get out of my own way when I play.
Fortunately, our Vice* and Skip were really on their game. The two of them came through with some killer shots and putting pressure on the other team to be spot on with their hard shots. Our Vice and Skip kept us afloat in some sticky situations.
Our skip kept track of our shot percentage again:
3/10/2011 | |
Lead (Me) | 50% |
2nd | 31.20% |
Vice | 66.70% |
Skip | 75% |
The numbers don't lie, the Vice* and Skip totally carried the rest of the team!! I know my numbers would be a bit better if I could have just figured out the ice a little sooner. As you can see, our 2nd struggled as well. I wonder if the weight and timing of some of my crappier shots were messing with his head a little.
Our Skip commented on my out-turns vs. my in-turns. Again, this week I had quite a discrepancy between the two. He said my out-turns were pretty good. With my in-turns I tend to push right down the center line (!). After my first shot of one of the later ends, I think I became a little aware of this. I cannot tell you at all WHY I do it, but I am sort of aware of it. Maybe I need to be a little more consistent with my set up, and making sure I have my shoulders and upper body nice and square with the broom. And I have to stop looking down at the rock, damn it! haha. Bad habits are hard to break.
*Full disclosure: Our Vice is my husband, so I might be a little biased. ;)
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Rochester International Bonspiel -- April 9-10
Our Thursday night team is going to sign up for the RIB. I'm excited to play that kind of format. It is not until April, so I have some time to get a little better. :) Get a team together and come out and play at the RCC on April 9-10.
Only one week left before we leave for Toronto. I'm a little conflicted. Normally Toronto trips are fun and relaxing, but I'm a little worried about how the spiel is going to go. We have never curled at East York, so that'll be a little nerve racking. Maybe I should have drink before we start. Is 10 am too early to start drinking??
Only one week left before we leave for Toronto. I'm a little conflicted. Normally Toronto trips are fun and relaxing, but I'm a little worried about how the spiel is going to go. We have never curled at East York, so that'll be a little nerve racking. Maybe I should have drink before we start. Is 10 am too early to start drinking??
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
All season long, mondays have been weird
Monday night open league last night. Played with our travel Toronto team. One word to describe the night: Odd.
Let me start by saying the opposing skip and vice are two VERY good players. Probably THE best guys I have ever played against, and among the top at our club. The combination of the two together makes them even better. They communicate very well with each other, and compliment each others abilities really well. Their 2nd played well too. That being said, we TIED. 7-7 in 7 ends.
As a team we struggled a bit. Everyone missed some key shots every once in a while. It opened with 1 point for them in the 1st end, 3 points for us in the 2nd end, then 5 points for them in the 3rd end. At this point I thought: oh boy, here we go. Let the ass-whooping begin. I shrugged it off, and decided even if the whooping was coming, I was going to have as much fun as possible. Well, after that 5 point end, we scratched and clawed for every point. We weren't giving up. We got 2 in the 4th end, then held them to one in the 5th end, and then we got 1 point in each of the 6th and 7th end. TIED. Which is better than I thought I would be at that point. Our vice (throwing the last rocks) had some SA-WEET draws to get our last few points. It was definitely a fun game. And I'm just glad that we didn't get slaughtered. At the end of the 7th end there was some debate about whether to continue on with the 8th end. It was getting a little late. And it appeared everyone was on board for another end, except for one person. We were setting up for the 8th, and that person backed out at the last second, so we shook and took the tie. When I say the night was odd, it is because of how it ended. I think everyone feels iffy about ties, and since there was just one end left to play, most people were like what the heck - lets do it. Trust me, I have no dillusions about how that last end would have went. There is a VERY strong possibility we would have lost. But to not even get the chance to see how it would turn out, thats the part of a tie no one really likes. Ah well, it's a learning experience I guess.
Personally, I played sort of OK... The first two ends, I was on track to be throwing 90%. I had some killer shots. Then I slowly came off the rails, and got lazy with some of my shots. I've noticed I may have an issue with keeping my energy level up during the whole game. How do I remedy this? I'm not sure. My whole life I've never really been a fan of playing competitive sports, and I don't know how to get into that 'mode' a successful player of any sport gets into. What's funny to me, is I've never really thought I was a competitive person. Well, curling has cured me of that. I want to compete at a higher level each time.
Also, I am happy to report that when I mentally prepared my shots and executed with the CurlTech method in mind, I was pretty good. And when I came off the rails, it was also when I wasn't thinking properly about my shots. I'm going to have to look into to being mentally tough along with being phyically tough as well. *sigh* Again, learning experience!
Let me start by saying the opposing skip and vice are two VERY good players. Probably THE best guys I have ever played against, and among the top at our club. The combination of the two together makes them even better. They communicate very well with each other, and compliment each others abilities really well. Their 2nd played well too. That being said, we TIED. 7-7 in 7 ends.
As a team we struggled a bit. Everyone missed some key shots every once in a while. It opened with 1 point for them in the 1st end, 3 points for us in the 2nd end, then 5 points for them in the 3rd end. At this point I thought: oh boy, here we go. Let the ass-whooping begin. I shrugged it off, and decided even if the whooping was coming, I was going to have as much fun as possible. Well, after that 5 point end, we scratched and clawed for every point. We weren't giving up. We got 2 in the 4th end, then held them to one in the 5th end, and then we got 1 point in each of the 6th and 7th end. TIED. Which is better than I thought I would be at that point. Our vice (throwing the last rocks) had some SA-WEET draws to get our last few points. It was definitely a fun game. And I'm just glad that we didn't get slaughtered. At the end of the 7th end there was some debate about whether to continue on with the 8th end. It was getting a little late. And it appeared everyone was on board for another end, except for one person. We were setting up for the 8th, and that person backed out at the last second, so we shook and took the tie. When I say the night was odd, it is because of how it ended. I think everyone feels iffy about ties, and since there was just one end left to play, most people were like what the heck - lets do it. Trust me, I have no dillusions about how that last end would have went. There is a VERY strong possibility we would have lost. But to not even get the chance to see how it would turn out, thats the part of a tie no one really likes. Ah well, it's a learning experience I guess.
Personally, I played sort of OK... The first two ends, I was on track to be throwing 90%. I had some killer shots. Then I slowly came off the rails, and got lazy with some of my shots. I've noticed I may have an issue with keeping my energy level up during the whole game. How do I remedy this? I'm not sure. My whole life I've never really been a fan of playing competitive sports, and I don't know how to get into that 'mode' a successful player of any sport gets into. What's funny to me, is I've never really thought I was a competitive person. Well, curling has cured me of that. I want to compete at a higher level each time.
Also, I am happy to report that when I mentally prepared my shots and executed with the CurlTech method in mind, I was pretty good. And when I came off the rails, it was also when I wasn't thinking properly about my shots. I'm going to have to look into to being mentally tough along with being phyically tough as well. *sigh* Again, learning experience!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)