3 Too Many

“It’s crazy how you can go months or years without talking to someone but they still cross your mind everyday.” – Unknown

 Following on from the brief blog yesterday, I explain more of how the the Masters and the weekend went.

One word for Saturday – Freezing!!!  The high while on tv said it got to 10 – is wrong.  It would have been lucky to have to have got above 5 with a wind chill of minus 2-3 would be fair summary.  Howling freezing southerly and pouring rain. Craig collects me about 7:30 and we (Craig, Steve and I) head for Timaru.  

Played half the first game before the nausea feeling makes me stop.  A real bastard actually as I am feeling fairly good considering I only did my last Chemo dose on Friday night.  Anyway we won  the first game 4-1 .  It was a very good game and nice to come away with a win. 

We put up the marque and put the BBQ on after the first game to cook some food to warm up.  It has been many years since I have been this cold.  Hands and feet are numb.  We leave the BBQ going to warm up the marque and there were about 20 guys huddled under it to keep warm.  Even some players from other team were stopping in.  Thawed out enough to play the second game – well start it.  Again I only last the first half as the nausea is starting to get to the vomit point.  Bugger, bugger, buggery!!  Another good game and we win  3-0. 

Craig and I decide to head off to the motel (the others are staying at the Motor Camp in bunk rooms and I didn’t think that I could cope with that so booked a motel).  Nice room – heater, hot shower with unlimited hot water, laundry to dry our clothes in, and 2 very comfortable single beds.  Dry out properly, dry our clothes, hot showers and defrost – awesome!  Head back to the park to play the last game of the day.  Envy of the others who are trying to dry their kit a bit over the BBQ and the marque looks very much like a Chinese Laundry.  Go out and play – swear it has gotten colder.  Good game but unfortunately we go down 2-0.  But I managed to last the whole game.

Pack up the marque and BBQ and ourselves, and head back to the Motel.  They kindly let us use their commercial laundry to wash the football strip when Fish arrives with it.  We put all our washing through to start with.  Thaw out again with another shower and a cold beer (ironically).  Then go and get some cheese, crackers, potato chips, and cashew and peanuts and lay back basking in the warmth of the motel room, watching TV and reading the paper.  Fish comes over to drop off the strip.  We then head off to Robbies to have dinner and a drink.  Manage to eat a wee bit of a Thai Green Curry Shrimps, but can’t really handle all of it.  At least the nausea has eased up a bit.  And only drinking raspberry and cokes too.  Watch the league test then head back to the motel.  Put the footy strip through the drier and watch a bizarre movie on TV, fold our first load of washing and play a game on my phone while waiting for it to dry.  Go and get the second load of washing and fold that too.  Watch a bit more of the movie, and finally get to sleep about 2am.  Craig is happily snoring away.

Wake up Sunday morning and it is lovely and sunny with not a cloud in the sky.  Get up and notice that I am suffering very little pain.  Craig jokes that it is probably due to the 8 hour ice pack we put up with yesterday.  I get ready for the day.  Put my kit on ready and in comfort. Load the ute up and head to the park.  Breakfast is a BBQ today.  My nausea levels are very low to so I actually feel like eating something. 

We head out to play our first game of the day against our old nemesis club – Nomads.  They are a good bunch of guys and we have a good hard game, but unfortunately come away loosing 3-0. Bugger it.  This does nothing to help our medal chances, in fact it totally makes it impossible to get one.  I manage to play the whole game.  The nausea tries it’s thing to spoil the day again, but I kept going instead.  Still physically feeling really brilliant.

Head back over to where we’ve setup camp and have something to eat and drink.  The next game is in an hour and a half.  Chat away and have a few laughs about the weekend and the games.  then out to play the last game, against Vine Works Marlborough.  They present us with a bottle of Marlborough Pinot Noir, which is very kind ( and the first real attempt by a team to buy a win – joking).  It is a very nice gesture.  The game is a good one, which we win 2-1.  Not to bad a result for the Masters for us – 3 wins/2 losses.  I only manage just over half the second match, having to stop this time not for nausea but for head pains.  Tried to keep going but stabbing pains raging thru your head doesn’t make much for trying to concentrate in a game. 

Have another small bite to eat.  The guys present me with the botle of wine from the last team.  I then go for a shower.  And see Paul Williamson from work in there.  He used to play for the Waimak team and has recently moved to Invercargill with work.  We have a chat about thinsg and how life is going.  Then head off back to the ute and help to get it loaded up.  Say our good byes to the others then hit the road back to Christchurch via Pleasant Point to get some honey.  I sleep most of the way home, only waking at Ashburton to get an ice cream, then as we arrive in Hornby.  Drop Steve off then me.  Craig comes in for a chat and a drink then heads off.

Nice to be home again.  Find out that Sue and the boys have posted a picture on the blog of the boys last night, showing their support for the team.  Nice going guys – love it!

Skip tea as appetite has gone west again.  Start doing the blog – but keep nodding off to sleep.  Not very helpful really.  Manage to keep awake and get it done – all bit very late – sorry.  But all in all – had a great weekend, and really hope that it is not my last Masters trip, but I guess time will tell if that is the case.  Hope all have stayed warm and dry and had a totally enjoyable weekend like I have.  The best bit is I have tomorrow off so might enjoy a sleep in – yeah right!!  Have a great Monday all.

Back Row – Craig, Fridge, Shane, Wooly, Nick, Johnny B, Cappy, Brendan, Steve
Front Row – Steve, Fish, Me, Hoey, Aubery, Tony

Kia Kaha.