More Reading and A Hockey Hero

The Beekeeper’s Apprentice – 384pgs

Let me start with a thank you to Chris and everyone else who harassed bullied convinced me to read The Beekeeper’s Apprentice. I absolutely loved it. The author nailed Holmes dead on, which was my biggest worry about reading the book. Once I got going in the story I couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait to get to the bookstore to get the next story in the series.

Weird thing is though… the ending of the book, the mysterious villain that is revealed to them all, is the SAME PERSON that I used in a dorky little Holmes short story that I wrote back in January, before I even owned the book. (No, you cannot read it, it sucks.)

Scene: Allstate Arena, Sunday night, Wolves vs. the San Antonio Rampage

The Rampage make a breakaway, the lone player pushes ahead of the Wolf pack, heading towards the defenseless goalie.

Colin Stuart puts on an extra burst of speed and charges up the rink, but he knows he can’t make it in time. So he throws himself onto the ice, using his momentum, and throws his stick out in a wild and desperate bid to knock the puck away.

It works, the breakaway goal is avoided and the fans begin to cheer the hero, until the Ref’s whistle blows and Stuart is ridiculously sent to the penalty box for, of all things, interference. (It would have only been interference if he HADN’T touch the puck.)

Boos echo around the arena as play resumes. The Wolves, distracted by the unfair call, allow a goal past, bringing the score to a tie, 1-1.

As yet more boos echo, I place my hands around my mouth and yell out, in a remarkably loud voice if I may say so myself, “Ref you SUCK!”

Cries of “You tell him!” and “You go girl!” respond to my shout and I laugh.

Later, while slipping out to use the little girl’s room, I push past a group of 7yr old boys who proceed to tell me how awesome I am, because I told the ref that he sucked. Upon my return one of the boys nearly slapped me with a mini-hockey stick on accident.

“Oh, don’t hit me!” I exclaimed, backing away.

“We wouldn’t hit you! We love you! You’re awesome! You told the Ref he sucked! That was really cool! You’re really cool!”

All night, while I kept shouting at the team, cries of “Where’s the damn defense people?” “High sticking! Open your eyes Ref!” and my personal favorite “Whiff! Nice miss there pal!” the kids would cheer and laugh and stare at me for a while.

That's right kids. Stay in school and eat your vegetables and one day you might be as obnoxious as me!