We're Re-Listing Dang Its People!!

This past saturday had the Toast traveling up Baltymore way as my rugby team was slated to play in a day long tournament known by the locals as the North Bay Cup. Day long tournaments are great. You just hang out all day and play fucking rugby, that's it. The only problem with it is...you just hang out all day and play fucking rugby. And when I say all day, I mean all. day. long. Our first match of the day started at 10:30am and by the time we had completed taking the final game and winning the tournament it was 8:00pm.

We're talking four full games of rugby people...all in one day on a field that was so hard that it felt like playing on a poorly paved parking lot; every time you hit the deck you felt it. So, needless to say that I am still a little worse for the wear; banged up if you will. Not gonna lie to you my lovely internet readers, the Toast is straight up whiny. Presently I'm featuring a laundry list of injuries and such that has me all hop-along here at the office this morning and getting met with questions of if I'm ok and inquiries wondering what I really do with my weekends.

A quick rundown of what ails me:
-I dislocated the ring finger on my right hand
-twisted my previously bum wheel, right knee has a bit more trouble than the everyday trouble it normally has and is used to
-inability to fully straighten my right arm or lift it any higher than my shoulder
-when attempting to look from side to side I must keep my head straight as my neck won't allow simple movements, basically, I turn around like a superhero (i.e. batman sans cape)
-a pretty fierce scrape and deep bruise the size of a five pound ham on my left hip to go along with the dozen others per aforementioned field conditions

Also, at one point I had to take a minute for the first time ever playing rugby in result of a hit. I've never really had to do that before. Basically taking a minute in rugby is exactly what it sounds like. Rugby, like soccer, has a the clock continuously running and spot subs are not made. So, following the hit, and I mean I was absolutely blasted a few seconds following a pass that I made, I had the wind knocked completely out of me and spent a minute or two just gathering myself while taking a knee. From then on out, I spent the remainder of the game looking for a window of opportunity to line up the party responsible for the cheap shot. Kool-Aid has since done her best in these dire times by giving me the back rub that pretty much blows all other back rubs out of the water last night. She can be awful fierce when it comes to fixing all of the man-friend's rugby related back issues. "Oh mama...hurts so good" was all that could be said.

With all that complaining thrown out at you, let me get to the good stuff. We did end up winning this tournament in North Bay and we looked pretty good doing so, aside from our second match of the day against a team from Brooklyn; the team we ended up meeting again and defeating in the finals. By the time I got back home after a few beers at the post-tourney drink up it was shortly after 10pm and Kool-Aid was there waiting with some frozen pizza (JACKPOT!!) following her day at a horse race with her lady pals called the Gold Cup. And I also got to take in another viewing of one of my faves, "28 Days Later" (Two words, FUCK. and YES.). 2/3rds a frozen pizza after a long day of rugby and a sweet Danny Boyle flick to go with it, that's going to scratch you right where you itch.

This tournament pretty much signals the end of the spring rugby season as we only have a week left of practice and a friendly match against a superleague team down here in DC this coming weekend. Not really looking forward to the end of the season but it will give me some spare time for my other awesome tasks and pursuits: ultimate frisbee, teaching kool-aid how to golf, getting some hiking in, continuing my struggle in learning how to play tennis, etc. Plus, the ice hockey league that I am in has just started up again for the summer so I'll have that to look forward to. Don't worry about me folks, there's plenty to get up for. Whoop Whoop!!