WowMe: Celebrates the Old Fashion Way...

This WowMe has to do with “chills”. Huh? Well, take a look at what transpired after the Olympic Hockey Final match and you’ll see. Better yet, let’s listen in as former Suit KATIE has something** to say.

Something to say…

[**Something is actually MANY THINGS to say]

Let’s listen in… —The Gang

Let us begin, shall we ??

In this piece, former Suit KATIE writes about a subject she’s grown to LOVE — HOCKEY. Seems she’s kinda wired for it… her family hails from the Quebec region and she recalls listening to her grandmother speaking FRENCH on visits.

Let’s listen in, as her pal RC the STORYTELLER / GREMLIN did one morning after the conclusion of the 2026 WINTER GAMES.

FADE IN:

INT. KATIE’S WESTSIDE HOUSE

Katie is at her table filling her JOURNAL with thoughts. The flow of graphite on the white lined pages … admirable. So says RC upon observing her.

KATIE’S MUSINGS
Too funny it was… Last night I caught two episodes of SHORESY’s latest season (guess all six? were released at the same time. I held back). Now Shoresy isn’t for everyone… It’s crude but in a way I suppose how LOCKER-ROOM could be.

She pauses to sip from her TRIGGER MUG of SPURS WATER.

Trigger Mug…

KATIE INNER
The timing… Perfect!

Talking to herself, she then resumes writing.

KATIE’S MUSINGS
So apparently this season is about PLAYING HOCKEY the RIGHT WAY. Now if I said that to someone, with an emphatic “HELL YEAH!” they’d probably side step me and ask about other sports — SPRING TRAINING and the upcoming WBC (where players leave camp to represent their home countries in a sort of PRE-SEASON tournament) and then… yeah, just around the corner is MARCH MADNESS.

Stands to stretch and sits back down as she is on a roll.

KATIE INNER
It was such a DING!THING that Shoresy was talking about HEAD SNAPs being part of the GAME these days. I ranted about that just last week before shutting down my TV…

Disappointing…

She continues MUSING…

KATIE’S MUSINGS
Where was I? Oh yeah… Playing the right way… SKILLS and DRILLS with an emphasis on execution… DOING the right things… READ & REACT. Heck, in hockey there’s a lot of anticipation… dare I say PRE-ACT? Anyway… it’s putting yourself in position to … DO THE RIGHT THING (hat tip to Mr Spike Lee).

Scribbling some more in the margin of her JOURNAL she lists two examples.

KATIE INNER
Strongly I feel… the AVALON connection as I too… felt the need to WORK ALL SUMMER on perfecting MY SKILLs as a runner. Ended up skipping the STONE HARBOR/AVALON vacation where the streets were FLAT and/or NOT CHALLENGING. Opting to TRAIN at home with SUPPORT of my DAD (who continued to work during the Summer and went to the SHORE on the weekends).

KATIE’S MUSINGS
I hit up GOOGLE MAPS to see my eyes something mentioned in an INQUIRER article… Made me think of MY DAD because… I don’t know why, but he willingly drove me to VAN CORTLAND PARK in NEW YORK from our home in JERSEY… because I wanted to train on the course where the CHAMPIONSHIPS were being held. And he took me! What a gift! We’re talking BRONX and 1 HOUR of drive time… Just me and my Dad…

Dad drove me…

The Gaudreau drive…

She smiles.

KATIE INNER
You know… I still see him driving in the snow to the ADIDAS HQ in JERSEY to be GIFTED shoes and running attire for me as that was legal back then… they couldn’t directly supply HIGH SCHOOLERS but the parent? All good. We made it. I have no idea what he was thinking. He just had a knowing smile and … I buckled down and focused even more on my training…

She CHEST PUMPS and POINTS TO THE SKY.

KATIE’S MUSINGS
This piece about JOHNNY HOCKEY wanting to make the OLYMPIC TEAM and getting his Dad to drive from AVALON to wherever they could get RINK TIME, resonated. Nothing is easily gotten to from THE SHORE in the SUMMER — probably 90-min to two hours easily. WOW! His Dad, described in the article as “his first coach” took him (and most likely his brother Matty I think) and they worked on GETTING BETTER or as I say to this day… CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT… it’s a MINDSET as well as physical training.

Now she looks at the printout of the article and smiles.

Driven for a Dream…

KATIE INNER
I get chills… Can’t believe… GONE but PRESENT… and who knows… maybe a bit of JOHNNY was playing along with TEAM USA on Sunday. Point is… they stuck with it… were pretty much dominated by TEAM CANADA… and their RELENTLESS-NESS… OT GOAL! and then…

Sits back down.

KATIE’S MUSINGS
DRAGONS were slayed that day… The narrative that TEAM USA… since the 1980 “MIRACLE” just couldn’t get it done… That was one. Another? Those folks dog piling [hating] on the goalie HELLEBUYCK — saying he can’t come up BIG when the STAKES are huge… like STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS… That was always a head shaker to me. I watched videos of how that guy trained his EYES… talk about being able to anticipate and then put your body in position to stop shots… OMG!

She stands again. This time, RC decides to engage.

RC THE GREMLIN
Uh… Good Mornin’ Sunshine!

Katie smiles…

KATIE
Greetings my Pal… Already hit up the…?

RC holds up his TRIGGER MUG.

RC THE GREMLIN
4A is the BESTEST… And YOU… Running out of pages I think so.

KATIE
Came to me. Had to get it down. I HEART JOHNNY HOCKEY and the GAUDREAUs... I also HEART the goalie CONNOR HELLEBUYCK… they … Hard workers… playing the right way and honestly … it’s about giving it your all… EXECUTION… leaving the ICE knowing you … there was nothing else you could do… I mean it took me a long time to … RESULTS are entirely out of my HANDS. Did I give it my ALL? Yup! And if not… If I messed up … I visualized and drilled so I didn’t, as my coach would say… “MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES TWICE.”

RC THE GREMLIN
Gotcha, My LADY KATIE..

He fires up the ELECTRIC TEAPOT, but she waves him off.

KATIE
It’s okay… I need to WRAP this up.

RC THE GREMLIN
Gotcha… So… The Shoresy thing…?

KATIE
You (air quotes with fingers) “HEARD” that?

RC THE GREMLIN
Duh! Of course…

KATIE
Okay so … in this current season, his leadership has shifted to include mentoring a younger player who… is home sick. The dude got coached up by Shoresy with … incremental improvements for each period… something to focus on and build from… it was really cool!

RC THE GREMLIN
Go on…

KATIE
So there’s this scene… a sit down with that player’s coach where… he says that DIVING is part of the game and specifically… HEAD SNAPS… the kids train to DRAW PENALTIES! I jumped off the couch and in my Shoresy best “HELL-YEAH! F-YEAH!!) as for me… that is 100% what I HATE watching.

RC THE GREMLIN
This is… You wrote about this after the CANADA -FINLAND game… The guy who head snapped “conveniently” … scored the WINNING GOAL on the ensuing POWER PLAY.

I was so MAD… Gave CROSBY the assist as this is my biggest argument against him as a player…

KATIE
I was so MAD… Gave CROSBY the assist as this is my biggest argument against him as a player…

She RANTS.

KATIE
I keep hearing my EARS… My Dad saying never to FAKE an ILLNESS or INJURY… as the GOOD LORD would…

Shakes her head.

RC THE GREMLIN
Your Dad… Taught you the right things.

And again, CHEST THUMP, point to Sky by Katie.

KATIE
Okay… let me wrap this up and then… you wanna… WEST CLIFF sunrise …?

RC THE GREMLIN
I’m in Amiga!

Katie wraps up her MUSING with a NOTE TO SELF…

KATIE INNER
Gotta pull THE GREAT KAZUO… He… had lots to say about… EFFORT.

Moving to the sink to rinse out their MUGs, she smiles and then races back to her JOURNAL to add a wee bit more.

KATIE’S MUSINGS
I really REALLY hope THIS ARTICLE on JOHNNY HOCKEY goes viral… for hockey players… all sports participants… heck, all LIFE participants… BE ACTIVE. BE PRO-ACTIVE. Work on INCREMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS and celebrate your EFFORTS… whatever you can manage… Work with what your body gives you that day. Enjoy the PROCESS and … WOO HOO! Invent your own CELE!