Surprisingly when I woke up at the Ibis hotel near Erding I didn’t have a killer hangover ? I drank a ton of food Helles bier and I’m guessing that I didn’t get a hangover because a) I didn’t mix drinks & b) the beer is so damn good ! Regardless I was happily surprised because taking the train to Aalen would have sucked with a bad hangover and trust me the day before I had absolutely zero concerns about what was to be the next day lol ! I can’t express how much fun I had with The Tanzmanian Devil :) I barely slept and that kinda sucked , still blaming jet lag for waking me up at 4 am for absolutely no reason at all . Trust me I tried to go back into my slumber but it just wasn’t happening . As I laid there in my bed dreading having to go take a train then having to switch en route .... gotta be sharp and pay attention or I may end up back in India hahaha .... that’s the last thing I want !
Andi came by to pick me up a little before 11 am which is also my check out time . . I don’t have anything booked so there is no rush and we went to McDonalds to have some lunch . I had the chicken wings which were pretty good , kinda wish they would start making them back home also ! Andi had to go to work which kinda sucks cause he was hanging a bit , regardless he drove me into Munich tonthe train station which is apparently on his way to work .... buddy thank you for everything ! It was really awesome hanging out with you the last couple days in Erding , hope to see you soon .... maybe in Toronto ? At the train station I lugged my giant goalie bag over to the booking area and grabbed my ticket to wait in line to be called to the counter . When I got my ticket it was around €40 and yeah there was a connecting train that I had to catch in Ulm . No biggie , I’m feeling on point ! Went to my train then decided to get something to drink for the nearly 3.5 hour ride . Kinda budded in line to pay for my Fanta but not before someone saw my bag and was intrigued enough to ask for a photo . Fair play , big smile and on to the train with the area for bicycles .... plonked my bags down and I sat in one of the uncomfortable bench style seats .... soon after an older couple came on the train with their small carry on luggage and looked confused/pisssed off at me and even asked if I belong on this train but kinda in German which could be lost in translation but regardless it’s a big long train so why don’t you go find somewhere else to sit kinda thing ? I even showed them my ticket and they left .... always the same bullshit on trains where people think I should have this bag in my lap or something . I don’t get it . Anyways they found seats and left me alone :) the train departed and soon after that woman that was intrigued by my bag came over to chat me up .... she introduced herself with her full name and I wish I took notes like she did and I’m so bad with names but I’m gonna take a stab at it and call her Christine , she is an educator in Beijing and from what I gather a very intelligent person . We had a great chat about sports psychology and how her daughter is room mates with a female goalie in the USA , she’s from California and a very interesting person . It was pleasant to be able to have an intellectual discussion with someone of a higher education . The time flew and next thing you know I had to get off the train as I appproached Ulm .... if you’re reading this it was very nice to meet you and I hope the rest of your travels are as pleasant as mine .... and sorry if I got your name wrong :)
Dragged my bag off the train and down the steps and up the steps and onto the next train which is smaller which means more dirty looks .... thanks for understanding if you were one of the few that didn’t look at me like you wanted to spit on me hahaha ! This is the reason I prefer bus’ , you can always put your bag under the bus in an area where people don’t want to sit . Anyways I’m pretty sure I got on the right train , just need to map it out and see if I’m going in the right direction . Didn’t really doubt myself and for once I can say I didn’t make any mistakes .... I know you are probably expecting to hear that I got lost or something happened but no , not this time :) when I arrived in Aalen the sun was shining so I didn’t care that Rainer was running late . It’s been a few years since I’ve been here but nothing has changed . It’s nice to be back ! We dropped my bags and first thing first we have to go for the kebab platter down the road near the Irish pub which is now closed :( kinda made me sad since I had so much fun drinking there over the years . Anyways that kebab platter almost got demolished but my stomach is not used to eating so much after being in India and not really eating the last two weeks . I knew the toilet would be calling after this stuffing hahaha ! We strolled around town after and went to see Rainers buddy in the casino where I had a couple espresso shots then we scurried back to his place for a quick nap before hockey ....
Man that food was good ! I could go for another today but I’m sure something else will come up . Anyways we chilled out for a minute then headed to the rink to play with the local trouble makers hahaha . The rink is now indoors ina tent , last time I played here it was outdoors but I have skated on this ice before .... I remember rescuing a young child that fell on his face and needed an aambulance .... wonder what happened ? That was 4 years ago when I was over for Christmas ! Nobody will remember so it’s not worth mentioning . We got to the rink late and had to get dressed quickly . When I got on the ice I stretched out and the guys did one or two quick drills before playing some shinny . Thankfully I ended up on the stronger team which kept the other goalie busy , he is very reliant on his hands and doesn’t use his legs or lower body much , very much like an 80’s style goalie :) he played well but let a few shitters in . I played well and felt good and I’m pretty sure we stayed on the ice for 2 hours , the net I was in had extra netting hanging off it and I kept getting tied up in it hahaha . I took it easy and made routine saves and let a couple by me .... there is a new kid in Aalen that’s a Canadian . His name is Logan , good kid from Edmonton . He seemed confused to see me there and was wondering how the guys all knew me but I didn’t live in Germany 🇩🇪. I explained it to him over a few Wasseralfinger Biers (love this stuff) . I think he will fit in with the guys the more he shows up and if he starts making some nice passes I’m sure he will be accepted . Nothing worse then a guy that doesn’t pass ..... if you ever start skating with a new group as a player you should always pass to make the boys happy . Trust me ! I don’t need to pass but letting a couple goals in doesn’t hurt either .... after all it’s just for fun . Don’t want to be a vickser! Had to throw that word in there , it’s a German word ..... that’s all I’m gonna say lol .
It was great having fun with my brother Rainer Schmid and we were a bit tired so we only hung around for like an hour and a half after the skate . It’s always fun hanging out with the guys here in Aalen ! Pretty sure we are meeting a few guys to go to a spa today to hang out and drink some beers in the sauna . It’s so good to be back in Aalen .
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