New Year's Resolution

I've been thinking about New Year's Resolutions, and in past years, I've been able to follow my resolutions without too much difficulty.

That's easy when your resolution is "I will not wear chain-mail in a thunderstorm" -- especially given the number of thunderstorms each year in SoCal.

I was reading an article on the Canadian Curling Association site, and they suggested this:

"Play the ice you’re given instead of complaining about speed or runs or straight spots or whatever. Focus on understanding the ice you’re playing on. Make it a goal to figure it out before your opposition."

I was slightly amused by their praise of "arena ice" because it means something different in Canada: they're talking about perfect curling sheets set down for a major event, like The Brier or the Tournament of Hearts.  To start up clubs like the Orange County Curling Club it means ice abused by Hockey Skates, usually as little as 20 minutes before we play.

I've never seen dedicated Curling ice.

Kim Perkins goes on to describe a club where she played as a teenager: natural ice (I'm pretty sure they just left the windows open at night when it was below freezing) that wasn't level, and bumps caused by water that dripped inconveniently from the roof.

No Zamboni lines, but the ice we play on may be flatter and more level.

What did they do?  Did they complain about lousy conditions?

They curled.

Ice is part of the game, good or bad.  If you figure out the sheet before your opponents, you gain an advantage.

This year, I resolve to play the ice we're given, and do my part to help my team figure it out.

... and I resolve to not play Chess with Zeppelin pilots on Tuesdays.