T minus 5 days

Last night was my first night officially bench managing.  (Last week it was just a "the first five people on the bench go out" deal.)   

I hadn't bench managed in years - I think the last time I did it was in, like, 2009.  Derby was so different then!  We had people assigned to each particular position!  You play back, you play outside and so on!  It was a lot easier now - just send four people out and they'll figure out where to play.  

At any rate, once I figured out a system that worked for me (one that did not involve calling a lineup that was already out on the track), it went well.  Several people, including the coach, came up to me afterwards and told me what a good job I'd done.  So that's encouraging.

Unfortunately I won't be able to bench manage the team's next bout, as it's three days after my surgery and I will be in a drug-enduced haze or something.