My secret pleasure is the moment after I return home from practice and before I greet my shower. The house is dark, the dogs are (usually) asleep.
I slip out to our porch and strip down.
First I peel off my wrist guards, my elbow pads, my knee pads, and dig my helmet out of my bag.
I slip out of my elbow socks, pull down my knee gaskets and peel off my socks.
Then comes the best part of all-- I take off my shorts and shirt, and stand there, in the dark, basking in (near) nakedness. I leave on certain undergarments on the off-chance my neighbors have their binoculars out.
I think the mosquitos have died off in the drought, so I allow myself an extra few moments, standing there... appreciating the stillness, the startling beauty and terror of woods at night.
Then I go inside, shut the door softly and pad upstairs to continue my nighttime routine.
