Neil and I usually celebrate the regular season kick off with pumpkin ale and french onion soup - watching all the games at Silky's (its quiet and empty on a sunday and there are so many TVs).
Since we are homebound but just as football focused, Neil splurged for NFL Red Zone as a gift for me (well, for us really)!!! Last night we started scheming and worked a way to bring the guest room TV in to the living room to maximize our Sunday Fun.
This early afternoon we're eating the delicious squash soup Neil made and sipping - water (its good for the brain)- and wearing steeler gear.
Its easy to forget how achy and tired I am on a crisp, fall, football day like today.
We feel blessed because 'different' doesn't necessarily mean bad at all. Its quite perfect.
In a recent podcast of The BS report, Bill Simmons interviews comedian Louis CK about his upcoming season of Louie (a show I love). In this interview Louis CK shares that he is an avid boxing fan, to the point of training and sparring himself.
He says there are a lot of parallels between boxing and life (its a great podcast so I recommend you listen to it all) but there's one metaphor he mentions that I can't help holding onto...
I've always taken that phrase at popular face value to mean "you're trapped", used interchangeably with "backed into a corner" or "there's no way out"
Starting at about minutes 18 in this interview, Louie begins talking about boxing and he breaks down "against the ropes" in a new way. I won't quote him or try to recreate exactly what he says, instead I'll summarize and tell you what I gather it means for me...
Sometimes there's a point in a fight when fatigue sets in for a boxer - when they can tell their muscles to work but they've been out there so many rounds it just won't compute. At this time they need a break more than anything. Leaning on the ropes doesn't give them full rest but takes some of the load off. It allows them to sit back a bit and pull in some energy.
This is a calculated choice because putting their back to the ropes leaves them vulnerable. They have no where else to go. It means they will have to take more punches and willingly face more pain. But a boxer could lose a fight for fatigue and so its a choice of rest over pain. All of this, so after a short time they can spring back ready to fight anew.
So I'm not sure I have to spell out all the ways this resonates with me but I will... (and I don't hope you're against the ropes but I hope this connects with you too, especially in the sense that I'm speaking clearly here - sometimes I feel jumbled in thought)
When a life circumstance puts you in a position where there is no foreseeable way out you are, as popular phrases say, backed into a corner. And when you are "up against the ropes" like this its almost always perceived as a terrible thing. Even in enlightened Christian circles, people don't handle this position well. I've heard many kind wishes and prayers from people to get me out of this place. Of course. That's nice, because I don't want to be here - but its also telling that no one knows quite what to do with "up against the ropes"
I loved hearing Louis CK explain this reasoning to lean into the ropes. That being stuck in the corner can be okay. Because round after round of fighting does make one weary and sometimes the whole thing can be lost because you're just worn down more than anything.
I loved hearing this reasoning because sometimes you honestly have to face pain when you're in a dark place and that can be good.
I loved hearing this because it brought to mind the verse from Matthew 11 when Jesus says, "Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." How often is that depicted as a stained glass window, Jesus seated on a smooth stone with arms outstretched, children nestled beside him, sheep lazy in a grassy field? How often have I pleaded that my rest from all this hurt would look like that church window promise, only to lay awake with ice pick headaches?
But it says nothing in that verse about circumstance, only rest. Maybe that's why we have no comfortable answer for people up against the ropes. We want to control circumstance. We focus on seeing the people we love get out of difficult situations, even when there's no way out (even when - and this might be my whole point - maybe getting out is not the only thing that needs remedied)
I think thats why I like this verse all the more now that I can imagine it in knock down, drag out fight - "Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest" and it might continue on to say "you may still get punched in the face while it happens, but you will rest. So that painful time is still good, don't hurry through it. You will think you can't make it but I promise the cords at your back will lift you enough, and when you stand again you'll be able to keep going. In fact, you'll be stronger... now get these sheep out of my boxing ring." ~Jesus (paraphrased)
For our six month dating anniversary with Neil, I got a case of sparklers.
It was April
I was thrilled.
(just imagine how I am when they are holiday appropriate)
Old Movies
The quaint movie theater in my hometown is wonderful. It boasts the fact that its the only single screen theater in all of pittsburgh. It has the old time movie feel with enough upgrades to be comfortable.
Every Friday and Saturday this summer they show old movies at 10 pm and I'm really into it!
(especially The Jerk, Ghostbusters, The Big Lebowski, and Back to the Future II)
Greens!
Our CSA is wonderful so far. I'm learning to cook with a bunch of new things and I'm consuming so many greens. The best thing about eating a lot of greens - you just want more.
I think I'm turning into a rabbit.
This chopped salad from smitten kitchen cools me down just by looking at it.
Dark Knight Rises
Where do I start here?
Its a super hero movie. Its filmed in Pittsburgh. Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The whispers that Batman dies in this one. Cameos with Hines Ward and Mayor Ravenstahl.
I don't know which of these things I love most.
p.s. I already saw Spider Man and it was really good!
Olympics
Some people are olympics crazy and that's not me.
I'm olympics pretty happy. I watch with mild interest and I enjoy it.
I think I'm just too fatigued from all the other sports I passionately love all year round put a lot into shuffle board and water polo every four years.
But you can bet I'll watch me some more basketball.
Oh yes, its July 24th and its a holiday I will fully embrace because my cousins are the best.
We have a Cousin's Camping Weekend this month because we're all so in love.
We're custom making tank-tops.
As a group, the line from cousin to sibling is so blurry which makes 7/24 is a great day....
also its my mom's birthday!
What are you looking forward to in July? What is your favorite Olympic event? Are you going to watch Dark Knight the day it opens (if so don't ruin it for me)? Do you know any great summer salad recipes that can satisfy my insatiable need to eat leaves?
And I'll leave you with the perfectly topical song from the Decemberists...
I saw them play it live with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra one July, several years ago.
I will close my eyes and put myself back on the grass of Millennium Park right now as I listen.
Wouldn't book club be so much easier if you just had to read a short article?
Because I know you just said 'yes' - consider this weekend post the Article Club. Its with me. But you don't need to show up with cheeses (although I wouldn't object).
Below are a few articles I've flagged recently because they made me think, or they've sparked discussion. I'll give you a little topical sentence with them and a few questions and you can pick whichever one (if any) pique your interest.
Then you can go to my comment section or to your significant other/co-worker/friend/mechanic/dog and launch directly into the Article Club discussion. Tell them every thing you learned. And on second thought, bring cheese, it will go better.
Article 1, is called the white savior industrial complex. Remember all the fuss about that Kony video? So this piece is a little old and somewhat topical to that - but it speaks to some much larger issues and it really really made me think. (it also made me a little uncomfortable, which I like). Do you agree with the author? Do you think americans like a "convenient villain" or a "space onto which white egos can easily be projected"? He challenges, if you care - do something about the underlying structural issues in Africa. I spent a number of years volunteering and working with Jubilee USA Network and I believe they make great strides in that direction. They always said there's giving a man a fish, and teaching a man to fish.... and then there's asking who staked ownership of the lake and why no one has access. (To be clear, working with Jubilee doesn't exempt me from the author's critique. I definitely cringed a lot reading this)
Article 2, on the increasing trend of using midwives. Would you use one? Do you still think it's safer/better in an MD's hands? Do you agree with the author that the reason for the shift is because of 'too many c-sections"? I watched the documentary called "The Business of Being Born" (on Netflix streaming) and found it to be only slightly biased and very eye opening.
Article 3, titled lying children will grow up to successful citizens. I found this argument to be entirely new and strange and interesting. Can you see the author's point? Do you think you'd agree just to feel okay about a lying kid that you love so much? I might.
Article 4, of all the articles I read post NBA finals, this one was my favorite (excuse the cursing) "Lebron James is a C**KSucker" It cut out all the warm and fuzzy story lines about Lebron and called it like it was - he's the same guy he was the day before he won. I love this piece because either you like him or you don't and that shouldn't change if his team wins. It reminded me of when Tiger came back to golf and was going head to head against Mickelson and the rhetoric was "good vs evil" and "bad husband vs. great husband". Do you think we crave the good guy wins story? Do you think we link the one that wins to the one with good character? I remember being unable to watch PTI and Sports Center at the time Tiger made his return because, while I don't approve of his extra curriculars, shouldn't it just be about the golfer with more skill? (I'm the same girl that will go all in for any triumph story they promote during the Olympics, so take this with a grain of salt)
That's all for now. I hope you have time this weekend to relax and read. I hope you have time to be social and discuss. I extra hope you learned something new!
Let me know if you liked these and I'll send more your way here and there. Let me know if you were bored to tears (All Paragraphs?!? No Pictures?!? lame!) and it's cool - I'll lay off the Article Club.
I have some random monday morning links to go along with my random thoughts...
Is there any good summer TV? I find myself missing "Girls" and almost caring that Jessa is pregnant in real life. I also think "American Ninja Warrior" looks more appealing by the day.
And now I have only one sport to watch... and Its not the one that makes me happiest. So I'm spending my days playing around sites that discuss basketball. Like this probable Deng trade that would break my heart into a million pieces. Or this awesome break down of James' headband change/hair loss over time.
On vacation I did a lot of coloring and my pages looked really good (I'm talking good enough to replace your niece's christmas photo card on the fridge). So its obvious a grown up line of coloring books would just make sense. My choice would be the Bull Murray Coloring book, no contest.
My friend Sara turned me onto the new Edward Sharpe song ("That's What's Up") and now I really can't get enough of it. Its the song I keep on repeat in my car these days. I liked the beat the first time through and now its the lyrics that stole my heart. That's how it usually is with me - the lyrics are what seal the deal.
If there were ever ever ever a reason to apply sun screen daily - this is it. I'm so haunted by this image. He was a truck driver for 29 years, leaving the left side of his face is considerably more aged. I don't want to look but I can't look away. And then I look away only long enough to apply some spf 50
I don't know if this is amazing good or amazing so crazy. This woman is running 52 marathons in 52 weeks.
I think Steve Martin will always be the bees knees (and Judd Apatow isn't too bad either).
Enjoy your monday, where ever you may be on this world wide web.
And at the NHL Awards last night, it was the Evgeni Malkin Show!
He zambonied the competition,
then he said "With this smile and my slap shot, I have no need to learn English. Thank You."
Malkin with the Ted Lindsay Award
Then Geno goes on to win the Hart Memorial Trophy.
And if I'm flirting with sports teams....
I will never pretend I was on board from the beginning (that award goes to my Aunt Mary, my Dad, Tom and my Mother-in-Law... there may be four or five others out there, I'm sorry if I've left you out).
However I can't deny the buzz that these buckos have created with their season.
Its been really really fun to watch them.
Last night they were down one run in the fifth and my Dad said
"I'm not worried, they're going to win."
Do you know how long its been since a native Pittsburgher has said that sentence?!?
*note: the answer is 19 years*
*note they didn't win, but its the belief that matters right?*
Here's to that point in the summer - where anything can happen and hope springs eternal!
p.s. you have one more day to go to this link and vote PNC park as the number one in the nation
(it was slotted as the overall 1 seed so we got that goin for us)
I'm pretty excited that Steeler's mini-training camp has started (partly because all these poorly officiated NBA games are driving me crazy) mostly because I saw this video the other day...
Ziggy Hood's 50" vertical box jump... from a seated position.
As with any tournament or play-off season, once my team is out, I take a simple pleasure in picking any fun team and root root rooting for their wins.
While The Bulls were making their departure in the most crushing way - my cousin was right beside me in his Phila sweatshirt, Iverson throw-back jersey, and star lined Sixers track pants. It was an ugly house divided. He was only allowed to use the 'traitor mug', our Robert E Lee collectors stein, when he wanted a drink.
Is it blasphemy for me to say - just one series later - "Go Sixers!"? (don't worry I won't wear the track pants)
To be honest, all season, I've enjoyed watching this tough, young team. Mostly because that same cousin got an NBA package with all the Sixers games and we share cable. And I've heard about this team for months so I feel like I'm at least a bit less of a bandwagon cheerleader than, say, Mike Wilbon.
Plus its fun to see Lou Williams jump off the bench and drop double digit points each night, with that goofy grin. Its fun to see Doug Collins their father figure coach, who seems to also just enjoy the ride.
Last night Collins said "I just want them to play without fear." I like that. No arrogance, no apologies for being the underdog. Just looking out for his guys and being in the moment.
When they are playing their clamp down defense and hurry up offense, when they are passing the ball and taking their lay-ups (as opposed to lobbing up ridiculous jumpers), they are a force to be reckoned with. And when they go up against an aging Celtic cast of characters, they really have a chance (maybe. this game 7, in Boston territory. so maybe not.)
The only problem - if they lose on Saturday - I need a new team. The west is tough because I really like both teams in the conference finals. I guess its, Come on Pacers?!?! Oh man, I love this time of year. What will I do when basketball ends?
Until then (as much as it hurts to not have the Bulls) I hear the band, I like the song, I'm on the wagon.
So cheesy, but oh man, its like I can't get enough Puritan jokes - especially this month because Neil and I are headed to Providence, Rhode Island!!! (founded by my favorite early American, Roger Williams! thats whats up)
Other things I'm looking forward to this month:
Biggest Loser Finale
Don't tell me who won! We recorded and we're watching next week.
A dedicated group of ladies are making it into the BL Workout
We have to do a burpee every time they say this season's theme "No Excuses"
We pause the TV to guess each contestant's final weight, then subtracting the difference of our guess from the actual we get the number of crunches or jumping jacks to be done
Someone cries - do a push up
...and so much more
(Please don't think us insensitive - We also watch because its an inspiring show and we are encouraged by the contestants - having actually cried while watching many seasons -
and I love nothing than the moment at the end of each episode when they drop their pants)
Knickerbockers
With an attitude of: I can't even begin discuss what happened to the Bulls last night, I'm looking for distractions. The Knicks seem to be putting on the right kind of show.
I'm looking forward to watching this series now that Stoudemire is out.
Throughout the season, they've only played worse (statistically speaking) with him on the court.
The complaint was that Amare didn't play defense, so instead he went and got real offensive.
I think Carmelo will shine with out him. I'm not saying that they can take the series after a 2-0 defecit, but I am saying I think it could get interesting.
Punch a box o glass Folks, we could have a series!
80s Prom Night
I don't need more than those three words to explain why I'm so excited.
Except maybe these three words:
purple tights. aquanet.
Didn't Die Day
May 15th is becoming my favorite holiday of the year...my non-death-aversary
This could be because I'm getting more and more macabre as time passes.
I use this day to reflect on where I am, and how far I've come.
I use this day to celebrate.
On this blog, I'll probably rehash all of it so be ready.
Mother's Day
We always join up to run the Race for the Cure in the morning.
Then he goes with his mom to a Pirate game while I go with my mom on less noble ventures...
to cook some pasta dish and onDemand a low quality rom com
One of us gets Andrew McCutchen, the other gets Josh Duhamel
(both options pretty fantastic because our mom's are the best)
Asparagus
This vegetable is the first thing that says to me winter is so over!
Its what makes me so delighted in the idea of the coming weeks at farmer's markets.
I eat so much of it I get sick. (I will avoid talk of my pee) Then just as I feel I can take no more, it disappears from the crates for another year and I miss it again.
Part of the star trio for the Heat - Lebron James and Chris Bosh, really giving it their all. (Not pictured is Dwyane Wade, also benched for the game).
The Miami Heat weren't the only ones to sit their top players. The Celtics shelved Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett. (note: Garnett has had some injury. I'll allow. And Paul Pierce played. What a stud. Maybe his motive was to surpass Larry Bird... but if anyone has a reason to rest his legs it's that guy and he went on. Pierce also has a history of getting stabbed a bunch and shrugging it off, so I won't question his commitment on a public forum.)
My husband said this practice of pre-play-off benching was discussed on Mike and Mike the next day, but I know it couldn't have possibly been talked about with the ire that burns in my soul - so I'm bringing it up again. (if you disagree, we can go battlerounds in the comments)
This rude practice isn't new to James. In 2010, Neil and I spent $75 a pop for the opportunity to see a "superstar" play. It was Cavs vs Magic and it was Fan Appreciation Day. The Cavaliers were locked in for their play-off spot but did I stress yet that it was Fan Appreciation Day?!? On the bench - wearing stupid suits and dress shoes - were Shaq, Mo Williams, and Lebron James. I felt very under appreciated.
This is blurry, but you can see Shaq in the bottom left,
Lebron, Mr. Beige, in the center,
and I'm tearfully seated behind the camera
Maybe I don't need to rehash the events that conspired in the 2010 playoffs. The confident Cavaliers fell apart. You could actually watch Lebron crumble under the pressure of carrying a team... I'm sorry I should say 'team', because his supporting cast was non-existent. You could actually see him wearily fall apart. This was before the fated "Decision," yet I could have told you when they sat him that Fan Appreciation Day, the road ahead was bleak...
I know that the NBA is not college ball. It is centered around superstars, that's how tickets are sold. BUT play-offs are different. No way the Lakers could be wearing a ring if it weren't for the people that surrounded Kobe and played like a team when it was needed. And there's no way the team would have rallied like that if they didn't believe that Kobe was giving everything he had on the court.
Let me give you a more concise break-down of why I think seating your 'best' players before play-offs is the worst... I'll try to keep my emotions out of the equation
ITS BAD FOR THE PLAYER - Lets revisit that fated Lebron playoffs in 2010. He was given a message that 'We need to sit you now, because we need you to carry the whole team later." He was not ready/willing/able to do it then. He was essentially given the message "all of Ohio's eggs are in your basket" and benching him only intensified that. You may argue that some players thrive under such circumstances - I still say its ego-inflating, pressure inducing, and toxic.
ITS BAD FOR THE TEAM - If the message to the benched 'great ones' isn't horrible enough, how do those still playing a junior varsity version of NBA ball feel? A distinct red line has been drawn down the roster between those that matter and those that don't. How do the lesser team members begin ramp up for play-offs right at the time when they are put-down? You may argue that we, the fans, know all along who the marquee players are, but this benching feels like a very public and unnecessary demoting.
ITS BAD FOR THE COACH - Play-offs call for an elevated level of play and an enhanced feeling of teamwork. Excuse the drama here, but is physical and emotional. It's the finals! The coach has to take a group of guys and make them play in a coordinated, unified way. SO the week proceeding the play-offs, he divides the team by their value, separates them, and has them NOT play together? Good luck reversing all that in a few days, buddy.
ITS BAD FOR THE FANS - NBA tickets are expensive - especially Celtic tickets. Expensive. Want to take your two kids? Want to park your car? Want to eat a hotdog? By the time the day is over you could easily be $2,000 in the hole. That is a stretch for a lot of middle class america, but so many kids would see "HEAT vs CELTICS" on the schedule beg to attend. Parents would save up for that. A father would say - I remember seeing Jordan, I want them to remember seeing James, and Wade, and Garnett. You know what they're remember from tuesday's game - Keyon Dooling walking off the court screaming curse words. Yep. that's their precious memory. But back to those crestfallen fans... the last week of NBA play is NOT like professional football. There is almost no risk of losing your point guard or having your center go out for the season. And after a shortened season this year, I wonder how 'rest' is the excuse that could stick. This only seems like a slap in the face to the people that pour money into a program. The fans that make them the superstars, are repaid with this?!?
Michael Jordan didn't sit out before play-offs. Not when they locked-in a top seed. Not when coasting 'seemed logical'. Not when he was the indisputable best and had every reason to do what-ever the H he wanted. He didn't pull this crap. He played. His fans bought tickets without hesitation. His team seamlessly played like a team right on to the finals. Incidentally, he wears a lot of rings.
I used to have some love for the Celtics in 2008 when they pulled the 'boston three party' maneuver. When they cultivated a young point guard. When they knew the only way to go from the worst team (in 07) to the best team was to shelve egos and play like a team (and draft exceptionally well). Now they are formulaic. Rajon, who's freaking young and healthy and who has been streaky feels it prudent to sit down? I used to like this team, but now I hope Chicago crushes their way through the east. I hope those scrappy Bulls (that pulled together despite Rose's injuries) play and win with a lot of heart. I hope the Heat and the Celtics get the chance to begin their summer vacations early - and have the 'rest' they deserve.
Its about concussions. It has little to do with sports. But I guess you know very well, that those injuries don't stay where they originate - they press their way through your entire body and bully their way into your whole life. The concussion check-list of symptoms cannot stay compartmentalized in your brain (and if you disagree, please re-watch yourself in that third playoff game)
Sorry, I didn't mean to digress from giving you the most discouraging pep talk, I'll try to stay focused...
Here is the truth Sidney, you will never be understood.
Your doctors will have knowledge of your symptoms but they clock out and go home, they've never felt concussions. Your loved ones will try and they will comes close at times - they might get the emotional toll more than anything. Your critics and the opposing fans - fagetaboutit - you couldn't win with them when you were at your healthiest. Your team, your coach, your fans - they will only understand what you choose to show them. Therein lies the constant fork in the road where both paths are destructive. Here is the truth Sidney, with concussions, its a lose lose situation.
One of those roads you can take is to show everyone exactly how you are feeling - put all the cards on the table. This seems like the right answer, right? Then people 'get' concussions. You have to show them and tell them because "you look so normal." But in reality this is a horrible option.
- Side effects are constant and NO ONE wants to hear about them all the time. Its tedious and uncomfortable. People hardly want to hear of good things all the time (you know that person that finished the 'tough mudder run' but wont stop telling you- its like that but with painful stuff.) Sid I have had years of test studies on this subject and trust me, the topic needs to be on a shelf.
- Side effects are horrible and make you miserable and you don't want to be that person. To show everyone how you are feeling, its like embracing a person you do not want to be. Irritable, short fused, cranky... those things are side effects of a head injury but if you act that way people don't understand and you are treated differently. So why not further more mis-understanding, stuff the emotions and try to still be the 'real you' as best as possible.
- Your deepest hope is to someday get better and leave all this crap behind you... so if you take the path of exposing all the concussion woes all the time, you run the very real risk of becoming defined by an injury you can never get beyond. (It sounds dramatic but you know its true, with all the great things you've accomplished, you don't want history to write you as "Sid the Concussion Kid")
Great - so its decided, you lose if you share, can't do that. And you didn't - you kept things quiet, you didn't complain. Your symptoms were vague and under wraps. AND YOU LOST, people criticized you for going on vacation while you where 'supposedly hurt'. People called you a baby. People said you were faking it. All because you didn't share enough.
The other road you can take is swallowing all symptoms - showing none of your cards. This seems like a good answer, if you can manage it. But in reality its a horrible option.
- The healing brain takes a TON of energy. There is no tired like the fatigue of the concussed. So if you want to put all that very little, tiny, scant energy you have left into acting like you're fine - more power to you.
- The recovery in the days after being 'okay' from this option alone is enough to make you want to cry (oh wait, there is crying, lots of crying).
- You are shooting yourself in the foot here - because the people who see you looking well, playing like you used to play, acting fine - will never understand when you say "I need to rest today." And they will never have a mental image of what its like when you say "Its a bad day" if you only ever smile when you see them. You've deprived them of they ability to understand
Awesome - so you lose if you hide your feelings. And on sunday you didn't, you opened up. AND YOU LOST, in Game 3 emotions got the best of you - we all saw that rare moment were you became frayed at the edges. Immediately some people laid into you because they said you were trying to prove your critics wrong by fighting. Others said your play was not befitting of the C on your jersey. Some idiots people even said you don't have respect for concussions because you fought.
I won't get into all of that though, I'm still focused on bringing home this un-uplifting pep talk.
Sidney, knowing that people will never get it and knowing that you will never win is actually kind of liberating... because you can take everyone else out of the equation. They are all wasted energy - no one can be a convert, dust your feet, move on.
Sidney, play Game 4 tonight being true to your mental and physical well being. Play like a respectable captain of my beloved team. You might get zero understanding for what your going through, okay. Let that roll on by. You also might get glimpses of sympathy and moments of compassion - that's all bonus, hold onto it.
I said no one will understand you - but try not to isolate too much either - everyone you meet has stories of their own trials. Pain is Pain. I've found it helps to remind myself that I don't have it worse than people - my pains are just different.
Hopefully this can be one of those glimpses of sympathy I was talking about, hopefully you can hold onto it. -
I hit my head almost four years ago and lost a job I liked a lot (a job I was good at, a job I can't go back to, this fact still breaks my heart) -
I always knew 'the kid' would do everything he could to be on the ice - I knew that year away from a game you love was killing you. I'm sorry this all happened. I'm sorry people questioned something you dedicate your life to - something you hold dear.
Even I don't understand you. But I'm one more person in your corner.
Sincerely,
the girl hoping and praying for four in a row
I do. I hope you get adventurous because I will not. I have ONE thing planned - a saturday race and bike ride. (maybe two things if I can seduce a certain someone into a dinner date, but I won't get ahead of myself there.)
With all the lack of craziness, I couldn't be more pleased.
So what is this girl's idea of adventure? (the girl who will be watching all day marathons of "house hunters") I'll tell you friends, in my wild list of recommendations.
beer in the shower - I go with bottle over can, but I'm not about to split hairs here. The hotter the weather, the better this cool refreshing treat will be. Friday after work - need to unwind? I promise once you uncap and step into the steam, you will never go back to a better beginning for a weekend.
robe with attached belt - When will we stop saying "its the best invention since sliced bread"? Because since then, we have been blessed with fruit roll-ups, DVR, and stuffed crust pizza. And this Christmas I discovered the mecca of loungewear - a robe with the belt attached at the back... you heard me. the future is now.
frozen garlic squares - I could write a whole book of sonnets to the wonders of Trader Joes, but now I'll just flirt with that mini ice cube garlic tray... it has individually divided, crushed cubes of fresh frozen garlic!! My stink free hands offer up a classy golf clap.
luol deng - Don't get me wrong, I have love for Derek Rose. But when I lived in Chicago (the tickets were cheap and fans were sparse), I developed a deep and lasting crush on a different baby bull... Luol. He has everything I look for in a favorite player - he increases the moral of the team, he is selfless, he flies under the radar, he has a story that would break your heart, and he has a name with a rich cropping for puns (DEYYYY-NG that shot looked good!) If you want a player to love this play-offs, I recommend LD.
girls- This is a preemptive recommendation. Premiering this sunday on HBO is a new show, "Girls", written by Lena Dunham and produced by Judd Apatow. For all the times I've watched shows take place in NYC where impeccably dressed women afford impossibly cool apartments with wow-ingly romantic adventures (and no consequences) - this show seems to wipe all those pretenses away. It seems gritty and real and funny. I won't pretend I didn't like Friends and Sex & the City - I did - but I think I'm going to love these girls. here's a nice review for further reading
marinara on salad - Don't judge until you grow-up Italian... until your pasta part mixes with your salad part on the plastic plates. Then you know its no accident - that a little marinara on top of Italian dressing is exactly what our Bene Dio intended.
rhyme schemes of Andre 3000 - There may be more well rounded rappers than Andre Benjamin (Jay-Z you win. every time.) There may be rap groups that are empirically better than Outkast (I see you there Tribe - hanging out with the Roots) - BUT I'm hard-pressed to find anyone that can mold the english language with more skill. And Andre, if anyone tries to fight me on this
orphan master's son - This novel by Adam Johnson is long and it takes a little bit of time to get rolling but once you know that the author did research on North Korea for six years to write the book, it becomes quite impressive. Analysts have verified that it very closely mirrors the current day country (one of the only discrepancies mentioned in this article was that they don't do lobotomies through eyeballs... that they are aware of), so you see how it also becomes a shocking and eye opening book. I also love this review because it begs the question of can we really believe the novel as realistic - when it represents a nation built on smoke and mirrors.? Oh, please read - and lets talk about all the layers! **Plus this is all the more relevant to read now, with North Korea's UN defiance and missiles being launched.
malkin's parents - Tonight is a big game and you better believe I'll be talking to Nat and Vladi like we're best buds, like we slug vodka on polar bear rugs together, as though they can actually commune with me through the TV. I recommend you like them... quite literally... they're on facebook. And they're so freaking adorable, its no wonder they were able to make Evgeni, and it's not wonder Evgeni was able to turn around and 'make many goal.' GO PENS!
ginger snaps with peanut butter - I like peanut butter for protein and I love ginger snaps for nausea. I put them together and - oh my. Once you do this, know that I prefer my "thank you's" in edible arrangements over flower bouquets.
$13 tattoos - for the super brave lucky, friday the 13th can get you a $13 tattoo in select places. They usually have some rules about size and location (and often it must have the number 13 involved), but if you wait in line early - you've got yourself a deal!
animals doing people things - I can't explain why it's so funny, it just is
lob - This one comes with a question mark. the lob? My hair is getting loonng... its drifting into Dugard territory, and I just don't own enough jean jumpers to go with the look. I've never been much attached to hair styles so while I am considering the long bob - I'm also willing to jump onto any bandwagon that pulls up into my comments section. thoughts? suggestions?
Recently Neil and I watched ESPN Film's "The Announcement: Magic Johnson's Compelling Story" and we highly recommend it.
the official ESPN trailer
see it's TV schedule here (or if you have Comcast - use ESPN OnDemand)
in addition to the film, you can listen Magic's interview podcast here
(both are fascinating)
Three things about it were incredibly powerful and really stuck with me... *note: I do not remember any of this verbatim and I have very little 'blog'alistic integrity - so I didn't re-watch for direct quotes. Please don't correct me or re-quote me. Just read it like a book report from a D+ student in the 'slow track' English class.
Erving was newly married to his on again off again, college girlfriend, Cookie, when he found out about his diagnosis. Cookie had just learned she was pregnant. Magic told her right away that he had made mistakes in his single days and this would be a tough road ahead...and she was free to leave. Cookie stayed. (and this is the part that made me tear up) In relating all of this, Magic said, if Cookie would have left right then, I would have died.
That sounds dramatic, but I get him. When I think of all that comes with having someone say "I'll stick this out with you." - I don't believe he was exaggerating one bit. When he immediately retired he said it was for Cookie and she said she was for him. And that gives life. That makes enduring any number of things manageable.
I also don't think it's a coincidence that their marriage has lasted over 20 years. There's something about difficulty that shows the deep down goodness in the person you love. It cements a relationship.
When Magic was struggling with where he fit in - with the NBA, with society, with peers - he had a moment that changed him. He had been calling up friends to practice with him (friends that always jumped at a chance to play one-on-one), and he had no takers. Then out of the blue Pat Riley, his former coach, called him for some gym time. In the interview, Pat said he worked Magic hard, and at the end he hugged him. Remember, this was at the same time NBA officials were seeking out medical reports about exactly what fluids spread HIV and fear was rampant. People just didn't know. This was before they fought over if he was even allowed to come back and play. And this was years before I was given the quiz in high school health class "Can you share utensils with someone who is infected?"
This was just a empty gym, where a coach/mentor/friend said, I made sure I hugged him a long time - got all the sweat mixed in - so he knew exactly how I felt.
How a simple afternoon shoot around can change the way a person knows hope and love and acceptance is profound to me. If I stumble into hollywood acting and need to cry on cue, my go-to mental image might be that long sweaty hug between Erving Magic Johnson and Pat Riley.
The press conference was set for Magic tell the world his 'announcement', but he gathered his team in the locker room so they would hear it from him first. He said that facing that group of guys was the hardest thing he had to do. He said it was the first time in all of this he broke down crying. And he told the team, "When God gave me the disease, He gave it to the right person"
When bad things happen, like a freak accident where you get clothes-lined off a cattle car for example, a lot of people offer comfort. They say things like "God has a purpose in this, you'll see" - which is nice I suppose. But do you hear the subtle difference in what Erving said? "When God gave me the disease, He gave it to the right person"
The first has to do with a force of circumstance in which eventually God will work out a new force of circumstances in which you hope good things will come about. The second has to do with a force of circumstance in which you feel you can take what you have from God and make good things come about.
I'm someone who has heard the first example so often I could vomit (because it turns out, if there IS some great purpose, i MIGHT have missed it while I've been laid up in bed for four years - watching 'Lost' on Netflix). I know most of you readers might not be able to relate much to what Magic said in that locker room - but for some of you - I hope its the gift of another option out of a dark place.
We humans are more resilient than we know and I do believe in my core that a creator made us lovingly with a great capacity to endure.... and then to move beyond enduring and make beautiful things out of broken things. I happen to believe that God wants us active in our pain and I think that's what being 'the right person' means...
Magic went on to dedicate his life to educating others about HIV/AIDS. He was also, quite simply, a good man to the people close to him. I don't want to ruin it all for you (I left out two other parts that made me cry, if you can believe that) so just watch it already.
A year ago Pitt was a 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, poised to win it all (at least that's what I believed whole heartedly) and Butler was the 8 seed that somehow cheated won in the second round.
here's a picture of former player, Matt Howard, looking like an idiot and a hobbit
(because I'm a mean person and a sore loser)
It still hurts too much to describe what happened in the final minutes of that game so I'll post a youtube video that breaks things down. (or a video of what I believe to be the final minutes - I still can't bring myself to watch it either)
Now our paths cross again, under less prestigious circumstances. Here is a decent article about the pros and cons of Pitt even playing in the CBI. Personally, I'm all for it - I hope we take it way too seriously, like the guy that wears a mouth guard to a pick-up game of flag football.
I'm not sure if it will mean all that much to anyone outside of the world of Pitt fandom if the Panthers win or lose tonight. Butler will probably flop around to draw fouls (yes, I said it.) and shrug at the outcome because they had a much much better hand last year. Pitt fans, myself included, will probably feel this is way to rid ourselves of some ghosts and put more stock into the result than what's really there (it is the CBI - I'm aware. I'm aware)
At least for this girl, it's as exciting as I could hope for it to be - an untelevised rematch in a buy-in tournament with the bulldogs that took us down last year! I'll take it!
Let's just cross our fingers that its not an exact repeat, and I don't end the night re-playing 'what-if's' in bed while crying. GO PANTHERS!
If Tuesday's play-in games first round of the NCAA Tournament is any indicator of what is so hot right now - it's the COMEBACK!
That's why I'm listing for you some things that are coming back - they are all very important, and they are all coming back TODAY! (also why I'm going with the caps lock thing)
Technically, each of these things fall under the umbrella of the all important lyric "Don't call it a comeback, I've been here for years." because each has been well established, just on hiatus. But the wait is over friends, today is the day....
SID
Tonight Sidney Crosby makes his debut yet again and I have such mixed emotions about it. As always I want to see him come back and do well. I want to see him heathy because in a way its hope for seeing myself healthy again. Its also thrilling because of what he did the last time he returned to the ice...
But I can't help watching every moment of his play time like a worried, over protective, mother. "Slow down. Be careful. Watch out! Are you resting? You look dizzy, you must feel dizzy. It sounds so loud in there!"
Just as I hope people are trusting that I do what's best for me, ultimately, I know Sidney is doing what is best for him. That being said... I really want to see him kick some ass!
COMMUNITY
This video. (And really no other explanation needed.)
MY MOJO
After how extremely poorly I did in the conference brackets with Neil - coupled with a change up in medication (see: change in mood) - lets just say my ego was 'fragile'. I felt I could use a win. I need a measurable, tangible victory. Does that make sense? And for the first time in my life, I was in no mood to have a collapsing tournament bracket. If any one has ever filled in one of those wonderful forms, you know the odds of 'winning' are not in your favor. This left me a little despondent (I know there are bigger problems in the world then not having the joy you normally have for basketball - but please refer back to my mood change and bear with me)
THEN the magic of the madness of march won out. Its thursday morning and with little prep and abandoned self-pity, I've put aside a need to feel good about picks and I pressed enter on my online selections. Neil even came up with the idea to do a combined bracket in one poll so I won't feel the loss alone (what a stud!)
And you know what, I feel good. I have my swagger back - and for at least a few hours, it will hold. (by then the games will be in full swing, the sneakers squeaking, the nets swishing, I'll forget all my woes in this world)
not the UNI
Of all the things coming back today - I hope this trend will lay fallow. Sure, I want the cats to do well, but I hope all brows remain two separate entities.
