"Sweet Sixteen, all dressed up, and nowhere to go!" Though I can't be certain, that is exactly how I imagine Syracuse felt after the Sweet Sixteen round was over. Who could have expected that both Kansas and Syracuse would fail to make it to the Elite Eight? Not me, for one! The losses by those two teams pretty much ruined my ONE bracket! In fact, I was told today that I'm in "next to last place." :-/ On the flip side, Kentucky, Baylor, and West Virginia all advanced to the Elite Eight, so I guess that was my consolation prize for completeing a bracket and entering it into the pool competition.
After all the bruhaha, stress, and disappointments, I can say, "Eight is Enough!" West Virginia (on my Rivals bracket) was the ONLY team on any of my brackets that made it past the Elite Eight into the Final Four! :( The loss by Baylor really ended it for me on my ONE bracket! In my Rivals/Yahoo pool I'm 38/60, and in my ESPN pool, I have 660 pts (?) with an 82.6%. Obviously, at this point there isn't any way that I will win any of the pools. I'm thoroughly peeved, to put it mildly. I'm honestly debating whether or not I will see this thru and watch the championship game! Decisions, decisions! What's a girl to do? However, for such a novice as myself, I think I've made a valiant effort to learn about the sport of basketball.
In conclusion, the clock is fast approaching the stroke of midnight. As I watch the dance before me, I can't help but wonder which team will be dancing in celebration when the clock strikes twelve. I will update this blog after the Championship Game. It is so unpredictable, at this juncture, to even say "WHO" will win the tournament. In my naivete female psyche, I'm hoping *cross fingers* that Butler or Michigan State will come out on tops, primarily because they are both 5 seeds, whereas WV is a number 2 seed, and Duke is a number 1 seed. I'm forever cheering for the underdog!
I don't know about anyone else, but after Round 2, I feel like the Prom Queen who tripped over her dress and fell flat on her face. I've picked myself up, but my dress is torn and tattered, my glamorous up-do is straggling down around my face, and my corsage? My corsage is beyond repair, yet I can still smell the fragrance from the flowers....a faint reminder of the promise and potential the dance had to offer. I imagine that scenario is somewhat similar to how Kansas must have felt at the end of their game against Northern Iowa. :(
Personally, I think all of the prognosticators and “talking heads” do a disservice to all of the other teams when everyone singles out one team to win it all. Yes, I'm disappointed that Kansas lost...but only because it totally screwed up my ONE bracket. Other than that, I didn't have a personal interest in any of these games. I found myself pulling for the underdog, St. Mary's Gaels, rather than Villanova, even though I had picked Villanova on my bracket. Typical female I suppose, since we girls just ♥love♥ Cinderella stories...we're brainwashed with it from the time we're little, and that's just how we roll. It's a fact of life. It was the same with Missouri and West Virginia. On my bracket I picked WVa over Missouri. I had been told, repeatedly, that West Virginia has a really good team, but.....I’ve been told that before.
One autumn day in particular stands out in my memory. On September 19, 2009, I stood in the Deluge of the Century at Jordan-Hare stadium and watched the underdog Auburn Tigers womp the WVa Mountaineers 41-30...so maybe, just maybe, that’s why I found myself pulling for the Mizzou Tigers! Random thought about that rainy game at Jordan-Hare: I noticed a West Virginia fan all decked out in his yellow and blue Argyle pants (I lie not), standing in the rain with a lovely orange poncho emblazoned with a huge, blue AU on the front and back, and I thought to myself, “I bet that sux!”
The loss by Kansas really ruined my ONE bracket! I have 32 of 64 games, if I have it figured correctly. I have 40 of 64 pts on the Rivals/Yahoo bracket, with a group total of 31 of 48 pts. On my ESPN bracket I have 430 points for a 92.9% simply because I eliminated Kansas earlier in the bracket. In the College Hoops Pick’em, I missed day one because I didn’t click “submit” after making the picks, so I had a whopping total of zero on day one....I’m new at this, so geez, it takes me awhile to navigate these sports pages. Since then I have accumulated a grand total of 22 points, which is 56.7% and is one more than the average of 21, or 50%,...so at least I’m “above average!” :) It remains to be seen whether any of the remaining teams I picked will end up in the Elite Eight. It's looking good for Kentucky and Tennessee *cross fingers* and yes, I'll admit, I'm pulling for my SEC teams like no other! I'll keep you posted!
The first song of The Big Dance has ended, and Round 1 has come to a close. One thing I can say for sure is that polls and opinions don't mean anything when it comes to a team with an unquenchable desire to win and a heart that just won't give up. Murray State? Wow! Can I admit to squealing with delight and jumping up and down when they won? I was just amazed that, for one....yeah, I had picked them, but even more so....that they actually won!!! And in such dramatic fashion too! Any girl would be proud of that drama-inducing game! Murray State forward Danero Thomas scored the game-winning shot over Vanderbilt guard Lance Goulbourne (#5) as the buzzer sounded! Murray State defeated Vanderbilt 66-65.
I also picked BYU. "Why?," you may ask? I'd like to say that I picked them because of "Jimmer time," but that'd be a little too ditzy even for me, considering that I looked at their team stats and compared PPG, FG%, FT%, rebound margins, TO's, foul %, to the team they were playing. Honestly, until yesterday I'd never heard of "Jimmer time!" :) The big upsets to MY bracket were the losses of: Georgetown, Temple, Marquette, and Richmond. Bummer! :(
As for my bracket after round one: in Rivals I'm 22 of 32, and in the ONE pool I'm 23 of 32...weird, but I've looked this bracket over with a fine-tooth comb and that's what I come up with every time. On my ESPN pool I have 250 pts of 320 for the 1st round...whatever that means...96.6%. :~ Not too bad, considering my general lack of knowledge about this sport, the teams involved, and which conference is the strongest, which translates into "who has the toughest schedule" sort of thing, in what I call "man-speak" anyway.
I'll update again after Round Two. Wish me luck! :)
When my significant other, Jimmy, called me and suggested I complete a bracket and submit it to a pool he was in, I experienced a rare sense of deja vu, since we'd had this same conversation a couple of years ago when I had my first taste of March Madness.
To my credit, in the 4 years since that first bracket, I have actually attended a basketball game. I didn't even attend a basketball game in high school. Yeah, weird, but true. My first ever college basketball game was the last game the Auburn Tigers played at Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum on March 3, 2010. I probably would not have gone to that game had it not been for my uncle, Wallace Tinker. You see, my uncle, was on the Auburn Tigers team that played the first game at BEMC on January 11, 1969, when Auburn defeated LSU and Pistol Pete Maravich, 90-71. Uncle Wallace (#33) was the first to score points at BEMC, a 7-ft jumper from the right baseline. March 3rd being the last game the Tigers would ever play at BEMC, my uncle was there, with many of his original team mates, to score the final points at BEMC. It was a family thing. My uncle Wallace is my mother's baby brother. I had to go.
To my honest surprise, I enjoyed my first roundball game. True, I didn't know a lot about how the game was played, what was happening, or why the last minute of the game was equivalent to 15 minutes in real life. I enjoyed the "up close and personal" aspect of the game...seeing the players faces...Aubie waving his fingers in front of my face. In a wonderful end to an awesome era in Auburn history, Auburn won the last game at Beard-Eaves over Mississippi State 89-80! Following the game, as my uncle stepped onto the court, I found myself thinking "this is a walk to remember!" As Uncle Wallace stepped up to the exact spot where he'd scored the first points 42 years ago, I had goosebumps up and down my arms and tears in my eyes. I was so proud when Uncle Wallace nailed it, scoring the final points, on the first shot! Amazing!
So, when asked this year to complete a bracket, I didn't have much time to research the teams, etc. I think I spent about 6 hours poring over stats, W-L records, FT %, rebound margins, speed vs size...until about midnight. Seriously! I didn't want to be the ditzy brunette. I had to fax my bracket to Sean, Jimmy's brofriend, the next morning so it was a last minute cram session reminiscent of final exams in college. ;-/
Every girl loves to dance. I suppose I'm no exception to the rule, and now I find myself enjoying "the Big Dance" and, yes, I'll even admit it.....I'm afflicted with March Madness. What else could make me watch basketball? I guess it's a good thing that this week has been Spring Break. To be honest, for Spring Break it's been a sucky one here...drizzly, rainy, cloudy....you get the picture? If it were otherwise I doubt I'd have succumbed to this yearly insanity that so many are afflicted with. I never understood it until now.
How am I doing in my bracket? I filled out several on ESPN, one on the Rivals Yahoo page, and the ONE that I faxed to join the pool Jimmy invited me to join. At the time of this blog, in the ONE pool I've correctly picked 11 of 16 games, which I guess is ok; I'm still not exactly sure how these pools work...point wise. No problem. I did this, #1 because Jimmy asked me to, #2 it's challenging me to learn about something new, and #3 just for the fun of it! It's gratifying that I picked Old Dominion and Murray State, both upsets.....but it's just as disappointing that I also picked Georgetown and Marquette, which both lost. :(
I'll update this after each Round is completed. Maybe some of you basketball know-it-alls can give me tips for next year! X-D
Last night I attended the final Auburn basketball game at Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum. For me it was significant for very personal reasons. Admittedly it was the first EVER basketball game I’ve ever attended...I never even went to a basketball game in high school. So in a moment of nostalgia, my first and last basketball games at BEMC occurred on the same night. Sad, but true. I have many fond memories which took place at BEMC, but none which included basketball, which is truly weird when you consider the family history that has taken place at that venue. BEMC is where I’ve attended AU’s fan day; it’s where I had my picture taken with Bo Jackson’s Heisman trophy, and it’s also where I first saw the band, Switchfoot, in concert. All are happy memories that I treasure.
However, those memories pale in comparison to last night at Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum. You see, last night was special and this is where family history comes into play. On January 11, 1969, the LSU Tigers and “Pistol” Pete Maravich came to the Plains to play the first game ever played at BEMC. My uncle, Wallace Tinker (#33), as a Senior Forward on the team, scored the first basket in BEMC history with a 7 ft. jumper from the right baseline. Although Pistol Pete went on to score a whopping 46 pts, the most ever scored by an opponent in BEMC history, the Auburn Tigers defeated LSU 90-71. It is fitting that the Tigers ended their 42 years at BEMC with an 89-80 victory over MississippiState. War Eagle!!!
After the game, as I watched my uncle walk onto the court I was thinking to myself, “this is A Walk to Remember!” I stood with my son, Jacob, and my cousins and watched with anticipation this moment in Auburn history. My uncle stood in the same spot from which he’d scored the first points at Beard-Eaves, and nailed the basket on the first throw to score the final points of the final season. Thus ended the 42 year history of Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum. I was teary-eyed I have to admit. Jacob, who is 12, looked up at me with pride in his eyes and said, “Mom, I guess this means I have basketball in my blood.” I just chuckled and hugged him and told him that he did, indeed, have a family legacy of basketball...and not just ANY basketball, but Auburn basketball! We stayed for the net cutting, autographs, and pictures “under” the picture of Uncle Wallace that hangs on the Coliseum walls. My other uncle, Billy Tinker, also played for Auburn, but was not in attendance last night.
Uncle Wallace shooting the final points at Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum, Auburn, AL
It was a glorious ending to Auburn’s 42 year history at Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum. May the Auburn traditions of excellence, sportsmanship, and “family” continue at the new Auburn Arena next year.
A few days ago, I was sweeping out my carport. Since my house faces north, the wind is continually blowing the large leaves from the Sycamore tree onto the patio where my front door is, and into the carport. While I was sweeping I kept hearing this unusual bird song. One I was quite unfamiliar with. I hear Mockingbirds, Robins, Jays, Sparrows, but this one was unusual. I stopped and stood very still trying to pinpoint the location of this bird. Finally I see it, up high in the Oak tree that is in my front yard. The first thing I see is that it’s a bright green bird; Chartreuse is how I would describe it. It’s also a very tiny bird, but it’s making this wonderful trilling song. I stand and listen, enjoying every moment. I didn’t realize that my joy would soon turn to grief. But life’s like that, isn’t it? One moment all is well, and in the next instant the poodoo (Star Wars slang for sh** according to Jar-Jar Binks) hits the fan!
I finish sweeping then go inside and I begin cleaning out my cupboards. My oatmeal is musty smelling so I go out and scatter it around hoping the birds will eat it. Sure enough, the little green bird hops down on the ground to scratch around in the Sycamore leaves. I notice Sharon.....she’s like a midget in feline form...solid gray; not really a problem cat. She’s just a cat. I see her watching the little bird so I scoop her up and tell her “no, no!” and clap my hands to make the bird go back up into the trees before I put Sharon down.
Well, I’m sure by now you know where this is going. The next time I see Sharon she has the little green bird clenched in feline jaws. I begin chasing this cat around the house. Three times I chased her. I threw stuff, and got the broom after her, all to no avail. I couldn’t save the bird, though I tried. I thought if I could just get the bird away from the cat, it might still have a chance, but I couldn’t ever catch the cat. She eventually ran down into the wood behind the house until I couldn’t see her any longer.
Afterwards, I sat on the back porch steps and bawled my eyes out over the little bird that I couldn't save. It had given me so much pleasure and joy with it's song, I still don’t have any idea what kind of bird it was. I’ve been reading field manuals and looking online, but haven’t seen one JUST exactly like it. It may be an Orange-crowned Warbler or Golden-crowned Kinglet. I feel sure it was the male of the pair since he was so brightly colored. I was both saddened by the loss of this unique bird and angry at Sharon because she had taken away something that had given me joy: a bird with its beautiful song.
This week has been difficult. I lost something that was precious to me (not the ring from Mordor) ...but trust; and I don’t know how to restore it; I don’t even know if such a thing is possible. Sometimes things that are broken should remain that way....a testament to the fact that things happen beyond our control, for whatever reason, to be used as lessons we learn along the way. Me? I feel like I’ve been chewed up, spit out, and run through a meat grinder. I’ve always believed that if I lose, or fail, don’t lose the lesson; make it count for something. I’ve always believed that God puts people in my life for a reason. Not only that, but He doesn’t give me people I “want,” rather, He gives me people I “need;” whether to help them or help me, I don’t know...perhaps both.
Losing trust in someone is hard, whether it’s a lover or a friend. But I’ve had to deal with losing trust in a family member. Which is, in many ways, more painful than losing trust in a friend or lover. The bonds of friendship and lovers can be broken, but the bond of family is eternal. I've sat in places in the past two weeks that I truly never expected to sit in. Naïveté on my part I suppose.
I’ve always believed in the redemptive power of love. I attended “Beauty and the Beast” ballet this past weekend, and I enjoyed it.....but does love really have the power to transform a beast into a man as fairytales would have us believe? Sure, God changed a man into an ass, but can love change an ass into a man worthy of such love? I’ve always believed it possible, but I’ve never witnessed it myself. My love sure wasn’t of any redemptive benefit to my ex-husband. He never changed; hasn’t yet and it remains doubtful that he ever will.
Reconciliation 1.0
~If I owe someone amends it is my responsibility to give it; I cannot make someone forgive me. Whether they accept my apology is their choice, and theirs alone, to make. I can’t force them to accept it.
~Just as I can’t force someone to forgive me, neither can I make someone apologise. If I feel I have been wronged it is my responsibility to relay that umbrage to them truthfully, yet without the expectation that they’ll apologise. As with forgiveness, that’s their choice. Regardless of whether or not a person ever apologises, it is my responsibility to forgive them.
~I choose to live my amends one day at a time as I want my living amends to produce a change in behavior over time. This isn’t a one-time process nor a one-size-fits all. I struggle with forgiveness for my ex-husband. It is hard to forgive someone who physically and emotionally abused me for so many years in so many ways that sometimes I have to pinch myself to see if I’m dreaming. Time has a way of making the images blurry around the edges. But I lived it. I know I did and it was reality for far too long. Forgiveness for him is not even a daily thing...it’s more of an “every time I think of you, I ask God to help me forgive you” kind of thing. Of myself, I can’t do it. I still haven’t reached a place where I can pray for him.
~Making amends is a process of humility. For me, it’s quite often painful, especially if I feel that I’ve hurt someone whom I love. It is usually something I don’t want to do, yet I feel the need to do it. Even if I am not, technically, the one at fault, I’m usually still sorry that things happened as they did, when they did, etc. It’s scary as hell to expose all of my emotions, feelings, and thoughts to someone else and know that rejection is a possible outcome.
~Sometimes I may feel the need to make amends but the other person doesn’t see it that way. Either they weren’t hurt or offended and just think it’s ridiculous. It’s important to realise that I must also forgive myself. Some self-amends are forgiving myself for choices I’ve made in the past that led to the biggest mistakes in my life. I have to forgive myself for those mistakes and stop with the guilt trip. That gets me nowhere fast, except maybe in the black sinkhole of depression.
To end on a happy note, yesterday I saw another little green bird on the peach tree next to my house. I’m thankful for the small blessings each day...they give me hope that there is a path through pain and a light at the end of the tunnel, even if I can’t see it yet.
“Learn from yesterday, Live for today, Hope for tomorrow.”
I'm basically a nerd. My license plate says so. I live by the oxymoron, "Make Haste Slowly," and have a firm belief in "What you don't know will hurt you...but not until you know what it is." Ignorance is not bliss. Ignorance is ignorance, often painful and sometimes lethal in large doses.
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