It's Time to Play 'til the Whistle Blows

One of my favorite scenes from a movie is the scene in We Are Marshall where it's "game day" and the little kid runs outside with Jack following, and they see everybody walking down to the football field. Jack asks what day it is, the kid answers "game day." This is repeated once and then Jack says "it's time to play 'til the whistle blows" and then the little kid whistles. For one, this is one of the cutest things I have ever seen and two, this scene has been in my mind a lot as spring sports are starting up at UC and winter sports are going into playoffs. Seeing all the teams and players get ready for their games and for it to be "game day" for them again, I get a little jealous.

I played basketball and softball for 7-12 grades and for those 6 years of high school, from November until May, I frequently had those so called "game days." I thoroughly miss the games days from high school and the bonds the teams had during the season. My senior year I really wanted to look into playing in college and went as far as getting an old game tape from basketball and had been emailing back and forth. I guess i chickened out and never sent my tape to the basketball coach. There is always that "what if..." moment with that. I also thought about being a walk on player but then I never found out when try-outs were for either basketball or softball. Cristina, my girlfriend, is always telling me that I should try out next year but I think I've been out of the game for so long I don't think I could play after taking a two year break.

This "game day" thing reminds me of last summer when I played in a summer slow-pitch softball league up in Rome with my cousin Julie. I met a lot of cool people through playing this and I also learned that the basketball coach from UC plays in the same league, which I thought was funny. As it gets closer to May and June, I can't help but to think of last summer and what the future brings for this upcoming summer. I know I'm going to be back playing slow-pitch again this year and I can't wait for it to be my time to say that it's game day. Not only do I love getting dressed in the slight uniform that we do have, but I also love hanging out with Julie every week and having fun playing softball.

I wish I could find a basketball league me and Julie could play in but I'm not having luck.

All I want is to have summer come so I can just wear a wife beater and shorts and be warm. All I want is to have my game days back and play softball. Needless to say, I'm excited for this upcoming summer. =]

...The Limping Lizard.

Heavy Hearts

This morning I received a text message from one of my friends. It said that a sister of one of our good friends had passed away last night in a snowmobiling accident. She had fell into the water while snowmobiling on Third Lake. I called my friend who texted me and asked if she was serious. I realize now that asking that question was stupid but it's an immediate reaction when you hear news like that. It's shocking to hear that someone you've known since you were little isn't with us anymore. Granted, I was never close to her but I am close with her sister. I thought about her, Ashley, my friend. I thought about how much she is hurting and how much her family is hurting. I just wanted to go to her house and hug her and let her cry on my shoulder, like she's let me do for less extreme and less taxing reasons. But I knew, that in this time, so close to the fatal incident, that they would want to be with their family. I know my time will come to help support and grieve with Ashley when she needs me.

This time has made me realize how important family is. You never know when your time is up, this incident proves it. Nikki's last status update on Facebook was that she was so glad it was Friday and that she was ready for the weekend. This makes me think that one day the weekend is ready for us. You will never know what you encounter or who you will encounter in a mere matter of minutes or hours. We are unfortunate to have experienced this loss in minutes. Nikki was an amazing artist and athlete and was a beautiful girl. Although, there were some moments that people weren't too fond of Nikki, she was still someone's family member or friend. She was still cared about by many and known for her track records at Oriskany High School. Coming from a small town like Oriskany, news of her death traveled quickly and has touched so many people. There are many heavy hearts and grieving people in the world today.

Having this happen makes me think how much my family and friends mean to me. I don't know what I would do without my family members, they have been such a support system through everything imaginable in my life. And if I were to lose one of my friends, I'd be a wreck. I would think about all the times we disagreed or had fun, laughed and cried. I just wanted to say that I love all my family and friends. If we've had a rough spot in our friendship or familyship, I hope that some day we can move passed it, if we haven't already. Mom, I love you. Gramma and Grampa, I love you. Grandma, I love you. To all my aunts, uncles and cousins, I love you. To all my friends, whether in the past or in the present, I love you. To my girlfriend Cristina, I know you know this already but I cannot say it enough to show how much I really care for you, I love you.

...The Limping Lizard.