Thursday, October 7, 2010

Thanks - I NEEDED that!

I believe I just OUT SCREAMO'ed my son's music.... I can sound like Satan too when needed......on a positive note I'm heading out for a run ;)
I have a friend on Facebook that I wanted to write about...and I will leave this person nameless so as to protect their innocence! HA! I must tell you right out of the gate, you should ALL have a friend like this person. For all of the insanity that Facebook breeds, one thing is for sure - it has been an excellent meeting ground for friends lost, moved on or otherwise misplaced over the years. Some people are easily found, some not so much - and some come crashing through the doors like gangbusters. I love that you can catch up and stay in touch with people...see photos, share tall tales, reminisce and just generally interact. And, sometimes, you have a person who's infectious spirit, keen perspective, witty insight and general positive attitude light up every day for you. That is my friend. I am telling you, if you don't already have one, you need a friend like this person!
Just held a door open for a guy at Barnes and Noble and he said "Thanks MAN" ... ahhh I'll keep my shirt on.. (I'M A GIRL!!!!! GIRL GIRL GIRRRRLLL ..... heck I should kick his butt and yell WOMAN WOMAN WOMAN!!)
Let me clarify a few things. First off, a question was posed about "what is a blog." Be damned if I know the most accurate answer, other than it is a personal 'web log' of thoughts and ideas and such. This is mine. And, to be sure, this isn't some attempt to recreate the "S#!t My Dad Says" site, but I wanted to drop in some of this person's status updates to salt up the story a bit. Because it NEVER fails that, no matter what form my day is taking, some comment or response this person posts provides instant sunshine and caffeine. My friend even seems to know just the right day and time to post random thoughts and views of the world. This is a gift.
...just finished writing a lovely thank you note to a past customer on crisp linen GHR letterhead and in cursive.... but as I stop and admire this 'old fashion' manner which I am going about... I'm wondering if I should just put it in a bottle and toss it in the ocean for an added touch of class!
My connection goes back a long way - the
grammar and high school days of yore, as it were. To be honest, I can't pinpoint exactly when and where our paths first crossed - I am not entirely sure it matters. I think it is fair to say we were not 'best friends' but knew each other from the golden oldie days...then life happened and I couldn't say for sure where this person moved on to or what they were doing. Fast forward to the Facebook era and - voila - friends reappear! And, one day, there is my friend again! Just seeing the name brought a smile to my face instantly because I could easily recall the seemingly unending supply of smiles, laughter and positivity. Again, I couldn't list any specific instances or moments in time that we starred in together but I had no trouble remembering the joy this person brought into a room.
WHHHHHHAAAAPIIIISSSSH! ..... the ringmaster has awoken, cracking her whip.. Hahaha it's time to put on THE SHOW!! (also known as MY LIFE) ... ahhh there's a reason this family let's me sleep in ...

Okay...so maybe it isn't a bright light ALL the time! But still...perspective, people.

There's a bit of a side thought herein as well...Facebook will be whatever you choose for it to be. Some think it is the end of civilization as we know it, others use it as the pipeline to staying in touch with people. It has to be a recluse's dream - you can avoid in-person human contact yet still stay connected. In any event, to me, FB bridges the gap and allows for connection on a level I could have never imagined. My best friends and family can tell you - pre FB I was horrible at emails / calls / letters and such to stay in contact. Insanely horrible. Things have become decidedly easier with this wonderful creation. And not just in staying in the know with my closest family and besties...but finding the folks I always assumed were lost for good.
changed my mind .... I'M GLAD IM A GIRL!!!!! YAY!!! (only took 40 minutes and 2 midol capsules)..... because I am a girl .. I could obviously change my mind about this at any given moment for no reason..
The other side bar to this thought is how someone like this friend makes the miserable, woeful folk seem less morose in the grand scheme. You know the 'friends' of which I speak - and you all have them. Those who only seem interested in posting the ills of life, the dark clouds and just spout out daily doses of bummer. It gets tiring at times when folks decide to share those thoughts specifically designed to illicit the "what's wrong" responses from their friends. I do care what's going on in your world - I honestly don't feel very interested in being bated to asking about the cryptic code you jot down. But I find that it is best to subscribe to the notion that we must embrace the bad as much as the good. Every downer thing we see and experience should be appreciated as something that makes the "good" look even better in our lives. That makes sense to me - though it isn't always easy to subscribe to that notion. Much like thanking heavens for stupid people because it makes us feel smarter. Same principal. So, for every proclamation of doom and mention of how "I can't believe they did this to me" (so ask me what that was), there need to be little nuggets of positivity, like:
I'm not pessimistic but REALLY ... my glass is empty .. So I'm gonna go inside the house and refill it. That's all. Easy fix ;)
That's all - an easy fix! And let me also say that the bulk of my friends and family are also very positive and upbeat and share their joy here quite often as well. But, she never falters! So I say - go, get yourself a friend like this or find that friend in your circle. Or, better yet - BE this person to your friends! Look, I get it - life tends to suck from time to time, but who really wants to do the backstroke in a sea of misery? I surely do not. I have it covered myself occasionally and I don't require another person's road map to get down (an I don't mean 'get down' in terms of funky dancing either). I love to know about your family, your friends, your job and home...anything you'd care to share. That is how this should work. And, if you get the hankering to have a GREAT day with an upbeat outlook on things...please, feel free to share this with us. Really.

There is an old quote or school of thought that suggests we are who we surround ourselves with...or some such thing. If that is indeed the case, I must be the greatest person in the world - because the sum of my friends and family is certainly the greatest. I am blessed beyond words. In fact, I am discovering more about people than I have ever known...becoming better friends with people I was only once a casual friend with in the past. Is that even possible? Clearly it is. Better still - my wife has become great friends with people she has never even met through the power of Facebook - my friends and family across the country. But I think that is not simply a function of this medium, but the strength of character of the people I have had the honor of knowing in my lifetime.
I'm at STARBUCKS with my son .. listening to this guy who is shorter than ME... he's blabbing some pretty girl's ear off ..'uhh I have a blog ... Wanna put it on my facebook .. I have a blog..' WHAT IS A BLOG?? Sounds like hog.. Glob?? I can't stop giggling!
So, thank you my friend...and this, by the way - in some form - is a "blog."

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Are You A-Skeert? :-O

(As mentioned in a recently published bit, I had a few little unfinished 'stories' in the vault that I may as well close the books on. This one started in March of 2009. I think the reason I never got back to it was because I was still trying to get back the 90 minutes if cinematic brain hammering that caused me to start this in the first place.)

I recently had the misfortune of watching the 're-imagining' of the horror classic "Prom Night" and the most I can say is...I am distraught I will never get that hour and a half back. Whoever thought remaking a modestly decent piece of scary film eye candy was a good idea should be skewered by the same nasty rubber knife wielded by the lead singer of The Wonders. I wanted to give it a try...and I am so, so, so sorry I did. So, so, so, SO sorry. I am not sure what the cap on "so's" is. I may have surpassed it there.

But, then the thought hit me - does anything 'scare' us anymore?


now make this virtual face....
:-O

I recall the first horror film I watched was "Halloween" with my Mom, on the couch - probably on a Halloween night - hiding my eyes for about 3/4 of the movie. I could barely peek out for a moment knowing that man in the white mask, with the empty black eyes, was stalking...oh so slowly...his next victim. Mom shared my fear and we spent most of the evening hidden under the blanket for protection. I was creeped out for weeks! Other movies that burned an irreparable hole in my calm were "When A Stranger Calls," "Friday the 13th," and "Salem's Lot."

Oddly enough, all of these films have been're-imagined' recently. So, it seems, we are forced to recall old fears to elicit a new set of scares? I wonder...

And don't get me started on the new and insanely moronic concept of "re-imagining" movies...

Can we really be scared anymore? Heart-racing, jumping-out-of-the-seat, eye-popping, sweaty-palms scared? I know when I saw these films, I was younger and the horror genre was hitting its most creative strides. Many of the monsters and killers and settings were new, and every plot twist seemed intense because we'd never really seen it before. And after the brief late 70's to early 80's window, things started to fall off quickly. The monsters that scared us then simply became retread tires coming back year after year to bring us new forms of death and dismemberment. I guess once we see the bogeyman, put a face to a name as it were, he's not so scary after that. There were even some attempts to turn these ghouls into comedians with one-liners, wise cracks and inventive kills. What the...?

In recent years, there have been some successful attempts at 'horror' but I don't think the core reaction - the BIG scare - is there anymore. The "Scream" films, while fun and original, played on the campiness of the genre as a whole. The 'torture porn' films had a shocking impact out of the gate, but the gluttony of...well, gluttony...reduced the shine very quickly. "Saw" was original yet gory - "Saw 28" was...well...I have no idea because I can't watch them as fast as the movie studio is making them! And somewhere in between, the decision makers continue to sprinkle about more new takes on old greats - even some remakes of obscure films. I recently watched the horrible spin on "Last House On The Left" and while the original was canned cheese at best, it still made an indelible mark on the brain and reminded us that sometimes the boogeyman could be just another stranger down the street.

Mostly, I weep for the children today - one of the great thrills of my teenage years was bringing a date to a horror flick, banking on the likelihood that, as soon as the scares started popping up, she'd be squeezing my hand, hiding her head in my shoulder or essentially climbing on me in fear. This was significantly high-level touchy-feely for our adolescent years...now I worry it may be going the way of old school terror! Grope quotients are dropping faster than Jason's re-imagined axe!

I guess I am not sure what scares us anymore. I mean, it seems as though people today seem most scared of unemployment, bankruptcy, foreclosure, lost retirement, The IRS...looks like the boogeyman has dropped down on the list of genuine frights. Maybe we have something here - the next franchise monster is a terror tag-team of an investment banker and tax collector.

As for kids, I think there is a short attention span issue today that it makes it impossible to get them to stay tuned long enough to buy into the frights. Comparing the films of my day versus the 're-imagined' droll that hits the screens now, I see many differences. The back story and building suspense is replaced with quick and elaborate yet pointless carnage - cut to the chase! Our monsters pondered, gazed and oh...so...slowly stalked you - now they run faster than Usain Bolt, making the corpse per second ratio exponentially higher. And...well...BOOBS! Get the freakin' boobs thing right - our movies had gratuitous, unnecessary-to-the-story nudity, and that was another part of the hook...and, now? Well, let me just say the afore mentioned "Prom Night" rehash was rated PG-13. WHAT? A horror film that was so tender and weak, it got a PG-13 rating? So, so sad.

Now, here is the part where I defer to you. Have you seen anything recently that scared you? Can you even be scared anymore? What was the first film you saw that did scare you and why?

** And, as a public service announcement - do yourself a favor and avoid the more recent version of "Prom Night" at all costs. Not only is it an awful bit of poo for a movie...there are no boobs!

Thursday, April 8, 2010

I Haven't A Clue Why

With my second entry in just over a week, you would think I have suddenly reached my peak of knowledge and now feel poised - nay, entitled - to share this wealth of intellect. Alas, I am just in the mood to let a little more brain goo release, drip-dry and be gone. I am no writer, philosopher or thinker - but there are so many tools available on this 'internet thingy,' I may as well utilize them. Otherwise, I'd probably end up attempting to build suspense and intrigue at 140 characters or less, or posting some cryptic FB message imploring the requisite "What's wrong, is everything okay?" Puh-leez!! So...once again, brain valve - open!

Let me open with a tip of the cap to my friend Kristi who is a self-described "average-ordinary irreverent gypsy princess." She has a particular wit, steel-trap memory and an incredibly keen sense of imagery in her storytelling. She has been writing in her blog "Flibbertigibbet" for some time, and each time I enjoy one of her entries, I receive a little lift - be it joy, laughter, reflection, understanding. I suspect part of the reason I gravitate to her passages is because we have been friends a long time, and we have shared experiences and upbringing - so many of the things she fondly recalls are very similar to the memories of my life. Yet still, her sharp eye and interpretation give each nugget a life of their own. It is such a pleasure to check in occasionally to see if another snapshot has been posted. To that end, I have been inspired and feel like jotting down some thoughts and ideas and emotions as well. So, I guess the bottom line is - blame Kristi for these mindless ramblings. That gets me off the hook.

Another little thing about jotting down these random musings is...well...I often times wonder why it is necessary! Do I WANT people to see and read this? I guess so - otherwise, I'd get myself a finely bedazzled diary with a Jonas Brothers cover, giggle while I wrote and hide it in my unmentionables drawer. I suspect that blogging and such is the digital diary of our times, but what do most people care what I think anyway? As I look in the vault of this blog site, I have 4 other unfinished entries I have posted in the past 6 months. I think I may try to finish my thoughts on them - so hold your breath for the coming thoughts on Haiti relief, hockey in Arizona, the passing of my Mother (which my recent "Duke" entry touched on briefly), and...scary movies. I am often times fascinated by how my brain works. Maybe 'frightening' is a better description of how my brain works.

...as a matter of an update - as per usual, I left this blog entry unfinished last week and had to return to try and pick up where I left off. Perhaps I have one of those 'short attention span' issues. Could be. Maybe. I'm sorry, what were we talking about again....

Okay, so - back to the rambling at hand.

I have decided another reason I rarely jot things down for public consumption is the glaring light of judgement. Everyone is a critic. And that is okay. But, I don't write to pay the bills or change the world, everything here is just 'something' to me. So, I coddle it a bit more and usually step back long enough to think, "Why are you writing this, dolt? And who really cares? And what would they say?" There are smarter people with better stories and stronger writing skills that should be handling this assignment. And trying to harken back to simpler times, it is likely I'd have to get my facts checked first. Anyone who knows me well knows my memory is suspect at best. I wouldn't be changing the names to protect the innocent...chances are I'd be changing the names because I can't remember them or thought that is what they actually were. So, I fear retribution from a 'source' who comes back with the standard - "um, that never happened like that, dolt." It seems I feel that I am a dolt.

I suspect, inevitably, to me everything has to be FOR something. Is it worth the effort? What is the end game? One reason I hate fitness walking is because I would prefer to use that effort to get somewhere or achieve something. Wandering about for the sake of fitness seems a little pointless to me - one of those "I'll never get that time back" kind of moments. Though the eventual presence of fitness I suspect would be the end result. STILL, my point is - why exert the effort if I can't place my chunky thumb on the pulse of something tangible as the result?

Now that this brain goo has been laid out there - what in the world is my point? I am unsure really. I get into situations where something occurs or some random idea pops into my brain and I feel like I have no educated opinion on the significance. Things happen in this world that I just don't get, but I have such a wide pool of people who could provide input - I mean very intelligent observations - that I'd prefer to provide some description, my own personal insight, wrap it with a bow and pitch it out to the masses for some point-counterpoint. Yes, things irk me, confound me, trouble me, excite me...but I am often curious what those of my ilk may believe. It is my hope to expand my horizons. And I can blame you for it.

So, you know - there's that.

At the end of the day I just feel like, at times, I have to let things out of my brain. It is a well-known fact there is little workable and functional room in there to begin with, and I seem to waste copious amounts of said space with the endless cycle of some thoughts that weigh on me. There are things I cannot process and I need an education or, at the very least, an outlet to put it all to bed and free up some brain bandwidth. Too many thoughts that just churn away endlessly. The responsibility of expected eventual balance of my sanity lies squarely in your hands, so how is that for pressure?

By the way - this is my fourth time coming to contribute to this single post, I have now read it over two dozen times. Why did I write this? I haven't a clue why...

Monday, April 5, 2010

Duke Blue Devils and Mom

In the wake of The Duke Blue Devils playing for a national basketball championship, I have been asked a few times what is my connection to this college team based in Durham, North Carolina. Anyone who knows me knows I have followed the team faithfully for the better part of 20 years and I am not even sure I can put my thumb on my Devil-loving epiphany back then. Sufficed to say, our relationship has grown over the years. Plus, they provide me some fond recollections of my Mom.

Let's clear some easy ones out of the way first. No, I did not attend nor was I accepted as a student at Duke University..though I am sure I could have heard the laughter clear as day if they ever saw my high school grades in the Admissions Office. I had no family or friends (at the time) who attended the school. I had never been and knew no one affiliated. One little character quirk about me is that I don't tend to follow the rest of the kids when it comes to sports team allegiance...so, when it comes to college hoops fandom in northern New York, your job is to be a fan of Syracuse, UVM, Cornell, Ithaca, Albany or some other random NY or northeastern school. So, I am a supporter of these teams - but I am Duke Blue, through and through.

When Duke hoops went mainstream in '91 and '92 with their two titles, I saw something there that I gravitated to. Talented players who were still intelligent enough to be students at a very prestigious university, coached by a man who seemed to embody strong character, poise and professionalism. Plus, Blue has always been my favorite color - and I mean a STRONG, pronounced blue...not some 'baby' blue you'd see 12 miles south of Duke! I just liked this small school in NC and started to keep tabs on them. It seems though that this run of titles began to polarize this school on a national level as well.

My first true 'tie' to the college came along in the mid-90's when a local athlete was recruited to attend. Malone star Missy West was chosen and decided to attend Duke as a member of the Women's Blue Devils squad...and she was very much a part of the significant improvement of the program. She was also a very popular player and stayed at the school for five years having spent time there injured and unable to play. When I got word that she was attending, I squealed with joy...I finally had someone I could attach myself onto to justify my fandom. Poor Missy!

Now, here's where the story gets most personal - and guarantees my life-time allegiance. For those who may not know, Duke's basketball home is called Cameron Indoor Stadium and is almost 70 years old...meaning it is 'small' compared to the giant arenas other schools play in. Because of the building's charm, history and the unique home court advantage it provides, the school has chosen not to replace it with a new, enormous building. So, due to the limited number of seats available for casual fans (1/3 of the over 9,000 seats are reserved for students only - part of the advantage!) and the fact that Duke Alums are pazillionaires and give loads of scratch back to the school and get seats in return, the average fan can not and will never get to see a game at Cameron Indoor. You would have to also have a pazillion dollars or know someone who knows someone who knows someone who MIGHT not be using their tickets one particular game. Or, it MIGHT help to know God, too! One day, as it turns out, I discovered I did in fact know someone who knows someone...

It was my Mom that fielded the phone call in the winter of 2000...

"Hello Ceil, This Is 'God!'"

A family friend, Jay Halprin, had been living in North Carolina for many years and had developed some great friendships there. Having been an athlete and sports buff his entire life (and a Syracuse alum), he met some movers and shakers on the Carolina sports scene. Turns out, he found out that one of his new friends was a season ticket holder for Duke Blue Devils basketball as he proceeded to share the story of this kid up north who 'loved the Blue Devils.' Jay left the bug in his friend's ear that, if the situation ever presented itself that the seats were available, he'd gladly fill them! Well, it turns out those seats did free up in January of 2000. And the call was made!

Here's the rub - when it comes to season ticket holders, they don't generally miss a game except for emergencies and unchangeable events - so there's a small window of advanced knowledge of open seats. So, when "God" called to alert us to the pair of tickets that were available, the call was made on Thursday night for a game that was to be played on the following Tuesday. Whoa! Mom, knowing there was NO WAY I would turn them down, said "Yes" without even asking me. Once Mom did tell me about the tickets Jay had, I woke up from passing out and decided I had to make a plan to get there...with very little advance notice. I hadn't any time to save extra bucks, so this would have to be a road trip - and a quick one at that!

So, the plan in infancy was - drive down, watch the game, visit with The Halprin family and head back. Oh, ANOTHER IDEA - let's see if we can watch Missy play too. So, we put in a call to Missy's folks who then called her, and she left some tickets for us to watch her game two nights later. This was a solid road trip! Also, let it be noted that most of my immediate family and friends are Duke fans, mostly because I have spent my entire life leaning on them and programming their brains to be. And Mom, being Mom, loved the Blue Devils because...well...I did. So she was all giddy too! And you had to know there wasn't anyone else I had planned to take along except Mom. It all made sense.

So, at the crack of dawn on Monday morning (shortly after 6AM), I picked up Mom in the legendary Geo Metro, and we headed south to Durham, North Carolina. Let us also note for the record that my Mom was one of the best passengers ever - never barked about needing to use the bathroom or being hungry or stretching her legs...she was along for the ride, to see the sites, and get to the destination with no intent to impede on my travel plans! She was a great companion to chat with and keep me awake on this marathon trip. It is important to note that my 'hick' card was about to be throw out the window on this trip...it took me until my late 20's to realize that there was more to the world than Northern New York. That North Carolina, six states south of us, was just a simple day trip away.

Well, at 16 hours - not so 'simple!' Needless to say, without much incident other than being caught in Washington, DC Beltway traffic at precisely 5PM, we made it to Durham. Of course, being the blazing Duke Dork that I am I couldn't stop and find a room and rest...I HAD to find the campus! MUST. FIND. DUKE! So, we stopped, asked directions, and pulled up along side Cameron Indoor Stadium just before 11PM. WHOA!

Mom remained patient the entire time, and we found a hotel close by the college where we could stay. Phew! Mom slept comfortably, I was a little too nervous/excited to get much sleep...for tomorrow was GAME DAY!

Tuesday we arose, headed to campus to wander about and take my first tour of the hallowed halls of Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Home of Duke Basketball - this is a hoops cathedral! As I entered, I walked cautiously so as not to disturb the Duke magic within. Wide-eyed and pensive, I approached a Security Guard to ask if it might be possible to peek inside the gym. I feared that an entire team of law enforcement type would descend upon me at the mere mention of stepping onto Coach K Court. Please, Sir - may I see the Holy Haven of Hoops? PLEASE?!?!

"Um, yeah - go ahead...as long as no one's practicing. It's just a gym."

Don't crap on my Cameron fantasies Mr. Rent-A-Cop!

So, I opened the door to see the gleaming, shining home of Blue Devil Basketball. Cameron Indoor. I did take photos (I will scan and post when I can find them). I did touch the floor. I inspected the retired numbers on the ceiling. I did NOT see Coach K, but I felt his aura! Okay, I am going off the deep end here. Sufficed to say, it was a pretty special moment - and Mom was right there to witness the whole thing with the widest smile on her face. Game time was coming.

That evening, we made our way into the arena for the game. As mentioned, the arena is pretty small compared to most and there was simply not a bad seat in the house. Better still, ours were exactly at center court just a few rows into the main seating area. All general seating overlooks the 3,000 seat bleachers of the student section...home of the renowned "Cameron Crazies." The reason Duke has such a home court advantage is that 3,000 students surround the floor, always on their feet, chanting from beginning to end some of the most intelligent and original cheers and taunts that have ever been uttered. Very true - these students do research ahead of time on the opposing teams and players so they know exactly the types of things to taunt them about! Cameron Crazies are so original, they are the fans who originated the "air ball" chant in the 70's. Just to watch the Crazies work for the entire night would be entertainment enough. But there was a game!!!

I finally got to watch MY Duke Blue Devils, in person, LIVE, at Cameron Indoor Stadium. I got to see my favorite player, Shane Battier. Got to experience another quirk of Cameron - it's lack of air conditioning or circulation...so while it was 50 outside, it was 100 in the gym! We struck up a nice conversation with all of the richie-rich folk around us as they were curious to know how we were affiliated with the actual ticket holder, It was a blast. Truth be told, I am not even sure about the details of who they played, what the score was...it doesn't matter. I was there!

The experience was all I had hoped it would be and so much more. As an interesting side bar, after the game we were standing outside and I had a chance, albeit briefly, to speak with the Women's coach, Gail Goestenkors. We mentioned how we were from Missy's home town and came to watch her play...and I am convinced that this conversation led to Coach making Missy a starter in the game Thursday night! Missy had been injured and replaced by another player as a started, so she usually came into the game later as a substitute. But, not the night we saw her.

As a bit of bonus joy, we attended Missy's game the following Thursday. Sure enough, Missy was inserted into the starting line up - and we got goose bumps when her name was called.

"At Guard, from Malone, New York - Number 25, Missy West!!"

Missy played one of her best games that night, tying a school record for most three-pointers made in a single game. Her teammates kept feeding her the ball to see if she could break the record, but the last one just wouldn't fall! She played an outstanding game and we couldn't have been prouder! We got a chance to thank her after the game for leaving tickets for us...and the fans just swarmed around her because she was such a popular player and person at Duke. It made us even prouder still.

In between it all, Mom and I had a chance to catch up with the Halprin family, visit Charlotte Motor Speedway and Hendrick Motorsports, have some great meals and full laughs with our friends and get a look at the North Carolina landscapes. I grew an attachment to the area from this trip, and there were times I threatened to move there. This trip, inside of it's small window, was one of the best I've ever had.

Then it was time to come home. Once again, we made the 16-hour trek, this time back home. We had amassed such great memories of the trip and the sights and experiences. We could not have asked for a better time and this trip solidified my Blue Devil loyalties. Mom's too! In fact, if a Christmas went by when she didn't get a Duke gift of some kind, I was in SERIOUS trouble. After she passed, I made sure to keep the Duke shirts I had gotten for her over the years. She wore them with pride, and spoke often of that trip.

Post script to this story - we actually went back one year later to see another game. Unfortunately, this second trip was riddled with mayhem and insanity from the get-go. That's a story for another day. The second time we went was in January 2001...and though our trip was one serious mess, the Blue Devil season ended just right. I watched that Championship Game at Doc Roc's Z-Bar in Malone with a few other patrons...my friend Rocco Pepin was dressed head to toe in Arizona garb, and I was covered with my Duke uniform. When the game was over, Duke won another Title.

And the first person I called was Mom.