Basketball--- now that's the orange ball with black stripes, right?

I filled out a bracket for the NCAA tournament this year. I did last year, too, I guess. And apparently, I have a reputation...

The Athletic Director at our school organized it all last year and he laughed at my picks. He still laughed at my picks. After the first weekend, though, he was just giggling at me because he couldn't believe I had the best picks of the whole school. Well, it went down hill very quickly after that and I ended up being the first person out.... way out. But last year I was notorious because I made lots last year's picks based on whether or not I liked a team's colors or their mascots (and a few other reasons but mostly on color and mascot).

So I thought I would try again this year. I have a very unique way of choosing teams for this year; I did something different, for the most part. For example, I really like the name Gonzaga because I like to say it and the way it rolls off my tongue: Gonzaga! Same with Marquette. So I picked 'em.

I also chose Kentucky because a woman at work who is a super person loves them. I picked Baylor because a cousin went there and I selected Notre Dame cuz my Uncle is a fan. I like the way the letter combinations of UNLV and VCU look- picked! I picked Montana for obvious Wild West love. I picked Harvard because I thought how cool it would be to have a smart and athletic team have success. Gotta pick Indiana since I'm a Midwest girl. I picked Kansas because their mascot is cute. And Ohio St because I like red.

I picked Duke to win it all because I want proof that something named Duke can be positive.

And as of this post.... well, my picks aren't doing that great. I've picked 14 wins and 11 losses. I don't think I'm going to sweep this tournament. Bummer.

But I don't think losing this is gonna kill me. I mean, there's always next year!

Mags

Warrior Princess... she's like the wind

I've never attended a track meet in my life. I don't think I've ever even watched the track and field events on television when the Olympics is on. So, I had no idea what to expect when I attended a track meet yesterday to support Princess.

Princess, before coming to Alcatraz, was a cross country distance runner. Since being here, she played volleyball during cross country season to try something new. And this spring, she's running track. At the meet I went to, she ran the 1600m and the 800m. She also threw the discus.

There's lots happening at the meet, all at the same time. I decided rather than wondering around, I would just sit in the bleachers and watch everything I could see from there. Hence, I could see all the running events, the high jump, and the long jump.

I also want to say I didn't know what I a long jump or high jump was until today. The high jump is when the athlete jumps over a pole (think a much lower to the ground goal post) and lands on a giant inflatable pillow, on their backs. I asked the school secretary with whom I was sitting what event was " the kids jumping over the stick and landing on the giant pillow." after she stopped laughing, I was told it was the high jump.

Now the long jump is when the athletes run and then forward jump into a sand pit. I asked the same secretary what is was when the kids ran and jumped in the sandbox: hence, the long jump. I think it should be called the far jump since we're seeing how far the jumpers can... well, jump.

Anyway...

So Princess ran the 1600m, which is one mile (give or take) and is 4 laps around the track. She placed 2nd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so proud of her and screamed and yelled and jumped around. She fell down and threw up. Guess we all celebrate in different ways.

Then she threw the discus. I didn't know where that event was taking place so I missed seeing her do it, so I have no idea how that went. I do know when she did it last time she was last. She could barely lift the discus, let alone throw it any distance. She nor I have any idea why she's even competing in this event other than I think they need a certain number of kids to do the field stuff. And she can't lift the shot put thingy with one hand (barely with two) so she's on discus. (and because of our limit funding and facility, the only field events our students do are shot put, discus, and long jump). And none of our kids do the javelin. Wonder why....!

Right at the end of the meet she ran the 800m, which is two laps around the track. (I know another reason I might not like track- there's a lot of math in this sport). She placed 3rd. She was tired and drained but she put on a burst at the end and did great. I was proud of her! And she didn't even throw up that time!

There are a few more track meets at local schools where she'll compete and of course I'll go and support her. It was fun to watch her. She has good form and she LIKES to run. She likes the 'good pain' and 'finding your stride' and the 'good burn'. It's probably why she weigh about 100 lbs. dripping wet, and stands at 5'8".

Go Princess!
Maggie

Random Hump Day Musings

In our community, we have a pizza place what has a Godfather theme to their business name. Godfather as in the mafia movie. What I hate is that the radio DJ who does the commercials does a TERRIBLE, and I mean TERRIBLE, impression of Brando as the Godfather. If I owned the place I would wall and just tell them "no" and to stop.

Tonight is opening night of Mac's school play! It's his first huge lead so I'm excited to see how well it goes for him. He's a bit of a diva about it all so I hope his performance lives up to his ego.

I'm adding a shelf here and there to the library bookcases. Well, let me rephrase that, I would LIKE to do that. I can find the extra shelves but the pins that actually hold the shelves are gone. Really. Who takes the pins? And I'll be honest here. We don't think it's the kids. Someone on the library committee who's been here since the invention of dirt said she wouldn't be surprised if a previous librarian- 2 or 3 ago- tossed them in the trash. Seriously?!?

Gasoline is so expensive right now that I put $30 in my tank this morning. I was so on Empty that the fuel light was on. And $30 filled it only half way. Prohibitive. It really irks me, and it's completely unnecessary.

My school didn't use all of their scheduled calendar snow days so I get this Friday off. Yup, no school at all. Just a day to hang out. Thank you to the day off gods! Did I mention Mac will be at school all that day? I'm going to sleep in and read and just be a bum.

I can't believe it could snow tomorrow. Not nice.

Princess did some work in her art class and it's been submitted to a local art school competition. I'll be visiting the gallery! She's one of the top contenders for ribbons in the categories she's entered in- I'll let you know what she wins!

Speaking of Princess and weather, she's running distance races in track and her meet is tomorrow. Of course, I'm going to watch and cheer her on but it's supposed to be a high of 31 degrees with possible snow. Today it's a high of 62 with a chance of rain. I'm so thrilled about standing outside in that weather tomorrow. Not.

One thing I miss from when I lived in Northern Civilization, Armpit, and even in the Wild West is that I always had a group of folks with whom I met for "Thirsty Thursday" festivities. I miss Thirsty Thursdays at the local watering hole. I don't even have a local watering hole.

How I made my picks

So yesterday started the official "March Madness"- the NCAA tournament kicked off. For those of you who are not in the know, NCAA basketball tournament is when all the college basketball teams begin their play-offs. This is, apparently, a very big deal.

I was given a page with all the teams on it, and brackets, so I could pick winners. It was free to do here at work, and there are prizes. Our athletic director is taking care of it for us.

Now, a basketball is the orange one, with the black stripes, right?

Now, I guess there's probably a logical way to make picks for the winners, right?

Here's how I picked some of the one's I did:

• Ohio and Butler because I gotta stay loyal to my Midwest roots.
• Villanova and Gonzaga because they're fun to say
• Kentucky because I have family there and my bio- grandfather was a huge Kentucky fan. The only gift I ever remember him giving me was a Kentucky shirt. And a lady at work that I really like is rooting for them, too.
• Xavier because it starts with X and there are so few words in the world that start with X
• N. Carolina because the Tar Heels is such a cool nickname!
• Georgia because Bragger lives there
• Duke because I heard that last year they won a bunch of games
• Tennessee because Elvis is buried there
• San Diego because I've always wanted to visit that city
• UNLV, BYU and UCLA because they have cool acronyms
• Morehead because I have family there
• Georgetown because I wanted to attend there
• Purdue because I don't like IU
• Texas A & M because they go by letters with an ampersand
• Notre Dame because they have, in football, a touchdown Jesus. And because my Uncle loves Notre Dame.
• Pittsburgh because I went there once, for 22 hours
• Florida because I want to be there NOW

I have UCLA wining it all because I like the acronym.

There were some struggles for me. I avoided Michigan because when I was in high school Chris Weber played for them and threw a crappy shot at the buzzer and I've never forgotten it. It was Richmond -vs- Vanderbelt and I wasn't sure. I had a pair of Gloria Vanderbelt jeans when I was a kid. I also love Gone With the Wind, hence the Richmond tie in. I went with Richmond because Grandma Shrew gave me the jeans.

I had to pick a total points scored in the championship game in case there was a tie breaker. I picked the number 139. The AD said that was a good choice.

It will be interesting to see how well I do!

Mad about March,
Maggie

Uncomfortable sport

I've decided that I'm profoundly uncomfortable at high school boys' wrestling matches. There. I admitted it.

The athletic director at our school asked me if I would operate the concession stand for him and I've done that twice, yes two separate occasions- and both times I'm just very uncomfortable with the entire process.

First, the one thing that bugs me and it has nothing to do with being uncomfortable is that wrestling scoring makes no sense to me at all. The ref (judge? umpires? official?) has to lay down on the ground and get mat level with the two boys to see what's going on. It has to do with pins and holds and how long, and how fast they extract and all that stuff. It makes no sense at all to me. I do not like to watch "sports" with impossible to follow scoring.

As for the rest of it... ewwwwwww! It's not the 2 boys grappling around on a mat together that bugs me. I don't really care about that, though I must say at a few points during some of the matches those guys got to know each other really well, with their hands and heads in very INTIMATE places on each other's bodies. Actually, that sort of makes me laugh because these are often the same boys who make "gay" jokes. I know they're not gay, but it's more of the irony of it all for me.

It also looks painful, with the mashing of their faces and all their other body parts against the mat and then held there for an undisclosed amount of time, up to at least 2 minutes. They circle each other and smack each other on the head and grab at each others hands before rolling around together and slamming and crashing into each other. Why call it wrestling- we might as well call it "bullying."

I am very uncomfortable with the little stretchy outfits they wear. All their junk it hanging out and outlined. Then the boys have to go around and "adjust" themselves. Repeatedly. And in front of everyone... well, in front of me. It's awkward and just a bit gross. When they're waiting their turns, they have their hands down their pants, apparently straightening their compression shorts (think SPANX for men) they wear underneath but it still looks like they're playing with themselves in public. They also have to take their shirts off and smack their naked chests and pull the straps of the body suit up, right before it's their turn, and then that involves more fondling of their man parts. The man parts which are outlined, highlighted, very visible--- it's all distasteful.

I was at a meet and a invitational and this is COMMON behavior. I thought it might be just one weird school or something but this is something that all the boys at all the schools do! What is up with this weird grossness?

I don't like the bully style and the almost naked of it all. I also am NOT impressed with the foul language of the athletes who are standing mat-side waiting their turns to wrestle. It's not my new found "anti- swearing" but it's more the "way" they swear rather than actually swearing itself that I find distasteful. I also think since they are athletes representing their schools they could clean up their mouths while little kids and old people and anyone else who might be offended are standing around.

And don't even get me started on how the boys try to stay in their weight class- binging, purging, water diets, over eating, plastic wrapping of the body. It's awful!

So between protruding penises, ugly uniforms, the bullying aspect, and their apparent need to cuss like sailors makes me very uncomfortable. I think it's not going to make me a "wrestling superfan."

Not a grappling groupie,
Maggie