purple passion
I had a brush with greatness yesterday in Baltimore. My rugby team has a concession stand at the Ravens' stadium (for fundraising), and I've worked several of the games this season. It's not too bad a gig--once we stop selling beer in the fourth quarter, the line dies down considerably--but you end up working the equivalent of an 8-9 hour day. So it was nice to start my day off with a highlight: my route into the stadium takes me past the autograph line, and there's Todd Heap, ballcap pulled low over his face, quietly signing autographs. I didn't even see him at first, but as I walked right by him, I noticed a TV camera... did a double take, and there's #86, 5 feet away from me!
Even though I have his jersey, I just kept walking--I figure athletes deal with enough crazy fans as it is. ;)
I didn't think the day could get any better after the Ravens thumped Pittsburgh 27-0, but on my way out, I passed by the autograph lines again. I hear somebody call out "Steve, Steve!"--and a nicely dressed Steve McNair is visiting the fans. Pretty sweet.
Labels: sports
I should follow this motto:
"There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it." - Mary Wilson Little
season in review...
Life lesson #678: don't use body wash with "gentle exfoliation beads" right after playing 80 minutes of rugby on dead grass. There is nothing gentle about it when you've got 80 microscopic cuts on your legs...
The fall rugby season wrapped up November 11; we beat Salisbury Univ. 42-7. I got the closest I ever got to scoring--2 yards before the try line--before I got brought down, but not before I dished the ball off to my flanker, who charged in for the score. I don't think assists are an actual stat in rugby, but the coach seemed pretty excited about my effort, to put it mildly ;)
That game was the best game I've ever played in 4 years of rugby... I lost count of how many tackles I made, nearly scored, I even blocked a punt! That totally made up for the last time I played Salisbury 5 years ago, when I was back in college, got drilled from behind and got a concussion.
We finished the season 4-1, pretty damn good for an inaugural season. The PRU might speed up our admission process so we can start qualifying for playoffs a year earlier than normal (traditionally, you have to be in existence 2 years).
I'm definitely hooked back into rugby again; this is a great team. I feel like I'm not only learning the game better, but actually applying what I learn to each game. I'm in much better shape than I've been in ahwile; although this offseason I'm focusing on my endurance!
Oh yeah, and my toenails have grown halfway back in. (If you missed the gross-out fest back in August, my two big toes swelled up and had to be drained. Which leads me to life lesson #679: ALWAYS break in your cleats.)
Labels: rugby
