Practice your freethrows, kids

I've been enjoying watching some Gopher basketball lately. I'm liking the hustle and hard work that I'm seeing from this team. It's a huge improvement over last year, and I'm excited for the program.

They've lost some close games to some very worthy opponents like Michigan State and Indiana. They refuse to give up at the end of games and they're pretty feisty. Fun to watch, except for one thing...

They miss about a bazillion freethrows every game. Teams that miss their freethrows don't deserve to win. Spencer Tollackson, I'm talking to you. There have been several losses where missed freethrows were the difference in the game.

Gophers, I know you have it in you to pull off a huge upset this season. The Big 10 has been tough for you so far, but keep your chin up.

Happy (Belated) Birthday, Dr. King

I know you are asking today, "How long will it take?" (Speak, sir) Somebody's asking, "How long will prejudice blind the visions of men, darken their understanding, and drive bright-eyed wisdom from her sacred throne?" Somebody's asking, "When will wounded justice, lying prostrate on the streets of Selma and Birmingham and communities all over the South, be lifted from this dust of shame to reign supreme among the children of men?" Somebody's asking, "When will the radiant star of hope be plunged against the nocturnal bosom of this lonely night, (Speak, speak, speak) plucked from weary souls with chains of fear and the manacles of death? How long will justice be crucified, (Speak) and truth bear it?" (Yes, sir)

I come to say to you this afternoon, however difficult the moment, (Yes, sir) however frustrating the hour, it will not be long, (No sir) because "truth crushed to earth will rise again." (Yes, sir)

How long? Not long, (Yes, sir) because "no lie can live forever." (Yes, sir)

How long? Not long, (All right. How long) because "you shall reap what you sow." (Yes, sir)

How long? (How long?) Not long: (Not long)

Truth forever on the scaffold, (Speak)

Wrong forever on the throne, (Yes, sir)

Yet that scaffold sways the future, (Yes, sir)

And, behind the dim unknown,

Standeth God within the shadow,

Keeping watch above his own.

How long? Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. (Yes, sir)

How long? Not long, (Not long) because:

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord; (Yes, sir)

He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored; (Yes)

He has loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword; (Yes, sir)

His truth is marching on. (Yes, sir)

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat; (Speak, sir)

He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat. (That's right)

O, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! Be jubilant my feet!

Our God is marching on. (Yeah)

Glory, hallelujah! (Yes, sir) Glory, hallelujah! (All right)

Glory, hallelujah! Glory, hallelujah!

His truth is marching on. [Applause]

I love goalies

Pete and I were at the Xcel on Friday evening to watch the Wild lose to the Ducks. While the game didn't turn out the way we had hoped, I was reminded of how much I love watching goalies.

Hockey goalies are the cutest ever and endlessly amusing. Not cute in a "I want to date them way." It had been a while since I'd been to a game, and they don't show goalies much on TV unless there's a shot on goal. When you're at the game, you're free to just watch the goalie.

It seems like it would be so lonely for them. They bang their sticks on the ice when they like what their team is doing on offense. They wait for refs to look the other way and then dump guys with their goalie sticks. They kind of look like giant crabs scuttling around. They do crazy stretches and talk to themselves all the time. You can almost tell what a goalie is saying to himself by the way his head is moving.

What all this boils down to is that goalies make me smile :)

Gophers, you break my heart

I'm a big sports fan. I watch a lot of games that I'm relatively unattached to. My team doesn't have to be playing for me to enjoy the game. I always find someone to root for, and it's usually the underdog. I grew up a Griz fan (University of Montana Grizzlies) and attended countless sporting events. I watched their football team win national titles, and lose national titles (damn you, Randy Moss!) I would literally get so nervous during these games that I squeezed my hands together until my knuckles were white and felt like a cave-ful of bats was flying in my stomach. We'll call this phenomenon Sports Anxiety Syndrome (SAS).

Then I moved to Wisconsin. I remained a Griz fan, but something else happened. I learned to LOVE hockey. I watched Bucky win men's and women's national hockey titles in the same year. I experienced SAS during their playoff games, including a triple overtime 1-0 win that damn near killed me. I'm not kidding; I almost didn't make it. I realized during a fit of SAS that I had become a Wisconsin fan.

Now I live in Minnesota. I've enjoyed watching many sporting events here, both at the professional and college level. While I root for the Gophers (often in vain), I don't know if I could be considered a true fan. Until tonight. I experienced my first episode of Gopher-related SAS tonight in their basketball game against Indiana (ranked 10th).

It would have been a HUGE win for the Gophs, and I wanted it for them so badly. They created turnovers, played awesome defense, and made some great plays. The game should have been theirs, but alas, they beat themselves. Missed freethrows and spotty field-goal and cold three-point shooting were to blame. The lead changed 10 times, I think. My head almost exploded. Today, I am a Gopher fan.

Now if only the pharmaceutical industry could make some sort of expensive drug for SAS sufferers like myself. I can just picture the commercials.

2008

It seems I've been taking a bit of a break from the interweb. It's been nice to spend less time online. I haven't missed it at all.

I'm enjoying a bit of free time before my classes recommence at the end of January. It's been nice to just relax a bit

I've also been reminiscing about 2007 and thinking about 2008. 2007 was the year Pete and I bought our first house and moved all of our worldly possessions over in a serious snow storm. It was the year we had our first Thanksgiving just the two of us, and I will love those memories forever. It was also the year that we got engaged. Busy year.

2008 is the year that we will hopefully get a puppy. It is also the year we will get married. By this time next year I will be Mrs. Ryan. Crazy.

While I have been away from the internet, my better half has not. Our wedding website is now ready for business. It will be your source for updates, maps, accommodations, and general wedding awesomeness :)

Wedding Website