Columbia, SC

Back from a weekend in South Carolina. It was really cool being around that much elite level rugby and seeing people interact with past teammates. The Valkyries lost our first game to the DC Furies 27-10, thus putting us in the losers bracket and canceling our chances to travel to Orlando for the finals, then lost our second game on Sunday against Philadelphia 7-5. The team just couldn't seem to get it together in the first half against the Furies, though managed to step it up in the second half outscoring them 10-5. The Valks were ready for that game; I wish I had an explanation for what happened between practice on Thursday night and kickoff on Saturday. We walked away from the pitch in a daze; not one of us was really ready for the season to be over. In our hearts we all believed we were Orlando-bound. It was at least a fairly clean game, except for one of my teammates, Tiff, getting raked in the face by a Furie and ending up in the emergency room getting twelve stitches and developing a dramatic black eye. Raking is one thing, but this was completely over the line. The game against Philly was dirtier, rougher, but actually a really good game.

Outside of game time my weekend was mixed. Friday I was just happy to be away from Austin. Add to the fact that it was rainy and chilly, some of my favoritest weather, I was doing well. Saturday after the game I just kind of crashed. Despite not setting foot on the pitch except to run water my adrenaline was high during the game. Then with nothing to do with that adrenaline, I eventually crashed. By the time we got back to the hotel after our team dinner I was just ready to be alone for a while and let my mind whirl, trying to work out all these emotions bombarding me. However, most of the team was in our room watching the UT game on TV. Lack of private space to "sit and be wretched" is what I find most difficult about traveling in a group. Sometimes a person just needs time to be alone.

Most of the team flew out on Sunday evening from Charlotte. My teammate with the twelve stitches and dramatic black eye came to the pitch dressed as a Valkyrie (her costume from Saturday night) and flew wearing part of the costume. Apparently plastic battle axes and uni-pegasuses and Vicoden are okay to fly with, but peanut butter is not.

So the Valkyries fall season is over, though no one was ready for it to be. I start practicing with the UT women's team on Thursday. I need to work on my basics and UT is a new, young, inexperienced team, which suits my level of play well.

housekeeping

My mother once said, "Amy, the only thing domestic about you is the wine you drink." This is not true. I prefer Yellowtail wine, which everyone knows comes from the exotic isle of Australia. According to Dooce, however, this lack of domesticity is a spiritual problem, "Because anyone who has read the Bible knows that the last thing you want is for the triumphant return of the Lord to happen before you’ve had a chance to vacuum your living room. He will totally notice. And worse, so will your mom." These days I'm doing better, perhaps. There are only a few dirty dishes in the sink and two loads of laundry waiting to be folded. And I actually own a vacuum, unlike college where my roommates and I depended on the horrible excuses for cleaning appliances that could be loaned from the dorm's front desk. So what if said Dirt Devil usually sits abandoned and lonely in my closet while I'm off trying to save the world?

rugby wedding

Oh...just returned from my first rugby wedding and the aftermath thereof. It was a lovely ceremony attended by friends and family, followed by a delicious dinner and a reception and much socializing and drinking and I loved my outfit! It was not as crazy as I had expected, though there were moments. Our Huns are a great, fun group of guys, even if they don't sing enough. The Valkyries are a fantastic group of women and I am proud to have them as friends and teammates in all their blending of personalities and backgrounds and strengths and weaknesses. We socialized, tested Jelly Belly colors, danced and laughed and talked, drank all the wine and drained the margarita machine by the time the night was up. Then I wound up at Nasty's with a few of the Huns (twist my arm...) after the party at Richard and Rachels wound down and in a great conversation. I stayed too late and now my feet hurt and I am dead tired.

happy friday

More days spent feeling like myself and the weather is cooperating. The past two days are prime examples of perfect afternoons with clear blue skies and crisp weather that make me want to be anywhere but inside. I feel good and am headed into an exciting weekend, which includes my first rugby wedding. Tomorrow night promises to be a fun one.

ought to be

Sitting on my sofa, eating Cheerios out of the box like a three year old and thinking that I really ought to be sleeping if I'm not doing anything more productive. After all, tomorrow is yet another day of thrilling discoveries. Yet here I am...

I don't know why I expect things to change. Why I expect lab stuff to get better or sitting out a rugby practice to not be frustrating. What sucks the most is that I really wanted to participate tonight because the drills Heidi and Dude had the team running would really help me out. So the one basics practice the Valks have recently is the one the physical therapist tells me to sit out. Hopefully one or more of those drills will be seen again before Columbia. Hopefully my back will be better by Columbia, but that's what I'm subjecting myself to physical therapy for, I suppose.

Oh, and I'm putting some major hopes on that cold front that supposed to move through Austin late tomorrow. Enough of this "still summer" stuff, I need some actual weather!

soccer vs. rugby

Everybody hurts. Some just do it with better style than others.



I especially like the shot of the referee standing over the Italy player shown at the very end of the video clip.

Link came from Emilie, our match secretary.

visible light

I'm kinda proud of this one.

update

Been wanting to post, but really, I have nothing to post about so much. Or nothing that once written would be anything anyone wants to read. It's a typical cycle of ups and downs. I'm nervous about the return of my boss, I'm have back trouble that is interfering with rugby and frustrating me to no end, I have such limited free time that when I get a little I have no idea what to do with it.

There was a pretty fabulous bachlorette party last night for our club president that I may post some photos from. Cowboys and Angels theme = fabulousness.

soundtrack

Your Life: The Soundtrack

1. Opening Credits: The Wrong Girl - LeeAnn Womack
2. Waking Up: Take Me Home Country Roads - Israel Kamakawawiwo'ole
   
3. Average Day: When? (Demo?) - Stars
4. First Date: The Mating Game - Bitter:Sweet
5. Falling in Love: 3 Days - Pat Green
6. Love Scene: Real Fine Place - Sara Evans
7. Fight Scene: Love You - Jack Ingram
8. Breaking Up: If You Want It That Much - MMB
9. Getting Back Together: Hotel Band - Mike McClure
10. Secret Love: Fools Like Me - Lisa Loeb
11. Life's Okay: Put Your Records On - Corinne Ray Bailey
12. Mental Breakdown: Broken Reflection (Troubadour's Prayer) - Wade Bowen
13. Driving: Something More - Sugarland
14. Learning a Lesson: Wide Open Spaces - Susan Gibson
15. Deep Thought: Earthbound - Rodney Crowell
16. Flashback: Sand in my Shoes - Dido/Boys of Summer - The Ataris
17. Partying: A Day Late - Anberlin
    
18. Happy Dance: Jessie's Girl - Rick Springfield
19. Regretting: If I Could - Jack Johnson
20. Long Night Alone: Restless, Allison Krauss and Union Station
21. Death Scene: Angel - Sarah McLaughlin
22. Closing Credits: Genuine - The Derailers

In honor of the weather I'm adding "Rainy Day" - On the Coast of Somewhere Beautiful - Kenny Chesney. Because today I really wish I was in bed dreaming of being barefoot in the snow white sand. Love these rainy sorts of days, particularly since they're so rare in central Texas.

I have yet to find my "Rugby Song," however. It needs to be upbeat, maybe slightly aggressive, but definitely have something to feel like increased adrenaline. Comment to suggest something, because I need a good one before the South Carolina trip. Now since I have so little to do at work I am going to make my way to the gym and try to burn off some of lunch while taking my teammates suggestions to work through the back pain that has been plaguing me.

best in the west

It was a good weekend. The Valks are again the #1 women's team in the West and will be headed to Columbia, SC in three weeks to play in the round of 16's for a chance to go to Orlando as one of the top eight teams in the country. It'll be an adventure, to say the least.

Photos to come at some point.

in this sweet charade

Listening:

The Mating Game, Bitter:Sweet.

Downloaded after being inspired by Callie's brazen dancing in her underwear on Grey's last week (don't think I don't do the same). Now I can't. stop. playing. it.

Also available on myspace.

scrummage

Oooh, soreness...but of the satisfying variety. Practice last night included a pretty intense scrum session that involved me being in the losing front row on basically every engage. It was good, I needed it, particularly the work on my form, but now my shoulders and neck feel like hell.

The coaches are also saying that everyone is going to get playing time on Saturday, which I am excited and nervous about all at the same time. Saturday's games will be against Boulder and St. Louis, saving the big competition for Sunday, a benefit of being the number one seed.

One of the Valkyries old girls was in town from Dallas last night and stopped by practice. I joined a small group of other players who took her to Nasty's for a beer and was regaled with stories of the days of old, including what turned out to be a back story on one of the items on my "rugby drama queens" t-shirt. Craziness; the team isn't nearly as much fun these days.

sparkling points amongst the everyday

(From postsecret.blogspot.com)

whilst contemplating dancing in my living room ala Callie

So it seems I've survived another birthday. Dropped Erica off at the airport earlier this afternoon half convinced that she ought to move to Austin. Mission accomplished. For lunch we went to Trudy's since no trip to Austin is complete without TexMex and at least one mexican martini and sat talking about the weekend and the things we'll have to do next time she comes to visit. Sometimes the two of us say the darnedest things in the midst of an otherwise perfectly normal conversation.

E: It's a good thing I was blissfully buzzed or Joe would have had his lips ripped off.
A: Blissfully buzzed?
E: Yes, blissfully buzzed. As opposed to splificated, which is what I was on Saturday night.
A: Do you have a pen? I have to write those down. Perfect description of the state I we were in on Thursday night.

(background: Joe is one of the Huns who pulled the 7th grad move of asking for a kiss on the cheek then whipping around to plant one on the lips. Merely one of many hilarious random moments in a very interesting post-practice Thursday evening.)

I don't want the weekend to be over. Silly, yes, but going back to my normal life lacks appeal. Hopefully 24 will be a much better year than 23 was. It's starting out that way, at least. I don't think I stopped smiling Saturday night.