“The Edge of Insanity vs. The Peter Page Perspective…
Well, today I had a lovely day. I had the fortune of having a husband that had the wherewithal to realize I may need a diversion this weekend. He took me to the Elms Resort and Spa and had them pamper me with a mineral bath, massage, salt scrub, facial, wax, pedi and mani! While most may consider this an overload, it is exactly what my rampant, racing mind needed. Wes is a genuine, sincere, wonderful man, and I’m blessed to have married him. His humor is priceless, and we’re a good match.
The “Peter Page Perspective” is reflection on a precious boy, who would be my middle nephew Mark’s age, whom I use to babysit and taught how to swim in my sister’s pool. His mother is one of my sisters dear friends. Peter was a sparkplug, precious, and quite a little charmer. He also had leukemia and was taken way too early. The reason I mention this is because in the grand scheme of life, there is tragedy, and there is true tragedy. Peter’s story is true tragedy. Mine is not. I’ve been blessed to have a wonderful, free-spirited, zany and fortunate life. I don’t mean to presume I’m ready to throw in the towel just yet…I’m prepared to fight this with a vengeance and with as much competitiveness as I can garner. I’m an athlete and quite competitive. However, I must also be rational, prepared and straightforward with myself.
I have felt as if I’m on the edge of insanity. Everyday chores are now tough to complete. It’s amazing how control seeps out slowly, eking its way towards confusion and distraction. My mind is racing, my thoughts are many, and my spirit fluctuates. In one moment, I’m positive, secure and strong. In an instant, it gravitates towards negative-town, and I feel the need to go “walkabout” to keep occupied.{Thanks T, for my new favorite word: walkabout}.
I had a great evening to top off my total “Julie immersion” day. My middle nephew Mark, his girlfriend Carrie, and my nephew Mike’s wife, Tami, met us for dinner at the Jazz Café at Legends in Kansas City. For two hours, my mind was happy, and I was surrounded by those who mean the most to me. My nieces and nephews, and great nieces and nephews truly put smiles on my face. It was a slice of heaven wrapped around some excellent food.
Please make sure to take the time to tell those who bring happiness to your life that they, indeed, do so.
Love and Prayers,
Julie
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
I"m blessed
I'm blessed with a sister, and her best friend, Cathy Glennon, who have researched and charted options for me. I will be forever grateful for their valuable assistance. In situations like this, it's wonderful to have take-charge, pro active friends and family. I'm truly blessed and thankful.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
A twittery mind....
Whew!
School today was very tough. I had persuaded myself that I would be able to hold focus and resume my duties as if my world has not been rocked. Sometimes I think we talk ourselves into behaviors, fully and confidently thinking we’re invincible and we’ve got our day mapped and planned out. I found out I can talk myself into one staunch expectation of myself, but actually carrying it out is more difficult. I don’t know how I sailed though a lesson on the six simple machines in Science; understanding context clues in English, and helping a student create a poster on a decade of his choice (the 70’s) in History. I was lucky to have a few paraprofessionals in my classroom that provided a tremendous assistance when I needed to go “walkabout” and let my mind race, and hide a few tears. It’s a terrible trick that the mind tends to wander in situations like this. In one moment, my world is normal and everything is sailing along peacefully. Then, in an instant, reality and fear set in, and both positive and fearful thoughts consume thought processes. I’ve talked myself into positive thoughts and prayers, but it’s very tough trying to channel the mind into one train of thought, one direction of emotions. I had a tough time answering students’ questions about my recent absences, and with an inhaler sitting on my desk, simply told them I think I have asthma. Believe me, it does not create warm fuzzies being dishonest with students, but, it is something that must be done.
I’m prepared for whatever news awaits me Monday afternoon at the Doctor’s Office. Life would be grand if he were to say: “Julie, you’re a medical oddity..You’ve a third boob growing…”
My new motto, thanks to my lovely touchstone sister is: “LIVE WELL, LOVE MUCH, LAUGH OFTEN”
It has always been my mantra, and it will continue to be!
Keep the prayers coming...
Julie
2/26/2009
School today was very tough. I had persuaded myself that I would be able to hold focus and resume my duties as if my world has not been rocked. Sometimes I think we talk ourselves into behaviors, fully and confidently thinking we’re invincible and we’ve got our day mapped and planned out. I found out I can talk myself into one staunch expectation of myself, but actually carrying it out is more difficult. I don’t know how I sailed though a lesson on the six simple machines in Science; understanding context clues in English, and helping a student create a poster on a decade of his choice (the 70’s) in History. I was lucky to have a few paraprofessionals in my classroom that provided a tremendous assistance when I needed to go “walkabout” and let my mind race, and hide a few tears. It’s a terrible trick that the mind tends to wander in situations like this. In one moment, my world is normal and everything is sailing along peacefully. Then, in an instant, reality and fear set in, and both positive and fearful thoughts consume thought processes. I’ve talked myself into positive thoughts and prayers, but it’s very tough trying to channel the mind into one train of thought, one direction of emotions. I had a tough time answering students’ questions about my recent absences, and with an inhaler sitting on my desk, simply told them I think I have asthma. Believe me, it does not create warm fuzzies being dishonest with students, but, it is something that must be done.
I’m prepared for whatever news awaits me Monday afternoon at the Doctor’s Office. Life would be grand if he were to say: “Julie, you’re a medical oddity..You’ve a third boob growing…”
My new motto, thanks to my lovely touchstone sister is: “LIVE WELL, LOVE MUCH, LAUGH OFTEN”
It has always been my mantra, and it will continue to be!
Keep the prayers coming...
Julie
2/26/2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
The Journey has begun...
Without going into too much detail, I must share what will be at the forefront of my thoughts and passion and will require my undivided attention for the next few months. On Monday, February 23rd, the Doctors found a 3 cm by 3 cm mass mediastinum where the lungs branch off. My windpipe, normally to be in the shape of a "D," is now in a comma shape, due to the mass and it's position. Scary, but nothing I'm not afraid to tackle. As a smoker of less than a pack a day for nearly 30 years, this was a phone call I thought I might receive someday that had been perched in the cognition of my brain for a long time. I just didn't anticipate getting it this early in life.
The purpose of this blog is two-fold. First, I would like to use it as an avenue to emote my feelings, thoughts and worries, and to document the journey. Secondly, it is a way to inform those of you close to me without having to continuously explain and discuss what is transpiring.
Today I had the first of two tests at Heartland Hospital: A breathing test and procedure, called a bronchoscopy. The Doctor informed my husband and sister, my two touchstones and moral support figures in my life, that he feels he was able to get a good sample. I may know for sure what exactly the mass is on Monday, March 2nd if the Doctor was able to get what he needed. I've confidence in the Doctors abilities. I also appreciate his straightforwardness with me regarding the message.
I'm optimistic. I'm also rational. Regardless of any type of prognosis, I'm grateful my life has been enriched, blessed, and a roller-coaster ride of fun, and complete with wonderful family and friends.
I will strive to move on as if everything is normal. My positive attitude and zany persona is what will make this trek bearable.
I want no sympathy, tears or pity. I want only to ask you to give all your positive thoughts, prayers, vibes and karma to successfully resolving this dilemma, and helping me trudge through the unknown road that awaits me.
Please continue to pray.
Thank You,
Julie 2-25-2009
The purpose of this blog is two-fold. First, I would like to use it as an avenue to emote my feelings, thoughts and worries, and to document the journey. Secondly, it is a way to inform those of you close to me without having to continuously explain and discuss what is transpiring.
Today I had the first of two tests at Heartland Hospital: A breathing test and procedure, called a bronchoscopy. The Doctor informed my husband and sister, my two touchstones and moral support figures in my life, that he feels he was able to get a good sample. I may know for sure what exactly the mass is on Monday, March 2nd if the Doctor was able to get what he needed. I've confidence in the Doctors abilities. I also appreciate his straightforwardness with me regarding the message.
I'm optimistic. I'm also rational. Regardless of any type of prognosis, I'm grateful my life has been enriched, blessed, and a roller-coaster ride of fun, and complete with wonderful family and friends.
I will strive to move on as if everything is normal. My positive attitude and zany persona is what will make this trek bearable.
I want no sympathy, tears or pity. I want only to ask you to give all your positive thoughts, prayers, vibes and karma to successfully resolving this dilemma, and helping me trudge through the unknown road that awaits me.
Please continue to pray.
Thank You,
Julie 2-25-2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Family and Friends...
What would life be like without family and friends? After all, no man is an island. It is a true indication that you care about someone, and they, in turn, reciprocate. Whether it's through prayer, verbal support, physical assistance, or whatever fashion they choose to support you by, it's a wonderful feeling to have those people that are special to you in your corner. I'm blessed my corner is crowded. I'm grateful I have such wonderful friends and family to call on when needed.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Summer 2007 Article Published in Paper
Always look on the Bright Side of Life!!
As I was tooling around Atchison the other evening, I became increasingly frustrated at trying to get to my destination. It seems as if there are those bright “hunter’s orange” cones at every stop. Construction abounds on the streets of Atchison, and it’s potential to wreck havoc on traffic is evident at some major channels throughout Atchison.
While trying to navigate to my destination, my first inclination was to curse like a sailor at the frustrations of oozing through the cone-mania on Skyway Highway. Then, out of the blue, I suddenly remembered a song from a Monty Python movie: “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” Upon that “like a light bulb” revelation popping into my meager brain, at the drop of a hat I relaxed and realized we Atchisonians could have worse transportation nightmares eyeing us down daily.
While this construction might provide some inconveniences for a while, we have to look at the positives. It’s going to present a headache and some snafus for quite some time. However, there is a bright orange cone waiting to be removed at the end of the tunnel soon. Eventually, the train whistles will fall silent. The confusing and bizarre concrete island at the south end of the 14th street viaduct will be gone. Traveling through Atchison will be better in the end. The intersections will be modernized and updated. Modernization is a good thing, albeit a painful process.
While it may present a headache to us temporarily, remember that we are blessed to avoid the commuting issues and problems that larger cities present. I for one know that when I have an educational conference in Kansas City, the early morning commute on Interstate 435 drives me bonkers. We are fortunate (those of us that live and work in the confines of our fine city) that our morning commute to work takes less than five minutes. We probably oftentimes forget that our small town offers conveniences that we take for granted. I’ll take the headache and temporarily stalled traffic, the bright orange pylons that resemble men attending a hunting convention, and the barricades blocking streets in exchange for smoother transitions in the future. We need to remember those that have hour-long commutes and long subway trips to work in the cities often add two or more hours to their workday by including their commute time. We are fortunate we are a five-minute city!
With that, the next time I get stuck in snarled and congested traffic, I plan on whistling “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” from Monty Python’s “Life of Brian.” It won’t make traffic move any faster, but at least it will soothe my inclinations to become snippy and say bad words!!
As I was tooling around Atchison the other evening, I became increasingly frustrated at trying to get to my destination. It seems as if there are those bright “hunter’s orange” cones at every stop. Construction abounds on the streets of Atchison, and it’s potential to wreck havoc on traffic is evident at some major channels throughout Atchison.
While trying to navigate to my destination, my first inclination was to curse like a sailor at the frustrations of oozing through the cone-mania on Skyway Highway. Then, out of the blue, I suddenly remembered a song from a Monty Python movie: “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” Upon that “like a light bulb” revelation popping into my meager brain, at the drop of a hat I relaxed and realized we Atchisonians could have worse transportation nightmares eyeing us down daily.
While this construction might provide some inconveniences for a while, we have to look at the positives. It’s going to present a headache and some snafus for quite some time. However, there is a bright orange cone waiting to be removed at the end of the tunnel soon. Eventually, the train whistles will fall silent. The confusing and bizarre concrete island at the south end of the 14th street viaduct will be gone. Traveling through Atchison will be better in the end. The intersections will be modernized and updated. Modernization is a good thing, albeit a painful process.
While it may present a headache to us temporarily, remember that we are blessed to avoid the commuting issues and problems that larger cities present. I for one know that when I have an educational conference in Kansas City, the early morning commute on Interstate 435 drives me bonkers. We are fortunate (those of us that live and work in the confines of our fine city) that our morning commute to work takes less than five minutes. We probably oftentimes forget that our small town offers conveniences that we take for granted. I’ll take the headache and temporarily stalled traffic, the bright orange pylons that resemble men attending a hunting convention, and the barricades blocking streets in exchange for smoother transitions in the future. We need to remember those that have hour-long commutes and long subway trips to work in the cities often add two or more hours to their workday by including their commute time. We are fortunate we are a five-minute city!
With that, the next time I get stuck in snarled and congested traffic, I plan on whistling “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” from Monty Python’s “Life of Brian.” It won’t make traffic move any faster, but at least it will soothe my inclinations to become snippy and say bad words!!
Golf Article published in 2007
“Give Golf a Go”
Mark Twain once said: “Golf is a good walk spoiled.” While I can’t concur
with him regarding the walking (I’m lazy and ride in a cart), it does have
the potential to spoil the perfect summer day with the frustrations of trying
to master a sport than can never be mastered unless you’re Tiger Woods.
What makes golf so fun? What about it makes those of us who consider
ourselves rational to become obsessive about hitting a white, dimpled ball
repeatedly? What makes us so passionate about a sport that you can be
accurate and on fire one day, but also has the potential to make you want
to throw your clubs in the pond the next day? What is it about golf that
can drive you mad when you miss a three foot putt, but you still want to
come back for more?
It’s simple. It’s therapeutic. There’s nothing more gorgeous than teeing
off at 6:57 a.m., just as the sun starts to rise. With dew still on the
ground, it’s the perfect way to greet the morning. It’s also serene and
thought-provoking late in the evening as the sun ends its daily duty and
begins to disappear. It’s a peaceful journey.
As you travel from hole to hole, selecting various clubs and attacking the
hole in a round of golf in the still of a late summer evening, it‘s the
marriage of passive-aggressive tendencies. You are surrounded by the
beautiful aesthetics of a gorgeous golf course. There is nothing more
peaceful than driving down a finely manicured fairway, trying to find a
little white “sphere” that you hope landed in the fairway. Once you find it,
the process starts again. Move the ball forward in order to land it into a
hole no bigger than the size of a mayonnaise jar lid. The aggressive
tendencies start when you attack the hole in hopes of making at least par.
It’s a beautiful process that repeats itself endlessly, hole after hole.
While the process to me is fun, it’s also a unique sport in terms of the
vocabulary associated with it. The words in golf make if fun to just listen
to a conversation about it. For instance, I could describe my last golf
outing as such:
“I golfed horrible today. I hit everything fat, and sliced my driver off the
tee. I had to hit punch shots from the trees, banana hooked my three
wood and took a hairpiece that looked better than Donald Trump‘s comb-
over on the par three. My flop shots were awful, I landed in the kitty litter
twice, and I couldn’t bump and run a wedge to gimme land”
Basically what that sentence means is that I was chunky on impact (fat),
pushed my drive right (slice), took half-swings (punch shots) and took a
grass divot (hairpiece). Flop shots and bump and runs are approach shots
once you near the green that require delicate touch to get the ball to roll
to the hole. The kitty litter is a sand trap placed as a hazard near the
green. A gimme is a ball that is so close to the hole that you don’t have to
putt out.
So, while I am a big proponent of golf, and will promote it to any
newcomer, I am also a fan of the language. I can guarantee there is
probably no other sport that has such a fun vocabulary involved, and
provides such unique, descriptive words that explain individual
performances.
While I’m passionate and almost obsessive about my golf, I’m also a fan of
the language and the process. There is something comical about the
language that lessens a terrible performance. While I may be terribly
angry about a miss-hit, it’s hilarious to say: “We’ll I really shanked that
one!!” If I happen to completely miss the ball, you’ll hear me giggle and
say “ That‘s a whiff.” If I pull my drive left, you’ll hear me yell: “Fore” to
warn those on adjacent holes of the impending doom of a stray golf ball
traveling their direction. And, you’ll hear my husband call me “Alice”
instead of Julie oftentimes when I putt. “Alice” is code for a tentative,
short putt that doesn’t come near the hole.
The game of golf isn’t really complicated. It just takes a few rounds to get
your bearings and find the feel of your swing. Once you get it, you’ll be
addicted. I keep praying to win the lottery in order to retire from teaching
and golf year-round instead of only in the summers. I dream about
golfing beautiful courses in the Carolina’s, Florida and Arizona, and can’t
wait to plan a vacation for my husband and I to golf in those locales that
are notorious for their courses.
Atchison is fortunate to have two gorgeous golf courses in town. Both
courses will allow you to come out and play without being a member. I
urge you to go borrow some clubs and take your spouse, children or best
friend out and play 9 holes either early in the morning, or late in the
evening. Give it a chance, and you’ll be hooked for life. And, remember
the playful language. That just adds to it’s charm!!
Mark Twain once said: “Golf is a good walk spoiled.” While I can’t concur
with him regarding the walking (I’m lazy and ride in a cart), it does have
the potential to spoil the perfect summer day with the frustrations of trying
to master a sport than can never be mastered unless you’re Tiger Woods.
What makes golf so fun? What about it makes those of us who consider
ourselves rational to become obsessive about hitting a white, dimpled ball
repeatedly? What makes us so passionate about a sport that you can be
accurate and on fire one day, but also has the potential to make you want
to throw your clubs in the pond the next day? What is it about golf that
can drive you mad when you miss a three foot putt, but you still want to
come back for more?
It’s simple. It’s therapeutic. There’s nothing more gorgeous than teeing
off at 6:57 a.m., just as the sun starts to rise. With dew still on the
ground, it’s the perfect way to greet the morning. It’s also serene and
thought-provoking late in the evening as the sun ends its daily duty and
begins to disappear. It’s a peaceful journey.
As you travel from hole to hole, selecting various clubs and attacking the
hole in a round of golf in the still of a late summer evening, it‘s the
marriage of passive-aggressive tendencies. You are surrounded by the
beautiful aesthetics of a gorgeous golf course. There is nothing more
peaceful than driving down a finely manicured fairway, trying to find a
little white “sphere” that you hope landed in the fairway. Once you find it,
the process starts again. Move the ball forward in order to land it into a
hole no bigger than the size of a mayonnaise jar lid. The aggressive
tendencies start when you attack the hole in hopes of making at least par.
It’s a beautiful process that repeats itself endlessly, hole after hole.
While the process to me is fun, it’s also a unique sport in terms of the
vocabulary associated with it. The words in golf make if fun to just listen
to a conversation about it. For instance, I could describe my last golf
outing as such:
“I golfed horrible today. I hit everything fat, and sliced my driver off the
tee. I had to hit punch shots from the trees, banana hooked my three
wood and took a hairpiece that looked better than Donald Trump‘s comb-
over on the par three. My flop shots were awful, I landed in the kitty litter
twice, and I couldn’t bump and run a wedge to gimme land”
Basically what that sentence means is that I was chunky on impact (fat),
pushed my drive right (slice), took half-swings (punch shots) and took a
grass divot (hairpiece). Flop shots and bump and runs are approach shots
once you near the green that require delicate touch to get the ball to roll
to the hole. The kitty litter is a sand trap placed as a hazard near the
green. A gimme is a ball that is so close to the hole that you don’t have to
putt out.
So, while I am a big proponent of golf, and will promote it to any
newcomer, I am also a fan of the language. I can guarantee there is
probably no other sport that has such a fun vocabulary involved, and
provides such unique, descriptive words that explain individual
performances.
While I’m passionate and almost obsessive about my golf, I’m also a fan of
the language and the process. There is something comical about the
language that lessens a terrible performance. While I may be terribly
angry about a miss-hit, it’s hilarious to say: “We’ll I really shanked that
one!!” If I happen to completely miss the ball, you’ll hear me giggle and
say “ That‘s a whiff.” If I pull my drive left, you’ll hear me yell: “Fore” to
warn those on adjacent holes of the impending doom of a stray golf ball
traveling their direction. And, you’ll hear my husband call me “Alice”
instead of Julie oftentimes when I putt. “Alice” is code for a tentative,
short putt that doesn’t come near the hole.
The game of golf isn’t really complicated. It just takes a few rounds to get
your bearings and find the feel of your swing. Once you get it, you’ll be
addicted. I keep praying to win the lottery in order to retire from teaching
and golf year-round instead of only in the summers. I dream about
golfing beautiful courses in the Carolina’s, Florida and Arizona, and can’t
wait to plan a vacation for my husband and I to golf in those locales that
are notorious for their courses.
Atchison is fortunate to have two gorgeous golf courses in town. Both
courses will allow you to come out and play without being a member. I
urge you to go borrow some clubs and take your spouse, children or best
friend out and play 9 holes either early in the morning, or late in the
evening. Give it a chance, and you’ll be hooked for life. And, remember
the playful language. That just adds to it’s charm!!
May 2006 Published article in local paper
The Ambivalence of the End!!
The end of the school year brings many emotions for teachers and students alike. The month of May, while frenetic in duties and chores, leaves room for the anticipation of a blissful break from education.
Students and teachers are both prepping for finals, while quietly pining for the summer break. This final, a comprehensive measure, is used to see how much of our daily ritual of teaching for the past 179 days is forever fermented in our students minds. There’s a sense of pride in a concluding final or project. It’s a measure to see how we, as teachers, have covered the proper curriculum for our students. Did the fruits of our labor stay retained in the minds of our youth? Did we present the information in a sequential, structured, orderly and creative way for them to boost it to their long term memory?
Education is busy these days. With School Improvement Goals, the implementation of specific learning strategies and the advent of technology, curriculum can get crowded. It’s not simply a textbook/lecture/notes format anymore in the classroom. We utilize graphic organizers, those lovely visual maps that convey information. We have internet capabilities in every classroom, and are blessed our district subscribes to the online Reading and Math Academy that reinforces those skills. We implement hands on activities, those applications of the topic, as an alternative method of delivery in hopes of mastery by our students. We use every means possible to get the lesson across. The more creative we get commands a more intense desire to learn from our students.
However, the bottom line is each and every thing we teach has a meaning and purpose. Regardless of the method of delivery, we are striving to teach these delightful, burgeoning minds in the midst of adolescence. Education is not easy. It’s hectic. It’s a year of structure wound around daily age-appropriate lessons.
So, the conclusion of the school year does bring across various emotions. I am always pleased that I feel I did justice for the content areas I’m responsible for. I look back and manage to realize that along with the appropriate knowledge provided daily, I hope I blended in some lifelong skills for them to chew on. I will miss the routine. I will miss the sequential stacking of knowledge I’m responsible to deliver daily. I will miss my students eagerness to learn, and their penchance for proper behaviors.
However, I’m also looking forward to being “off-task” for a few sunshine-laden days on the golf course!!
By Julie Blair, AHS Special Education Teacher
The end of the school year brings many emotions for teachers and students alike. The month of May, while frenetic in duties and chores, leaves room for the anticipation of a blissful break from education.
Students and teachers are both prepping for finals, while quietly pining for the summer break. This final, a comprehensive measure, is used to see how much of our daily ritual of teaching for the past 179 days is forever fermented in our students minds. There’s a sense of pride in a concluding final or project. It’s a measure to see how we, as teachers, have covered the proper curriculum for our students. Did the fruits of our labor stay retained in the minds of our youth? Did we present the information in a sequential, structured, orderly and creative way for them to boost it to their long term memory?
Education is busy these days. With School Improvement Goals, the implementation of specific learning strategies and the advent of technology, curriculum can get crowded. It’s not simply a textbook/lecture/notes format anymore in the classroom. We utilize graphic organizers, those lovely visual maps that convey information. We have internet capabilities in every classroom, and are blessed our district subscribes to the online Reading and Math Academy that reinforces those skills. We implement hands on activities, those applications of the topic, as an alternative method of delivery in hopes of mastery by our students. We use every means possible to get the lesson across. The more creative we get commands a more intense desire to learn from our students.
However, the bottom line is each and every thing we teach has a meaning and purpose. Regardless of the method of delivery, we are striving to teach these delightful, burgeoning minds in the midst of adolescence. Education is not easy. It’s hectic. It’s a year of structure wound around daily age-appropriate lessons.
So, the conclusion of the school year does bring across various emotions. I am always pleased that I feel I did justice for the content areas I’m responsible for. I look back and manage to realize that along with the appropriate knowledge provided daily, I hope I blended in some lifelong skills for them to chew on. I will miss the routine. I will miss the sequential stacking of knowledge I’m responsible to deliver daily. I will miss my students eagerness to learn, and their penchance for proper behaviors.
However, I’m also looking forward to being “off-task” for a few sunshine-laden days on the golf course!!
By Julie Blair, AHS Special Education Teacher
Friday, February 6, 2009
This is an article I had published in our local paper in 2008 after attending the KU-VT Orange Bowl.
KU vs. VT: A Trip of a Lifetime!
As I sit here in our snow-covered home writing this, a mere twenty-two hours removed from Miami, I’m still overwhelmed with elation. A KU fan my entire life, I was fortunate to experience a trip of a lifetime, a witness to history surrounded by Crimson and Blue in observing from up above in Dolphin stadium KU’s victory over Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl in Miami!
All of my stars were aligned to make this trip. I had two personal days saved, and used a deduct salary day to miss three days of teaching. My older sister’s sons, both KU students, persuaded their parents to make this a family vacation, and asked us to join them. My husband Wes, a rabid Kansas State University fan, politely agreed after being reminded that I accompanied him to the KSU Cotton Bowl appearance several years ago. With their family of six, my husband and I slid in on their coattails for a bandwagon of 8 loyal KU fans submerged alongside a landside of the KU faithful to fly down on the Official KU tour 4-day excursion. You mix family, a winning football team, a tropical (albeit chilly a day or two) climate, and you’ve got the recipe for euphoria.
There’s something amazing about a KU Bowl experience. It’s as festive as an atmosphere could be, surrounded by the colors of patriotism and the Gregorian chants of Rock Chalk everywhere. Staying in a four-star hotel in the financial district of downtown Miami, it was a culture shock. We were fortunate to be right on Biscayne Bay, and could look out our 16th floor window and see dolphins playing in the bay every morning. We celebrated the New Year’s overlooking the Atlantic, with fireworks ablaze, alongside hundreds of thousands of locals. We learned just how foreign the town is when the countdown occurred in Spanish, up until the final ten seconds. We dined on unique cuisine, and took an airboat ride in the Everglades and actually spotted large alligators. We took a shuttle to South Beach and enjoyed the ocean before the cold front arrived. We observed the massive cruise ships arrive and depart for their majestic ocean destinations.
Aside from the festive atmosphere, and red and blue everywhere, game day had to be the most exciting. Those on the tour were treated to a police escort on the busy freeways of Miami. It was something special to be in a conga line of at least 14-chartered busloads of crimson and blue. We were escorted by the motorcycle police who stopped traffic on the jammed and clogged freeways of Miami for the KU faithful for our trek to Dolphin Stadium. I felt like I was in the presidential motorcade.
We were blessed that we had KU alumni in our tribe, which allowed us to attend a KU Alumni Barbeque. Situated at a racetrack a mile from the stadium, the weather may not have been as accommodating as we would have liked. However, the elation and excitement of being surrounded with several thousand KU fans quickly erased any thought of suffering through the record cold-temperatures Miami experienced when the KU band and cheerleaders started performing.
We arrived at the stadium an hour early, and politely nodded heads at the Virginia Tech Hokie faithful as we made the jaunt to the upper decks. There was an innate respect for the Hokies. How could anyone taunt them after they endured a campus-wide tragedy that shocked the nation? It was polite respect.
Once the game began, it was like time stood still. As both a former collegiate athlete and a high school coach, I knew I couldn’t relax until the fat lady began orating the Rock Chalk Chant. As a self-processed neurotic, I began to panic after the first missed field goal. However, once Aqib Talib intercepted a pass and sashayed it into the end zone in the first quarter, comfort seeped in and really never wavered until the fourth quarter.
While a few trick plays made most of the game exciting, it wasn’t until the final quarter that the panic began to creep back in when the Hokies made it a three-point game at 24-21. It was evident that Todd “Sparky” Reesing had a chip on his back and was out to prove the Hawks deserved a BCS bid. As the final three minutes ticked away, it was tough to relax until KU recovered an onside kick at the Tech forty-two yard line. It was reminiscent of pulling hard taffy, grinding out yard after yard, and until KU eked out a couple of first downs to get the 1, I felt both wickedly elated and a tad bit pensive. It was great drama watching the offense methodically move down towards that 1-yard line. It left a bizarre quandary with less than a minute left: Should they go for it, or should they let the clock tick away? It was awesome to see the Hawks in a tight formation, the clock ticking away, and then for Reesing to kneel and run to mid-field, tossing the ball up in the air and giving a Tiger Wood’s like fist pump!
The naysayers and odds makers in Vegas probably thought KU would win the BCS Orange Bowl when Miami freezes over. Well, both occurred, and I was fortunate to witness an event of a lifetime, surrounded by family and friends, and wearing the patriotic colors of our country!
Yes Virginia, there is a Kansas!
KU vs. VT: A Trip of a Lifetime!
As I sit here in our snow-covered home writing this, a mere twenty-two hours removed from Miami, I’m still overwhelmed with elation. A KU fan my entire life, I was fortunate to experience a trip of a lifetime, a witness to history surrounded by Crimson and Blue in observing from up above in Dolphin stadium KU’s victory over Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl in Miami!
All of my stars were aligned to make this trip. I had two personal days saved, and used a deduct salary day to miss three days of teaching. My older sister’s sons, both KU students, persuaded their parents to make this a family vacation, and asked us to join them. My husband Wes, a rabid Kansas State University fan, politely agreed after being reminded that I accompanied him to the KSU Cotton Bowl appearance several years ago. With their family of six, my husband and I slid in on their coattails for a bandwagon of 8 loyal KU fans submerged alongside a landside of the KU faithful to fly down on the Official KU tour 4-day excursion. You mix family, a winning football team, a tropical (albeit chilly a day or two) climate, and you’ve got the recipe for euphoria.
There’s something amazing about a KU Bowl experience. It’s as festive as an atmosphere could be, surrounded by the colors of patriotism and the Gregorian chants of Rock Chalk everywhere. Staying in a four-star hotel in the financial district of downtown Miami, it was a culture shock. We were fortunate to be right on Biscayne Bay, and could look out our 16th floor window and see dolphins playing in the bay every morning. We celebrated the New Year’s overlooking the Atlantic, with fireworks ablaze, alongside hundreds of thousands of locals. We learned just how foreign the town is when the countdown occurred in Spanish, up until the final ten seconds. We dined on unique cuisine, and took an airboat ride in the Everglades and actually spotted large alligators. We took a shuttle to South Beach and enjoyed the ocean before the cold front arrived. We observed the massive cruise ships arrive and depart for their majestic ocean destinations.
Aside from the festive atmosphere, and red and blue everywhere, game day had to be the most exciting. Those on the tour were treated to a police escort on the busy freeways of Miami. It was something special to be in a conga line of at least 14-chartered busloads of crimson and blue. We were escorted by the motorcycle police who stopped traffic on the jammed and clogged freeways of Miami for the KU faithful for our trek to Dolphin Stadium. I felt like I was in the presidential motorcade.
We were blessed that we had KU alumni in our tribe, which allowed us to attend a KU Alumni Barbeque. Situated at a racetrack a mile from the stadium, the weather may not have been as accommodating as we would have liked. However, the elation and excitement of being surrounded with several thousand KU fans quickly erased any thought of suffering through the record cold-temperatures Miami experienced when the KU band and cheerleaders started performing.
We arrived at the stadium an hour early, and politely nodded heads at the Virginia Tech Hokie faithful as we made the jaunt to the upper decks. There was an innate respect for the Hokies. How could anyone taunt them after they endured a campus-wide tragedy that shocked the nation? It was polite respect.
Once the game began, it was like time stood still. As both a former collegiate athlete and a high school coach, I knew I couldn’t relax until the fat lady began orating the Rock Chalk Chant. As a self-processed neurotic, I began to panic after the first missed field goal. However, once Aqib Talib intercepted a pass and sashayed it into the end zone in the first quarter, comfort seeped in and really never wavered until the fourth quarter.
While a few trick plays made most of the game exciting, it wasn’t until the final quarter that the panic began to creep back in when the Hokies made it a three-point game at 24-21. It was evident that Todd “Sparky” Reesing had a chip on his back and was out to prove the Hawks deserved a BCS bid. As the final three minutes ticked away, it was tough to relax until KU recovered an onside kick at the Tech forty-two yard line. It was reminiscent of pulling hard taffy, grinding out yard after yard, and until KU eked out a couple of first downs to get the 1, I felt both wickedly elated and a tad bit pensive. It was great drama watching the offense methodically move down towards that 1-yard line. It left a bizarre quandary with less than a minute left: Should they go for it, or should they let the clock tick away? It was awesome to see the Hawks in a tight formation, the clock ticking away, and then for Reesing to kneel and run to mid-field, tossing the ball up in the air and giving a Tiger Wood’s like fist pump!
The naysayers and odds makers in Vegas probably thought KU would win the BCS Orange Bowl when Miami freezes over. Well, both occurred, and I was fortunate to witness an event of a lifetime, surrounded by family and friends, and wearing the patriotic colors of our country!
Yes Virginia, there is a Kansas!
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