I went to the Illinois/Northwestern volleyball game in Evanston on Friday night. Proudly wore my Illini orange into Wildcat territory. Shouted “I-L-L-I-N-I” at the top of my lungs (just as I’m getting over my week-long illness, so as you can imagine, I lost my voice today). Enjoyed a good game. Not the result we wanted, but Northwestern was playing HOT and we just weren’t. Every team has off nights, and Friday night was an OFF night — I’ve never seen the Illini look like that, but then again I only get to see them play in person once every month. Not saying the outcome would have necessarily been different, but I think it would have been a closer match had we been “on” the way we usually are. Oh well, onto the next one, ladies! Afterward, Pat and I went to dinner at Clarke’s, a place I used to frequent in “the old days” when I used to hang out in Evanston a lot. We enjoyed a good meal, had lots of great conversation, and it was just great to catch up with an old friend who kind of knows what I’m going through right now. Some of the Northwestern volleyball team walked in during the middle of our meal, and I thought it was really cool that they ate together after the game. I was wearing my Illinois Ultimate longsleeve, which elicited a double-take from one of the Northwestern girls when I walked by their table later on in the night, lulz.
Anyway, part of the conversation I had with Pat was about life dreams and stupid things like that. While I’m still getting that whole “life” thing figured out, I have my bucket list of athletic achievements I’d like to cross off as the years tick by. I might add more to it, but this is what I’ve got so far:
- Play at
Collegeand Club Nationals. - Watch a basketball game at each of the following venues:
- Gampel Pavilion (UConn)
United Center (Chicago Bulls)- Allen Fieldhouse (Kansas)
The Assembly Hall (Illinois)- Pauley Pavilion (UCLA)
- Rupp Arena (Kentucky)
- Dean E. Smith Center (UNC)
- Hinkle Fieldhouse (Butler)
Cameron Indoor (Duke)
- Watch a baseball game at every Major League ballpark.
- Watch a track meet at Hayward Field.
- Attend some sort of major sporting event: Final Four, Olympics, NBA Finals, Super Bowl, a BCS bowl game, World Series game, USATF Championships, etc.
Run a marathon.(This is crossed out but I kind of have to keep doing it until I can cross off seven…)- Qualify for the Boston Marathon.
- Complete a triathlon.
- Learn a new sport. (I think I can sort of cross this one out because I learned ultimate in college, but I still want to keep it uncrossed because I want to learn another sport. Suggestions?)
- Scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef (no chlorine, thank heavens). Does this count as athletics-related?
