The Ugly, the Bad and the Good...

...because I like to leave things on a positive note.

First of all, some background.  I was born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky, home of the University of Kentucky.  From the time I knew any better, it was drilled into my head that I was a fan of the Wildcats.  Basketball?  Football?  It didn't matter.  You wear the blue and white with pride and you hate the University of Louisville.  That's it.  I was born and bred a member of the Big Blue Nation.  I graduated from UK.  I personally attended three SEC Tournaments and two Final Fours and have enjoyed all the bliss and frustration that comes with being a member of the Big Blue Nation.

So it stands to reason that when my team was assigned to the city in which I live for the first two games of the NCAA tournament, come hell or high water I was going to be there.  Clad in blue and white from head to toe, Kevin and I headed downtown last night to watch our Wildcats take on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in the second round.  Below are three observations from my experience.

THE UGLY

For those of you that watch the games on TV, you have the joy of watching each play closely.  You also enjoy the benefit of replays, both for the good plays and the bad plays.  For a good steal or an awe-inspiring dunk, you get the joy of watching it back two or three times.  And when there is a "questionable" call, those geniuses on the TV are going to let you see it again to get a closer look.  Make up your own mind and scream and yell at the TV when the call goes against your favorite team.

What you may not realize, however, is when you are at the same game in person, you are not afforded that opportunity.  If there is a questionable call, the TV screens at the top "black out" the replay so that those in attendance can't see it, and thus can't boo the refs and make a spectacle.  I guess this is their attempt at promoting good sportsmanship.  I'm all about good sportsmanship, but I'm also all for holding the refs accountable.  In a game environment, if a call goes against you, the general crowd reaction can sometimes result in a "make up" call at the other end of the floor.  Kevin says that if I were the one running the tournament, I would do the same thing.  Maybe.  But I'm not running the tournament.  And I want to see the replays!

THE BAD

The next topic I must approach gingerly.  You see, I was a cheerleader from third grade through high school.
And I was on the dance team in college.  I have the utmost respect for cheerleaders....especially the UK Cheerleaders.  They've won like a gazillion national championships and they really are AMAZING to watch.  Every year they get better and better and just when you think they've reached the plateau of what is possible, they burst through the ceiling and do something I didn't even know was possible. 

That being said, I also know that being a competition cheerleader is very different than being a game cheerleader.  At a game, it is the job of the cheerleaders to lead the crowd.  Get them excited.  Get some chants going and use it as a means to boost the team.  If you've ever been in an arena where the whole crowd is chanting in unison, it really is an amazing thing to be a part of, and it does affect the players.

Last night, this is what was missing.  Granted, the game was pretty much a runaway from the very beginning.  Poor, stretched Western Kentucky didn't stand a chance.  But for a UK game, it was fairly quiet in the arena.  Never once did the crowd break out into a "Blue!  White!" cheer or even a "Go Big Blue!"  Frankly, I was disappointed.  The cheerleaders had the opportunity to get it going.  They even have signs to do it.  But each time they were out on the floor, they spent the time stunting to music.  Now, like I said, they are crazy talented.  And it's nice to "show what you got" every now and then.  But there's a time and place for everything.  I just wish they had chosen instead to start some cheers in the crowd and try to put some energy into the place.  It was desperately needed.

I'm not knocking them.  My best friend cheered for UK for four years.  I have lots of friends associated with the program.  And frankly, they're crazy talented.  I'm just sayin'.

THE GOOD

Although I've had the opportunity to visit the new KFC Yum! Center a few times since it first opened last year, this was the first basketball game I'd watched there.  It pains me to say it, because as I said before, I have a genuinely hard time with anything associated with University of Louisville athletics, but that arena has some serious swagger.   I am insanely jealous that the Cats aren't playing in something even close to that level of modern magic (I'm talking to you, Jim Gray, mayor of Lexington).  Say what will about the tradition of Rupp Arena.  So many great games played there and so many great memories.

But this team deserves more.  We deserve the best arena in college basketball.  And right now, the University of Louisville has the best arena in college basketball.

Every seat in the KFC Yum! Center is a padded, backed seat.  There is plenty of leg room and they are extremely comfortable for arena seating.  There are also great sight lines.  We were 5 rows from the top, and I still thought we had a great view of the game.  The video screen at the top of the arena is huge and easy to see.  Underground garage parking close to the interstate makes it easy to get in and out.  There are a multitude of food vendors and the ushers were friendly and hospitable.  Everywhere you went, you heard "Welcome to the Yum Center!"  I like that.  There is a balcony off the lower level that allows you go outside and look out over the river.  And well, the whole place is just very cool.  Two enthusiastic thumbs up to Jim Host and crew for getting it done.  Now, can ya just get it done in Lexington?  Go Big Blue!


And I must add, as I was writing this blog post, Duke lost to Lehigh in their first game of the tourney.  As a proud UK fan, I can't put into words how happy this makes me.  Let's keep clearing the path and bring home #8!

Searching for what's missing.

My mom always told me while growing up that I could do anything I set my mind to. She taught me I could accomplish anything, reach any goal.  I just needed to put the work into it and make it happen.  Wiser words could not have been said by someone who I looked up to and adored (and still do, by the way).

However, what she failed to mention was the impact of willpower on this whole "try and you will succeed" mentality.  But I guess that's where the whole "setting your mind to it" comes into play.  That's willpower.  Say your are going to do it and do it.  Reach that goal.  Don't make excuses.  All these words of inspiration are fine and dandy, but you have to search deep within yourself to find the willpower you need to make it happen. 

So, help me friends.  Where do YOU find the willpower?  For me, my weaknesses are eating healthy and exercising...two aspects of my life that are desperately important for health reasons, but which I constantly struggle with due to a crazy, busy schedule.  It's so much easier to run through the drive-through on your way home at 9:00 after a long day of work and after-work meetings than it is to go home exhausted, pull out the pots and pans and fresh veggies, and make a giant mess that you are going to have to clean up when all you want to do is lay your head on your pillow.  I try to keep healthy foods in the fridge that are easy to grab and go, but it never fails that I am throwing away unused bags of rotted lettuce and other veggies that were never used.

On top of that, Kevin and I purchased a gym membership as soon as we got home from the honeymoon.  We figured it would be a great wedding gift to really try and get healthy.  However, despite the best of intentions, we have probably been five times since we got back from gorgeous and sunny Jamaica.  Massive fail.

So, if you know where willpower is hiding, would you mind giving me a heads up?  I need it BADLY!  Also, I'd welcome any tips you have for healthy eating and keeping up with an exercise regimen on a busy schedule.  Best of luck to you all in YOUR journey!

Don't forget where you've been.

I took full advantage of my younger years.  In pursuit of my career in professional sports, I was given the opportunity to live in many different cities across the US.  I met great friends that I still cherish to this day and chalked up experiences to last a lifetime. 

However, the time eventually came to come home to family and friends, and finally plant some roots.  Coming home was good.  Coming home was refreshing.  But I wanted to find a creative way to remember where I'd been and all the memories I'd created. 

As such, I went to a used book store and purchased a US road atlas.  Next it was to Target for some inexpensive frames.  In the atlas, I cut out road maps from the four cities I had lived in and framed them for my wall.  The result?  A stylish and creative way to remember the past while creating some great and inexpensive wall art!

Come one, come all!

My fabulous, wonderful, exceptionally gifted and gorgeous nephew (can you tell I'm a proud aunt?) was born last August.  In celebration of his pending arrival, I threw a baby shower for my equally fabulous, wonderful, exceptionally gifted and gorgeous sister-in-law.  In asking her about her likes/dislikes, she admitted that she was not into the pastel colors traditionally associated with baby showers.  She wanted something bright and festive.  If there is one thing I can do, it's bright and festive!  I racked my brain, and eventually came up with it.  A circus-themed baby shower!

Prep for this shower took quite some time, as I wanted it to be perfect.  First of all, I shopped discount and used book stores for a variety of circus-themed children's books.  These books would serve double-duty as both decorations at the shower, and also a gift to go home with the mama-to-be.

I found these paper lanterns at a party store that worked perfectly with the color theme.  The great thing about paper lanterns is that they don't necessarily have to be hung to be decorative.  You can just sit them on a table or shelf for a dynamic look.

Next, I ordered the circus-themed onesies below from Cafe Press.   The great thing about Cafe Press is that you can pretty much find any image and have it put onto a onesie.  Again, they served as great decoration and mama could take them home with her for baby!

Next, the diaper cake.  I LOVE making diaper cakes, so I had a lot of fun with this one.  I found images of old circus posters, and made little mini posters that stuck out from all sides of the diaper cake.  I also found lots of circus animal toys and decorations for the cake.  The little stand that the lion sits on was made out of a Dollar Store red bucket turned upside-down, painted and adorned.  Easy peezy!  My SIL said she was broken-hearted to finally have to take the cake apart after baby was born because she was in a diaper crunch.

Next up was the food.  I decided to go as full-on theme as I could, so I themed out the food as well.  The shower featured mini corn dogs, caramel corn, circus peanuts, chicken nuggets with dippers, fruit kabobs (because what food isn't good on a stick?) and my absolute favorite, the Lilly Pulitzer edition animal crackers.  I saw these on a website somewhere and searched diligently through all my local stores to no avail.  No I found a seller online that had some boxes and was willing to sell.  They were SO cute and really added to the festivities.  I found the popcorn boxes as my local Hobby Lobby, which consequently is one of my happy places.  I also found the cute circus themed plates and napkins at my local party store.  They worked perfectly.

Another gift to the mama-to-be?  A potted tree.  We put the tree in the dining room and had guests fill out cards to tie to the tree.  Each guest received two cards:  one to write advice to the new mom, and one as a sweet note to the new baby.  Mama could then take the tree home with her and plant it in the yard as a symbol of baby's birth.  As baby grows, the sweet family can watch the tree grow as well.  (And it looked really cute with all the cards decorating it during the shower.)

For fun, before each guest left the shower, we had them take their picture in a circus themed face-in-hole board.  I think they all had fun with it.  At least my sweet mom did!

Lastly, as a party favor, each guest received a candy bar wrapped in our circus themed wrappers.  All the printables for the cupcakes, tags, banners, and candy wrappers were purchased through Hello Love Designs on Etsy.  All in all, it was a successful and fun shower for all involved.  Not quite "the greatest show on Earth", but close!