A Maddening March

2011 ACC Champs

This article sums up how I feel about this season for the Tar Heels. 

Creighton is now up there with Dook in basketball teams I despise. I do love that Roy Williams is a gentleman and that he won't antagonize or be dragged into negativity. But just because Roy won't say it doesn't mean I won't: that team was pathetic and played dirty because they knew they had no chance. Had Marshall not broken his wrist I truly believe this year's national champion would be a lighter color blue.

Harrison Barnes

It's really too bad we don't have everyone coming back next year to make a real run for it. Even though I was barely old enough to understand the game, I am wistful for the days when great players stayed all four years and really left a legacy behind (even MJ stayed three years...). I will say that I think Harrison Barnes never really fell into his rhythm at Carolina like I thought he would when I first read about him in the 2010 recruiting class recap. People made comparisons to all the basketball greats (i.e., MJ), and, yes, he is a good player who delivered on many occasions, but what makes the "greats" is the ability to deliver night after night, day after day. When it mattered most the people carrying the team were Zeller, Marshall, and, heck, even Bullock was more clutch in the tournament. He is incredibly talented, but there's a mentality that separates the good players from the great players and I'm not sure he gave himself enough time to really develop that at Carolina. I guess we'll have to see what the NBA will do for him. The player I'll miss the most is Marshall. He embodies everything I love about college basketball: talent, teamwork, vision, selflessness... He has a way of playing that makes everyone around him play a better game, and not just because he can feed them an infinite number of flawless passes. He is a leader and an inspirational player and I'm nervous to see who can possibly fill those shoes. I felt that way about Ty Lawson in 2007 and it took until 2010 to see someone comparable (although Lawson graduated to the NBA with a nice shiny championship ring...). 

Barnes, Strickland, Zeller, and Marshall

I would have won my the bracket pool at work had UNC won (and a sweet $460), and I would have come in 2nd had Kansas won, but I'm okay with Kentucky winning over Kansas because I can't stand Kansas fans and their irrational hatred of Roy Williams. I could not tolerate a year of their strutting and preening that they don't care about losing Roy (TO HIS HOMETOWN TEAM) and how Bill Self is superior coach (GAG!). Anyway, not every year can end in a national championship so in the words of Adam Lucas, "they won at Cameron Indoor Stadium and they won the ACC regular season title and they played a game on a real live aircraft carrier and they had the academic All-American of the year and the best single-season passing performance in conference history." GO HEELS!

There's always next year...

Spring Break '12

Thursday brought two law school spring breakers to my door seeking fun in the sun.  Nicole and Michele came bearing gifts of cinnamon coffee and blueberry wine from the best grocery store in North Carolina. It was especially great to see Nicole, just to have a familiar face and old friend to get a hug from and talk to was a treat for me. I also enjoyed getting to know Nicole's fellow law-student-in-need-of-fun a.k.a. Michele and having two girl friends to double the fun. It turned out to be a fantastic spring break for all involved...

 

The night of their arrival we whipped up some fish tacos and cocktails to kick off the official start of their break. It was so much fun to show them around my new home in Juno Beach. While I was at work they discovered a favorite local bar, Thirsty Turtle, which ended up being their favorite spot to chill after a long, hard day of beachin' it. 

Friday night we went out to Square Grouper, a famous Jupiter bar where Jimmy Buffett and Alan Jackson filmed the video for the song "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere." It has a spunky history rooted in illegal activity: rum running during prohibition and the marijuana trade during the sixties.  The U.S. Coast Guard nicknamed the bales of marijuana thrown out of boats and airplanes "square groupers," hence the bar's name. More recently the bar tends to attract some country stars like Sugarland and Kenny Chesney, as many of the celebrities own homes on the Jupiter oceanfront and will drop by occasionally. No such luck that night, but there was a great live band that we enjoyed while sipping our sea breezes by the water.

We went to the West Palm Beach Green Market on Saturday where we had authentic empanadas, ceviche, and guacamole. I got a fresh fruit pina colada and took home a package of freshly baked cider donuts that we re-heated on Sunday for a morning treat. Just walking through the various stands of artisan food, desserts, flowers and plants, farm fresh produce, and artwork on a beautiful sunny day was relaxing and fun. 

John Henson takin' it to Miles Plumlee. So glorious.

Afterward we continued our day of relaxation on the beach and then came home and got ready for the ultimate rivalry match up that evening. As a half-hearted Dookie, Nicole was a good sport about Kevin and I's rather loud cheers and ongoing game commentary. Michele hails from the Big Blue of Michigan, so her loyalties were set in stone before grad school and she had little trouble staying impartial. For this Carolina fan, the game was absolutely incredible; everything I could have hoped for and more. Everyone played phenomenal, our point guard Kendall Marshall had 20 points and 10 assists, and one of my favorite moments was when our John Henson scored right over devil-twin Miles Plumlee. I'm also ecstatic to see our "diaper dandies" breaking out of their shells and particularly relished P.J. Hairston's dunk right on top of Austin Rivers. Ooooh it's a happy day. I could watch that on a loop for an extended period of time...

Precious!

Since Nicole and I had a friendly wager on the game, she bought the four of us a round of drinks at Panama Hattie's Rum Bar in the form of a giant rum punch bucket with four straws. We took turns sipping the potent concoction while hanging out by the water in colorful Adirondack chairs. The next day, Kevin went to the Honda Classic golf tournament to watch Tiger lose to a 22-year-old prodigy (how do ya like dem apples old man?!) while us gals went to the Loggerhead Marinelife Center. The center is a rescue center and veterinary hospital for injured sea turtles and also helps with ocean conservation efforts and education. I enjoyed seeing all the different turtle residents, but it also was quite sad to see them with missing flippers (e.g., caught in fishing wire), large gashes on their shells (e.g., boat propellers), and diseases from pollution (e.g., eating plastic). Some of them would recover and be released back into the ocean once healthy, but others' injuries were too severe (one lil guy had not one, but two missing flippers).

Papa Loggerhead

 To complete our animal day (and so the girls could see a gator), we had plans to go to the zoo afterward, but with the weather a bit gray and windy, we ended up getting drawn in by a shopping excursion to the Gardens Mall. I found a great hat for the polo match brunch next weekend and Nicole and Michele did some damage on the apparel-front. It was refreshing for me to have a relaxing shopping day with the girls. Having worked in retail not long ago, it's been awhile since I've actually enjoyed an afternoon perusing sales and trying on fun accessories and dresses on a whim. I sure could get used to that! We ended the day at Dune Dog, a little surf-shack restaurant adorned with colorful Jimmy Buffett quotes that specializes in fresh seafood and cold beer.

For our last night of '12 spring break, Nicole and Michele took Kevin and I out to dinner at Rocco's Tacos, a swanky Mexican restaurant with over 200 types of tequilas, prickly pear margaritas, an outdoor fire pit, and, of course, made-at-the-table guacamole. We spent most of evening laughing and exchanging fun stories while sharing a delicious meal. It was a great way to end the trip, but I was  super sad to drop them off at the airport the next morning after all the fun we had. Come back and visit soon! :)

CBD

Busy Bee Weekend

Dum, dum, dah, dum . . .

This weekend, we found a beautiful wedding venue on Singer Island. We're still looking at other venue possibilities, including a resort several miles north in Vero Beach, but I'm starting to see that do-it-yourself isn't necessarily better value than a hotel package. Kevin and I had lunch with his co-worker Jonathan who has worked in catering sales and event planning (specifically ten years at a resort in Palm Beach) and he walked us through how quickly vendors add up when you think you can just throw up a tent on the beach and hire a caterer. For example, normal, logistical things like transportation and bathrooms become an issue. Not to mention the fact that someone has to be in charge of coordinating all the vendors and set-up. Plus we think since pretty much everyone would be staying in a hotel, it would be fun to spend the weekend all together. I'm hoping we can pull off a beautiful event and stay within our hardworking 20-somethings budget.

Go lil turtle, go!

After looking at Singer Island, we went to a natural state park near the ocean and went for a walk around the grounds. I saw my first real Loggerhead turtle since I've been here. It was in a tank, but it was the real deal nonetheless. Turtles are a big thing around these parts since they lay their eggs on the beaches and the season for nesting/hatching lasts from May to August. I'm looking forward to my first "turtle walk" where you watch the baby turtles scurry from the dunes to the water in the moonlight.

I think we wore Leo out.

On Friday night, Lois and Steve took us out to dinner as an advanced thank you for watching Leo for the weekend. We went to a hibachi place in Abacoa and then crashed the college dive bar next door. Good times. It was a very gracious gesture, as I was psyched to have Leo for the weekend and he was truly no trouble whatsoever. Kevin was less psyched but I think he likes Leo more than he likes most cats, and although he won't admit it, he had some fun playing with him too. Leo is an active, playful cat. He loves to chase toys, hunt little frogs near the pool, and he especially cracks me up when he fights with his own tail. He is well-tempered little guy who didn't even get too upset when Kevin squirted him with water (he simply hid behind a plant). As evidenced by his water-squirting tactics, Kevin's idea of playing with a pet is playing with a dog. I like dogs just as much as cats, so if we get a pet, we'll probably get a dog. We're just enjoying our DINK status of no responsibilities for the time being, and we're not quite ready for the responsibility of another living creature for longer than a weekend. Maybe a fish. Or a turtle!

Giants win 21 to 17.

We watched the Carolina game on Saturday and I was extremely happy to see some fire and tenacity on the road. It wasn't a stellar offensive game, but we played smart, scrappy basketball and Maryland put up quite a fight. It's definitely great momentum going into this week's game against the Dookies! HUGE game. Can't wait. Speaking of big games, a little thing called the Super Bowl was on yesterday, hence my lack of a blog post. I guess if the 49ers couldn't win it all, they may as well lose to the team that did. Plus Patriots fans are more annoying and entitled than Giants fans, and I like Eli Manning better than Tom Brady. If you're a fan of Super Bowl commercials, Kevin's brother Michael is a film editor in L.A. and edited the "Hulu" commericial. The Matthew Broderick commercial was clever, but just made me want to watch Ferris Bueller. I also thought the Volkswagen commercial and the Sketchers commercial were funny and cute.

Varsha leaves for Africa this weekend and we have been playing a bit of phone tag. Hopefully I get to talk to her before she leaves for the semester! 

CBD

Life is Good

I found out today that Nicole booked her flight to visit me in March! Very excited!! I am already mentally planning some fun Florida adventures to be had.

Kevin left me a dozen red roses on the dining room table before he took off for Tahoe for a weekend ski trip. It's those simple thinking-of-you moments that I cherish. It's so quiet and lonely in the house without him... "we's normally like peas and carrots me and Jennay." :)

I would have loved to have gone but we are going to Mexico in February to celebrate Micheal's 30th birthday (Kevin's older brother) and it seemed like not a good idea to request so much time off right after starting a new job (which I love and is going great, but more on that at a later date). Although his absence is clearly advantageous for my blog writing, ha.

I went to Palm Beach Boot Camp for the first time today. I think I finally found a "gym" routine that is suited to me. Growing up playing sports, the reasons why I loved playing sports were for the personal challenge and competition, great coaches who pushed me to find my potential, awesome teammates who I looked forward to seeing each day, and being out in the fresh air and sunshine. The gym just doesn't do it for me, especially alone after a long day of work. I don't push myself hard enough and I get bored and run out of ideas of things to do. Especially when I live in such a beautiful, scenic place, I would much rather run outside than run on a treadmill. The issue I've been having is that although running is great exercise, I really need to add other things to my regiment to keep it fresh. I've found that I'm even having trouble sticking to a running routine, so the accountability of boot camp should help with that aspect. Cross training is also important to avoid injury and running doesn't do much for the upper body (which I am totally lacking in tone and strength). My initial experience with boot camp is that it reminds me a lot of field hockey practice without the skill drills (kind of like preseason).

And the Tarheels found their mojo and played an awesome game tonight.

Life is good! 

CBD

Two 49er fans in the Sunshine State

We anxiously anticipated the 49er game this weekend, and, man, for a good reason—what a game! After a very stressful fourth quarter, with four lead changes in the last four minutes, the 49ers came up with the win. Kevin and I were exhausted from four hours of cheering and stressing, but as Coach Harbaugh would say, "Who's got it better than us? NOoobody!" (My favorite Niner chant.)

Go Niners!

Kevin grew up in the Bay area, so as a lifelong 49er fan it had been nine years since he'd had the opportunity to watch them in the playoffs. Growing up in Chapel Hill, where basketball reigned supreme, I had never really followed professional football so over the past five years I've adopted the Niners as my own, mainly due to the enthusiasm of one dedicated fan that is my dear fiancé. The 49ers are in rare form with rookie head coach Jim Harbaugh, who's coaching philosophy is very inspiring and reminds me a bit of my own favorite coach, Roy Williams. Unfortunately, the Carolina game this weekend was the opposite of spectacular as the preseason ranked #1 team looked sloppy, complacent, and, worst of all, blasé. Both programs have a storied history of championships and Hall of Fame athletes and coaches, but one team came into the season with low expectations from the press and performed spectacularly and the other team came in with the highest of expectations and rode the hype straight down the tubes. Hopefully, the Tarheels got a wake up call early enough in the season to change their attitudes going forward, but for now I'm majorly bummed on the basketball front. As for the 49ers, stay tuned because they're heading to the NFC Championship next weekend!

Grow little seeds, grow!

I caught up a little bit with Haley, Varsha, and Nathaly this week. It was nice to catch up with good friends and see what they're up to. Just as I was missing everyone and wishing they could all come visit I found out that my friend Judy would be in Boca on Tuesday so I get to see a familiar face in just two days! Then my mom's sister Sandy told me that her and my Uncle Dave would be coming to town in February! Moving to a new place is exciting and difficult at the same time. It's definitely an adjustment even though it's mostly positive. The hardest part is making new friends and keeping in touch with people you can't see regularly anymore. One of Kevin's co-workers from DC, Lois, also moved to Palm Beach not long before us and we've been hanging out a lot with her and her boyfriend Steve. She just got an awesome cat named Leo who is extremely entertaining, especially with a little catnip. So as a surprise I added some catnip seeds to my herb garden and am going to bring her over a plant once they have a chance to grow. For Christmas, Kevin's brother Michael and his aunt Kathy got me started on my gardening hobby with seeds, soil, and  pots. It's been a fun hobby for me, and so far I have eight different sprouts of herbs and flowers. In DC, it was impossible to grow anything in our apartment as it didn't get adequate direct sunlight or have an outdoor space, so it's a really nice change to be able to have a garden now. I'm looking forward to cooking with my herbs and putting some fresh flowers around the house.

So I guess this week's post could be summed up: Go 49ers and come visit us in Florida! :)

CBD