Thinking Pink

I love the initiative that the Women's Basketball Coaches' Association (WBCA) started a couple of years ago. Through women's college basketball, they started "Think Pink" nights. Pink has long been the color associated with breast cancer awareness. These Think Pink events support breast cancer research and awareness. Specifically, the contributions collected on these nights are designated as part of the Coach Kay Yow fund.

Coach Yow was a longtime women's college basketball coach at NC State. She was an amazing and inspiring lady. I had the oppportunity to not only meet her, hear her give a presentation to an official's group, but also referee one of her games at UNC-Charlotte. It was a priviledge and an honor. Unfortunately, Coach Yow lost her battle to breast cancer this year. Women's basketball lost a true treasure.

As a referee, I have had the opportunity to be involved in many Think Pink basketball games. We wear hot pink whistes for two weeks every February. This year, with the passing of Coach Yow, they extended those dates. It is heartwarming to see the coaches and teams get involved in this. The fans are also encouraged to wear pink to the games. I have seen whole coaching staffs wearing pink Crocs shoes, pink shoelaces, headbands, t-shirts, whole pink uniforms, etc. If it's pink, someone is wearing it. It is such a cool experience and so much fun.

Last year, the men's teams got involved too! I guess they saw the fun they were missing out on. This past Wednesday was Think Pink night at Brevard College. The coach's team wore pink warm-up shirts. The coach and his assistants all were sporting the pink. They were so handsome. Real men wear pink and support breast cancer research for the women in their lives!

I support breast cancer research for my Mom's sister Camille. My Aunt Camille had a double masectomy at the age of 29. Thankfully, she beat the odds and is 14 years in remission. Let's find a cure!

Little Things...

It truly is the little things that make a life, a day, even a moment. I have been so blessed to have lots of little things lately.

One little thing that I am incredibly thankful for is our incredibly cool, 8 year old princess. She has recently decided that she is waaay too cool to associate with the coach and I at school. A slight nod of the head, a quick smile, maybe a wave... that's it. Thankfully, this little princess still gives us the little things outside of school. It's like magic... as soon as we're in the van... hugs, kisses, and "I missed you". It's then that I realize, she's still our sweet girl, just growing up... changing... a little different.
Recently, that change and difference in her made my heart skip a beat. She is and has always been an incredibly perceptive soul. So, when she asked what was bothering me recently, I told her. It was yet another personnel issue. The princess listened intently, asked questions and even at one point apologized for asking so many questions, saying "I'm sorry if I'm asking so many questions, I'm just interested." Is this kid really human? How did I get so lucky? The princess was yet again my ray of light, my optimist, my little thing.

The coach is amazing at doing the little things. The funniest little thing this week was when I had gotten home really late from a tough ballgame. He simply got up and left the room. I'm thinking... um... Where are you going? Are you ignoring me? That's weird.

Nope. He had definitely been paying attention. He came back in the room and set a Little Debbie Swiss Cake Roll down beside me on the couch and then proceeds to sit back down in his chair. Now, if you know me, you know that one of the only vices I have in life is chocolate. It doesn't even have to be fine chocolate... hence, the Swiss Cake Rolls. But, it's 10:30pm! I look over at him to protest and he cuts me off... "Just eat it. I know it will make you feel better." And... yep... he was right. So, thanks go to the coach for those two sweet tasty little things that are now on my thighs.

The addition of the pup to our lives has definitely not been a little thing. It has quite honestly been a huge thing. But... the running to meet me at the door, the whining to get to be in the same room with me and the face licks are all little things that have added immensely to my life. I could have never anticipated the joy she has brought to me, the coach and the princess.

I am also thankful for these little things since I last posted...
... a Mom who calls just to help me pass the time when she knows I am on the road to a ballgame.
... a Mother-in-Law who sends envelopes full of all kinds of interesting things, just like her mother did for her.
... a brother who is also a basketball official and is getting the opportunity to go to the state playoffs this year.
... a friend who is back on track after a nasty divorce.

Because of these little things and more... I am a happy girl!

Yucky Blucky Fruitcake...

If you have young kids, specifically young daughters, you may have heard of a series of books featuring Junie B. Jones. We have spent hours and hours of family reading time laughing at the silly adventures of Junie B. Unfortunately, the princess is much too cool to be caught dead reading them now. The coach and I still manage to quote some of the more humorous lines or titles in hopes of #1 being super silly and #2 embarassing the princess. One such title included Yucky Blucky Fruitcake. So now, if something is yucky or if someone is being a little yucky, we'll say... well, that's just yucky blucky fruitcake. You get the picture.

The coach, the princess and I all went a round with the yucky blucky fruitcake. I can honestly say that we are not typically yucky blucky fruitcake kind of people. Neither I, nor the coach, nor the princess are usually yucky... thus not liking it's namesake fruitcake. We are usually the happy, upbeat, good things happen to us, kind of people. This week... we each had a slice of the fruitcake.

My yucky blucky fruitcake came in the form of having to fire one of my employees. No matter the reason... blowing a .072 in an alcohol test... no matter what kind of person they are... nice, quiet guy... it is always just yucky! It was particularly yucky for me because I try to get to know each of them, at least a little bit, on a personal level, even though there are 60+ of them. Why? Well, #1 I want them to know that I'm approachable. Because, for some odd reason, I have been told that I am a little intimidating and unapproachable. What? Me? Ok, well, maybe a little bit. But, that's before you get to know me. Right? #2 I like to think that it helps me be a better manager by knowing more of what's going on with them.

Unfortunately, when this type of situation happens, that style of management backfires. I honestly think I took it harder than he did. So, I ate my yucky blucky fruitcake and hope that it is the last piece I'll have for a while.

The coach's slice came in the form of a 3-point loss to the #14 DII team in the nation, which is also the #1 team in the conference, Catawba. That is just yucky blucky fruitcake! To get that close to beating that team is an accomplishment in and of itself. But, coach being coach, this is not good enough! He nearly had in his mouth the sweetness of the the key lime pie... the peanut butter pie... the cookies... the ice cream... the... the... yucky blucky fruitcake. What? The coach and his boys hate fruitcake! Come on! So, coach just had to swallow hard and hope to get that taste out of his mouth. Eye on the prize, eye on the prize... the coach is looking forward to the sweet taste of victory after tomorrow's game against Wingate.

The princess got a heaping helping of yucky blucky fruitcake. Her helping was because of the... I'm usually a straight A student... I have a D average in science right now... I don't seem to care... I just want to watch cartoons and listen to my Ipod... Yep, that's right... huge slice coming her way! Unfortunately, ever now and then, parents must force feed their kids fruitcake for their own good. The princess got her super-sized helping via a nice long talk with coach and mrsbballref about priviledges and how they were earned, how important school is, etc. I think the princess understands now that she never, ever wants fruitcake again. She has pledged to only perform so that she can once again say, one ice cream scoop please, hold the fruitcake!

Please make a note... do not send us fruitcake for Christmas. It's just yucky blucky!

Impulses...

I do not usually fall prey to impulses. I am calculated and thorough, not impulsive. However, on a quick trip to Best Buy with the coach to pick up something he needed, I guess my guard was down.

It started off innocently enough. I was just browsing. I looked at the music... nothing I couldn't live without. Next, I looked at Ipod accessories... yep, nothing there I needed. Then I saw them... the cameras. Why was I hypnotized by the pretty, pretty cameras? I have a digital camera. There is absolutely nothing wrong with my 3 year old, Kodak Easy Share camera. It is a whopping 5 MP of point and shoot bliss. So what if the princess' soccer action shots are blurry. I think that gives them an artistic look. So what if the eagle I took a picture of in Alaska shows up so small that it is unrecognizable. I know what it's supposed to be, right? So what if the princess' digital camera she got for Christmas has 10 MP and takes way better pictures than mine. I can borrow hers. Yea, so I'm convinced... I did not need a new camera... mine was perfectly fine.

Here is where the impulse starts that leads to my ultimate demise. It's a little thing called... but I WANT one. Ok, so I did have some legitimate reasons to want/need a new camera. The princess plays soccer and does gymnastics and I want some action shots. She also has piano recitals, so I want to be able to zoom in on her. And, of course, I want to be able to take good pictures of the pup. Nothing is too good for the princess and the pup!

So, what kind of camera? Of course, I head over to the digital SLRs. This is what coach's brother has to take pictures of his kids, the cheerleader and the cool dude. I must need one of those, right? After a very, very brief conversation with the camera technician/salesperson, it is more than obvious that I do not even know enough about cameras and photography to be dangerous.

I am gently guided back to the point and shoot camera section. Hmmm... don't I have one of those? It seems that I have not been properly introduced to the point and shoot big brother. This guy is the 10 MP, I can zoom in on an ant from across the room, shoot 30 shots in a matter of seconds kind of big brother. In fact, we had not met. But, I was beginning to wish he was part of my family.

So, the conversation goes something like this... "Ummm... coach... ummm... ummm... I want this camera. It has this and this and this and this and mine is so old and slow and not enough mega-pixels and I could use it for this and this and this and... what do you think?" To which my easy-going, sweet wonderful coach says... "Well, get it." So, now I am nervous. Get it? What? No! Are you crazy? I have not researched it. What are the reviews? Is this the best deal going? I hadn't planned on buying anything. Uh... help. I am a fish out of water here. "Just get it.", he says.

So, thanks to involuntary impulses and an understanding coach... big brother camera now has a new loving home. Of course, he could not come alone. He had to bring his two cousins... their names are... high speed SD card and camera case. If anyone would like to add a big brother camera to their home, his name is Canon Powershot SX10.

Fine Lines...

I missed the fine line last night. In an attempt to teach the princess about not crying wolf, I missed the line. Instead, what we ended up with was her howling like a wolf.

The princess and our new puppy Holly, aka the pup, were playing in the floor last night. Well, the pup is in her bitting, but not really biting stage. That is, until last night... The pup again nipped at the princess and what I hear next is akin to the howling of a wolf. But, mysteriously, it is coming from the princess and not the pup. What exactly is happening that would make the princess go literallly wild? After a brief, sobbing princess explanation, I mistakenly tell her that she had been nipped at before and "it's not like it's bleeding or anything... come here and I will kiss it and make it better." While pulling back the princess' golden locks... yep... you guessed it... blood is dotted around the little round puncture wound that was created by the pup and her needle teeth. Wow... there is not much that can make you feel worse than that. After a brief apology to the bleeding, howling princess and the promised kisses, all was well with the world again.

Mrsbballref learned again that you never doubt the princess. Why can't I remember that? When you doubt the princess, you are usually wrong. I need to remember where our line is.

The princess learned to not put her face down within striking distance of the pup. She had to adjust her line, for her own protection. Her line is wide, bold and now sealed with her blood promise to not cross it again.

The coach has been crossing a new line this week also. His line is the... welcome to the big league, baby... DII... conference play in the SAC. Coming from the NAIA side of the line, the coach and his boys are new to the NCAA side. While they hopped way over the line with their win against Mars Hill this past Saturday, they were shoved back a little last night in their loss to Lenoir Rhyne. LR is the old neighborhood bully, trying to keep out the new guys... "this is our side of the line".

Coach is not having any of that. Nobody is gonna bully his boys... well, except him, of course. I know he will get those boys over the line to stay. And, just like in the Mars Hill game, everyone will wonder how the new boys managed to hop over that line and kick the old bully where it hurts.

Inspiration...

The coach jokes with me all the time about my ravenous appetite for my latest obsession. My Type-A, ok... slightly compulsive personality does not allow me to do things half-way. I know some of you reading this are like... well, at least she knows she's like that. Yea, I do. I get it. And I think the great thing about the coach and the princess are they get it too. I have been blessed with two of the most laid-back, easy to please people in the world. So, they balance me. That is just one of the many reasons I adore them both.

Now, what was I rambling about... oh yea...
In the past, my obsessions have been exercising, cooking, sewing, scrapbooking, decorating the house, you name it... And, I am always planning our next trip. Most recently, it has been Facebook and catching up with all of my old friends. I have relished the time spent looking at their family photos, seeing how they've changed, where they're living, etc. Several of my friends also have blogs that I find absolutely fascinating. Even the most mundane thing makes my heart warm, just thinking about them and their families, just... living.

So... I have been inspired by them. Knowing how I am with my latest "thing", I am going to make an effort to keep this up. Keep your fingers crossed. We don't get to see our family and friends as much as we would like, so hopefully, this will allow them tiny snapshots into our busy life.