18-year-old University of Louisville freshman, Natasha, found out Tuesday night that her field hockey team, the 12-8 Louisville Cardinals failed to make it into the 16-team NCAA tournament starting this weekend. It was especially crushing for Team Cardinal’s three seniors. The season is therefore officially over for Tashi. She’ll be home in two weeks for Thanksgiving. Big sister Miranda and husband Ben will also be in from Blacksburg, VA for Thanksgiving as will Grandma and Uncle Dan. Youngest daughter, Clarissa, and I will be in Palm Springs during that time for a national field hockey festival. Clarissa will be on an Ohio club team. I’m a chaperone/driver. Clarissa, by the way, was named all-conference as a sophomore.
Buddy Phil Kramer, Ohio State roommate, and his son Jonathan, will be flying in tomorrow morning to visit and see the OSU v. Iowa Big Ten championship game. Look forward to seeing them, although they fly in on a red-eye arriving at 10 a.m. Saturday and out at 12:30 p.m. Sunday. Quick trip. Jonathan is now about 14 years old. When he was only 10 we were doing some site seeing in Columbus with a larger group of mutual friends when we stopped at a MacDonald’s so some of the group could use the bathroom. Jonathon remained in the second seat of his mini-van with the door rolled open while I stayed in my pick up parked next to him. Clarissa was with me. So the three of us caught up with each other while the others took care of business. I gave him some good natured teasing and he fired back. When the others came out of MacDonald’s and it was time to leave. I said, “Well, see ya Jonathan,” to which he answered: “Jimbo! I’ll see you in HELL!” Hilarious – could tell he’d been watching too many movies. (Got me to wondering how many movies have that line in it: Unforgiven, Gettysburg, Point Break, plus many others I’m sure. Jonathan says he may have gotten from Harrison Ford in Stars Wars The Empire Strikes Back.)
Also, my buddy Derik Hines, the former pastor at Stonybrook United Methodist Church who did Ben and Miranda’s wedding in 7/08. Is in town this weekend from Phoenix. I’m hoping to get together with him for breakfast tomorrow.
Wife Debbie, C and I are going to see some kids we know in the Gahanna Lincoln High School presentation of “Christmas Story” tonight. It’s the play version of the popular movie about the Red Rider bb gun.
