Tha Crossroads

I just completed a two-week stint in car hell.  I already knew I was going to have to shell out a lot of money for my car, with both routine and non-routine maintenance.  I needed to send my car in to the dealer for the 120K checkup, my left taillight had been out for a few weeks, the oil change was coming due as was my state inspection/registration, and my tires were starting to wear thin after at least 50,000 miles.  Well early in the two-week period I noticed my left headlight was out and then on my way to the gym two Saturdays ago I realized my right front tire was completely shredded, thus forcing my hand to go ahead and get new tires.  I've never bought tires before so I had no idea how much they cost.  Trust me, they ain't cheap.  Then naturally when my car is at the dealership they find a bunch of (expensive) things wrong with it.  Things that I can't exactly just let sit in their condition like rotors, brakes, and transmission fluid.  Time to pony up some more money. 

Not considering leaving my car overnight at the dealer, I leave them my keys including my house keys.  I usually think about this since I'm usually going home and of course need to get in.  However, on Friday I was going straight to work.  When they tell me I need a part that is on order and need to leave my car, I don't even think twice and just go on home only to realize I don't have my keys AND the dealership is closed for the night.  To top it off the apartment emergency maintenance won't come let me in.  How is being locked out of your apartment not considered an emergency that the crew responds to?  I feel that if you can't sleep inside, that's a problem, nevermind that it was 30 degrees outside. 


On the sports front, we'll move right past that Wednesday performance in Tallahassee.  For some reason UNC fans think that losing on the road to an unranked team means you suck.  That didn't even dignify a response.  Way to get spanked by GT, Heels.  Hell of an effort.  I was able to get into the Duke vs UVA game Saturday afternoon.  As many Duke fans, I was expecting an utter blowout, not just because we were coming off of a loss but also because we usually just beat the tar out of UVA at home.  Before the game I told my parents that the crowd and excitement for a UVA game in Cameron on a Saturday afternoon isn't frequently very amped up.  I think it's partly the opponent not being a fierce rival nor an ACC contender and partly that they don't often compete against us in the house the Rose Bowl built.

My brother Jim was in town.  He got to sit behind the bench as a friend of a player.  Even though he was hella close to the team and sat in padded seats, I'm guessing he would have preferred to be standing across the court jumping and screaming.  My seat (view seen below), although much less illustrious, was fondly known by my seat neighbors as the "Coat Seat."  Apparently this was the first time, thirteen home games into the season, that someone actually sat in my seat.  It admittedly seems odd that there is one random season ticket floating around.  

This was my parents' first ACC game in Cameron, my first of the year.  The first half was a continuation of the FSU game:  shooting 3s, missing 3s, turning the ball over, making an inefficient offense look somewhat efficient.  FSU on the road is one thing but UVA at home?  That's just not good.  They were beating us by more than FSU ever was.  UVA had fallen apart in the second half against UNC earlier in the week, but we were just getting outplayed by a vastly inferior team.  We do NOT have 6-minute droughts at home; it just doesn't happen.  The students also could have stood to be more into it as they can help fuel the team when they are struggling.  Ultimately, though, UVA's play kept the crowd at bay.  They were consistently getting the ball to the basket and hitting their open jumpers.  That was the first half.

Before the ball was even thrown in on the first possession of the second half, the students were starting to come alive.  At that point it was around 3pm and all those students, still tired from having to get out of bed before noon to get to the game, had awaken.  The second half was pretty exciting.  Apparently UVA forgot about Dre as he continuously hit 3s.  However, Cameron completely came unhinged when Nolan threw down that dunk.  Meeting him at the Dillo after the game, Jim said his ears were still ringing from the crowd on that dunk.  "That was Cameron!"  We proceeded to pull away down the stretch and ended up with a comfortable win. 
 
I also ended up going to the Duke vs State game where I sat behind an utterly hilarious State (female) fan.  Apparently she believes everything is a technical foul, but only against the visiting team.  Whatever.  What really bugged me about her though is when she lumped us into the same group as those in sissy blue.  Too far, crazy lady.  Get back in your cell, don't make me get the hose.

Anyway, we played incredibly well against State in what might be the turning point in the season for the offense and perhaps the defense, starting with the second half against UVA and continuing through the State and Wake games.  Ryan Kelly had an incredible week.  I'm proud of him.  He's Jim's favorite player and had been struggling with his shot the previous few games.  If he can stay hot and Dre can re-find his shot, we'll be in good shape.  Nolan hasn't been shooting well either lately but I'm not worried about that.  He'll get it back by the end of the season.  Better to struggle now than in two months. 

Big games coming up the next two weeks with BC, Maryland, State, and UNC.

LET'S GO DUKE!

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By the way, how does Malcolm Delaney have any room to talk about Maryland having bad fans.  I agree they are pretty horrible people but VT basketball fans have proven they can match the sheer nastiness once only seen in College Park. 

P.S.  Apparently I missed a bar fight between two girls after I left this past Saturday night.  Some neighborhood I live in.