The Very Worst Winners

The Phoenix Suns have the very worst fans. Many of you reading this will be offended by that, but let me explain...

See, this is actually a bucket list post about how I finally made it to an Oklahoma City Thunder game. (Two actually, although the first was a preseason game in which Durant, Westbrook, Ibaka and Collison sat out.) In my years as an Arizona resident, I have been to many Suns games. I have, however, only witnessed them winning two. Both were against the Oklahoma City Thunder. (Let me remind you that the first was the game in which none of OKC's starters played.)

The second was one of the most incredible games I've ever seen. Normally I would be upset to see my team lose, but in this case, my team had played beautifully. Durant kept his 25 point per game streak alive and everyone else was on point. What we witnessed that night was Gerald Green having the best game of his career (so far... let's hope he hasn't peaked just yet) hitting 3-pointer after 3-pointer for an amazing 41 points total.

Close game. We lost. Couldn't find it in me to be upset after the magic I'd just seen.

Completely prepared to head home and write a raving review of the Suns' performance, I instead came home to multiple rude Facebook wall posts about how my team choked (when really both teams played phenomenally) and how the Suns trashed us.  (6 points does not constitute trashing. By definition, I believe a trashing requires at least a 20 point lead.)  It was interesting, since when the Suns lose, everyone likes to act like it's no big deal. It's when they win that things get ugly.

The only conclusion I could make was that fans of the Phoenix Suns, while great at refraining from being sore losers (with the exception of the grudge they like to hold against the Spurs), are horrible winners. Good thing that doesn't happen too often. (Ooohhh... burn!)

Just kidding.  I fully believe they will be formidable in a few seasons.

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"Attend an Oklahoma City Thunder game" has been replaced with "Publish a book" on the Everlasting Bucket List.

Failure to Plan

Yesterday, while closing up at work, a kamikaze dove flew into the glass door about a foot from my face.  I first screamed, then cried as I watched it slowly die on the ground next to me.  I walked away after a minute feeling extremely shaken.

This morning I was reading about different omens on the Internet.  What does it mean when a dove (the symbol of love and peace) murders itself right in front of you?!  Putting my mind at ease, a coworker decided that maybe there was some reason I needed to stay at work a minute longer that day.  Some purpose for that glitch in my plan that I may never know...

I share this disturbing little anecdote because it illustrates things that have been on my mind on a larger scale lately.  If there's anything I've learned about plans, it's that they change... and that most often it's disappointing. Even heartbreaking.

I've thought a lot lately of those moments... those changes-of-plan... the rifts in the continuum of my life that have brought me to this point.  Things like:

A trip to the mailbox revealing the 'small envelope' from the university I planned to attend.

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The last text message to the person I had intended to marry.

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The heartbreaking phone call from a sister that somehow let me know that everything had changed.

That's about the time I stopped making plans. Big plans anyway.  The funny thing is that when I think about the last four (unplanned) years, they seem like the most fulfilling and character-building years of my life.  I wouldn't trade them for the world.

Maybe sometimes the disappointments have a purpose. My new plan? Not to have a plan. 

I'm clearly not the one in charge.

7 Things I Don't Hate...

As a child, I had a super tacky silver poster with a daisy on it which read, "Bloom where you're planted." Here I am, some fifteen years later, and life has planted me in the desert. I'll be the first to admit that I've been an Arizona hater for the last year. From the complete lack of change in weather to the poor treatment from Suns and Cardinals fans (is it my fault me teams are so much better?) it has been difficult not to shrivel and dry out around here.

In an active attempt to heed the encouragement from my garish childhood wall decor, I've decided to force myself to proclaim a few things that I don't hate about the "Valley of the Sun." Okay, here we go:

1) Sprouts Farmers Market. It's fabulous. In-season produce and whole foods for reasonable prices. I owe my lack of scurvy to Sprouts.

2) My Bedroom. It's perfect. I found the most wonderful shade of gray for the walls. It's calming and beautifully compliments the rest of my belongings. Too bad I have to move out next month.

3) Outdoor Malls. I love that I can get a tan and shop simultaneously.

4) Costco. Okay, I don't actually ever shop there... but the fact that I could buy in bulk if I wanted to is a good feeling. Also, they have frozen yogurt and pizza by the slice! That right there is worth the membership.

5) Palm Trees. Those are fun. I especially like it when they try to disguise radio towers to look like palm trees. So clever and oh, so effective!

6) QuikTrip and Blue Bell are around... It's like a little piece of home, though not quite so prevalent as in Oklahoma.

7) A Few Good Folks. In addition to my brother and sister, I've managed to meet a handful of pretty darn cool people. They sometimes help me forgot that it's 120 degrees, or that it hasn't rained in 6 months, or that the crime rate is ridiculous, or that the majority of the population is generally unfriendly, or that scorpions run around as they will, or that the cost of living is significantly greater than that of other places.

Yes. I can handle the desert for now.