I'll start at the beginning, friday night. And for the record, Sunday's been good, but nothing noteworth.

Study hall before basketball practice starts, I go in the room and Kayla (lady friend :ninja:) comes in slightly later, and the table her friends are at, and the table I'm at are right next to each other. She comes over, sits next to me, completely ignoring her friends, and we spent the next hour enjoying ourselves, talking, joking around, and playing cards. It was a good time.

That night, go home, change clothes, go to a friends house, and we play Wii Sports for an hour before going to a party. Kayla is at said party, I hang out and have a good time there with her too, along with the rest of my friends. She also brought SingStar Rocks! and I got to listen to her sing some White Stripes at the party :P. Needless to say, I don't sing, but there were some fun chases that ensued with girls trying to catch me and drag me back.

I go home with the same friends, and we played Wii Sports and Excite Truck for a few hours.

Next morning, wake up, have a couple cinnamon rolls at my friend's house. We played Excite Truck again for about half an hour, and then changed into our basketball uniforms.

8 of us in an SUV drive to my school. Outside there is a nice church bus that we're going to take us to possibly our last basketball game ever. It's the state tourny. Or rather, Southern Illinois tournament.

A bit of background. I come from a 130 kid, 9 grade school. There's 30 kids in the 7th and 8th grade combined. We had 12 people playing on the 8th grade team, 4 of them are 7th graders but they were good. Our coach is volunteer, not paid anything. We don't have tryouts. If you sign up, you make the team. And our gym is HALF of regulation size. We can't do running drills, we can't run our plays full size, and our passing sucks because we're so close together. But by God, we can shoot freethrows.

We pile into the bus. Everyone is amazed we made it this far, as am I. We're the first team to do it from our school, and everyone at the tournament was amazed too. My mom told some people what our school was like, and they just sat there slack-jawed in awe of what we have for a team with what we have to work with.

Anyway, bus ride up. I sit next to Kayla, we listen to her MP3 player, we talk some, we hold hands for half the trip. She's heard my theme song (Reel Big Fish - Somebody Hates Me) and I've heard alot of the better songs on the radio now. I don't listen to the radio much.

The bus pulls in to the college. Everyone files into the gym, and a game's going on. First thing we see is a tall guy on one of the teams, an 8th grader, go up for a dunk. He missed this one, but he DID make a dunk earlier in the game.

Game starts for us, and we get beat pretty bad. something like 36 - 70. But, the team we played, was EXCEPTIONAL. I mean, I can see this guys going and winning the whole thing. I've never seen anything like their talent. They were fast, their full court press was unbelievable, and they knew what they were doing. But they were good sports about it. My mom kept score for our team, and she was talking to their score keeper. Apparently he started rooting for everyone on our team to make a basket once my mom pointed out who I was, and he was real nice about it.

I didn't have a basket, but I stuffed (see: knocked a shot down) their main player when I jumped up to try and block a layup. Oh, and Kayla had a 3 point shot. Yeah, girl, 3 point shot, in a male league. I also say we could have taken any other team there but this team. But I guess that's just how the tournament was set up so whatever.

Bus ride home. I put my arm around Kayla this time, and we pretty much did what we did on the way down, to Wendy's. Everyone on the bus ate at Wendy's, and it was a very well maintained Wendy's seeing as how they had 50 people show up out of the blue.

The bus is filled up again, except a bunch of people left with their parents to go home together as a family instead of on the bus. Kayla stayed on the bus, and so did I.

It's completely dark out now, and she's freezing because she's wearing her basketball shorts and a hoodie. Once again, Sam to the rescue with arm around her. Everyone else in the bus is jumping around having a good time because, hey, we went to freakin' state guys. People are farting on other people, opening windows and sticking their heads out, fights are going on in good nature. But we just sat there, silently, and she laid her head on my shoulder.

Oh my God that was amazing. For 2 1/2 straight hours, I was sitting in a bus, laughing at my stupid friends, occasionally jumping up to beat someone to a pulp because they kicked my seat or something, with a girl laying on my shoulder, half asleep. I never wanted the bus ride to end. I am certain every other massassian who's ever had a girlfriend knows the feeling.

After 2 1/2 hours of sitting in silence and listening to idiots, we reach home. Robinson, Illinois. We come in to the westernmost border of town, and a cop pulls out in front of us. What the hell? His lights are on.

Then, we blow past a stop sign. Everyone erupts into screaming and cheering. Police escort through town, we go through honking at 8:30 at night, and cars start following. We caravan around the town square, it was great. Then everyone starts chanting "We're number 9, we're number 9" because there were 16 people in the tournament. It was a completely and utterly AWESOME experience to ride through town like that.

As the bus pulls into the school parking lot where all our parents are waiting, the driver tells us to stay seated. He doesn't open the door. Bill, the driver's name, stands up and blocked the aisle.

"I just want you guys to know that while you were number 9 back at Wrend Lake, you guys are number 1 in Crawford County, and we're all very proud of you guys. I hope you all remember this experience for the rest of your life."

It was great to know that I was a part of a basketball team that went somewhere, did something important, and had an impact. We're the best in this county and better than a lot of the surrounding teams. And to know how proud everyone is of my team, which I am a contributor to, is indescribable.

Oh, and just a few minutes ago I found a 30gb Toshiba MP3/Video player for $190 on amazon, with pretty good reviews, and bought it.

So now that this is through, what has been some of you guys' favorite experiences in life, wonderful weekend, or sports accomplishments. Yesterday was amazing, and I'd love to do it all over again.

Nice.

I bet Rob would post "www.livejournal.com" on this topic.

I love how you just had to get the tech bit in at the end.

Didn't read it all, but its probably just setting you up for some future disappointment.

Probably.

But seriously, has any other massassian been a part of some sports accomplishment? I can't be the only one. SiliconC and Steven both played football, didn't they?

Trust me. It's highly, highly plausible.

If coming 9th counts as an achievement then yes, I definitely have had sporting achievements.

It's not really that we came in 9th, it's the feeling that we made it to state, and we're the best in our area.

Meh. If you call smacking yourself in the right eye with a tennis racquet + a tennis ball hard enough to knock you out (yeah, I K.O.ed myself) an accomplishment then I guess I I have been a part of one.

Or dodging a kill serve to not get hit and letting the ball go behind you to break someones nose then yes again.

Wii Sports doesn't count, you guys.

No this happened at the tennis courts at my school.

Get a blog. >.>

Yeah, girls are pretty spiffy. I went on a 7 day 100 mile rowing/sailing race with my girlfriend.. sleeping outside under the stars next to each other is awesome.

The last image made me laugh hard.

Chapter 1:

It's Friday night, the main character Zloc, who is also the narrator of this story, is with his companions in a study hall. Here enters a significant character, Kayla, who joins Zloc and his friends at his table. This is a major scene because it can be noted as the beginning of this story's character interaction. By leaving her friends behind, Kayla shows some interest in the main character.

Chapter 2:

Zloc and his comrades visit a party where Kayla is a member. This is a major scene as well because it shows Zloc's interest toward her. He listens to her, which impacted him emotionally, and forces him to think of engaging inappropriate actions.

Chapter 3:

Defeated by his will to reject a night of pleasure, the main character goes home. Together with his male friends, Zloc shifts his attention to buns and basketballs.

Chapter 4:

Despite the team's shortcomings and lack of proper funding, Zloc finds a sense of belonging and accomplishment with his team in the arena of professional middle-school basketball. Excited, the main character joins his group in hopes of being mildly successful on the court. This adds motivation to the narrator's character depth, producing an internal struggle to rise from failure.

Chapter 5:

They fail.

Chapter 6:

Even though the main character was defeated on the court, Zloc remains a winner by heart. Through his experience during this night, he finds understanding. Kayla allows extending the relationship with him as they eat at Wendy's. On the bus ride home, Zloc's companions lose control of bodily and higher brain functions due to their excitement, but the main character refuses to engage in this turmoil for he has felt the sweet flesh of woman.

Chapter 7:

Kayla falls asleep next to Zloc. He then exhibits concern about people around him. Perhaps there are too many potential witnesses. The trip was two and a half hour long.

Chapter 8:

The bus has it lights on, possibly the greatest crime to ever happen in the state of Illinois. To ensure no such offense of this magnitude is repeated in this state, a squad of vigilant policemen place surveillance as the bus as it drives into town. Public attention is drawn toward this sensational event.

Chapter 9:
Despite being abused for two and half hours on this bus, the driver has enough sanity to deliver a message of encouragement to the unruly crowd of kids. His words touched Zloc and influences him to reflect on the experience throughout this night. The main character realizes how significant it is to be a quintessential winner.

Chapter 10:
Zloc finds a 30gb Toshiba MP3/Video player for $190.


Themes, Motifs & Symbols:

Nintendo Wii:

Several times in the story, the narrator mentions about playing with his "Wii." The key element to note about this symbol is that it appears only into the beginning of this tale, before any instance of physical contact with Kayla, a female character, is detailed. The Wii clearly represents the male penis and "playing with the Wii" is another term for the act of masturbation. Thus, when contact is finally made with Kayla, there is no longer any interest left in the main character toward exercising his Wii. While this concept is quite sexual, it illustrates an important idea: Zloc, through this unforgettable night, has embarked on the journey of maturity to the yet to be explored land of adulthood.

MP3 players:

Twice in the story does Zloc mention MP3 players, when he was with Kayla on the bus and during the very last chapter of the story. While, unlike the Nintendo Wii, the concept it symbolizes is not sharply defined, but it can be assumed that it represents a sort of personal reflection, recalling recorded thoughts in a way. During the relationship between the main character and Kayla, Zloc thinks about his taste in music, perhaps trying to find a common ground he could share with his girl. And at the end of the story, a MP3 player is mentioned again after his reflection toward all that happened that night.

http://www.deadjournal.com


I WIN.

Ok you win and I fold.

I see your Sparknotes and raise you one autosummarize:



That night, go home, change clothes, go to a friends house, and we play Wii Sports for an hour before going to a party. I go home with the same friends, and we played Wii Sports and Excite Truck for a few hours.

There's 30 kids in the 7th and 8th grade combined. We had 12 people playing on the 8th grade team, 4 of them are 7th graders but they were good. If you sign up, you make the team. We pile into the bus. We're the first team to do it from our school, and everyone at the tournament was amazed too. Anyway, bus ride up. The bus pulls in to the college. My mom kept score for our team, and she was talking to their score keeper. Oh, and Kayla had a 3 point shot. Yeah, girl, 3 point shot, in a male league. I also say we could have taken any other team there but this team. Bus ride home. Kayla stayed on the bus, and so did I.

Everyone else in the bus is jumping around having a good time because, hey, we went to freakin' state guys. I never wanted the bus ride to end. Robinson, Illinois. Then everyone starts chanting "We're number 9, we're number 9" because there were 16 people in the tournament. As the bus pulls into the school parking lot where all our parents are waiting, the driver tells us to stay seated.


Moral of the story: MS Word can't summarize worth ****.

Oh my god. Echoman should sparknote ALL long posts. I pretty much cried at the end, laughing.

***

EDIT:...Quoted for truth is censored?

People would simply say Q F T in every response to increase their post counts.

Either that, or aids.

Q F T

So, you didn't even make it to first base?

Lame.

Zloc's #1!


Echoman's #2!




Sounds like a great weekend. I just procrastinated the whole time..

Uhh as for sports accomplishments... I shaved 3 minutes off my mile time in one season of cross country, and I knocked a guy out at a taekwondo tournament once. (I have a 100% win record at tournaments. Doesn't help that I've only been to one, and only fought once. But by golly, 100% win record! Which is also a 100% knockout record.)

Hey Zloc, don't listen to a goddamn thing Zojo and Free say!

Great story, btw, congratulations on all fronts.

My weekend was amazing too.

Friday night, went to varsity game against Loyola and we won 94-89 after an overtime. Both our leaders had 30+ point games. Sooo hype.

Our team is sick as heck haha. Made it to CIF Div IIIA States for Southern Cali last year and I think we moved up to Div IA this year and we're doing just as well. I used to play, but then I realized I'm asian and won't grow anymore and at 5'10" I'm too short to keep playing considering how much better everyone else is.

Saturday was amazing too but that's another totally unrelated story.

nice! congrats on an awesome weekend!

Mine was meh.

Nothing special.

Pizza, computer, Jarre, Deus Ex, emulator games, IRC, meh.

Today I learned to do a pretty impressive vault/underbar on a swingset and some nice reverse cat leaps. So yeah.


EDIT: I can't believe Zloc does better with girls than I do. Hell and damnation.

Echoman wins

Oooh ooh I got sporting achievement. I won 3 gold medals in Tae kwon do tournaments back when I was your age.

I watched Entourage, played WoW, did work, drank and watched the super bowl. Mainly I slept a bunch.

Hell no. I spent (nearly) 12 straight hours in an airplane with my girlie sleeping on my shoulder, I was ready to cut my freaking arm off.

Also, we won regional championship when I played basketball in 10th grade, but we never really accomplished anything when we played football. Usually lost out in the second round of the playoffs.

SMOCK! - I <3 underbars.

But describe a reverse cat leap?

That was freakin' Brilliant.

You should have written it from a third person perspective, added a lot of superfluos description, extravagant adjectives, large amounts of self-glorification, unecessary references to other events, and had a sad ending involving being miserable, rejected, and alone.

And also some bunnies. Some bunnies in the story would have been nice.

dud, I wasn't really sure what to call them. When you're cat hanging on one rail or ledge and then pop around to grab one behind you. We found this cubical jungle gym, so I turn-vaulted inside, spun around and grabbed the other side, then vaulted out. It was very nice. <3 playgrounds

Congrats on getting that far in the tournament. My wrestling team won state when I was a junior in high school... I guess that's a sporting accomplishment. Too bad I was out with a knee injury.

Anyways, get the girl. You should make that your mantra.

This weekend I... mixed certain things with alcohol and I was wired for a few days straight and finally fell asleep yesterday and then woke up and had a 6 hour band practice, afterwhich, this girl came over and we watched Evil Dead 2 and apparently that movie puts girls in the mood.

You drank vodka and caffeine pills, didn't you?