Sooner Magic

Welp, I haven't blogged in almost a year. Proof that I should never start a blog. There have been many life changes since February 2010, but far too many to get into now (more on that later). Till then I wanted to share an awesome story of the greatest college football team in the world (biased? Me? Never.).


Sooner Magic

The term "Sooner Magic" was born on a cold and windy afternoon in Lincoln, Neb., in 1976 when the fourth quarter found the Sooners trailing the Cornhuskers 17-7. With three minutes to play, and the lead down to four, hope for a comeback had all but vanished into the Nebraska clouds. Oklahoma was stuck at the Husker 16-yard line when Woodie Shepard completed a 50-yard halfback pass to freshman end Steve Rhodes, whose catch was nothing short of miraculous. Two plays later, Rhodes ran a curl pattern and then pitched to halfback Elvis Peacock on the old hook-and-lateral. Peacock was finally knocked out of bounds at the Nebraska three. Peacock scored the winning touchdown on next play with 30 seconds remaining, vaulting the Sooners into a three-way tie for the conference championship.

Further proof of the pixy dust that filled the air over Lincoln that day was the pregame prayer delivered in the Oklahoma locker room by defensive back and team captain Scott Hill at the behest of coach Barry Switzer: "Please dear Lord don't let any injury or harm come to any player. And please, please, please, dear Lord, please don't let the best team win."

The youthful Sooners were outmanned and outgunned that day. But "Sooner Magic" never failed them.

Three years later, Nebraska was unbeaten and the Sooners had lost but one game to Texas when the teams met in Norman. Oklahoma led 10-7 with eight minutes to go, and were lining up for a chip shot field goal when Switzer sent the offense back onto the field. Quarterback J.C. Watts scored a touchdown and the gamble paid off. Nebraska marched 86 yards in the final minutes for a touchdown, but would fall short 17-14.

A year later in 1980, Nebraska halfback Jarvis Redwine dashed 89 yards for an early touchdown, and the Cornhuskers led 10-0 after one quarter. With three minutes left in the game, Nebraska clung to a 17-14 lead, with the Sooners eighty yards from the goal. When Buster Rhymes gained forty yards on the game's most critical play, a young Nebraska fan sprinted along the sideline, expressing despair. Sportswriter Jim Weeks would record the youngster's words the next day in the Norman Transcript; "Oh, no," the boy cried. "They're going to do it to us again."

They did. Rhymes dived for the winning touchdown with 56 seconds to play. Sooner Magic 21, Nebraska 17.

In the sixteen years that Barry Switzer coached the Sooners (1973-88), the Nebraska-Oklahoma game normally determined either the conference or the national championship or both. The teams played seventeen times during the Switzer era, the Sooners taking twelve. Oklahoma came from behind eight times in the fourth quarter to win.

- From Jim Dent, author of "The Undefeated"

Now let's hope that Sooner Magic is with us this weekend in Stillwater! Boomer!

Snow, snow everywhere and not a place to park!

While most Washingtonians are fighting cabin fever and brace the biting wind, I am only wishing I could spend several days locked in my house. Why you may ask? Because I work at a hospital and we don't get snow days.

While the Post celebrates the largest snow fight in history, the real heroes go unsung. The thousands of men and women who fight the snow to come to work and save lives. The people who carried an elderly man on their backs to get him to his dialysis treatment. The nurses and doctors who worked hours upon hours, days upon days, to put patients first. No, I'm not one of them, but I have the distinct honor and pleasure to work amongst these heroes day in and day out.

If you know one, thank them, because you never know when you or your loved one might be a patient.

Somewhere ages and ages hence;

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled..." -Robert Frost

Perhaps one of the most overused, over quoted poem used by high school and college students alike. Be that as it may, Robert Frost was onto something here. What did Mr. Frost know that I don't? How was he sure he took the less traveled road?

As I think about and try to plan my future I want to ensure that I, too, take the road less traveled. I reflect on my life's decisions and wonder whether the choices have gotten me where I am today are a reflection of choosing the road less traveled. Or were the decisions made because of expectations? Or fear? Or thoughtlessness? Or perhaps this is where fate has taken me?

I lean towards the expectations piece, always doing "what was right" or the logical next step. Look at my life, graduated high school with honors (expectation), went to college out of state (one of my stubborn choices), graduated college with honors (expectation), went straight to grad school (fear? expectation?), graduated with honors (expectation), then got a prestigious residency out of state (expectation). I'm not saying any of these were bad decisions, but I often wonder if I make decisions because I feel pressured by what I'm "supposed to do." Maybe I could have been a little more crazy and wild in college, not that I didn't have my share of fun, don't kid yourself, but I spent a lot of time in the library too. Maybe I could have gone to travel Europe with nothing and taken odd jobs while seeing the world? Maybe I could have majored in something less reasonable like theater? Maybe I could have tried out to cheer in college?

Please don't misunderstand me, I am very thankful and proud of my accomplishments. I knew relatively early on that I would need to work for the things I had in life. Nobody was going to hand me anything. I just don't want to feel stuck in my responsibilities. I want to make sure that the next decision I make is made because it's really what I wanted and not because it's what I felt like I should or had to do. Also I need to remember to get a little crazy sometime. I want to jump in a car and take a road trip across the country, I want to go get crazy in Vegas (sometime when I'm not going for work), I want to leave the country, I want to see the world! I want to help people, make a difference, take chances, live with no regrets, laugh too loud, love too much, learn to sew, start my own business, and have dance parties every day. Silly? Yes. Trite? Perhaps. But it's time to seize the day and find joy in every moment!

All of this to say, I want to take the road less traveled because in the end it will make all the difference. It seems Mr. Frost may have had the same concerns as I, "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both, And be one traveler, long I stood."

So too long I stand.

Sometimes you're lost, sometimes you're found

Well today was an interesting day. I started out by going to my very first NBA basketball game, the Washington Wizards. It was fun even though the Wizards are terrible.

So then I'm innocently sitting at home, when the roomie texts me. I ask her if she's made any life decisions yet, and she says yes that she's not coming back from Tulsa. This puts me in quite the pickle because we were supposed to re-sign our lease next week. Now I need to find a new place to live, not to mention probably a new roommate due to the high cost of living, plus movers, plus money to hire movers, plus money for deposits and pet deposits. Ugh! Too much stress!! I've already moved twice since June, and now for a 3rd?!

Honestly, could I catch a break?

DC hasn't been the kindest to me: a move within the first month of being here, an unfortunate car towing experience, a harassing run in with the law, being dirt poor all the time, and now this?! It's time for some GOOD LUCK!

But hey, nothing can hold me down. Professionally speaking I am really starting to prove myself and I'm excited about the opportunity for growth. I've met some great people in DC and experienced great things. I've been continually challenged to grow as a young professional and a woman. I know now that I can go anywhere and do anything.

Call me stubborn or crazy or even stupid, but I don't think I'm ready to give up on DC.

This is just another challenge and I am great at overcoming challenges!

Sausage and Pancakes

"Since we're going to to be hungry..."

I'm spending the night/weekend at home with Mary Fox. She has talked me into creating a blog...to blog my utterly boring existence. What will my blog say? Probably something to the extent of:

Day 1: I worked 12 hours today.

Day 2: I worked 12 hours today.

Day 3: I worked 12 hours today.

Day 4: I worked 12 hours today.

Day 5: I worked 12 hours today, then went to the bar.

Day 6: I slept 12 hours, then went to the bar.

Day 7: I slept 12 hours, then got ready to work 12 hours the next day.

Ok, so it's probably not that benign, but I guess only time will tell.

I had this great idea that I would start blogging upon moving to Washington, DC. I would buy a digital camera (I know it's 2010, I'm 25 years old, and I'm still using disposables. Pathetic? I'm aware) and take pictures of monuments and all the fun things I'm doing. Well, it's been 7 months and I never quite found the time (or money) to do that.

All of this stream of consciousness talk to conclude I need to spice up my life (did I really just quote a Spice Girls song?) and Mary Fox is a bad influence. We are a "we" now though, so I guess it's ok.