Fantasy Sports

For the last several years I have been participating with the same guys in Fantasy Sports. It is pretty laid back. We don't bet or have a pool of money for the winners. We just play for the fun and bragging rights. When I first got talked into it by my friend Jared I was pretty dubious. I'm certainly no sports nuts and it shows in my overall performance. The main reason that I participate is to keep an association with the guys I play with. It is a small thing and yet it really does a good job in keeping me involved with people that I associated with in SLC. I feel bad that a couple of other friends of mine (read Bryan and Jeff) don't partake of the fantasy fun.

Over the course the year we have a football, basketball, and baseball. This keeps me checking box scores through the course of a year. When I first started playing, I would rationalize my drafting of players on teams I despise. I would find myself routing for my real team, but hoping that the opposing player would have a great game. This lasted for several years until this year I finally said enough. It was time to cheer for my team and to not care about fantasy players. It seems to have worked in baseball. My best finish was a couple of years ago when I came in sixth during the regular season, but I rode a hot streak and finished third in the playoffs. This year I finished first and sailed through the regular season. Currently we have 1 week left and I am up 13-6 in the championship game. The best part is that I was 3-0 against Jared.

I thought my new strategy was going to work in football as I was in first with a 2-0 record. Or at least I thought I was. I woke up this morning for the start of week 3 and found out that they corrected some scores and I lost by a measly 0.1 point. Not such a big deal until Pittsburgh did nothing on offense today and it looks like I am going from 2-0 to 1-2. Another long season awaits. But in the end, it doesn't matter. The fact that it helps me stay in touch with friends is what really matters.

Of course winning doesn't hurt!

July in SLC - Friends

Like I said before, our trip this time had so many layers and we did SO MUCH. It was much different than the usual trip with my girls to shop and play with my sisters and mom and go see David's family. One difference being... David came with us!

This trip was designed around David's family reunion. The Chapman siblings are rarely together all at once. In our 11 years of marriage, they've only all been together maybe 4 times? This time not one person was missing either - all spouses and children were gathered too.

Well, actually, I want to do a separate post about the family reunion, maybe a couple. I'm starting with friends because that's kind of how I started and ended the trip...

We flew in on Sunday, the 6th. On Monday, the 7th, my college friends were getting together for their monthly dinner. I'm sure I've posted about these women before. Spending my college days with them and keeping in touch since, has changed my life. They are amazing. We are a fairly diverse group in terms of personalities and interests, but somehow we became fast friends and have seen each other through everything from boyfriends and weddings, serious problems, sad times, fun trips, jobs, children, to...you name it. They meet every first Monday of the month for dinner and have been doing it almost since we graduated. I can't believe it's been 11 years since I graduated from the U!

Whenever I go to Salt Lake, I anxiously look at the dates for my plane tickets and hope that the first Monday of the month is included so that I can go to dinner with these friends. Chris, Kara, Holly, Tiff, Stacey, and Angie are the regulars. These girls are amazing. When we were all in our sorority together, it was said that we would be eternal friends. At the time, I thought that sounded cheesy, kind of lame, and pretty un-likely to happen after graduation and getting married. I have been proven completely wrong. They truly are eternal friends. We will always "have each other's backs" and help each other in any way we can.

I am so glad to keep in touch with my friends through blogging. This has been one of the biggest blessings in my life. I can instantly access their lives and they can get to mine too. It's nice, though, to see them all face-to-face and have one of our famous dinner time conversations. I could kick myself that I didn't snap a picture of us (again!) Maybe next time.

Another friend I always see is my friend Jaimy. She and I grew up riding together as teenagers. We lost touch when her family moved out-of-state, but re-connected a couple years before Grace was born. I kept Jax at her stable during that time and we totally gelled again. She is awesome. She has 2 little kids now too and we relish in getting together at the barn each time I visit to let our kids ride together. We always lament that I don't live nearby anymore so that we could just hang out at the barn all day and let our kids run around and play with the ponies. This time, I took along my niece, Janie, to the barn too since she's also a fellow horse addict!

(Hattie, Reesie, Gracie, Janie, and Tucker!)(the horse addicts in their "Tink" shirts)

We make a point of spending time with our friends the Covilis each time we visit too. I'm going to let David blog about that because he was able to reconnect with an old friend of his and Jared's and he spent quite a bit of time with Jared too.

At the end of our trip, I was able to visit with our friends, the Jacksons. Although we did not know each other very long before our family moved to MA, we somehow clicked and made a connection. We've gone long intervals without talking or seeing each other, but again, the blogging has kept us right in each other's living rooms and we feel like we haven't missed a beat. I was so grateful to squeeze in a visit with them before I left. I have been wanting to see them so badly and talk to them. We had a really great conversation and I was totally reminded of why I get along with them so well. They are just great people who are easy to be with and who let you be yourself.

To all of my friends, whether I am able to physically squeeze in a visit to see you or not, I truly miss you and I'm so thankful for any contact we have. Keep me posted!

The Famous Dr. Warnick

On Saturday I had the fortunate privilege of spending time with one Dr. Bryan Warnick. Bryan is one of my oldest friends dating back to when we were in seventh grade at Bonneville Junior High. I haven't seen much of him the last 8 years as school and careers have taken us in different directions, but I still consider him to be one of my greatest friends.

So it was with much happiness that I headed into Cambridge to pick him up for a few hours of touring Boston the surrounding area. Bryan has already posted about when I picked him up. It was pretty funny listening to the admiring colleague. I have not had that experience. I am generally the one seeking out the giants in the field, annoying them, and keeping them from doing what they want. Once the praise was done, one bow-tie wearing Dr. Warnick hopped into my car and I gave him the brief auto-tour of Boston.

We had a good time seeing the sights and catching up. I didn't even mind that he was wearing a bow-tie. Despite the bow-tie, the fan club, the soon to be released book, and the PhD, I still think of Bryan as the guy who I met at 1 PM every day during the summer to play a little basketball. He has moved on to bigger and better pastures, but I still have many fond memories from Junior High, High School, and college.

Bryan did make one comment how it seemed weird that from our group of friends in high school that two of us have PhD and work for big name universities. He also made a comment disparaging himself and his degree and job. While I don't really think that I have amounted to much with my PhD, I do think that Bryan is going places. I'm not really surprised by it either. One of the things I most admired about Bryan was that not only was he smart and talented, but perhaps more importantly he had passion (something I think that I lack). While that passion was arguable misplaced in high school, he probably focused and channeled it once he got into college. I personally think that this is what led him into philosophy and an advanced degree.

I still admire Bryan. I still sense his passion and I was grateful to share a day with him. Hopefully some of that rubbed off on me. Congrats Bryan. I'm part of that aspiring fan club.

FRIENDS

Well it hasn't happened much in the last 5+ years, but tonight the stars and planets were aligned and I got together with Bryan and Jared for dinner and discussions in Park City. It was very enjoyable even if I know now not to talk up Guiliani or put down Obama. Politics aside, we had a very nice evening. It was one of those nights in Park City that really make me miss leaving in the Rocky Mountain west.

While I haven't done as good a job in keeping in touch with friends, I know that we will always have a connection. I think of the line at the end of Stand By Me when Richard Dreyfus is finishing typing up the story that has been related. I don't remember word for word what he says, but it is to the effect that "I had really good friends, do you ever have friends like those you had in youth?" That is how I feel. I was so lucky to have good friends through high school. And while life's changes have taken us separate ways, I believe that we all still consider each other friends. While that friendship has evolved over the years and while it will never be like it was in high school, I don't know that it is any less important in my life. While I have some nostalgia for the carefree days of high school friendship and more frequent interactions, it is still rewarding to interact and share my life with those who I love and call friend.

A night at Fenway

Well it has been a week since we took the whole family with Jared and Tara to catch a Red Sox game. It was Harriet's first game and Grace was enjoying her second Fenway action. Unfortunately we didn't have enough tickets that were together, so Jared and I took one for the team and sat in the seats under the infield grandstand. It was rough being so close to hear the ball hit the mitt, but someone had to do it. Meanwhile the womenfolk were out enjoying a nice summer night in the right field.

Eventually in the sixth inning we were able to consolidate at our seats in the infield. Grace enjoyed cheering for the Blue Jays and egging on her daddy, but I know she really is a Red Sox fan. I can say that both of my girls know how to charm the crowd.



Harriet was having a great time for the first few innings. After that though all I can really say is that Harriet outlasted Julian Tavarez. Unfortunately the Red Sox lost which means Jared and I are 0-2 watching the Red Sox together. Despite the loss, it was fun. Fenway really is a fun ball park and I can't wait for our next game on Labor Day. If only I could see someone besides the Blue Jays.



The next night Jared and Tara returned to see a Red Sox victory. So at least they were able to see a victory.

Basketball, Basketball, Basketball

Today Jared, Tara, Grace, and I drove the 75 minutes to Springfield to visit the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Despite having lived here for over 2 years and having driven past the Hall of Fame a couple of times it took Jared to get me to make the trek. Grace was excited about the "Basketball Museum" and she was a trooper. She got bored as I walked around the shrine level reading about the inductees, but as we got to some interactive items later on she had fun. While it wasn't a religious experience for me, it was interesting to read about some of the people and the history of basketball. I'll have to go back when John Stockton becomes eligible.

On a side note, Jared is becoming Grace's best friend. She didn't want daddy to hold her hand she wanted Jared. All I was good for was holding her hat. I also played a couple of games against Jared and while I lost it reminded me of the Shasta days back in junior high. I lost to Jared then and I lost to Jared today. But, I am winning this week in fantasy baseball. Let's hope I keep it up, so that I can get some payback.

Take a look at the pictures on Flickr.