Bikin' Through Denver

Starting on Thursday night, Denver and the front range have been bogged down with loads of snow, sleet and rain.  Most schools were cancelled on Friday (including many businesses as well) and Saturday, well, it was just miserable.

Thankfully, the weekend wasn't a total loss.  Today was sunny without a cloud in the sky and about 70 degrees.  Sarah and I decided to throw the bikes in the car and drive downtown to cruise down the Cherry Creek Trail.  It seemed like the whole town of Denver was outside today, riding bikes and playing with dogs.  What a great way to end such a crappy weekend.

I was attacked!

So my coach called today to see how I was doing.  By the time I came to on Sunday he had already left, so I didn't get a chance to talk to him.  Turns out, I didn't come down and hit my head on the ground.  I went up for a header and another player viciously elbowed me in the back of the head.  He got off with a warning and I got off with a concussion.

After sitting on the bench for a couple of minutes, Coach asked me if I could go back in.  Apparently I said, "I'll go back in, but I have NO idea what's going on right now."  That's when they decided it was probably a pretty good bump I'd received.

I saw the doctor today though and he said that nothing is wrong.  Just as ugly, but with less brain spells.

Cheers

Save me Sarah!

So today was another interesting day on the soccer front.  If you pay attention, you may have heard that the last time I played soccer, I hurt my foot and went to the ER because we thought it was broken.  Well, the trend continues...

I basically don't remember what happened, but this is what we've pieced together.  At around 3:50pm I went up for a header, collided with another player, and landed, smacking my head on the ground.  They brought me back to the bench and called Sarah to come pick me up.  While supposedly I was sitting up with my eyes open, I certainly wasn't conscious.  All of a sudden at 4:40pm I "woke up" if you will, and started to figure out something was wrong.  I didn't know where I was, how I got there, or what happened.  I didn't even remember the drive to the game, let alone playing or the collision.  After a quick (3hr) trip to the ER and a CAT Scan later, I'm find.  I was just a "Concussion with Loss of Consciousness."  I'm not sure what that medical mumbo-jumbo means.  I'll have to look it up on WebMD later.  Needless to say, no more anything for me for two weeks.

On the bright side, I've still been having nose problems after my surgery a few years ago, and the radiologist said that the MRI showed that I have Acute Sinusitis's.  Got a prescription for that too.

On another bright note, someone said that I saved a goal right before the collision, so I guess that's kind of sweet.  I may have to go out and purchase a Brain Bucket though.  Rock it out like Peter Cech.

on losing

Brian: "Look at the bright side, we're the second best team in the country."
Me: "Yep. The first place losers!"

 Oh Michigan State, I think it's best just to chalk this one up as not meant to be. UNC was simply...better. (but 20 turnovers? Seriously? Seriously?!?!?) Hey, there's always next year. Zing!

basketball anyone?

So. How 'bout 'dem Spartans?

I tried to get Brian and Doug to jump in the car and go to Detroit for the game tomorrow. What are you waiting for! There's not minute to lose! GET GOING ALREADY!!! I mean honestly. Why not? So it's an 18 hour drive and tickets are impossible to come by. So what? And they did think about it. And consider it. And look up possible means of acquiring tickets.

But I guess they've become a little too rational and responsible in their post college years. Bummer. So this post is dedicated to the Spartans - I hope they kick some a$$ tomorrow.

WAR EAGLE!! (Oh wait, that's my college team's war cry, but I'll let MSU borrow it for tomorrow. But just for tomorrow. They might need it.)

a great day at Vail

A conversation I had with Mother Nature:

"Hi, MN? About those 10 inches of snow we got last weekend, you know it's April, right? ....Yes, I realize I spent almost the entire winter in TX....well, yeah, I know I've only had a chance to go skiing once this year so far...okay, okay, I'll take the hint!"

 So with that and minimal arm twisting from Bob and Mel, Brian and I headed out to Vail on Wednesday night to get in a full day of skiing on Thursday with the Soos', who were here for their week at the timeshare they have in Beaver Creek. You would have thought that Mother Nature would have at least made the drive out to the mountains on Wednesday night easy for us, oh to only be so kind! But no, we sputtered along while the snow poured in and cars were standing still on the interstate left and right with their wheels spinning in place. Which made me realize, "wow, it's a good thing we left our 4 wheel drive vehicle at home and made the wheezing Pontiac deal with this instead..."

Well, you know us Bishops, our decision making rationale? Yeah, we like to keep it interesting. Nevertheless, Bonnie perservered slowly but surely, and inevitably everyone was starving by the time we finally arrived. So we made sure to keep the local Sushi joint in Beaver Creek in business by consuming 16 sushi dishes when it was all said and done. I'm blaming the culprits on the two teenage boys, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. 

So we got up in the morning and went skiing - it was the definition of a perfect day. Of course, everyone was an experienced skiier except *ahem* yours truly. Fortunately, Collin and Patrick were good sports and pretended they didn't mind staying back and skiing with me on the blue square slopes until lunch. Let me tell you, I was completely in awe of how fast they could both fly down the mountains and, well, most the 3 year olds out there for that matter as well.

In spite of all this bringing a whole new meaning of putting me to shame, I had a blast. I was glad Brian had Bob and Mel to ski with on the black diamonds on the back side of the mountain - because goodness knows my idea of skiing that would be rolling down the hill in snowball form.

So after a long day of skiing we sat down for some margaritas at the bottom of the slope. And if it was Bob and Mel's intention to get me drunk and walk me over to the local clog shop and convince me to buy not one but three pairs of clogs, and make my current ratty gross frayed well loved shoes disappear, then, well, it worked. Because that's exactly what happened. Luckily, in my sober state I am happy to report my new shoes actually fit, and are really sweet to boot! And I have a hunch my old shoes are happily one with a particular trash can near a particular clog store in the heart of Vail. Alas...

It was a great day - there's never a dull moment with the Soos' - and Brian and Bob were surely in their element, as I now know where Brian gets his sense of humor. We wish we could have stayed through Friday, but unfortunately work calls.

Hopefully we can get one more weekend of skiing in before the season ends!